Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball

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UniversityUniversity of Colorado Boulder
First season1975; 51 years ago (1975)
Head coachJR Payne (10th season)
LocationBoulder, Colorado
Colorado Buffaloes
2025–26 Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Colorado Boulder
First season1975; 51 years ago (1975)
Head coachJR Payne (10th season)
LocationBoulder, Colorado
ArenaCU Events Center
(capacity: 11,064)
ConferenceBig 12
NicknameBuffaloes
ColorsSilver, black, and gold[1]
     
NCAA Division I tournament Elite Eight
1993, 1995, 2002
Other NCAA Division I tournament results
Sweet Sixteen1993, 1994, 1995, 1997, 2002, 2003, 2023, 2024
Appearances1988, 1989, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2013, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2026
AIAW tournament appearances
1981, 1982
Conference tournament champions
1989, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997
Conference regular-season champions
1989, 1995
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away

The Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team represents the University of Colorado Boulder and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.

Colorado players defend a shot by an Air Force Falcons women's basketball opponent during a 2023 game at Clune Arena

Colorado plays in the Big 12 Conference. The Buffaloes were a member of the Big 12 from 1997 to 2011, following the formation of the conference through the merger of the Big Eight Conference and several members of the Southwest Conference. Colorado then competed in the Pac-12 Conference from 2011 to 2024 before rejoining the Big 12 in 2024.[2]

Coaches

Colorado's head women's basketball coach is JR Payne. Payne was hired prior to the 2016–17 season. She replaced Linda Lappe, who was fired at the end of the 2015–16 season with a 7–23 record.[3]

On March 28, 2016, JR Payne became head coach at Colorado. The eighth head coach in program history, Payne replaced Linda Lappe, who was fired after managing only a career 33–57 (.367) record in Pac-12 play. JR Payne inherited a program that finished 7–23 (2–16 Pac-12) in Lappe's final season. JR Payne's 2018–19 Colorado team began Pac-12 conference play with 11 straight losses, the worst start to conference play in program history.[4] JR Payne's 2018–19 Buffs lost on the road to #4 ranked Oregon 102–43, the 59-point loss was the worst loss in 35 years, and the 4th worst in program history.[4] The Buffs home win against USC on February 10, 2019 allowed CU to prevent from having both the first 12 game losing streak in program history, and the first winless conference season in program history.[5]

Roster

2025–26 Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
G 0 Erianna Gooden 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) FrNorthside HS Fort Smith, AR
G 1 Zyanna Walker 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) JrWichita Heights HS
Kansas State		 Wichita, KS
G 2 Kennedy Sanders 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) RS SoChaska HS Chaska, MN
G 3 Desiree Wooten 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) RS JrManfield Timberview HS
North Texas		 Dallas, TX
C 4 JoJo Nworie 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) RS SrTexas Tech Lagos, Nigeria
G 7 Claire O'Connor 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) JrLakeside School
Gonzaga		 Bellevue, WA
C 8 Jade Crook 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) FrBA Centre of Excellence;Lake Ginninderra College Albury, Australia
G 10 Isa Hämäläinen 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) FrEuropean School of Luxembourg 1 Lorentzweiler, Luxembourg
F 11 Logyn Greer 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) FrFriends' Central School Lansdowne, PA
G 13 Maeve McErlane 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) RS JrAcademy of Notre Dame de Namur
DePaul		 Philadelphia, PA
F 14 Jade Masogayo 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) SrFossil Ridge HS
Missouri State		 Fort Worth, TX
F 15 Anaëlle Dutat 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) SrLycée Victor Hugo
Rhode Island		 Cesson, France
F 17 Tabitha Betson 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) SoDME Academy Melbourne, Australia
F 22 Sophie Zadel 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) FrAlamo Heights HS San Antonio, TX
Head coach

JR Payne (Saint Mary's)

Assistant coach(es)

Toriano Towns (Saint Mary's)
Taelor Karr (Gonzaga)
Matt Hower (Colorado State)
Jordynn Hernandez (UT Arlington)
Shelley Sheetz (Colorado)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: April 28, 2026

Year by year results

Conference tournament winners noted with (W)
Source[6]

Season Team Overall Conference Standing Postseason Coaches' poll AP poll
Carol Hochsprung (Intermountain) (1975–1976)
1975 Carol Hochsprung 2–112–10
Carol Hochsprung: 2–11 (.154)2–10 (.167)
Jerry Zancanelli (Intermountain) (1975–1978)
1975–76 Jerry Zancanelli 8–125–8
1976–77 Jerry Zancanelli 14–125–8
1977–78 Jerry Zancanelli 18–145–8
Jerry Zancanelli: 40–38 (.513)15–24 (.385)
Rene Portland (Intermountain) (1978–1980)
1978–79 Rene Portland 22–910–3AIAW Regional
1979–80 Rene Portland 18–119–1AIAW Regional
Rene Portland: 40–20 (.667)19–4 (.826)
Sox Walseth (Intermountain) (1980–1982)
1980–81 Sox Walseth 28–510–0AIAW First Round
1981–82 Sox Walseth 28–88–2AIAW First Round
Sox Walseth (Big Eight Conference) (1982–1983)
1982–83 Sox Walseth 21–87–5
Sox Walseth: 77–21 (.786)25–7 (.781)
Ceal Barry (Big Eight Conference) (1983–1996)
1983–84 Ceal Barry 10–183–11
1984–85 Ceal Barry 6–222–12
1985–86 Ceal Barry 21–99–52nd
1986–87 Ceal Barry 14–146–8
1987–88 Ceal Barry 21–118–6NCAA Second Round (Play-In)
1988–89 Ceal Barry 27–414–01st (W)NCAA Second Round (Bye)199
1989–90 Ceal Barry 17–1110–4
1990–91 Ceal Barry 18–118–6
1991–92 Ceal Barry 22–911–32nd (W)NCAA First Round
1992–93 Ceal Barry 27–412–21stNCAA Elite Eight910
1993–94 Ceal Barry 27–512–21stNCAA Sweet Sixteen105
1994–95 Ceal Barry 30–314–01st (W)NCAA Elite Eight52
1995–96 Ceal Barry 26–99–5(W)NCAA Second Round1817
Ceal Barry (Big 12 Conference) (1996–2005)
1996–97 Ceal Barry 23–912–4T–2nd (W) (Big 12)NCAA Sweet Sixteen1518
1997–98 Ceal Barry 12–165–118th
1998–99 Ceal Barry 15–147–9T–8thWNIT Sixteen
1999–2000 Ceal Barry 10–194–1210th
2000–01 Ceal Barry 22–911–54thNCAA Second Round2320
2001–02 Ceal Barry 24–1011–5T–3rdNCAA Elite Eight912
2002–03 Ceal Barry 24–811–54thNCAA Sweet Sixteen19
2003–04 Ceal Barry 22–811–53rdNCAA First Round2417
2004–05 Ceal Barry 9–192–14T–11th
Ceal Barry: 427–242 (.638)192–134 (.589)
Kathy McConnell-Miller (Big 12 Conference) (2005–2010)
2005–06 Kathy McConnell-Miller 9–213–1311th
2006–07 Kathy McConnell-Miller 13–176–10T–7th
2007–08 Kathy McConnell-Miller 19–155–119thWNIT Semifinals
2008–09 Kathy McConnell-Miller 11–183–1312th
2009–10 Kathy McConnell-Miller 13–173–1311th
Kathy McConnell-Miller: 65–88 (.425)20–60 (.250)
Linda Lappe (Big 12 Conference) (2010–2016)
2010–11 Linda Lappe 18–166–10T–8th (Big 12)WNIT Quarterfinals
Linda Lappe (Pac-12 Conference) (2011–2016)
2011–12 Linda Lappe 21–146–1210th (Pac-12)WNIT Quarterfinals
2012–13 Linda Lappe 25–713–54thNCAA First Round1919
2013–14 Linda Lappe 19–156–12T–9thWNIT Quarterfinals
2014–15 Linda Lappe 15–176–12T–9th
2015–16 Linda Lappe 7–232–1612th
Linda Lappe: 105–92 (.533)39–67 (.368)
JR Payne (Pac-12 Conference) (2016–2024)
2016–17 JR Payne 17–165–13T–9thWNIT Third round
2017–18 JR Payne 15–165–139th
2018–19 JR Payne 12–182–1612th
2019–20 JR Payne 16–145–13T–9th
2020–21 JR Payne 12–118–86thWNIT Quarterfinals
2021–22 JR Payne 22–99–75th
2022–23 JR Payne 25–913–53rdNCAA Sweet Sixteen1521
2023–24 JR Payne 24–1011–7T–5thNCAA Sweet Sixteen1615
JR Payne (Big 12 Conference) (2024–present)
2024–25 JR Payne 21–139–99thWBIT Second round
2025–26 JR Payne 22–1211–76thNCAA First Round
JR Payne: 184–126 (.594)78–98 (.443)
Total:940–638 (.596)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

NCAA tournament results

References

External links

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