Arkansas Razorbacks
2023–24 Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Arkansas
Head coachMike Neighbors (7th season)
ConferenceSEC
LocationFayetteville, Arkansas
ArenaBud Walton Arena
(Capacity: 19,368)
NicknameRazorbacks
ColorsCardinal and white[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament Final Four
1998
NCAA tournament Elite Eight
1990, 1998
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
1990, 1991, 1998
NCAA tournament second round
1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2015
NCAA tournament appearances
1986, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1995, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2015, 2021, 2022
AIAW tournament appearances
1982
Conference tournament champions
1991 (SWC)
Conference regular season champions
1990, 1991 (SWC)

The Arkansas Razorbacks women's basketball team represents the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, Arkansas, United States in NCAA Division I women's basketball competition. The school's team currently competes in the Southeastern Conference.

The basketball team plays its home games in Bud Walton Arena on the University of Arkansas campus under fourth-year head coach Mike Neighbors.

History

Women's basketball has been a part of the fabric of the University of Arkansas for almost a century. Teams of female students took to outdoor courts and peach baskets just after the turn of the century. While the women waited until 1976 for the first varsity team to officially represent the University, these early photos show how the game captured what was then deemed “the fairer sex” in action.

Arkansas' women's basketball history can be definitively traced to the 1976-77 season when the University began keeping records. Since that time, the Razorback women's basketball team has made two SWAIAW Regional appearances, one AIAW Sweet 16 appearance, 8 NWIT and WNIT appearances, and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances including reaching the Final Four in 1998 and winning the WNIT in 1999, beating Wisconsin 67-64.[2]

SWC Title

Arkansas was the first team to beat Texas and the first team to win a share, then later an outright, Southwest Conference championship besides the Lady Longhorns. In 1991, Arkansas also ended the Texas’ dominance of the SWC tournament by defeating Texas Tech for the title. These three trophies— the 1990 and 1991 regular season championships and 1991 SWC Classic tournament title—are the only SWC women’s basketball trophies in captivity outside the state of Texas.

NCAA Final Four

In 1998, Arkansas made NCAA Tournament history as the lowest seed -- #9 in the West—to advance to the Final Four. They were the first unranked team in women’s basketball history during the modern era to reach the Final Four. And, they were the lowest finishing team in conference play—tied for sixth in the SEC—to reach the Final Four. Arkansas spent two weeks in the Bay Area. Along the way, the Razorbacks beat three conference champions—WAC, Pacific, Ivy and ACC—and three ranked teams—Hawai’i, Kansas and Duke—to face conference rival Tennessee at Kansas City.[3]

Arkansas played all four of its pre-Final Four games on late night TV, earning the nickname of Good Morning America’s team. Every member of the team contributed to the run, starting with a 24-point effort by Karyn Karlin in the opening round win over #20 Hawai’i, 76-70. Then it was freshman Wendi Willits’ turn with a near-NCAA record six three-pointers to blow open Arkansas’ second round contest with Harvard, 82-64. In the opening round games held at Stanford, Calif., Christy Smith had zero turnovers and 16 assists.

At the West Regionals in Oakland, junior Sytia Messer stepped to the front as Arkansas’ leading scorer in both wins, earning herself the honor as the most outstanding player at the West Regional. Messer had 23 points as Arkansas used an impressive 54-point second half to dispatch Kansas, 79-63, in the Sweet 16. Fellow junior Treva Christensen announced herself with 14 points off the bench against Duke to earn all-tournament selection. Junior Tennille Adams was 6-of-9 with 14 off the bench including the go-ahead bucket in the closing minutes against Duke.

Smith calmly sank four free throws in the final seconds to send Arkansas to the Final Four for the first time with a 77-72 win over ACC champion Duke.

List of head coaches

Postseason

NCAA Division I

Year Seed Round Opponent Result
1986 #8First Round#9 MissouriL 65—66
1989 #12First Round#5 PurdueL 63—91
1990 #7First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight		#10 UCLA
#2 Georgia
#3 Stephen F. Austin
#1 Stanford		W 90—80 (OT)
W 81—70
W 87—82
L 87—114
1991 #3Second Round
Sweet Sixteen		#6 Northwestern
#10 Lamar		W 105—68
L 75—91
1995 #6First Round
Second Round		#11 San Francisco
#3 Washington		W 67—58
L 50—54
1998 #9First Round
Second Round
Sweet Sixteen
Elite Eight
Final Four		#8 Hawaii
#16 Harvard
#5 Kansas
#2 Duke
#1 Tennessee		W 76—70
W 82—64
W 79—63
W 77—72
L 58—86
2001 #9First Round
Second Round		#8 Baylor
#1 Duke		W 68—59
L 54—75
2002 #6First Round
Second Round		#11 Clemson
#3 Kansas State		W 78—68
L 68—82
2003 #7First Round
Second Round		#10 Cincinnati
#2 Texas		W 71—57
L 50—67
2012 #6First Round
Second Round		#11 Dayton
#3 Texas A&M		W 72—55
L 59—61
2015 #10First Round
Second Round		#7 Northwestern
#2 Baylor		W 57—55
L 44—73
2021 #4First Round#13 Wright StateL 62—66
2022 #10 First Round #7 Utah L 69—92

WNIT

Source[4]

Overtime period - *

Year Round Opponent Result
1999 First Northwestern State W 78–60
Second Oklahoma W 97–93*
Quarterfinals Rice W 76–60
Semi finals Drake W 67–64
Finals Wisconsin W 80–77
2000 First Wichita State W 83–63
Second Missouri W 89–88
Quarterfinals Georgia Tech W 78–67
Semi finals Florida L 83–62
2005 First UNLV W 61–48
Second Arkansas State L 98–84
2009 Round 2 Oklahoma State W 61–60 *
Round 3 Kansas L 75–59
2011 First Lamar W 91–65
Second Missouri State W 65–64
Regional semifinals Oral Roberts W 78–59
Regional finals Illinois State L 60–49
2013 First Memphis W 67–57
Second Tulane L 60–48
2019 Round 1 Houston W 88–80 *
Round 2 UAB W 100–52
Round 3 TCU L 82–78
2023 Round 1 Louisiana Tech W 69–47
Round 2 Stephen F. Austin W 60–37
Super 16 Texas Tech W 71–66
Great 8 Kansas L 78–64

AIAW Division I

The Razorbacks made one appearance in the AIAW National Division I basketball tournament, with a combined record of 0–1.

Year Round Opponent Result
1982 First Round California L, 62–66

References

  1. ↑ "Color Palette & Fonts". Arkansas Razorbacks Brand Style Guide (PDF). June 16, 2021. Retrieved October 2, 2021.
  2. ↑ "2020-2021 Record Book" (PDF). arkansasrazorbacks.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2021-03-03. Retrieved 3 June 2021.
  3. ↑ "W. Basketball Program History". Arkansas Razorbacks. 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
  4. ↑ "Archived Fields (PDF) - WNIT Pre and Post Tournament" (PDF). womensnit.com. Retrieved 2023-04-17.
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