TCU Horned Frogs Women’s Basketball: A History of Excellence

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has been one of the most successful programs in the country for over three decades. In that time, they’ve won multiple conference championships and made numerous appearances in the NCAA tournament

This blog will take a look at the history of the program and some of the key figures who have made it so successful. We’ll also preview the upcoming season and talk about some of the players to watch.

Introduction

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball team has been one of the most successful programs in the country since its inception in 1974. The team has won eight conference championships and made 16 appearances in the NCAA Tournament including four trips to the Sweet Sixteen TCU has produced 28 All-Americans, nine Academic All-Americans, and two Olympians. under Head Coach Jeff Mittie, the Frogs have been one of the nation’s top programs winning 20 or more games in 13 of his 18 seasons at the helm.

In recent years TCU has become a national power, thanks in large part to its stellar recruiting class of 2016. That class, which included current stars like Jordan Moore and Amy Hardin, was ranked No. 7 in the country by ESPNW. That Recruiting Class has helped lead TCU to four consecutive 20-win seasons and four consecutive trips to the NCAA tournament

The TCU women’s basketball team is one of the most storied programs in the country. Thanks to its success on the court and its commitment to excellence off it, TCU is a university that any prospective student-athlete should consider seriously.

The Early Years

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball team was founded in 1974 and has been a perennial powerhouse in the sport ever since. The team has won four conference championships and made nine NCAA tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen berth in 1998. In the early years of the program, the Frogs were led by head coach Debbie Yow, who compiled a 192-92 record in her ten seasons at the helm. Yow’s teams were known for their tough defense and disciplined play, which helped them to achieve success both in conference and on the national stage.

During the 1990s, the TCU women’s basketball team rose to new heights under Head Coach Lorene Ramsey. Ramsey led the Frogs to six consecutive winning seasons, including four 20-win campaigns. In 1998, Ramsey guided TCU to its first ever NCAA tournament appearance, where the Frogs defeated Iowa State before falling to eventual National Champion Connecticut in the Sweet Sixteen. The 1998 season was just the beginning of a new era of excellence for TCU women’s basketball.

In 2000, Head coach Jerry Finkbeiner took over the reins of the program and led TCU to its first ever conference championship The Frogs went on to win back-to-back conference titles in 2002 and 2003, cementing their place as one of the premier programs in women’s college basketball Finkbeiner’s teams were known for their high-powered offense, which featured such standout players as Lisa Cleveland and Ebony Shaw. After a successful run at TCU, Finkbeiner left to take over the head coaching job at UTEP in 2006.

Finkbeiner was replaced by Jeff Mittie, who had previously served as an assistant under him at TCU. Mittie continued the tradition of excellence established by his predecessor, leading the Frogs to four consecutive 20-win seasons and four straight NCAA Tournament appearances. In 2011, Mittie guided TCU to its best season in program history, as the Frogs went 27-7 overall and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut.

TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has a rich history of success that spans nearly four decades. The team has won numerous conference championships and made numerous NCAA tournament appearances, establishing itself as one of the premier programs in women’s college basketball

The Middle Years

In the years since the program’s inception, the TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has established a tradition of excellence. The team has reached the postseason 20 times, including 15 trips to the NCAA Tournament They have won 11 conference championships and made four trips to the Sweet Sixteen.

During this time period, the team has been led by some of the most successful coaches in program history. Leon Barmore (1980-1985) compiled a record of 105-24 (.814), won two conference championships, and led the team to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. Eddie Fergerson (1985-1997) amassed a 206-154 (.573) record, won eight conference championships, and guided the team to six NCAA tournament appearances. Melissa McFerrin (1997-2006) posted a 191-88 (.685) record, won six conference championships, and led the team to five NCAA Tournament appearances.

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has also produced some of the most successful players in program history. Kathy Toomey was named All-West Conference three times (1980-1982) and still holds TCU records for career points (2,177), points per game (19.8), and field goals made (896). Sammy Olson was a two-time All-American (1991-1992), three-time All-West Conference selection (1989-1991), and still holds TCU records for career assists (820) and assists per game (7.5). Tasha McDowell was named West Conference Player of the Year in 1996, led the nation in blocked shots per game in 1996-1997 (4.6), and is TCU’s all-time leader in blocked shots (428). Kim Krail was a two-time All-American (2001-2002), three-time All Mountain West Conference selection (2000-2002), and still holds TCU records for career 3 pointers made (273) and 3 pointers attempted (774).

The Modern Era

In the modern ERA of TCU women’s basketball, the team has continued to be a force to be reckoned with. The team has made it to the NCAA tournament 11 times since 2000, with their most recent appearance being in 2019. They have also won the conference tournament four times in that same span. In the 2015-2016 season, the team reached a program milestone by finishing the season ranked in the top 25 nationally.

The Postseason

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball team has been a force to be reckoned with in the postseason for many years now. They have made it to the NCAA tournament 18 times in their history, and their most recent appearance was in 2019. In that year, they made it all the way to the Sweet Sixteen before being defeated by the eventual National Champions the University of Connecticut Huskies.

The Horned Frogs have also been successful in the WNIT (Women’s National Invitation Tournament), winning it all in 2009. They have made it to the semifinals of the WNIT on three other occasions, in 2007, 2012, and 2018.

In addition to their successes in the NCAA Tournament and the WNIT, the Horned Frogs have also won four conference championships, most recently in 2019. They have been a consistently excellent team throughout their history, and they show no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

The Rivalries

In College Basketball a rivalry is special. It’s more than just another game; it’s an event. The atmosphere is electric, the fans are passionate, and the players are amped up. There’s nothing like it.

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball Team has some great rivalries. Here are just a few of them:

The Baylor Bears The Baylor-TCU rivalry is one of the hottest in College Basketball right now. The two teams have been battling for supremacy in the Big 12 Conference for the past few years, and both have won a National Championship in that time. The games between these two teams are always intense, and the fans are passionate about their team’s success.

The Texas Longhorns The Texas-TCU rivalry dates back to the early days of the women’s Basketball Program at TCU. The Longhorns are one of TCU’s biggest rivals, and the games between these two teams are always highly anticipated. Texas leads the all-time series, but TCU has won four of the last five meetings between the two teams.

The Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma-TCU rivalry is one of the most underrated rivalries in college basketball These two teams have been evenly matched over the years, with each team winning four games in a row at one point or another. The Sooners lead the all-time series, but TCU has won three of the last four meetings between these two squads.

The Championships

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball team has a long and storied history of excellence, winning multiple conference championships and making regular appearances in the NCAA tournament The team’s most recent successes have come under the leadership of head coach Raegan Pebley, who has guided the Frogs to three consecutive conference titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances in her five seasons at the helm.

The Frogs have won a total of 12 conference championships in their history, including seven Mountain West Conference titles and five West Conference titles. The team has also made 20 NCAA tournament appearances, with their most recent trip coming in 2019. TCU has an all-time record of 751-426 (.638), which includes a 443-208 (.680) mark in Mountain West play.

The Players

In 2009, the TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball team set a school record with 27 wins in a season. The team also advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. The following year, the team won the Mountain West Conference regular season and tournament titles and again advanced to the NCAA Tournament

The success of the TCU women’s basketball team is due in large part to its talented players. In 2010, center Erica Brookins was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year, and guard Whitney Lawrence was named the conference’s Sixth Woman of the Year. Brookins and Lawrence are just two of the many talented players who have helped make the TCU Horned Frogs one of the top women’s basketball teams in the country.

The Coaches

Since the program’s formation in 1974, the TCU Horned Frogs women’s Basketball Team has been led by some of the most respected coaches in the game. In its early years, the team was coached by Kendra Hassell, who led the team to five conference championships and three NCAA Division I tournament appearances in her six seasons at the helm.

In 1990, she was succeeded by Lisa stockton, who would go on to become one of the most successful coaches in TCU history. In her 23 seasons with the team, she led the Horned Frogs to 19 conference championships and 12 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2009.

In 2013, Stockton was succeeded by Jeff Mittie, who has continued the tradition of excellence established by his predecessors. In his five seasons at TCU, Mittie has led the Horned Frogs to four conference championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, including a Sweet Sixteen appearance in 2018.

Under Mittie’s leadership, the TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has cemented its place as one of the premier programs in the country.

The Legacy

The TCU Horned Frogs women’s basketball team has a long and storied history of excellence, both on and off the court. The team was founded in 1974 and has since won 17 conference championships and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the Sweet Sixteen in 1995. Off the court, the Frogs have been just as successful, with a 100% graduation rate for players over the past 20 years.

The TCU Horned Frogs are a force to be reckoned with, both on and off the court. With 17 conference championships and 10 NCAA tournament appearances under their belt, they’re a team that knows how to win. But their success extends beyond the game; over the past 20 years, 100% of their players have graduated. The TCU Horned Frogs are truly a team of excellence, both on and off the court.