# Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball

The Colorado Buffaloes women's basketball team represents the University of Colorado Boulder and competes in the Big 12 Conference of NCAA Division I.

## Conferences

Colorado plays in the Pac-12 Conference. Prior to the 2011–12 season, they played in the Big 12 Conference. The Buffaloes joined the Big 12 in 1997 when the Big 12 was formed, following the merger of the Big Eight Conference with several former members of the Southwest Conference. Colorado is scheduled to rejoin the Big 12 Conference beginning in 2024.

## Coaches

Colorado's head women's basketball coach is JR Payne. Payne was hired prior to the 2016–17 season. She replaced Linda Lappe, who was fired at the end of the 2015–16 season with a 7–23 record.
On March 28, 2016, JR Payne became head coach at Colorado. The eighth head coach in program history, Payne replaced Linda Lappe, who was fired after only managing only a career 33–57 (.367) record in Pac-12 play. JR Payne inherited a program that only finished 7–23 (2–16 Pac-12) in Lappe's final season. JR Payne's 2018–19 Colorado team began Pac-12 conference play with 11 straight losses, the worst start to conference play in program history. JR Payne's 2018–19 Buffs lost on the road to #4/#4 ranked Oregon 102–43, the 59 point loss was the worst loss in 35 years, and 4th worst in program history. The Buffs home win against USC on February 10, 2019 allowed CU to prevent from having both the first 12 game losing streak in program history, and the first winless conference season in program history.

## Year by year results

Conference tournament winners noted with (W) Source
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | Coaches' poll | AP poll |
| Carol Hochsprung (Intermountain) (1975–1976) ||||||||
| 1975 | Carol Hochsprung | 2–11 | 2–10 | | | | |
| Carol Hochsprung: | Carol Hochsprung: | 2–11 (.154) | 2–10 (.167) | | | | |
| Jerry Zancanelli (Intermountain) (1975–1978) ||||||||
| 1975–76 | Jerry Zancanelli | 8–12 | 5–8 | | | | |
| 1976–77 | Jerry Zancanelli | 14–12 | 5–8 | | | | |
| 1977–78 | Jerry Zancanelli | 18–14 | 5–8 | | | | |
| Jerry Zancanelli: | Jerry Zancanelli: | 40–38 (.513) | 15–24 (.385) | | | | |
| Rene Portland (Intermountain) (1978–1980) ||||||||
| 1978–79 | Rene Portland | 22–9 | 10–3 | | AIAW Regional | | |
| 1979–80 | Rene Portland | 18–11 | 9–1 | | AIAW Regional | | |
| Rene Portland: | Rene Portland: | 40–20 (.667) | 19–4 (.826) | | | | |
| Sox Walseth (Intermountain) (1980–1982) ||||||||
| 1980–81 | Sox Walseth | 28–5 | 10–0 | | AIAW First Round | | |
| 1981–82 | Sox Walseth | 28–8 | 8–2 | | AIAW First Round | | |
| Sox Walseth (Big Eight Conference) (1982–1983) ||||||||
| 1982–83 | Sox Walseth | 21–8 | 7–5 | | | | |
| Sox Walseth: | Sox Walseth: | 77–21 (.786) | 25–7 (.781) | | | | |
| Ceal Barry (Big Eight Conference) (1983–1996) ||||||||
| 1983–84 | Ceal Barry | 10–18 | 3–11 | | | | |
| 1984–85 | Ceal Barry | 6–22 | 2–12 | | | | |
| 1985–86 | Ceal Barry | 21–9 | 9–5 | 2nd | | | |
| 1986–87 | Ceal Barry | 14–14 | 6–8 | | | | |
| 1987–88 | Ceal Barry | 21–11 | 8–6 | | NCAA Second Round (Play-In) | | |
| 1988–89 | Ceal Barry | 27–4 | 14–0 | 1st (W) | NCAA Second Round (Bye) | 19 | 9 |
| 1989–90 | Ceal Barry | 17–11 | 10–4 | | | | |
| 1990–91 | Ceal Barry | 18–11 | 8–6 | | | | |
| 1991–92 | Ceal Barry | 22–9 | 11–3 | 2nd (W) | NCAA First Round | | |
| 1992–93 | Ceal Barry | 27–4 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA Elite Eight | 9 | 10 |
| 1993–94 | Ceal Barry | 27–5 | 12–2 | 1st | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 10 | 5 |
| 1994–95 | Ceal Barry | 30–3 | 14–0 | 1st (W) | NCAA Elite Eight | 5 | 2 |
| 1995–96 | Ceal Barry | 26–9 | 9–5 | (W) | NCAA Second Round | 18 | 17 |
| Ceal Barry (Big 12 Conference) (1996–2005) ||||||||
| 1996–97 | Ceal Barry | 23–9 | 12–4 | T–2nd (W) (Big 12) | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 15 | 18 |
| 1997–98 | Ceal Barry | 12–16 | 5–11 | 8th | | | |
| 1998–99 | Ceal Barry | 15–14 | 7–9 | T–8th | WNIT Sixteen | | |
| 1999–2000 | Ceal Barry | 10–19 | 4–12 | 10th | | | |
| 2000–01 | Ceal Barry | 22–9 | 11–5 | 4th | NCAA Second Round | 23 | 20 |
| 2001–02 | Ceal Barry | 24–10 | 11–5 | T–3rd | NCAA Elite Eight | 9 | 12 |
| 2002–03 | Ceal Barry | 24–8 | 11–5 | 4th | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 19 | |
| 2003–04 | Ceal Barry | 22–8 | 11–5 | 3rd | NCAA First Round | 24 | 17 |
| 2004–05 | Ceal Barry | 9–19 | 2–14 | T–11th | | | |
| Ceal Barry: | Ceal Barry: | 427–242 (.638) | 192–134 (.589) | | | | |
| Kathy McConnell-Miller (Big 12 Conference) (2005–2010) ||||||||
| 2005–06 | Kathy McConnell-Miller | 9–21 | 3–13 | 11th | | | |
| 2006–07 | Kathy McConnell-Miller | 13–17 | 6–10 | T–7th | | | |
| 2007–08 | Kathy McConnell-Miller | 19–15 | 5–11 | 9th | WNIT Semifinals | | |
| 2008–09 | Kathy McConnell-Miller | 11–18 | 3–13 | 12th | | | |
| 2009–10 | Kathy McConnell-Miller | 13–17 | 3–13 | 11th | | | |
| Kathy McConnell-Miller: | Kathy McConnell-Miller: | 65–88 (.425) | 20–60 (.250) | | | | |
| Linda Lappe (Big 12 Conference) (2010–2011) ||||||||
| 2010–11 | Linda Lappe | 18–16 | 6–10 | T–8th (Big 12) | WNIT Quarterfinals | | |
| Linda Lappe (Pac-12 Conference) (2011–2016) ||||||||
| 2011–12 | Linda Lappe | 21–14 | 6–12 | 10th (Pac-12) | WNIT Quarterfinals | | |
| 2012–13 | Linda Lappe | 25–7 | 13–5 | 4th | NCAA First Round | 19 | 19 |
| 2013–14 | Linda Lappe | 19–15 | 6–12 | T–9th | WNIT Quarterfinals | | |
| 2014–15 | Linda Lappe | 15–17 | 6–12 | T–9th | | | |
| 2015–16 | Linda Lappe | 7–23 | 2–16 | 12th | | | |
| Linda Lappe: | Linda Lappe: | 105–92 (.533) | 39–67 (.368) | | | | |
| JR Payne (Pac-12 Conference) (2016–present) ||||||||
| 2016–17 | JR Payne | 17–16 | 5–13 | T–9th | WNIT Third round | | |
| 2017–18 | JR Payne | 15–16 | 5–13 | 9th | | | |
| 2018–19 | JR Payne | 12–18 | 2–16 | 12th | | | |
| 2019–20 | JR Payne | 16–14 | 5–13 | T–9th | | | |
| 2020–21 | JR Payne | 12–11 | 8–8 | 6th | WNIT Quarterfinals | | |
| 2021–22 | JR Payne | 22–9 | 9–7 | 5th | | | |
| 2022–23 | JR Payne | 25–9 | 13–5 | 3rd | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 15 | 21 |
| 2023–24 | JR Payne | 24–10 | 11–7 | T–5th | NCAA Sweet Sixteen | 16 | 15 |
| JR Payne: | JR Payne: | 143–103 (.581) | 58–82 (.414) | | | | |
| Total: | Total: | 927–615 (.601) | | | | | |
| 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 ||||||||

## NCAA tournament results

The Buffaloes have appeared in 14 NCAA Tournaments, with a record of 21–15.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1988 | #7 | First Round Second Round | #10 Eastern Illinois #2 Long Beach State | W 78−72 L 64–103 |
| 1989 | #3 | Second Round | #6 UNLV | L 74–84 |
| 1992 | #7 | First Round | #10 Southern Illinois | L 80–84 (OT) |
| 1993 | #4 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #5 UC Santa Barbara #1 Stanford #2 Texas Tech | W 81−54 W 80–67 L 54–79 |
| 1994 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #14 Marquette #6 Oregon #2 Stanford | W 77−74 W 92–71 L 62–78 |
| 1995 | #1 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #16 Holy Cross #9 SW Missouri State #4 George Washington #3 Georgia | W 83−49 W 78–34 W 77–61 L 79–82 |
| 1996 | #3 | First Round Second Round | #14 Tulane #6 Auburn | W 83−75 L 61–66 |
| 1997 | #2 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #15 Marshall #7 Stephen F. Austin #3 Tennessee | W 69−49 W 75–74 L 67–75 |
| 2001 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #11 Siena #3 Vanderbilt | W 98−78 L 59–65 |
| 2002 | #3 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight | #14 Southern #6 LSU #2 Stanford #1 Oklahoma | W 88−61 W 69–58 W 62–59 L 60–94 |
| 2003 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #11 BYU #3 North Carolina #2 Villanova | W 84−45 W 86–67 L 51–53 |
| 2004 | #6 | First Round | #11 UC Santa Barbara | L 49–76 |
| 2013 | #5 | First Round | #12 Kansas | L 52–67 |
| 2023 | #6 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #11 Middle Tennessee #3 Duke #2 Iowa | W 82–60 W 61–53 (OT) L 77–87 |
| 2024 | #5 | First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #12 Drake #4 Kansas State #1 Iowa | W 86–72 W 63–50 L 68–89 |