BYU Cougars women's basketball
College basketball team
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The BYU Cougars women's basketball team is the women's college basketball program representing Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. The Cougars began female collegiate basketball competition in 1972 and have won 18 conference championships. They compete in the Big 12 Conference.
| BYU Cougars women's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
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| University | Brigham Young University | ||
| First season | 1972–1973 | ||
| Athletic director | Brian Santiago | ||
| Head coach | Lee Cummard (1st season) | ||
| Location | Provo, Utah | ||
| Arena | Marriott Center (capacity: 17,978) | ||
| Conference | Big 12 Conference | ||
| Nickname | Cougars | ||
| Colors | Blue and white[1] | ||
| Student section | The ROC | ||
| All-time record | 934–557 (.626) | ||
| NCAA Division I tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 2002, 2014 | |||
| NCAA Division I tournament appearances | |||
| 1984, 1985, 1993, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2021, 2022 | |||
| AIAW tournament second round | |||
| 1980 | |||
| AIAW tournament appearances | |||
| 1978, 1979, 1980 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1993, 2002, 2012, 2015, 2019 | |||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||
| 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1984, 1985, 1993, 2006, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2022 | |||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
History
The BYU Cougars women's basketball team traces its roots to 1900, when a team was created at Brigham Young Academy, the precursor to BYU.[2] Its official inaugural season was in 1972. From 1972 to 1977, the team was coached by Elaine Michaelis, during which time she simultaneously coached women's volleyball, field hockey, and softball at one point. The program found early success under coach Courtney Leishman, who took over in 1977, with the team winning five straight regular-season championships in the Intermountain Athletic Conference (IAC) from 1977–78 to 1981–82. The Cougars also made three appearances in the AIAW Tournament (1978, 1979, 1980), reaching the Sweet Sixteen in 1980. BYU made the transition to NCAA Division I and earned its first NCAA Tournament bid in the 1983–84 season. The Cougars competed in the High Country Athletic Conference (HCAC), Western Athletic Conference (WAC), and Mountain West Conference (MWC) during the years that followed, securing several conference titles. The team made notable NCAA Tournament appearances in the 1980s and 1990s, including a WAC Tournament Championship in 1993.[3]
The most consistent period of success for the program came under head coach Jeff Judkins, who led the team from the 2001–02 season through 2021–22, becoming the winningest coach in program history. Judkins guided the Cougars to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen twice: 2002 and 2014.[4][5] The team won multiple regular-season and tournament championships in both the Mountain West Conference and the West Coast Conference (WCC), which they joined in 2011. During their time in the WCC (2011–2023), BYU was a consistent contender, winning three WCC Tournament Championships (2012, 2015, 2019) and two WCC Regular Season Championships (2021, 2022).[3] The BYU Cougars made a significant move in 2023, joining the Big 12 Conference.[6]
As of 2025, the Cougars have been ranked in the AP poll a total of 38 times since 1977, with its highest rank at #15.[citation needed]
Venue
The Cougars play their home games in the Marriott Center, which is the largest basketball arena in the Big 12 Conference, with a capacity of 17,978.[7]
Coaches
| Name | Career | Record | Pct. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elaine Michaelis | 1972–1977 | 48–28 | .632 |
| Courtney Leishman | 1977–1989 | 219–124 | .638 |
| Jeanie Wilson | 1989–1994 | 79–63 | .556 |
| Soni Adams | 1994–1997 | 28–55 | .337 |
| Trent Shippen | 1997–2001 | 72–49 | .595 |
| Jeff Judkins | 2001–2022 | 351–162 | .684 |
| Amber Whiting | 2022–2025 | 45–51 | .469 |
| Lee Cummard | 2025–present | 26–12 | .700 |
Players
The BYU women's basketball team has produced 16 All-Americans, including Tina Gunn Robison, who was the 1980 AWSF National Player of the Year.[8] Players who have gone on to play in the WNBA include Erin Thorn, Ambrosia Anderson, and Jennifer Hamson.
Results by season
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elaine Michaelis (Intermountain Athletic Conference) (1972–1977) | |||||||||
| 1972–1973 | Elaine Michaelis | 9–3 | 9–3 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1973–1974 | Elaine Michaelis | 9–5 | 9–5 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1974–1975 | Elaine Michaelis | 7–6 | 7–5 | 5th | — | ||||
| 1975–1976 | Elaine Michaelis | 11–6 | 10–3 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1976–1977 | Elaine Michaelis | 12–8 | 10–3 | 2nd | — | ||||
| Elaine Michaelis: | 56–32 | 45–19 | |||||||
| Courtney Leishman (Intermountain Athletic Conference) (1977–1982) | |||||||||
| 1977–1978 | Courtney Leishman | 22–6 | 13–0 | 1st | AIAW First Round | ||||
| 1978–1979 | Courtney Leishman | 21–7 | 11–2 | 1st | AIAW First Round | ||||
| 1979–1980 | Courtney Leishman | 24–9 | 8–2 | T-1st | AIAW Second Round | ||||
| 1980–1981 | Courtney Leishman | 21–8 | 9–1 | T-1st | — | ||||
| 1981–1982 | Courtney Leishman | 24–13 | 7–3 | 1st | WNIT Third Round | ||||
| Courtney Leishman: | 112–43 | 48–8 | |||||||
| Courtney Leishman (High Country Athletic Conference) (1982–1990) | |||||||||
| 1982–1983 | Courtney Leishman | 17–8 | 8–2 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1983–1984 | Courtney Leishman | 18–8 | 9–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1984–1985 | Courtney Leishman | 19–9 | 11–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1985–1986 | Courtney Leishman | 16–11 | 9–3 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1986–1987 | Courtney Leishman | 16–11 | 9–3 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1987–1988 | Courtney Leishman | 12–15 | 4–6 | 3rd | — | ||||
| 1988–1989 | Courtney Leishman | 8–19 | 3–7 | 4th | — | ||||
| Courtney Leishman: | 107–81 | 55–23 | |||||||
| Jeanie Wilson (High Country Athletic Conference) (1989–1990) | |||||||||
| 1989–1990 | Jeanie Wilson | 10–17 | 2–8 | 5th | — | ||||
| Jeanie Wilson: | 10–17 | 2–8 | |||||||
| Jeanie Wilson (Western Athletic Conference) (1990–1994) | |||||||||
| 1990–1991 | Jeanie Wilson | 8–21 | 3–9 | 5th | — | ||||
| 1991–1992 | Jeanie Wilson | 21–8 | 12–2 | 2nd | — | ||||
| 1992–1993 | Jeanie Wilson | 24–5 | 13–1 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1993–1994 | Jeanie Wilson | 16–12 | 10–4 | 2nd | — | ||||
| Jeanie Wilson: | 79–63 | 40–24 | |||||||
| Soni Adams (Western Athletic Conference) (1994–1997) | |||||||||
| 1994–1995 | Soni Adams | 8–19 | 4–10 | 7th | — | ||||
| 1995–1996 | Soni Adams | 9–18 | 3–11 | 7th | — | ||||
| 1996–1997 | Soni Adams | 11–18 | 7–9 | 5th | — | ||||
| Soni Adams: | 28–55 | 14–30 | |||||||
| Trent Shippen (Western Athletic Conference) (1997–1999) | |||||||||
| 1997–1998 | Trent Shippen | 15–14 | 6–8 | 5th | — | ||||
| 1998–1999 | Trent Shippen | 16–13 | 9–5 | 3rd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| Trent Shippen: | 31–27 | 15–13 | |||||||
| Trent Shippen (Mountain West Conference) (1999–2001) | |||||||||
| 1999–2000 | Trent Shippen | 22–9 | 10–4 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2000–2001 | Trent Shippen | 19–13 | 8–6 | 3rd | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| Trent Shippen: | 41–22 | 18–10 | |||||||
| Jeff Judkins (Mountain West Conference) (2001–2011) | |||||||||
| 2001–2002 | Jeff Judkins | 24–9 | 10–4 | 3rd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2002–2003 | Jeff Judkins | 19–12 | 8–6 | 3rd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2003–2004 | Jeff Judkins | 15–14 | 5–9 | 6th | — | ||||
| 2004–2005 | Jeff Judkins | 19–11 | 9–5 | 3rd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2005–2006 | Jeff Judkins | 26–6 | 13–3 | 1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2006–2007 | Jeff Judkins | 23–10 | 12–4 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2007–2008 | Jeff Judkins | 13–16 | 7–9 | 5th | — | ||||
| 2008–2009 | Jeff Judkins | 18–11 | 8–8 | 5th | — | ||||
| 2009–2010 | Jeff Judkins | 23–10 | 11–5 | 2nd | WNIT Elite Eight | ||||
| 2010–2011 | Jeff Judkins | 25–9 | 15–1 | 1st | WNIT Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| Jeff Judkins: | 205–108 | 98–54 | |||||||
| Jeff Judkins (West Coast Conference) (2011–2022) | |||||||||
| 2011–2012 | Jeff Judkins | 26–7 | 12–4 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2012–2013 | Jeff Judkins | 23–11 | 11–5 | 3rd | WNIT Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2013–2014 | Jeff Judkins | 28–7 | 14–4 | 2nd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | ||||
| 2014–2015 | Jeff Judkins | 23–10 | 12–6 | 5th | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2015–2016 | Jeff Judkins | 26–7 | 16–2 | 1st | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 2016–2017 | Jeff Judkins | 20–12 | 13–5 | 2nd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2017–2018 | Jeff Judkins | 16–14 | 11–7 | 3rd | — | ||||
| 2018–2019 | Jeff Judkins | 26–7 | 15–3 | 2nd | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2019–2020 | Jeff Judkins | 14–9 | 9–4 | 2nd | Cancelled (COVID) | ||||
| 2020–2021 | Jeff Judkins | 19–6 | 13–3 | 2nd | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| 2021–2022 | Jeff Judkins | 26–4 | 15–1 | 1st | NCAA Second Round | ||||
| Jeff Judkins: | 251–96 | 141–47 | |||||||
| Amber Whiting (West Coast Conference) (2022–2023) | |||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Amber Whiting | 16–17 | 9–9 | T-4th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| Amber Whiting: | 16–17 | 9–9 | |||||||
| Amber Whiting (Big 12 Conference) (2023–2025) | |||||||||
| 2023–2024 | Amber Whiting | 16–17 | 6–12 | T–9th | WBIT First Round | ||||
| 2024–2025 | Amber Whiting | 13–17 | 4–14 | T–12th | — | ||||
| Amber Whiting: | 29–34 | 10–26 | |||||||
| Lee Cummard (Big 12 Conference) (2025–present) | |||||||||
| 2025–2026 | Lee Cummard | 26–12 | 9–9 | T–9th | WBIT Runner-Up | ||||
| Lee Cummard: | 26–12 | 9–9 | |||||||
| Total: | 981–590 | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
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Postseason appearances
NCAA Division I
BYU has reached the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament fifteen times. They have a record of 7–15.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | #8 | First Round | #1 USC | L 72–97 |
| 1985 | #8 | First Round | #1 Long Beach State | L 85–112 |
| 1993 | #12 | First Round | #5 UC Santa Barbara | L 79–88 |
| 2000 | #12 | First Round | #5 Oklahoma | L 81–86 |
| 2002 | #11 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #6 Florida #3 Iowa State #2 Tennessee | W 90–52 W 75–69 L 57–68 |
| 2003 | #11 | First Round | #6 Colorado | L 45–84 |
| 2006 | #7 | First Round Second Round | #10 Iowa #2 Oklahoma | W 67–62 L 70–86 |
| 2007 | #11 | First Round | #6 Louisville | L 54–80 |
| 2012 | #10 | First Round | #7 DePaul | L 55–59 |
| 2014 | #12 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #5 NC State #4 Nebraska #1 Connecticut | W 72–57 W 80–76 L 51–70 |
| 2015 | #14 | First Round | #3 Louisville | L 53–86 |
| 2016 | #7 | First Round | #10 Missouri | L 69–78 |
| 2019 | #7 | First Round Second Round | #10 Auburn #2 Stanford | W 73–64 L 63–72 |
| 2021 | #11 | First Round Second Round | #6 Rutgers #3 Arizona | W 69–66 L 46–52 |
| 2022 | #6 | First Round | #11 Villanova | L 57–61 |
WBIT
BYU has made the WBIT two times. They are 4–2, reaching as far as the championship game in 2026 and losing in the Championship game to the Columbia Lions.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | NS | First Round | #4 Santa Clara | L 59–60 |
| 2026 | #1 | First Round Second Round Quarterfinals Semifinals Finals | Alabama A&M #4 Missouri #2 Stanford #2 Kansas #4 Columbia | W 72–47 W 93–75 W 76–61 W 70–67 L 64–81 |
WNIT
BYU has made the Women's National Invitation Tournament nine times and has a 10-9 record
