The Memphis Tigers women's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The Tigers compete in the American Athletic Conference. They previously competed in Conference USA in which they have won two Conference USA conference tournament championships and, prior to that two Metro Conference tournament championships. They play home games at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse and FedExForum.
| Memphis Tigers | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | University of Memphis | ||
| First season | 1914 | ||
| All-time record | 680–503 (.575) | ||
| Head coach | Alex Simmons (1st season) | ||
| Conference | The American | ||
| Location | Memphis, Tennessee | ||
| Arena | Elma Roane Fieldhouse (Capacity: 2,565) | ||
| Nickname | Tigers | ||
| Student section | Blue Crew | ||
| Colors | Blue and gray[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen | |||
| 1982 | |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 1982, 1985, 1987, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 1982, 1985 (Metro) 1996, 1998 (C-USA) | |||
History edit
The first inter-school game of the Memphis Tigers (then West Tennessee State Normal School) was a 24–0 win over Whitehaven High School in 1914. The University dropped women's athletics in 1936 and did not return women's athletics to varsity sport status until the 1972–73 season.[2]
The team has competed in the NCAA tournament seven times.,[3] the WNIT five times,[4] the National Women's Invitational tournament one time[4] and the Women's Basketball Invitational one time.[4]
Jamirah Shutes, a senior guard on the 2022–23 Memphis women’s basketball team, initially pled not guilty to an assault charge after she was accused of punching a Bowling Green player in the face following the Memphis Tigers' loss in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) on March 24, 2023, officials confirmed. She later changed her plea and was found guilty and her sentence included anger management. [5]
Head coaches edit
| Memphis coaching history | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenure | Coach | Seasons | Record | Pct. |
| 1919–1922 | Martha Teuton | 3 | 38–5–1 | .875 |
| 1922–1923 | W. H. Depriest | 1 | 11–8 | .579 |
| 1923–1924 | Crowley Davis | 1 | 4–4 | .500 |
| 1924–1927 | Leo Lindsey | 3 | 32–8–1 | .793 |
| 1929–1935 | Ethel Blackman | 8 | 57–29–2 | .659 |
| 1972–1991 | Mary Lou Johns | 19 | 368–215 | .631 |
| 1991–2004 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 13 | 229–156 | .595 |
| 2004–2008 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 4 | 30–88 | .254 |
| 2008–2021 | Melissa McFerrin | 13 | 140–116 | .547 |
| 2021–2023 | Katrina Merriweather | 2 | 38–23 | .623 |
| 2023– | Alex Simmons | 1 | – | – |
Year by year results edit
TCWSF—Tennessee College Women's Sports Federation
- —Conference tournament winners
Source[6]
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | Coaches' poll | AP poll | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mary Lou Johns (Independent, Metro) (1972–1991) | |||||||||
| 1972–73 | Mary Lou Johns | 17–6 | – | ||||||
| 1973–74 | Mary Lou Johns | 23–9 | – | ||||||
| 1974–75 | Mary Lou Johns | 29–9 | – | ||||||
| 1975–76 | Mary Lou Johns | 19–8 | – | ||||||
| 1976–77 | Mary Lou Johns | 27–9 | – | ||||||
| 1977–78 | Mary Lou Johns | 29–9 | – | Region II Tournament | |||||
| 1978–79 | Mary Lou Johns | 26–7 | – | TCWSF | |||||
| 1979–80 | Mary Lou Johns | 19–12 | – | TCWSF | |||||
| 1980–81 | Mary Lou Johns | 20–11 | – | TCWSF | |||||
| Metro Conference | |||||||||
| 1981–82 | Mary Lou Johns | 26–5 | 6–1 | ‡ (Metro) | NCAA Sixteen | ||||
| 1982–83 | Mary Lou Johns | 20–12 | 6–3 | NWIT Second Place | |||||
| 1983–84 | Mary Lou Johns | 18–12 | 9–1 | ||||||
| 1984–85 | Mary Lou Johns | 23–7 | 9–1 | ‡ | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1985–86 | Mary Lou Johns | 16–12 | 7–1 | ||||||
| 1986–87 | Mary Lou Johns | 20–9 | 10–2 | NCAA Second Round (Bye) | |||||
| 1987–88 | Mary Lou Johns | 15–15 | 7–5 | ||||||
| 1988–89 | Mary Lou Johns | 9–19 | 2–11 | ||||||
| 1989–90 | Mary Lou Johns | 6–22 | 3–11 | ||||||
| 1990–91 | Mary Lou Johns | 6–22 | 4–10 | ||||||
| Mary Lou Johns: | 368–215 | 63–46 | |||||||
| Great Midwest Conference | |||||||||
| Joye Lee-McNelis (Great Midwest, Conference USA) (1992–2005) | |||||||||
| 1991–92 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 12–17 | 4–6 | (Great Midwest) | |||||
| 1992–93 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 12–16 | 3–7 | ||||||
| 1993–94 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 17–12 | 8–5 | ||||||
| 1994–95 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–8 | 9–2 | NCAA Second Round | |||||
| Conference USA‡ | |||||||||
| 1995–96 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 20–11 | 10–4 | 1st‡ (White) (CUSA) | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1996–97 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–7 | 12–2 | T-1st (White) | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1997–98 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–8 | 13–3 | 1st‡ (National) | NCAA First Round | ||||
| 1998–99 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–10 | 10–6 | 2nd (National) | WNIT Semifinals | ||||
| 1999–2000 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 18–12 | 11–5 | 2nd (National) | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| 2000–01 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 17–13 | 9–7 | 4th (National) | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2001–02 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 11–17 | 5–9 | 10th | |||||
| 2002–03 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 13–15 | 6–8 | T-7th | |||||
| 2003–04 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 21–10 | 9–5 | T-5th | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| Joye Lee-McNelis: | 229–156 | 109–69 | |||||||
| Blair Savage-Lansden (Conference USA) (2004–2008) | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 13–16 | 5–9 | 9th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 3–25 | 1–15 | 12th | |||||
| 2006–07 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 4–27 | 1–15 | 12th | |||||
| 2007–08 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 10–20 | 7–9 | T-6th | |||||
| Blair Savage-Lansden: | 30–88 | 14–48 | |||||||
| Melissa McFerrin (Conference USA, American) (2008–2021) | |||||||||
| 2008–09 | Melissa McFerrin | 12–18 | 5–11 | T-9th (CUSA) | |||||
| 2009–10 | Melissa McFerrin | 20–14 | 10–6 | T-2nd | WBI Finals | ||||
| 2010–11 | Melissa McFerrin | 20–13 | 8–8 | 6th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2011–12 | Melissa McFerrin | 25–8 | 13–3 | 2nd | WNIT Second Round | ||||
| 2012–13 | Melissa McFerrin | 17–15 | 8–8 | T-5th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| American Athletic Conference | |||||||||
| 2013–14 | Melissa McFerrin | 13–18 | 6–12 | 7th | |||||
| 2014–15 | Melissa McFerrin | 14–17 | 7–11 | 7th | |||||
| 2015–16 | Melissa McFerrin | 18–13 | 12–6 | 4th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2016–17 | Melissa McFerrin | 14–16 | 7–9 | T-5th | |||||
| 2017–18 | Melissa McFerrin | 10–20 | 5–11 | t-8th | |||||
| 2018–19 | Melissa McFerrin | 11–20 | 5–11 | T-8th | |||||
| 2019–20 | Melissa McFerrin | 14–17 | 5–11 | 11th | |||||
| 2020–21 | Melissa McFerrin | 4–15 | 2–11 | 10th | |||||
| Melissa McFerrin: | 164–152 | 81–85 | |||||||
| Katrina Merriweather (American) (2021–2023) | |||||||||
| 2021–22 | Katrina Merriweather | 16–12 | 6–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2022–23 | Katrina Merriweather | 22–11 | 11–4 | 2nd | WNIT Super Sixteen | ||||
| Katrina Merriweather: | 38–23 | 17–13 | |||||||
| Alex Simmons (American) (2023–present) | |||||||||
| 2023–24 | Alex Simmons | ||||||||
| Total: | 757–564 | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
NCAA tournament results edit
Memphis has reached the NCAA tournament seven times, six officially, due to them vacating their participation in the 1985 tournament due to violations. They have a combined record of 2–7.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | #3 | First Round Sweet Sixteen | #6 Ole Miss #2 Tennessee | W 72–70 L 63–78 |
| 1985 | #6 | First Round | #3 Auburn | L 64–82 |
| 1987 | #6 | Second Round | #3 Virginia | L 75–76 |
| 1995 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 USC #8 Vanderbilt | W 74–72 L 68–95 |
| 1996 | #8 | First Round | #9 Ohio State | L 75–97 |
| 1997 | #11 | First Round | #6 Notre Dame | L 62–93 |
| 1998 | #5 | First Round | #12 Youngstown State | L 80–91 |
See also edit
References edit
- ^ The University of Memphis Athletic Brand Standards. April 29, 2022. Retrieved June 25, 2022.
- ^ "2011–12 Memphis Women's Basketball Fact Book". gotigersgo.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-15.
- ^ "2009–10 Women's Basketball Information Guide". gotigersgo.com.
- ^ a b c "2011–12 Memphis Women's Basketball Fact Book – Memphis Tigers Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 2012-03-15. Retrieved 2011-10-20.Memphis women's basketball media guide
- ^ Glasspiegel, Ryan (March 29, 2023). "Memphis star Jamirah Shutes pleads not guilty after handshake-line sucker punch". New York Post. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
- ^ "Media Guide". University of Memphis. Retrieved 11 Aug 2013.