# 2021–22 South Dakota Coyotes women's basketball team

The 2021–22 South Dakota Coyotes women's basketball team represented the University of South Dakota in the 2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Coyotes were led by sixth-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit and competed in the Summit League. They played home games in Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion, South Dakota. The Coyotes finished the season 29–6, sharing the Summit League regular season championship with South Dakota State, earning a 17–1 conference record. After winning the 2021–22 Summit League tournament, South Dakota received an automatic bid to the 2022 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. Surprising Ole Miss, the Coyotes upset 2nd seeded Baylor to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for the school's first time.
This was Plitzuweit's last season at USD. Shortly after the season, she left for the head coaching vacancy at West Virginia.

## Schedule

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Non-conference regular season (5-6) |||||||||
| November 9, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN+ | | Oklahoma | L 71–73 | 0–1 | 22 – Korngable | 13 – Sjerven | 6 – Korngable | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (3,106) Vermillion, SD |
| November 12, 2021* 6:00 pm, ESPNews | | vs. No. 1 South Carolina | L 41–72 | 0–2 | 24 – Korngable | 5 – Korngable | 1 – Tied | Sanford Pentagon (2,845) Sioux Falls, SD |
| November 15, 2021* 6:00 pm, ESPN+ | | at Drake | W 61–46 | 1–2 | 25 – Sjerven | 12 – Sjerven | 6 – Korngable | Knapp Center (1,733) Des Moines, IA |
| November 18, 2021* 7:00 pm | | Briar Cliff | W 83–35 | 2–2 | 15 – Lamb | 9 – Ugofsky | 4 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,158) Vermillion, SD |
| November 25, 2021* 4:55 pm, ESPN3 | | vs. Northwestern Paradise Jam Tournament | L 57–73 | 2–3 | 25 – Lamb | 5 – Tied | 7 – Korngable | Sports and Fitness Center Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| November 26, 2021* 7:00 pm, ESPN3 | | vs. No. 23 Texas A&M Paradise Jam Tournament | L 44–58 | 2–4 | 11 – Korngable | 7 – Krull | 4 – Lamb | Sports and Fitness Center Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| November 27, 2021* 4:45 pm, ESPN3 | | vs. Pittsburgh Paradise Jam Tournament | W 72–61 $^{OT}$ | 3–4 | 30 – Lamb | 11 – Tied | 3 – Lamb | Sports and Fitness Center (897) Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| December 4, 2021* 1:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | Wichita State | W 71–59 | 4–4 | 35 – Sjerven | 8 – Lamb | 5 – Korngable | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,743) Vermillion, SD |
| December 6, 2021* 7:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | Bradley | W 62–39 | 5–4 | 12 – Sjerven | 8 – Watson | 3 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,497) Vermillion, SD |
| December 10, 2021* 7:00 pm | | Valparaiso | W 51–31 | 6–4 | 11 – Lamb | 11 – Watson | 3 – Lamb | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,114) Vermillion, SD |
| December 16, 2021* 6:30 pm, FloSports | | at Creighton | W 73–71 | 7–4 | 20 – Lamb | 8 – Sjerven | 6 – Korngable | D. J. Sokol Arena (1,067) Omaha, NE |
| Summit League regular season (17-1) |||||||||
| December 20, 2021 2:00 pm | | at Oral Roberts | W 90–59 | 8–4 (1–0) | 18 – Lamb | 5 – Tied | 5 – Lamb | Mabee Center (1,432) Tulsa, OK |
| December 22, 2021 2:00 pm | | at Kansas City | W 67–57 | 9–4 (2–0) | 20 – Korngable | 8 – Tied | 5 – Korngable | Swinney Recreation Center (765) Kansas City, MO |
| December 30, 2021 7:00 pm | | North Dakota | W 85–46 | 10–4 (3–0) | 18 – Sjerven | 10 – Sjerven | 4 – Watson | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,812) Vermillion, SD |
| January 1, 2022 1:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | North Dakota State | W 65–38 | 11–4 (4–0) | 27 – Lamb | 5 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,632) Vermillion, SD |
| January 8, 2022 1:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | South Dakota State | W 65–42 | 12–4 (5–0) | 15 – Korngable | 13 – Sjerven | 4 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (3,513) Vermillion, SD |
| January 13, 2022 8:00 pm | | at Denver | W 79–51 | 13–4 (6–0) | 14 – Tied | 5 – Peplowski | 6 – Lamb | Hamilton Gymnasium (254) Denver, CO |
| January 15, 2022 1:00 pm | | at Omaha | W 68–45 | 14–4 (7–0) | 18 – Korngable | 6 – Sjerven | 5 – Tied | Baxter Arena (431) Omaha, NE |
| January 20, 2022 7:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | Western Illinois | W 70–53 | 15–4 (8–0) | 16 – Korngable | 6 – Watson | 5 – Korngable | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,845) Vermillion, SD |
| January 22, 2022 1:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | St. Thomas | W 70–43 | 16–4 (9–0) | 19 – Lamb | 7 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,015) Vermillion, SD |
| January 27, 2022 7:00 pm, WDAY Xtra / ESPN+ | | at North Dakota State | W 78–59 | 17–4 (10–0) | 21 – Lamb | 8 – Sjerven | 6 – Lamb | Scheels Center (402) Fargo, ND |
| January 29, 2022 1:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | at North Dakota | W 88–72 | 18–4 (11–0) | 30 – Sjerven | 8 – Watson | 5 – Tied | Betty Engelstad Sioux Center (1,561) Grand Forks, ND |
| February 5, 2022 2:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | at South Dakota State | L 65–75 | 18–5 (11–1) | 21 – Sjerven | 16 – Sjerven | 4 – Korngable | Frost Arena (3,549) Brookings, SD |
| February 10, 2022 7:00 pm, MIDCO / ESPN+ | | Omaha | W 61–35 | 19–5 (12–1) | 11 – Lamb | 8 – Sjerven | 5 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,803) Vermillion, SD |
| February 12, 2022 1:00 pm, MIDCO 2 / ESPN3 | | Denver | W 81–53 | 20–5 (13–1) | 15 – Tied | 12 – Sjerven | 5 – Tied | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,142) Vermillion, SD |
| February 17, 2022 7:00 pm | | at St. Thomas | W 73–46 | 21–5 (14–1) | 26 – Sjerven | 8 – Tied | 3 – Tied | Schoenecker Arena (490) St. Paul, MN |
| February 19, 2022 ESPN3 | | Western Illinois | Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Western Illinois program. | Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Western Illinois program. | Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Western Illinois program. | Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Western Illinois program. | Postponed due to COVID-19 protocols within the Western Illinois program. | Western Hall Macomb, IL |
| February 24, 2022 7:00 pm | | Kansas City | W 71–49 | 22–5 (15–1) | 22 – Sjerven | 9 – Sjerven | 4 – Lamb | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (1,913) Vermillion, SD |
| February 26, 2022 1:00 pm | | Oral Roberts Senior Day | W 78–49 | 23–5 (16–1) | 18 – Watson | 5 – Tied | 4 – Larkins | Sanford Coyote Sports Center (2,463) Vermillion, SD |
| February 28, 2022 6:00 pm | | at Western Illinois | W 75–48 | 24–5 (17–1) | 23 – Lamb | 14 – Sjerven | 4 – Korngable | Western Hall Macomb, IL |
| Summit League |||||||||
| March 5, 2022 3:00 pm, MidcoSN/ESPN+ | (2) | vs. (7) Western Illinois Quarterfinals | W 75–49 | 25–5 | 23 – Larkins | 8 – Sjerven | 4 – Korngable | Denny Sanford Premier Center (8,075) Sioux Falls, SD |
| March 7, 2022 3:00 pm, MidcoSN/ESPN+ | (2) | vs. (3) Kansas City Semifinals | W 81–67 | 26–5 | 33 – Lamb | 9 – Sjerven | 5 – Korngable | Denny Sanford Premier Center (6,518) Sioux Falls, SD |
| March 8, 2022 1:00 pm, ESPNU | (2) | vs. (1) South Dakota State Championship | W 56–45 | 27–5 | 19 – Sjerven | 10 – Sjerven | 3 – Tied | Denny Sanford Premier Center (8,117) Sioux Falls, SD |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 18, 2022 12:30 pm, ESPN2 | (10 W) | vs. (7 W) Ole Miss First Round | W 75–61 | 28–5 | 20 – Tied | 7 – Sjerven | 7 – Korngable | Ferrell Center Waco, TX |
| March 20, 2022 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | (10 W) | vs. (2 W) No. 7 Baylor Second Round | W 61–47 | 29–5 | 16 – Sjerven | 7 – Krull | 5 – Korngable | Ferrell Center (3,684) Waco, TX |
| March 26, 2022 5:30 pm, ESPN2 | (10 W) | vs. (3 W) No. 12 Michigan Sweet 16 | L 49–52 | 29–6 | 17 – Sjerven | 8 – Sjerven | 4 – Tied | Intrust Bank Arena (4,695) Wichita, KS |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. W=Wichita. All times are in Central Time. "2021–22 Schedule & Results". University of South Dakota Athletics. Retrieved March 22, 2022. |||||||||

## Rankings

2021–22 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings
Legend :
| | Increase in ranking |
| | Decrease in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| (RV) | Received Votes |
| (NR) | Not Ranked |