Patricia Susan Summitt was an American women's college basketball head coach and college basketball player. As a coach, she acquired 1,098 career wins, the most in college basketball history at the time of her retirement. She served as the head coach of the University of Tennessee Lady Vols basketball team from 1974 to 2012.
Teresa Gaye Weatherspoon is an American professional basketball coach and former player who was most recently the head coach of the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played for the New York Liberty and Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA and served as the head basketball coach of the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters. Weatherspoon was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019. In 2011, she was voted in by fans as one of the Top 15 players in WNBA history. In 2016, Weatherspoon was chosen to the WNBA Top 20@20, a list of the league's best 20 players ever in celebration of the WNBA's twentieth anniversary.
Sheryl Denise Swoopes is an American former professional basketball player. She was the first player to be signed in the WNBA, is a three-time WNBA MVP, and was named one of the league's Top 15 Players of All Time at the 2011 WNBA All-Star Game. Swoopes has won three Olympic gold medals and is one of eleven women's basketball players to have won an Olympic gold medal, an NCAA Championship, a FIBA World Cup gold, and a WNBA title. She was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016. In 2017, she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
Anne Theresa Donovan was an American women's basketball player and coach. From 2013 to 2015, she was the head coach of the Connecticut Sun.
Vickie Johnson is an American former basketball player and assistant coach of the Atlanta Dream. She was previously the head coach of the Dallas Wings in the WNBA. Johnson is the former head coach of the San Antonio Stars. Upon the sale and relocation of the Stars, Johnson was hired by head coach Bill Laimbeer as an assistant coach of the Las Vegas Aces, the Stars' decedent team.
Dana "Pokey" Chatman is currently an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Chatman is the former head coach of the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky of the WNBA. She is also the former head coach of the LSU Lady Tigers basketball team and the Spartak Moscow women's basketball team.
Alicia Rachelle Thompson is a former WNBA basketball player for the Seattle Storm. She was raised in Big Lake, Texas and attended high school at Reagan County High School where she excelled in basketball, shot put and discus throw. She was recruited by Texas Tech while still in high school and became Tech's 2nd all-time leading rebounder and scorer, scoring 2,156 points throughout her college career. Also excelling in track and proficiency in the discus throw, Thompson was voted Kodak All-American in her senior year and went on to be voted as the Big Twelve Player of the Year. Thompson honed her basketball skills as a Lady Raider and was drafted by New York Liberty in the 1st round, as 9th overall pick. Her determination and tenacity propelled her to achieve an outstanding career in basketball. During her six-year career in the WNBA, she also played for the Indiana Fever and the Seattle Storm. While starting for the Indiana Fever, Thompson scored a single game high of 22 points and collecting 15 rebounds. During her time playing for the Seattle Storm Thompson had the best season of her career, averaging 10.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and shooting 51.4% from the field, Thompson ranks in the WNBA's top five. While playing for the Seattle Storm in 2004, the team defeated the Connecticut Sun winning them the first Championship in 25 years highlighting her career as a professional basketball player. Since retiring from the WNBA Thompson has played professional basketball in Spain, Italy, Israel, and Turkey.
Mickie Faye DeMoss is a former American college basketball coach and player. She was the women's head coach at the University of Florida and the University of Kentucky. She was also an assistant coach at Louisiana Tech University, University of Tennessee, University of Texas, Auburn University, Memphis State University, and the WNBA's Indiana Fever. DeMoss was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018 as a Contributor - Assistant Coach. She retired after 45 years of coaching basketball in some capacity in July 2022, while chief of staff for Georgia Tech women's basketball.
The 1982 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament was the first Women's Basketball Tournament held under the auspices of the NCAA. From 1972 to 1982, there were national tournaments for Division I schools held under the auspices of the AIAW. The inaugural NCAA Tournament included 32 teams. Tennessee, Louisiana Tech, Cheyney State, and Maryland met in the Final Four, held at the Norfolk Scope in Norfolk, Virginia and hosted by Old Dominion University, with Louisiana Tech defeating Cheyney for the title, 76-62. Louisiana Tech's Janice Lawrence was named the Most Outstanding Player of the tournament. Her teammate Kim Mulkey went on to become the first woman to win NCAA Division I basketball titles as a player and coach, winning the 2005, 2012, 2019 titles as head coach at Baylor and the 2023 title at LSU..
Nell Fortner is the current women's college basketball coach at Georgia Tech. She is most well known for leading the 2000 Olympics team to a gold medal. She has received numerous awards including the 1997 National Coach of the Year, the 2000 USA Basketball Coach of the Year and the 2008 SEC Coach of the Year. In April 2018, she was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Janice Faye Lawrence Braxton is a former American professional women's basketball player. Born in Lucedale, Mississippi, she was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006 and the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.
Venus Lacy is an American former star basketball player, at the high school, college, Olympic and professional levels. A wide-bodied, muscular 6-foot-4-inch (1.93 m) center, at her best Lacy was an intimidating force inside the paint, both scoring and rebounding. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, she won championships at every level, but her American professional career was diminished by injuries she sustained in a 1997 car accident.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs and Lady Techsters, commonly abbreviated La. Tech and Dogs, refer to the sports teams of Louisiana Tech University, in Ruston, Louisiana. The teams compete in Division I of NCAA sports. Since 2013, Louisiana Tech has been a member of Conference USA (C-USA).
Stephanie Joanne White is an American former professional basketball player and the head coach of the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA. She was previously head coach of the Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team from 2016 to 2021. Prior to Vanderbilt, she was the head coach of the Indiana Fever of the WNBA for the 2015 and 2016 season. As an intercollegiate athlete, she was named the winner of the Wade Trophy in 1999, which recognizes the top female basketball player in the nation.
The traditions of Louisiana Tech University are key aspects to the culture and student life at Louisiana Tech University. The earliest traditions started shortly after the university's founding in the 1890s while other traditions have been introduced more recently. The most notable visible tradition among current students and university alumni is the Lady of the Mist statue and fountain that was constructed in the middle of the Quadrangle in 1938.
The Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team represents Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana. The team currently competes in Conference USA. The current head coach of the Lady Techsters is Brooke Stoehr. Louisiana Tech has won three National Championships and has competed in 13 Final Fours, 23 Sweet Sixteens, and 27 NCAA tournaments. The Lady Techsters basketball program boasts three Wade Trophy winners, five Olympic medalists, eight members of the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame, 16 All-Americans, and 21 WNBA players. The Lady Techsters have an all-time record of 1207–406, with a .748 winning percentage, and are the fifth program in NCAA history to reach 1,200 wins. The Lady Techsters have made 27 appearances in the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament, which is the twelfth most all-time.
Ayana D'Nay Walker is an American former women's basketball player. She played for the Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball team from 1998 to 2002. Walker was a member of gold medal-winning USA Basketball Women's National Team in 2001 and set a USA single-game record with 19 rebounds in gold-medal game. She was also a member of gold medal-winning USA Basketball World University Games Team in 2001. Walker was drafted as the 20th overall pick by the Detroit Shock in the 2002 WNBA draft. As a member of the Shock, she won the 2003 WNBA Championship. On July 3, 2005, Walker signed with the Charlotte Sting. After the Sting franchise folded, Walker was drafted by Los Angeles Sparks as the 12th pick in the dispersal draft on January 8, 2007. She returned to Detroit for her final season in 2007.
Alisa Marzatte Burras is a former professional women's basketball player.
LaQuan Stallworth is a former professional women's basketball player. She played for coach Leon Barmore and Kim Mulkey to play for Louisiana Tech University. After successful collegiate playing years, LaQuan took her talents overseas for the next 7 years.
Christie Sides is an American basketball head coach for the Indiana Fever of the WNBA. Sides has previously been an assistant coach for the Fever, Chicago Sky, and Atlanta Dream in the league. She has also been an assistant coach at the collegiate level.
