The Western Kentucky Lady Toppers basketball team represents Western Kentucky University in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of Conference USA. Greg Collins is entering his seventh season as the head coach of the Lady Toppers in 2024–25 after previously serving as the team's associate head coach under Michelle Clark-Heard.

History Western Kentucky began playing women's basketball in 1914. The program hired Paul Sanderford in 1982. The first two seasons saw them record 20 wins each before the 1984-85 team reached the NCAA tournament for the first time ever as an at-large team with a record of 26–5. They were one of the four Regional hosts, and the Toppers used it to their advantage, defeating #1 seed Texas in the Regional Semifinals to reach their first ever Regional Final before defeating Ole Miss to win their first ever Elite Eight. In a Final Four hosted in Austin, the Toppers lost 91–78 to Georgia in a game where both teams combined for a record 101 points (57 from Georgia, 44 from Western Kentucky) in the second half. Lillie Mason was named to the All-Tournament Team. The following year saw them win the Sun Belt outright and record a 30-win season with 32 total wins. Western Kentucky was ranked as a #4 seed but made it all the way back to the Regional finals and beat #2 Rutgers to make the Final Four again. Facing undefeated Texas in a Final Four hosted in Lexington, the Toppers were defeated 90–65. The Toppers routinely made the tournament over the next couple of years that saw their best season come with the 1991-92 team. As a #4 seed, they defeated the #1 seed Tennessee to reach their third ever regional final and then defeated #2 Maryland to make the Final Four. They faced #8 seed Southwest Missouri State 84–72 to make their first ever National Championship Game against Stanford. They were defeated 78-62 while Kim Pehlke was named to the All-Tournament Team. The 1994–95 season was the 11th and final consecutive time the team made the NCAA Tournament and they reached the Sweet Sixteen before losing to #1 seed Tennessee. Sanderson left the team to coach at the University of Nebraska in 1997; in 15 seasons, he led the team to 14 postseason appearances (12 NCAA, two NWIT).

Postseason NCAA tournament results The Lady Toppers have appeared in the NCAA tournament 20 times, with a record of 17–20. They were NCAA runners-up in 1992 and made Final Four appearances in 1985 and 1986.

1985 First RoundRegional SemifinalsRegional FinalsFinal Four Middle TennesseeTexasMississippi Georgia W 77–55W 92–90W 72–68L 78–91 1986 Second RoundRegional SemifinalsRegional FinalsFinal Four St. Joseph's James Madison Rutgers Texas W 74–65W 72–51W 89–74L 65–90 1987 First Round at USC L 69–81 1988 First Round at Georgia L 66–84 1989 First Round West Virginia L 57–66 1990 First Round at DePaul L 63–73 1991 Second RoundSweet Sixteen Florida Stateat Tennessee W 72–69L 61–68 1992 Second RoundRegional SemifinalsRegional FinalsFinal FourNational Championship Game Alabama Tennessee Maryland Southwest Missouri State Stanford W 98–68W 75–70W 75–70W 84–72L 62–78 1993 Second RoundSweet Sixteen Miami (FL) Ohio State W 78–63 L 73–86 1994 First RoundSecond Round RutgersSouthern Miss W 84–73 L 69–72 1995 First RoundSecond RoundSweet Sixteen ToledoOregon StateTennessee W 77–63 W 85–78 L 67–87 1997 First Round Arizona L 54–76 1998 First RoundSecond Round Stephen F. AustinTennessee W 88–76 L 62–82 2000 First RoundSecond Round MarquetteDuke W 68–65 L 70–90 2003 First Round Rutgers L 52–64 2008 First Round UTEP L 60–92 2014 First Round Baylor L 74–87 2015 First Round Texas L 64–66 2017 First Round Ohio State L 63–70 2018 First Round Oregon State L 58–82

WNIT results The Lady Toppers have appeared in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) 13 times, with an overall record of 18–15. They made the semifinals of the tournament in 2006 and 2007.

1984* Third Round California Vanderbilt Clemson W 82–76L 68–79L 106–110 (OT) 1996* Third Round Arizona Princeton UC Santa Barbara L 72–80W 74–41L 61–77 2001 Quarterfinals MississippiIndianaOhio State W 95–92W 64–63L 61–70 2002 First Round at Illinois L 84–91 2004 Quarterfinals CincinnatiMemphisat UNLV W 80–78 (OT)W 104–87L 75–78 2005 First Round Xavier L 85–87 2006 Semifinals Tennessee TechCharlotteat Villanovaat Kansas State W 83–66W 81–68W 94–81L 56–57 (OT) 2007 Semifinals MinnesotaMississippi StateHofstraat Wisconsin W 73–57W 56–53W 72–54L 72–79 2010 First Round Illinois L 51–68 2013 Second Round East Carolinaat Auburn W 88–77 (OT)L 66–84 2016 Quarterfinals DaytonTennessee-Martinat Saint Louisat South Dakota W 89–72W 64–57W 78–76 (OT)L 54–68 2019 Third Round at Miami (OH)Morehead Stateat Ohio W 67–63W 68–65L 60–68 2023 First Round at Kansas L 72–86 Note: Appearances were in the National Women's Invitational Tournament (NWIT), prior to the start of the WNIT.

Rivalries Source

Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders

+ WKU–Middle Tennessee: All-Time Record Games playedFirst meetingLast meetingWKU winsWKU lossesWin %781924–25 (lost 7–41)January 23, 2021 (lost 60–77)3345

Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters

+ WKU–Louisiana Tech: All-Time Record Games playedFirst meetingLast meetingWKU winsWKU lossesWin %50December 3, 1983 (lost 50–82)January 9, 2021 (lost 52–58)2327

Louisville Cardinals

+ WKU–Louisville: All-Time Record Games playedFirst meetingLast meetingWKU winsWKU lossesWin %471921–22 (won 26–6)November 5, 2019 (lost 56–75)2522

Home venue

E. A. Diddle Arena

Players

WNBA draft Year Rnd Pick Overall Player name Position WNBA team 2001 3 1 33 F Houston Comets 2006 3 8 36 G Los Angeles Sparks 2008 3 3 31 F Houston Comets

Coaches J. L. Author (1914–16) 1–0 record in 2 seasons as head coach (incomplete records) No Team 1916–21 Josephine Cherry and W.J. Craig (1921–22) 4–0 record in 1 season as co-head coaches Edgar Diddle (1922–24) 11–6 record in 2 seasons as head coach Jane Culbert (1924–25) 3–6 record in 1 season as head coach Nell Robbins (1925–26) 3–6 record in 1 season as head coach Elizabeth Dabbs (1926–30) 20–11 record in 4 seasons as head coach (incomplete records) No Team (1930–73) Pam Dickson (1973–1974) 4–7 record in 1 season as head coach Dr. Carol Hughes (1974–1976) 22–20 record in 2 seasons as head coach Julia Yeater (1976–1978) 44–18 in 2 seasons as head coach Eileen Canty (1978–1982) 50–62 in 4 seasons as head coach Paul Sanderford (1982–1997) 365–120 in 15 seasons as head coach Steve Small (1997–2001) 88–40 in 4 seasons as head coach Shawn Campbell (2001–2002) 14–12 in 1 season as head coach Marti Whitmore (2002) 2–2 in 1 season as head coach (finished 2002 season after Campbell's departure) Mary Taylor Cowles (2002–2012) 199–119 in 10 seasons as head coach Michelle Clark-Heard (2012–2018) 154–48 in 6 seasons as head coach Greg Collins (2018–present) 49–38 in 3 seasons as head coach

See also List of teams with the most victories in NCAA Division I women's college basketball

References

External links