Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens women's basketball

Last updated
Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
women's basketball
Basketball current event.svg 2024–25 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens women's basketball team
Delaware Basketball wordmark.svg
University University of Delaware
First season1971
Head coach Sarah Jenkins (3rd season)
Conference Conference USA
Location Newark, Delaware
Arena Acierno Arena at the Bob Carpenter Center
(capacity: 5,000)
Nickname Blue Hens
ColorsRoyal blue and gold [1]
   
Uniforms
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Home
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Away
NCAA tournament Sweet Sixteen
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 Conference USA (CUSA). [2]

Contents

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. [3] 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

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

NCAA tournament

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

YearSeedFirst roundScoreSecond roundScoreSweet SixteenScore
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.

YearRivalScore
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.

YearFirst roundScoreSecond roundScore
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.

YearFirst roundScoreSecond roundScoreQuarterfinalScoreSemifinalScore
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. "CUSA Adds Delaware, Blue Hens to Join in 2025" (Press release). Conference USA. November 28, 2023. Retrieved November 28, 2023.
  3. "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)
  4. "2018 UD Athletics Hall of Fame Class Announced".
  5. "2012-13 Women's Basketball Media Guide by UDBlueHens Delaware - Issuu".