Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball

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UniversityUniversity of Kansas
First season1903; 123 years ago (1903) (club)
1968 (varsity)
Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball
2025–26 Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Kansas
First season1903; 123 years ago (1903) (club)
1968 (varsity)
Athletic directorTravis Goff
Head coachBrandon Schneider (11th season)
LocationLawrence, Kansas
ArenaAllen Fieldhouse
(capacity: 16,300)
ConferenceBig 12
NicknameJayhawks
ColorsCrimson and blue[1]
   
All-time record865–696 (.554) (Varsity-only record)
NCAA Division I tournament Sweet Sixteen
1996, 1998, 2012, 2013
NCAA Division I tournament appearances
1987, 1988, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2012, 2013, 2022, 2024
AIAW tournament second round
1980
AIAW tournament appearances
1979, 1980, 1981
Conference tournament champions
1979, 1980, 1981, 1987, 1988, 1993
Conference regular-season champions
1987, 1992, 1996, 1997
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away
Alternate jersey
Team colours
Alternate

The Kansas Jayhawks women's basketball team represents the University of Kansas and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are coached by Brandon Schneider. The Jayhawks have failed to match the success of the men's team, only qualifying for 14 NCAA Tournaments and never making it past the Sweet Sixteen. They have, however, won one Women's NIT championship which they won in 2023. Despite the lack of success on the court, the Jayhawks have produced one Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer, Lynette Woodard

Black-and-white team photo of the 1903 KU women's basketball team with the center-most girl holding a basketball with "1903" painted on it
The 1903 KU women's basketball team

In 1897, the University of Kansas commencement program featured an excerpt from a graduate named Lola Bell Brown. The excerpt explains that Brown was being included "for her work on the basketball court at Kansas", and "she helped bring basketball to KU for girls."[2] Several female students asked Dr. Naismith if they could form a team upon witnessing his new game. It's reported that he responded with enthusiasm and support. Naismith would later coach the women's team for a single season.[3] A week later, it was being played in physical education classes by both men and women. Six years later, in 1903, the University of Kansas fielded their first women's basketball team. The 1903 team posted a 6-2 record. The team competed as a non-varsity independent squad. In 1912, female students at the University of Kansas launched the Women’s Athletic Association (WAA) with the assistance of physical education instructor Hazel Pratt. Under the WAA, KU women competed against other colleges and universities as a non-varsity club sport. This continued for several decades until women's basketball became a varsity sport in 1968.[4] Kansas first officially fielded a varsity women's basketball team during the 1968–1969 season,[5] though club level women's teams had been fielded as early as 1903. For 31 seasons (1973–2004) the women's team was coached by Marian Washington, who led the team to three Big Eight championships, 11 NCAA Tournament appearances and three AIAW tournament appearances. The team's best post-season result was appearing in the Sweet Sixteen, which they have done five times, most recently in 2013.

Notable players

The Jayhawks have produced one Hall of Fame player. As of April 2, 2023, Kansas has no players on WNBA rosters but has produced WNBA players in the past.

Hall of Famers

Former WNBA players

Conferences

The Jayhawks and the rest of the Big 8, along with four former members of the defunct Southwest Conference, joined and created the Big 12 conference in 1996.

Coaches

Kansas first fielded a women's basketball team in 1903. The Jayhawks, at this time, were coached by the inventor of the game James Naismith. After the 1903 season, and until becoming a varsity team in 1968, the Jayhawks did not officially have a coach, and instead had "player-coaches" on their rosters.[4] The Jayhawks have had 6 coaches since they began Varsity play in 1968. Marian Washington is all-time leader for the program in years coached, wins, tournament appearances, tournament wins, and win percentage.

Coach Years Coached Wins Losses Win % App. Wins Loss. Win %
Marlene Mawson1968–19711916.543N/A*
Debbie Artman1971–197298.529000
Sharon Drysdale1972–197398.529000
Marian Washington1973–2004560365.605141014.417
Bonnie Henrickson2004–2015186171.521242.667
Brandon Schneider2015–present107136.440111.500

* Women's college post-season tournaments did not begin until 1969, with a CIAW invitational tournament. Kansas appeared in the 1971 CIAW post-season qualification tournament with a record of 2-2.[6]:141

Postseason

NCAA Division I

The Jayhawks have appeared in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament fourteen times. Their record is 15–14.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
19877First Round
Second Round
(10) NE Louisiana
(2) Georgia
W 78–72
L 51–82
19887First Round
Second Round
(10) Middle Tennessee St.
(2) Louisiana Tech
W 81–75
L 50–89
19929First Round(8) Missouri St.L 59–75
19938First Round(9) CaliforniaL 47–62
19949First Round
Second Round
(8) Stephen F. Austin
(1) Penn State
W 72–67
L 68–85
19957First Round(10) WisconsinL 72–73
19964First Round
Second Round
Sweet 16
(13) Middle Tennessee St.
(5) Texas
(1) Tennessee
W 72–57
W 70–77
L 71–92
19973First Round
Second Round
(14) Detroit
(6) Vanderbilt
W 81–67
L 44–51
19985First Round
Second Round
Sweet 16
(12) Tulane
(4) Iowa
(9) Arkansas
W 72–68
W 62–58
L 63–79
19999First Round
Second Round
(8) Marquette
(1) Purdue
W 64–58
L 41–55
20008First Round(9) VanderbiltL 69–71 2 OT
201211First Round
Second Round
Sweet 16
(6) Nebraska
(3) Delaware
(2) Tennessee
W 57–49
W 70–64
L 73–84
201312First Round
Second Round
Sweet 16
(5) Colorado
(4) South Carolina
(1) Notre Dame
W 67–52
W 75–69
L 63–93
20228First Round
Second Round
(9) Georgia Tech
(1) Stanford
W 77–58
L 65–91
20248First Round
Second Round
(9) Michigan
(1) USC
W 81–72 OT
L 55–73

AIAW

Kansas reached the AIAW Women's Basketball Tournament three times. They had a record of 1–3.

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1979First RoundLouisiana TechL 61–100
1980First Round
Second Round
Cheyney State
Louisiana Tech
W 75–66
L 73–81
1981Second RoundUCLAL 71–73

WBIT

Women's NIT

The Jayhawks have appeared in six NIT tournaments. Their combined record is 15–5. They won the 2023 Tournament.

Year Round Rival Score
2006First round
Second round
Northern Iowa
Ole Miss
W 59–49
L 76–78
2008Second round
Third round
Evansville
Michigan State
W 82–60
L 54–58
2009Second round
Third round
Quarterfinals
Semifinals
Championship
Creighton
Arkansas
New Mexico
Illinois State
South Florida
W 79–64
W 75–59
W 78–69
W 75–72
L 71–75
2010First round
Second round
Regional Semifinals
Prairie View A&M
Creighton
Illinois State
W 82–72
W 71–68
L 51–71
2011First round
Second round
Wichita State
Duquesne
W 79–58
L 63–80
2023First round
Second round
Super 16
Great 8
Fab 4
Championship
Western Kentucky
Missouri
Nebraska
Arkansas
Washington
Columbia
W 86–72
W 75–47
W 64–55
W 78–64
W 61–36
W 66–59

Year by year results

References

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