# West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball

The West Virginia Mountaineers women's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. They are a member of the Big 12 Conference. West Virginia has earned twelve bids to the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. In 2017, they won the Big 12 Tournament, despite finishing sixth in the regular season.

## History

The first women's basketball team was started in 1973, as a result of the Title IX mandates. The first coach was Kittie Blakemore, who was asked to create a schedule against ten local teams. The first year, the team played 14 games, winning four. The team improved the next year, winning 13 of their 17 games. Blakemore would remain as head coach for 19 seasons, leading the team to a conference tournament championship in the A10 in 1989, and a first-place finish in the regular season in her final season, 1992.

### Notable figures

* Yelena Leuchanka
* Cathy Parson
* Olayinka Sanni
* Georgeann Wells

### Head coaches

* Kittie Blakemore (1973–1992)
* Bill Fiske (1984–1987)
* Scott Harrelson (1987–1996)
* Susan Walvius (1996–1998)
* Alexis Basil (1998–2001)
* Mike Carey (2001–2022)
* Dawn Plitzuweit (2022–2023)
* Mark Kellogg (2023-2024)

## School records

Source

### Career leaders

* Points Scored: Cathy Parson (2,115)
* Rebounds: Olivia Bradley (1,484)
* Assists: Yolanda Paige (902)
* Steals: Talisha Hargis (355)
* Games Played: Teana Muldrow (143)
* Games Started: Aysa Bussie (138)
* Double-Doubles: Olivia Bradley (68)
* 30-point Games: Rosemary Kosiorek (6)
* 3-pointers: Kate Bulger (302)

### Single-season leaders

* Points Scored: Rosemary Kosiorek (730, 1992)
* Rebounds: Olivia Bradley, (458, 1985)
* Assists: Yolanda Paige (297, 2005)
* Steals: Jenny Hillen (114, 1989)
* Double-Doubles: Georgeann Wells (22, 1986)
* 30-point Games: Meg Bulger (5, 2005)

## Year by year results

Source
| Season | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | Coaches' poll | AP poll |
| Kittie Blakemore (Independent) (1973–1992) ||||||||
| 1973–74 | Kittie Blakemore | 4–10 | – | | AIAW State Tournament | | |
| 1974–75 | Kittie Blakemore | 13–4 | – | | AIAW State Tournament | | |
| 1975–76 | Kittie Blakemore | 13–6 | – | | AIAW Midwest Regional | | |
| 1976–77 | Kittie Blakemore | 19–7 | – | | AIAW Midwest Regional | | |
| 1977–78 | Kittie Blakemore | 18–9 | – | | AIAW Midwest Regional | | |
| 1978–79 | Kittie Blakemore | 9–16 | – | | | | |
| 1979–80 | Kittie Blakemore | 10–19 | – | | | | |
| 1980–81 | Kittie Blakemore | 15–18 | – | | | | |
| 1981–82 | Kittie Blakemore | 20–11 | – | | | | |
| 1982–83 | Kittie Blakemore | 17–12 | – | | | | |
| Atlantic 10 Conference ||||||||
| 1983–84 | Kittie Blakemore | 17–12 | 6–2 | T–2nd | | | |
| 1984–85 | Kittie Blakemore | 20–10 | 6–2 | 3rd | NWIT Seventh Place | | |
| 1985–86 | Kittie Blakemore | 12–17 | 8–8 | T–3rd | | | |
| 1986–87 | Kittie Blakemore | 14–15 | 8–10 | 7th | | | |
| 1987–88 | Kittie Blakemore | 14–14 | 9–9 | T–5th | | | |
| 1988–89 | Kittie Blakemore | 24–8 | 12–6 | T–4th | NCAA Second Round (Play-in) | | |
| 1989–90 | Kittie Blakemore | 19–10 | 12–6 | 4th | | | |
| 1990–91 | Kittie Blakemore | 17–12 | 11–7 | 4th | | | |
| 1991–92 | Kittie Blakemore | 26–4 | 16–0 | 1st | NCAA Sixteen | 11 | 14 |
| Kittie Blakemore: | Kittie Blakemore: | 301–214 | 88–50 | | | | |
| Scott Harrelson (Atlantic 10) (1992–1995) ||||||||
| 1992–93 | Scott Harrelson | 12–16 | 7–7 | 4th | | | |
| 1993–94 | Scott Harrelson | 8–19 | 4–12 | 8th | | | |
| 1994–95 | Scott Harrelson | 8–20 | 4–12 | T–7th | | | |
| Scott Harrelson: | Scott Harrelson: | 28–55 | 15–31 | | | | |
| Big East Conference (1979–2012) ||||||||
| Susan Walvius (Big East) (1995–1997) ||||||||
| 1995–96 | Susan Walvius | 12–15 | 7–11 | T–4th | | | |
| 1996–97 | Susan Walvius | 19–12 | 11–7 | 4th | | | |
| Susan Walvius: | Susan Walvius: | 31–27 | 18–18 | | | | |
| Alexis Basil (Big East) (1997–2001) ||||||||
| 1997–98 | Alexis Basil | 12–16 | 7–11 | 5th (BE 6) | | | |
| 1998–99 | Alexis Basil | 10–17 | 5–13 | 10th | | | |
| 1999–2000 | Alexis Basil | 6–22 | 1–15 | 13th | | | |
| 2000–01 | Alexis Basil | 5–22 | 3–13 | T–12th | | | |
| Alexis Basil: | Alexis Basil: | 33–77 | 16–52 | | | | |
| Mike Carey (Big East) (2001–2022) ||||||||
| 2001–02 | Mike Carey | 14–14 | 6–10 | T–9th | | | |
| 2002–03 | Mike Carey | 15–13 | 4–12 | T–11th | | | |
| 2003–04 | Mike Carey | 21–11 | 10–6 | T–6th | NCAA First Round | | |
| 2004–05 | Mike Carey | 21–13 | 7–9 | T–6th | WNIT Finals | | |
| 2005–06 | Mike Carey | 15–16 | 4–12 | 12th | | | |
| 2006–07 | Mike Carey | 21–11 | 11–5 | 4th | NCAA Second Round | | |
| 2007–08 | Mike Carey | 25–8 | 12–4 | 3rd | NCAA Second Round | 20 | 17 |
| 2008–09 | Mike Carey | 18–15 | 5–11 | T–11th | WNIT First Round (Play-in) | | |
| 2009–10 | Mike Carey | 29–6 | 13–3 | T–2nd | NCAA Second Round | 16 | 10 |
| 2010–11 | Mike Carey | 24–10 | 8–8 | 10th | NCAA Second Round | | |
| 2011–12 | Mike Carey | 24–10 | 11–5 | T–4th | NCAA Second Round | | |
| Big 12 Conference (2012–present) ||||||||
| 2012–13 | Mike Carey | 17–14 | 9–9 | T–5th | NCAA First Round | | |
| 2013–14 | Mike Carey | 30–5 | 16–2 | T–1st | NCAA Second Round | 7 | 7 |
| 2014–15 | Mike Carey | 23–15 | 7–11 | T–7th | WNIT Championship Game | | |
| 2015–16 | Mike Carey | 25–10 | 12–6 | 3rd | NCAA Second Round | 23 | 25 |
| 2016–17 | Mike Carey | 23–10 | 8–10 | 6th | NCAA Second Round | | 22 |
| 2017–18 | Mike Carey | 25–12 | 8–10 | 6th | WNIT Semifinals | | |
| 2018–19 | Mike Carey | 22–11 | 11–7 | 4th | WNIT 3rd Rouund | | |
| 2019–20 | Mike Carey | 17–12 | 7–11 | T–5th | | | |
| 2020–21 | Mike Carey | 22–7 | 13–5 | T–2nd | NCAA Second Round | 17 | 20 |
| 2021–22 | Mike Carey | 15–15 | 7–11 | 7th | | | |
| Mike Carey: | Mike Carey: | 431–223 | 182–156 | | | | |
| Dawn Plitzuweit (Big 12) (2022–2023) ||||||||
| 2022–23 | Dawn Plitzuweit | 19–12 | 10–8 | T–4th | NCAA First Round | | |
| Dawn Plitzuweit: | Dawn Plitzuweit: | 19–12 | 10–8 | | | | |
| Mark Kellogg (Big 12) (2023–Present) ||||||||
| 2023–24 | Mark Kellogg | 25–8 | 12–6 | T–4th | NCAA Second Round | 24 | 25 |
| 2024–25 | Mark Kellogg | 24-7 | 13–5 | T–4th | | | |
| Mark Kellogg: | Mark Kellogg: | 49–15 | 25–11 | | | | |
| Total: | Total: | 882–623 | | | | | |
| 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

| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
| 1989 | #12 | First Round Second Round | #5 Western Kentucky #4 Virginia | W 66−57 L 68–81 |
| 1992 | #4 | Second Round Sweet Sixteen | #5 Clemson #1 Virginia | W 73−72 L 83–103 |
| 2004 | #11 | First Round | #6 Ohio State | L 67–73 |
| 2007 | #11 | First Round Second Round | #6 Xavier #3 LSU | W 65−52 L 43–49 |
| 2008 | #5 | First Round Second Round | #12 New Mexico #4 Vanderbilt | W 61−60 L 46–64 |
| 2010 | #3 | First Round Second Round | #14 Lamar #11 San Diego State | W 58−43 L 55–64 |
| 2011 | #9 | First Round Second Round | #8 Houston #1 Baylor | W 78−73 L 68–82 |
| 2012 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 Texas #1 Stanford | W 68−55 L 55–72 |
| 2013 | #11 | First Round | #6 Delaware | L 53–66 |
| 2014 | #2 | First Round Second Round | #15 Albany #7 LSU | W 76−61 L 67–76 |
| 2016 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #11 Princeton #3 Ohio State | W 74−65 L 81–88 |
| 2017 | #6 | First Round Second Round | #11 Elon #3 Maryland | W 75−62 L 56–83 |
| 2021 | #4 | First Round Second Round | #13 Lehigh #5 Georgia Tech | W 77−53 L 56–73 |
| 2023 | #10 | First Round | #7 Arizona | L 62–75 |
| 2024 | #8 | First Round Second Round | #9 Princeton #1 Iowa | W 63−53 L 54-64 |
| 2025 | #6 | First Round | #11 Columbia/Washington | TBD |