Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
2023–24 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens women's basketball team
UniversityUniversity of Delaware
Athletic directorChristine Rawak
Head coachSarah Jenkins (1st season)
ConferenceCoastal Athletic Association
(Conference USA in 2025–26)
LocationNewark, Delaware
ArenaAcierno Arena at the Bob Carpenter Center
(Capacity: 5,000)
NicknameBlue Hens
ColorsRoyal blue and gold[1]
   
Uniforms
Home jersey
Team colours
Home
Away jersey
Team colours
Away


NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
2013
NCAA tournament second round
2012, 2013
NCAA tournament appearances
2001, 2007, 2012, 2013, 2022
Conference tournament champions
ECC: 1989, 1990, 1991
America East: 2001
CAA: 2012, 2013, 2022
Conference regular season champions
ECC: 1984, 1989, 1990, 1991
America East: 2001
CAA: 2005, 2012, 2013, 2021

The Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens women's basketball team is the basketball team that represents University of Delaware in Newark, Delaware. The school's team currently competes in the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).[2] After the 2024–25 season, Delaware will leave the CAA to join Conference USA.[3]

History

Delaware began play in 1971. In the 2011–12 and 2012–13 seasons, they went undefeated in CAA play, going 18–0 twice. They won their first ever NCAA Tournament game in 2012, beating Little Rock 73–42 before losing in the ensuing round to Kansas 70–64. They made the regional semifinals in the 2013 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament after beating West Virginia 66–53 and North Carolina 78–69 before losing to Kentucky 69–62. Elena Delle Donne played for the Blue Hens from 2009 to 2013, scoring 3,039 points, good for 9th in the all-time list.[4] As of the end of the 2020–21 season, the Fightin' Blue Hens have an all-time record of 820–552.

Historic results

Season by season

Statistics overview
Season Coach Overall Conference Standing Postseason
Susana Occhi[5] () (1969–1971a)
1969-70 Susana Occhi 1-5
Susana Occhi: 1-5 (.167)
Mary Ann Hitchens () (1971b–1978)
1970-71 Mary Ann Hitchens 4-5
1971-72 Mary Ann Hitchens 8-43rd Place, EAIAW Regionals
1972-73 Mary Ann Hitchens 9-53rd Place, EAIAW Regionals
1973-74 Mary Ann Hitchens 8-73rd Place, Mid-Atlantic Regionals
1974-75 Mary Ann Hitchens 12-53rd Place, EAIAW Regionals
1975-76 Mary Ann Hitchens 12-63rd Place, EAIAW Regionals
1976-77 Mary Ann Hitchens 9-93rd Place, EAIAW Regionals
1977-78 Mary Ann Hitchens 12-62nd Place, EAIAW Regionals
Mary Ann Hitchens: 74-47 (.612)
Joyce Perry () (1978[6]–1982)
1978-79 Joyce Perry 6-11
1979-80 Joyce Perry 7-13
1980-81 Joyce Perry 21-7
1981-82 Joyce Perry 9-14
Joyce Perry (East Coast Conference) (1982–1991)
1982-83 Joyce Perry 12-124-41st, ECC West
1983-84 Joyce Perry 22-48-01st
1984-85 Joyce Perry 19-911-32nd
1985-86 Joyce Perry 15-158-63rd
1986-87 Joyce Perry 10-175-96th
1987-88 Joyce Perry 18-119-53rd
1988-89 Joyce Perry 23-613-11st
1989-90 Joyce Perry 21-910-41st
1990-91 Joyce Perry 18-1110-21st
Delaware (East Coast): 158-94 (.627)78-34(.696)
Joyce Perry (North Atlantic Conference) (1991–1996)
1991-92 Joyce Perry 15-147-74th
1992-93 Joyce Perry 17-118-64th
1993-94 Joyce Perry 10-177-75th
1994-95 Joyce Perry 12-155-107th
1995-96 Joyce Perry 11-169-95th
Delaware (North Atlantic): 65-73(.471)36-39(.480)
Joyce Perry: 266-212 (.556)114-73 (.610)
Tina Martin (America East Conference) (1996–2001)
1996-97 Tina Martin 9-196-127th
1997-98 Tina Martin 6-213-1510th
1998-99 Tina Martin 16-1110-85th
1999-00 Tina Martin 21-813-53rd
2000-01 Tina Martin 26-517-11stNCAA 1st Round
Delaware (America East): 78–64 (.549)49–41 (.544)
Tina Martin (Colonial Athletic Association) (2001–2017)
2001-02 Tina Martin 23-715-32ndWNIT 1st Round
2002-03 Tina Martin 22-915-3T-1stWNIT 1st Round
2003-04 Tina Martin 19-1010-84th
2004-05 Tina Martin 25-616-21stWNIT 1st Round
2005-06 Tina Martin 22-813-53rdWNIT 1st Round
2006-07 Tina Martin 26-616-2T-2ndNCAA 1st Round
2007-08 Tina Martin 7-246-129th
2008-09 Tina Martin 15-157-119th
2009-10 Tina Martin 21-1211-74thWNIT 1st Round
2010-11 Tina Martin 20-1410-8T-5thWNIT 1st Round
2011-12 Tina Martin 31-218-01stNCAA 2nd Round
2012-13 Tina Martin 32-418-01stNCAA Sweet Sixteen
2013-14 Tina Martin 20-1110-63rdWNIT 1st Round
2014-15 Tina Martin 15-178-107th
2015-16 Tina Martin 16-1510-85th
2016-17 Tina Martin 16-1410-85th
Delaware (CAA): 330–174 (.655)193–93 (.675)
Tina Martin: 408-238 (.632)242-134 (.644)
Natasha Adair (Colonial Athletic Association) (2017–2021)
2017-18 Natasha Adair 19-1311-75thWNIT 1st Round
2018-19 Natasha Adair 16-1511-7T-3rd
2019-20 Natasha Adair 12-178-106th
2020-21 Natasha Adair 24-516-21stWNIT Semifinals
Natasha Adair: 71-50 (.587)46-26 (.639)
Total:820-552 (.598)

      National champion         Postseason invitational champion  
      Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion
      Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion
      Conference tournament champion

  • ^a Susan Occhi was only the coach for one season, 1969 to 1970, however all of the games were played in 1970, and she remained coach until being replaced by Mary Ann Hitchens. See also Note B.
  • ^b Mary Ann Hitchens began as the coach during the 1970 to 1971 school year, however, all of the games for that school year were played in 1971. She had been the 1969-70 freshman team coach and moved up to coach varsity at the beginning of 1971, for the 1970–1971 school year. See also Note A.

NCAA tournament

The Blue Hens have appeared in the NCAA tournament five times, with their 2013 Sweet Sixteen appearance being their best showing.

Year Seed First round Second round Sweet Sixteen
2001 #13 #4 NC State
57–76
2007 #12 #5 Michigan State
58–69
2012 #3 #14 Arkansas-Little Rock
73–42
#11 Kansas
64-70
2013 #6 #11 West Virginia
66–53
#3 North Carolina
78-69
#2 Kentucky
62-69
2022 #13 #4 Maryland
71–102

WNIT tournament

The Blue Hens have appeared in the WNIT Tournament nine times, with their 2021 semifinal appearance and Charlotte Regional Championship being their best.

Year First round
2002 George Washington
71-78
2003 Saint Joseph's
47-65
2005 St. John's
42-56

The 2006 Women's National Invitation Tournament expanded from 32 to 40 teams, adding an additional round of games. The 2007 tournament expanded to 48 teams, eliminating first round byes, and the tournament was expanded to 64 teams in 2010.

Year First round Second round
2006 BYE Pittsburgh
57-64
2010 Richmond
49-67
2011 Toledo
55-58
2014 Rutgers
61-65
2018 Georgetown
57-67

The 2021 Women's National Invitation Tournament contracted from 64 to 32 teams, eliminating one round of the tournament.

Year First round Second round Quarterfinal Semifinal
2021 Fordham
77-49
Clemson
87-74
Villanova
77-70
Rice
75-85

See also

References

  1. "Delaware Blue Hens Logo Usage". August 28, 2013. Retrieved November 4, 2018.
  2. "Women's Basketball – News – BlueHens.com – UD Athletics". bluehens.com. Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  3. "CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to Join in 2025" (Press release). Conference USA. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  4. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2017-03-17. Retrieved 2017-03-17.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  5. "2018 UD Athletics Hall of Fame Class Announced".
  6. "2012-13 Women's Basketball Media Guide by UDBlueHens Delaware - Issuu".
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