The Old Dominion Monarchs women's basketball team (formerly the Lady Monarchs) represents Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. The team currently competes in the NCAA Division I as a member of the Sun Belt Conference.

The ODU Monarchs women's basketball team contributed to the initial rise in popularity of women's intercollegiate basketball in the United States in the 1970s. Women's college basketball was organized under the auspices of the AIAW in the early 1970s, at a time when competitive power was distributed among small colleges that had established a niche (such as Immaculata, Delta State, West Chester State, Wayland Baptist and Stephen F. Austin).

ODU won two AIAW national championships in 1979 and 1980 in dominating fashion with star players, Nancy Lieberman and Anne Donovan. Led by Medina Dixon and Tracy Claxton, ODU won the NCAA Division I championship in their 1984–85 season, defeating the University of Georgia 70–65.

Old Dominion, along with UCLA and Tennessee, led the rise to prominence of large schools with national reputations to the top intercollegiate level, before the NCAA began sponsoring sports for women.

Rivalries

+ Old Dominion–James Madison: All-Time RecordGames playedFirst meetingLast meetingODU winsODU lossesWin %771969–70 (won 66–39)February 28, 2013 (lost 61–77)5225

+ Old Dominion–VCU: All-Time RecordGames playedFirst meetingLast meetingODU winsODU lossesWin %791969–70 (won 49–36)November 21, 2021 (lost 48–71)6019

+ Old Dominion–Virginia: All-Time RecordGames playedFirst meetingLast meetingODU winsODU lossesWin %351973–74 (lost 40–46)November 24, 2019 (lost 53–56)1916

+ Old Dominion–Virginia Tech: All-Time RecordGames playedFirst meetingLast meetingODU winsODU lossesWin %331972–73 (won 31–29)November 25, 2014 (won 69–62)258

+ Old Dominion–William & Mary: All-Time RecordGames playedFirst meetingLast meetingODU winsODU lossesWin %681969–70 (won 62–22)December 5, 2021 (won 68–55)617

Postseason results

NCAA Division I Old Dominion has reached the NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament 25 times. They have a record of 34–24. 1982 #1 First roundSweet Sixteen #8 St. Peter's#4 Kansas State W 75–42L 67–76 1983 #2 First roundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal Four #7 St. John's#3 Maryland#5 Penn State#1 Louisiana Tech W 86–63W 74–57W 74–60L 55–71 1984 #1 First roundSweet SixteenElite Eight #8 Penn State#4 NC State#3 Cheyney State W 87–65W 73-71 (OT)L 71–80 1985 #1 First roundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourTitle Game #8 Syracuse#4 NC State#2 Ohio State#2 NE Louisiana#2 Georgia W 88–63W 77–67W 72–68W 57–47W 70–65 1987 #5 Second roundSweet Sixteen #4 North Carolina#1 Auburn W 76–58L 61–77 1988 #6 Second round #3 Rutgers L 78–88 1989 #6 First roundSecond round #11 Villanova#3 Ole Miss W 66–41L 58–74 1990 #8 First roundSecond round #9 St. Joseph's#1 Tennessee W 91–69L 68–87 1992 #10 First round #7 North Carolina L 54–60 1993 #7 First roundSecond round #10 Tennessee Tech#2 Iowa W 77–60L 56–82 1994 #6 First roundSecond round #11 St. Joseph's#3 North Carolina W 56–55L 52–63 1995 #8 First round #9 FIU L 76–81 1996 #2 First roundSecond roundSweet Sixteen #15 Holy Cross#10 Toledo#3 Virginia W 83–56W 72–66L 60–72 1997 #1 First roundSecond roundSweet SixteenElite EightFinal FourTitle Game #16 Liberty#8 Purdue#4 LSU#3 Florida#1 Stanford#3 Tennessee W 102–52W 69–65W 62–49W 53–51W 83–82L 59–68 1998 #1 First roundSecond roundSweet Sixteen #16 St. Francis (PA)#9 Nebraska#4 NC State W 92–39W 75–60L 54–55 1999 #2 First roundSecond roundSweet Sixteen #15 Tennessee Tech#10 Maine#3 Duke W 74–48W 72–62L 63–76 2000 #4 First roundSecond roundSweet Sixteen #13 Green Bay#12 SMU#1 Louisiana Tech W 94–85W 96–76L 74–86 2001 #11 First round #6 Washington L 65–67 2002 #7 First roundSecond roundSweet SixteenElite Eight #10 Georgia#2 Purdue#3 Kansas State#1 Connecticut W 68–54W 74-70 (OT)W 82–62L 64–85 2003 #12 First round #5 Boston College L 72–73 2004 #8 First round #9 Marquette L 64–67 2005 #11 First round #6 Virginia L 57–79 2006 #10 First round #7 George Washington L 72–87 2007 #7 First round #10 Florida State L 75–85 2008 #5 First roundSecond roundSweet Sixteen #12 Liberty#4 Virginia#1 Connecticut W 82–62W 88-85 (OT)L 63–78

AIAW Division I The Lady Monarchs made three appearances in the AIAW women's basketball tournament, with a combined record of 11–1. 1979 First roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship Kansas StateMarylandUCLALouisiana Tech W, 96–75W, 69–51W, 87–82W, 75–65 1980 First roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsNational Championship BYURutgersLouisiana TechTennessee W, 88–66W, 84–62W, 73–59W, 68–53 1981 Second roundQuarterfinalsSemifinalsThird-place game Stephen F. AustinLong Beach StateTennesseeUSC W, 60–54W, 76–60L, 65–68W, 68–65

Home venues Old Dominion play their home games at Chartway Arena. In the past, the team played at the Old Dominion University Fieldhouse from 1970 to 2002.

Notable players

Lucienne Berthieu Medina Dixon Anne Donovan (November 1, 1961 – June 13, 2018), coach and player at 6'8" Adrienne Goodson T. J. Jordan Nancy Lieberman (born 1958), WNBA Hall of Fame basketball player, general manager, and coach, Olympic silver medal Clarisse Machanguana Hamchétou Maïga Inge Nissen Ticha Penicheiro Mery Andrade Nyree Roberts Rhonda Rompola Kim Aston Jackie Kenney TJ Jones Kelly Lyons Celeste Hill

Coaches Mary Jackson (1969–1973) Debbie Wilson (1973–1974) Pam Parsons (1974–1977) Marianne Stanley (1977–1987) Wendy Larry (1987–2011) Karen Barefoot (2011–2017) Nikki McCray-Penson (2017–2020) DeLisha Milton-Jones (2020–present)

Seasons {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: %;

Source: Old Dominion Athletics, Sun Belt Conference, Colonial Athletic Association

See also 1984–85 Old Dominion Lady Monarchs basketball team 1985 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament 1979 AIAW National Large College Basketball Championship 1980 AIAW National Division I Basketball Championship Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament Colonial Athletic Association women's basketball tournament Women's Basketball at ODU, Special Collections and University Archives Wiki, Old Dominion University Libraries

References

External links