LSU Lady Tigers basketball

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LSU Lady Tigers
LSU Lady Tigers athletic logo

University Louisiana State University
Conference SEC
Location Baton Rouge, LA
Head Coach Bob Starkey (Interim year)
Arena Pete Maravich Assembly Center
(Capacity: 13,472)
Nickname Lady Tigers
Colors Purple and Gold

             

NCAA Tournament Final Four
2004, 2005, 2006, 2007
Conference Tournament Champions
1991, 2003
Conference Regular Season Champions
2005, 2006


The LSU Lady Tigers basketball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The team is currently coached by interim coach Bob Starkey and has enjoyed recent success, including four straight Final Four trips in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007. Past coaches include Barbara Swanner, Jinks Coleman, Hall-of-Famer Sue Gunter, and Pokey Chatman. They play their home games in the Pete Maravich Assembly Center located on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Contents

[edit] History

The LSU women's basketball team started play in 1975 as the "Ben-Gals," with coach Jinks Coleman. In just their second season of play, the team made it to the AIAW national championship game before losing to top-ranked Delta State, 68-55. Coleman stepped down in the middle of the 1978-1979 season and was replaced by Barbara Swanner, who in turn led the team for three and a half seasons. The 1981-1982 season saw the NCAA become the governing body of collegiate women's basketball. LSU did not play in the first NCAA tournament.

Future Hall of Fame coach Sue Gunter was hired to replace Swanner. Gunter would lead the Lady Tigers for the next 22 seasons. Gunter led the Lady Tigers to 14 NCAA tournament appearances, including one Final Four in her last season as head coach. (Gunter was unable to be with the team during their run to the Final Four, as she was recovering from an illness and about to retire for health reasons, but was still the official head coach of the team.)

Pokey Chatman, who had played for Gunter in the late 1980s and early 1990s and served as an assistant coach since the end of her playing days, was hired to take over for Gunter. Chatman led the team to two more consecutive Final Four appearances and was highly regarded as coach. However, during the 2006-2007 season, just prior to the NCAA Tournament, Chatman resigned after allegations of improper conduct with a former player surfaced. She was replaced on an interim basis by longtime assistant Bob Starkey, who coached the team during the 2007 NCAA Tournament, leading them to a fourth consecutive Final Four. A permanent replacement has not yet been found.

[edit] Prominent Players

Player Position Years @ LSU
Seimone Augustus G 2003-2006
Temeka Johnson PG
Pokey Chatman PG
Marie Ferdinand
Joyce Walker
Sylvia Fowles C
Scholanda Hoston
Elaine Powell
Katrina Hibbert
April Brown
Doneeka Hodges

[edit] Head Coaches

Name Years Record
Jinks Coleman 1975-1979 91-32
Barbara Swanner 1979-1982 57-50
Sue Gunter 1982-2004 442-221
Pokey Chatman 2004-2007 90-14
Bob Starkey (interim) 2007 4-1

[edit] Year-by-Year Results

Season Coach Record Notes
1975-1976 Jinks Coleman 17-14
1976-1977 Jinks Coleman 29-8 AIAW National Runner-Up
1977-1978 Jinks Coleman 37-3
1978-1979 Jinks Coleman (first 15 games)
Barbara Swanner (last 10 games)
13-12
1979-1980 Barbara Swanner 17-17
1980-1981 Barbara Swanner 17-15
1981-1982 Barbara Swanner 18-13
1982-1983 Sue Gunter 20-7
1983-1984 Sue Gunter 23-7 Sweet Sixteen
1984-1985 Sue Gunter 20-9 NWIT Champions
1985-1986 Sue Gunter 27-6 Elite Eight
1986-1987 Sue Gunter 20-8 NCAA Tournament
1987-1988 Sue Gunter 18-11 NCAA Tournament
1988-1989 Sue Gunter 19-11 Sweet Sixteen
1989-1990 Sue Gunter 21-9 NCAA Tournament
1990-1991 Sue Gunter 24-7 SEC Tournament Champions; NCAA Tournament
1991-1992 Sue Gunter 16-13
1992-1993 Sue Gunter 9-18
1993-1994 Sue Gunter 11-16
1994-1995 Sue Gunter 7-20
1995-1996 Sue Gunter 21-11 NWIT Appearance
1996-1997 Sue Gunter 25-5 Sweet Sixteen
1997-1998 Sue Gunter 19-13 WNIT Final Four
1998-1999 Sue Gunter 22-8 SEC Tournament Runner-Up; Sweet Sixteen
1999-2000 Sue Gunter 25-7 Elite Eight
2000-2001 Sue Gunter 20-11 NCAA Tournament Second Round
2001-2002 Sue Gunter 18-12 NCAA Tournament Second Round
2002-2003 Sue Gunter 30-4 SEC Tournament Champions; Elite Eight
2003-2004 Sue Gunter 27-8 Final Four
2004-2005 Pokey Chatman 33-3 SEC Regular Season Champions; Final Four
2005-2006 Pokey Chatman 31-4 SEC Regular Season Champions; Final Four
2006-2007 Pokey Chatman (first 33 games)
Bob Starkey (last 5 games)
30-8 SEC Tournament Runner-Up; Final Four