# Memphis Tigers women's basketball

The Memphis Tigers women's basketball team represents the University of Memphis in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. The Tigers compete in the American Athletic Conference. They previously competed in Conference USA in which they have won two Conference USA conference tournament championships and, prior to that two Metro Conference tournament championships. They play home games at the Elma Roane Fieldhouse and FedExForum.

## History

The first inter-school game of the Memphis Tigers (then West Tennessee State Normal School) was a 24–0 win over Whitehaven High School in 1914. The University dropped women's athletics in 1936 and did not return women's athletics to varsity sport status until the 1972–73 season.
The team has competed in the NCAA tournament seven times., the WNIT five times, the National Women's Invitational tournament one time and the Women's Basketball Invitational one time.
Jamirah Shutes, a senior guard on the 2022–23 Memphis women’s basketball team, initially pled not guilty to an assault charge after she was accused of punching a Bowling Green player in the face following the Memphis Tigers' loss in the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) on March 24, 2023, officials confirmed. She later changed her plea and was found guilty and her sentence included anger management.

### Head coaches
## Year by year results

TCWSF—Tennessee College Women's Sports Federation
* —Conference tournament winners
Source
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason |
| Mary Lou Johns (Independent, Metro) (1972–1991) ||||||||
| 1972–73 | Mary Lou Johns | 17–6 | – | | |
| 1973–74 | Mary Lou Johns | 23–9 | – | | |
| 1974–75 | Mary Lou Johns | 29–9 | – | | |
| 1975–76 | Mary Lou Johns | 19–8 | – | | |
| 1976–77 | Mary Lou Johns | 27–9 | – | | |
| 1977–78 | Mary Lou Johns | 29–9 | – | | Region II Tournament |
| 1978–79 | Mary Lou Johns | 26–7 | – | | TCWSF |
| 1979–80 | Mary Lou Johns | 19–12 | – | | TCWSF |
| 1980–81 | Mary Lou Johns | 20–11 | – | | TCWSF |
| Metro Conference ||||||||
| 1981–82 | Mary Lou Johns | 26–5 | 6–1 | ‡ (Metro) | NCAA Sixteen |
| 1982–83 | Mary Lou Johns | 20–12 | 6–3 | | NWIT Second Place |
| 1983–84 | Mary Lou Johns | 18–12 | 9–1 | | |
| 1984–85 | Mary Lou Johns | 23–7 | 9–1 | ‡ | NCAA First Round |
| 1985–86 | Mary Lou Johns | 16–12 | 7–1 | | |
| 1986–87 | Mary Lou Johns | 20–9 | 10–2 | | NCAA Second Round (Bye) |
| 1987–88 | Mary Lou Johns | 15–15 | 7–5 | | |
| 1988–89 | Mary Lou Johns | 9–19 | 2–11 | | |
| 1989–90 | Mary Lou Johns | 6–22 | 3–11 | | |
| 1990–91 | Mary Lou Johns | 6–22 | 4–10 | | |
| Mary Lou Johns: | Mary Lou Johns: | 368–215 | 63–46 | | |
| Great Midwest Conference ||||||||
| Joye Lee-McNelis (Great Midwest, Conference USA) (1992–2005) ||||||||
| 1991–92 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 12–17 | 4–6 | (Great Midwest) | |
| 1992–93 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 12–16 | 3–7 | | |
| 1993–94 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 17–12 | 8–5 | | |
| 1994–95 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–8 | 9–2 | | NCAA Second Round |
| Conference USA‡ ||||||||
| 1995–96 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 20–11 | 10–4 | 1st‡ (White) (CUSA) | NCAA First Round |
| 1996–97 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–7 | 12–2 | T-1st (White) | NCAA First Round |
| 1997–98 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–8 | 13–3 | 1st‡ (National) | NCAA First Round |
| 1998–99 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 22–10 | 10–6 | 2nd (National) | WNIT Semifinals |
| 1999–2000 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 18–12 | 11–5 | 2nd (National) | WNIT Second Round |
| 2000–01 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 17–13 | 9–7 | 4th (National) | WNIT First Round |
| 2001–02 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 11–17 | 5–9 | 10th | |
| 2002–03 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 13–15 | 6–8 | T-7th | |
| 2003–04 | Joye Lee-McNelis | 21–10 | 9–5 | T-5th | WNIT Second Round |
| Joye Lee-McNelis: | Joye Lee-McNelis: | 229–156 | 109–69 | | |
| Blair Savage-Lansden (Conference USA) (2004–2008) ||||||||
| 2004–05 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 13–16 | 5–9 | 9th | |
| 2005–06 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 3–25 | 1–15 | 12th | |
| 2006–07 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 4–27 | 1–15 | 12th | |
| 2007–08 | Blair Savage-Lansden | 10–20 | 7–9 | T-6th | |
| Blair Savage-Lansden: | Blair Savage-Lansden: | 30–88 | 14–48 | | |
| Melissa McFerrin (Conference USA, American) (2008–2021) ||||||||
| 2008–09 | Melissa McFerrin | 12–18 | 5–11 | T-9th (CUSA) | |
| 2009–10 | Melissa McFerrin | 20–14 | 10–6 | T-2nd | WBI Finals |
| 2010–11 | Melissa McFerrin | 20–13 | 8–8 | 6th | WNIT First Round |
| 2011–12 | Melissa McFerrin | 25–8 | 13–3 | 2nd | WNIT Second Round |
| 2012–13 | Melissa McFerrin | 17–15 | 8–8 | T-5th | WNIT First Round |
| American Athletic Conference ||||||||
| 2013–14 | Melissa McFerrin | 13–18 | 6–12 | 7th | |
| 2014–15 | Melissa McFerrin | 14–17 | 7–11 | 7th | |
| 2015–16 | Melissa McFerrin | 18–13 | 12–6 | 4th | WNIT First Round |
| 2016–17 | Melissa McFerrin | 14–16 | 7–9 | T-5th | |
| 2017–18 | Melissa McFerrin | 10–20 | 5–11 | t-8th | |
| 2018–19 | Melissa McFerrin | 11–20 | 5–11 | T-8th | |
| 2019–20 | Melissa McFerrin | 14–17 | 5–11 | 11th | |
| 2020–21 | Melissa McFerrin | 4–15 | 2–11 | 10th | |
| Melissa McFerrin: | Melissa McFerrin: | 164–152 | 81–85 | | |
| Katrina Merriweather (American) (2021–2023) ||||||||
| 2021–22 | Katrina Merriweather | 16–12 | 6–9 | 7th | |
| 2022–23 | Katrina Merriweather | 22–11 | 11–4 | 2nd | WNIT Super Sixteen |
| Katrina Merriweather: | Katrina Merriweather: | 38–23 | 17–13 | | |
| Alex Simmons (American) (2023–present) ||||||||
| 2023–24 | Alex Simmons | 13-17 | 9-9 | 6th | |
| Total: | Total: | 770–581 | | | |
| 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

Memphis has reached the NCAA tournament seven times, six officially, due to them vacating their participation in the 1985 tournament due to violations. They have a combined record of 2–7.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1982 | #3 | First Round Sweet Sixteen | #6 Ole Miss #2 Tennessee | W 72–70 L 63–78 |
| 1985 | #6 | First Round | #3 Auburn | L 64–82 |
| 1987 | #6 | Second Round | #3 Virginia | L 75–76 |
| 1995 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 USC #8 Vanderbilt | W 74–72 L 68–95 |
| 1996 | #8 | First Round | #9 Ohio State | L 75–97 |
| 1997 | #11 | First Round | #6 Notre Dame | L 62–93 |
| 1998 | #5 | First Round | #12 Youngstown State | L 80–91 |