2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season explained
The 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began on November 11, 2016 and ended with the Final Four title game in Dallas on April 2, 2017, won by South Carolina. Practices officially began on September 30, 2016.
Season headlines
- April 20 – The NCAA announced its Academic Progress Rate (APR) sanctions for the 2016–17 school year. A total of 23 Division I programs in 13 sports were declared ineligible for postseason play due to failure to meet the required APR benchmark, with Southern being the only women's basketball team so penalized.[1]
- April 28 – The Atlantic Sun Conference announced that effective with the 2016–17 school year, it would rebrand itself as the ASUN Conference.[2]
- November 2 – The Associated Press preseason All-American team was released. South Carolina forward A'ja Wilson was the leading vote-getter (32 votes). Joining her on the team were Ohio State guard Kelsey Mitchell (31 votes), Notre Dame forward Brianna Turner (29), Baylor forward Nina Davis and Washington guard Kelsey Plum.[3]
- November 23 – In what ESPN called "one of the most bizarre scenarios imaginable at a major sporting event", top-ranked Notre Dame and Louisiana–Lafayette used two different venues during Notre Dame's 91–51 win. The game began at Campbell Center, a high school venue in Houston, but a power outage during the second quarter prompted the teams to complete the game at another venue. Rice, whose women's team had just completed a home game, offered its Tudor Fieldhouse, and the two teams bused to that venue and finished the game there.[4]
- December 5 – The ASUN Conference announced that North Alabama would move from the Division II Gulf South Conference and join the ASUN in 2018.[5]
- January 7 – A bench-clearing brawl broke out during the third quarter of the UNLV–Utah State game after a UNLV player was fouled. Four players from each team were ejected.[6] Three days later, the Mountain West Conference, home to both schools, issued one-game suspensions to three participants in the brawl (two from UNLV and one from Utah State) and reprimanded six other participants.[7]
- January 13 – The Western Athletic Conference announced that California Baptist would move from the Division II Pacific West Conference and join the WAC in 2018.[8]
- January 26 – The Summit League announced that North Dakota, then a member of the Big Sky Conference, would join the league in 2018.[9]
- February 2 – The Colonial Athletic Association announced that two conference wins by Charleston would be treated as Charleston losses for purposes of seeding in the conference tournament, though it did not (and could not) reverse the results. The conference confirmed that the Cougars had provided "improperly sized" basketballs in the two games, though it would not confirm that men's basketballs were used instead of women's balls.[10]
Milestones and records
- December 8 – In Ohio State's 108–73 win over Southern, the Buckeyes' Kelsey Mitchell became the fastest Division I women's player to reach 2,000 career points, reaching the mark in her 79th game. The previous record of 82 was held by Missouri State's Jackie Stiles.[11]
- December 11 – Kelsey Plum became the all-time leading scorer in Pac-12 Conference history (for either women or men), passing the former record of Stanford's Chiney Ogwumike during Washington's 92–66 win over Boise State.[12]
- December 16 – Baylor defeated Winthrop 140–32, setting a new Division I women's basketball record for victory margin.[13]
- January 10 – UConn crushed South Florida 102–37 to give the Huskies their 90th straight win, equaling the program's own record for the longest winning streak by a Division I team of either sex.[14]
- January 13 – Plum became the 12th player in Division I women's history with 3,000 career points during Washington's 90–73 win over Arizona.[15]
- January 14 – UConn defeated SMU 88–48 for its 91st straight win, establishing a new Division I record streak.[16]
- February 3 – Stanford defeated USC 58–42, giving Cardinal head coach Tara VanDerveer her 1,000th career win. She joined late Tennessee head coach Pat Summitt and current Duke men's head coach Mike Krzyzewski as the only Division I coaches at that time to reach the milestone.[17]
- February 13 – UConn extended its record winning streak to 100 games with a 66–55 win over South Carolina.[18]
- February 25 – Plum scored 57 points, a school record for either sex, in Washington's 84–77 win over Utah, surpassing Stiles for the top spot on the all-time NCAA Division I women's career scoring list.[19]
- March 6 – In the American Athletic Conference tournament final, UConn's Katie Lou Samuelson made all 10 of her three-point attempts, setting a new women's Division I record for most consecutive three-pointers in a game. The Huskies blasted South Florida 100–44 to enter the NCAA Tournament unbeaten.[20]
- March 18 – In the first round of the NCAA tournament, Texas A&M came back from a 21-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, ending on a 25–1 run to defeat Penn 63–61. This set a new record for largest comeback in the Division I women's tournament, surpassing the previous record of 16 points by Notre Dame in 2001 and Michigan State in 2005.[21]
- March 19 – In the same round, Baylor set two all-time tournament records in its 119–30 pasting of Texas Southern:[22]
- The 89-point margin was the largest ever, surpassing the previous record of 74 set by Tennessee against North Carolina A&T in 1994.
- Baylor's 119 points were the most ever scored in regulation, surpassing the previous record of 116 set by Ohio State in 1998 and equaled twice by UConn, including earlier that same day.
- March 21 – In the second round of the NCAA tournament, Plum surpassed Stiles' D-I record for points in a season, scoring 38 in the Huskies' 108–82 win over Oklahoma and finishing the game with 1,080 points on the season.[23] Plum eventually finished with 1,109 points on the season and 3,527 for her career.[24]
- March 31 – UConn's record winning streak ended at 111 games with a 66–64 overtime loss to Mississippi State on a buzzer-beater by the Bulldogs' Morgan William.[25]
Coaching wins milestones
- 1000 victories - Tara VanDerveer, Stanford, February 3 versus USC.[26]
- 600 victories - Gordy Presnell, Boise State, December 18 versus Portland.[27]
- 500 victories - Jeff Mittie, Kansas State, December 4 versus Omaha.[28]
- 500 victories - Sandra Rushing, Central Arkansas, February 11 versus Nicholls.[29]
- 500 victories - Kim Mulkey, Baylor, February 25 versus Texas Tech.[30]
Conference membership changes
Only one school joined a new conference for 2016–17:
Pre-season polls
See also: 2016–17 NCAA Division I women's basketball rankings.
The top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls.
New arenas
- South Dakota opened the new Sanford Coyote Sports Center. The completion of the 6,000-seat venue saw the South Dakota men's basketball, women's basketball, and women's volleyball teams move out of the considerably larger DakotaDome, which remains home to football, track & field, and swimming & diving. The first women's basketball game in the new arena was the opening leg of a November 13 doubleheader with the men's team, with the Coyotes defeating Stephen F. Austin 80–74.[31]
- North Dakota State opened the renovated Scheels Center. This completion brought the previously outdated Bison Sports Arena up to full Division 1 standards. The arena resumed competition of their men's basketball, women's basketball, and wrestling teams inside the Scheels Center. The renovated arena seats 5,700 people on the North side of NDSU's campus in Fargo, North Dakota. The first women's game played in the renovated arena was an exhibition on November 3, 2016 against NCAA Division II Bemidji State, the Bison winning that game 79-59.[32] The first official women's game was on November 12, 2016; the Bison beat Dickinson State University 70-63.[33]
In addition, Alabama returned women's home games to Coleman Coliseum, home to Alabama men's basketball since the venue's opening in 1968. The Crimson Tide women began play in 1974 at Foster Auditorium, and split home games between the two facilities until moving full-time into the Coliseum in 1981. The women would move back to Foster near the end of the 2010–11 season, and used that as their main venue until returning to the Coliseum.[34]
This proved to be the final season for four Division I teams in their then-current venues.
- DePaul left its current on-campus home of McGrath–Phillips Arena for the new off-campus Wintrust Arena, a 10,000-seat venue that opened in October 2017 at the McCormick Place convention center on Chicago's Near South Side. The new arena also houses the DePaul men's team.[35]
- NJIT left one on-campus venue for another. The aging Fleisher Center (capacity 1,600) was replaced by the Wellness and Events Center (capacity 3,500) for the 2017–18 season.[36]
- Robert Morris closed the Charles L. Sewall Center, home to the Colonials since 1985, in June 2017. The UPMC Events Center is currently being built at the Sewall Center site and is scheduled to open in the middle of the 2018–19 basketball season.[37] Until that time, the Colonials are playing at the Student Recreation and Fitness Center, which was built at the school's North Athletic Complex as part of the UPMC Events Center project and opened in September 2017.[38]
- Wofford also moved within its campus, going from Benjamin Johnson Arena (capacity 3,500) to the slightly smaller Jerry Richardson Indoor Stadium (capacity 3,400).
Regular season
Early preseason tournament
Tournament upsets
For this list, an "upset" is defined as a win by a team seeded 7 or more spots below its defeated opponent.
| Date | Winner | Score | Loser | Region | Round |
|---|
| March 18 | Oregon (10) | 71–70 | Temple (7) | Bridgeport | Round of 64 |
| March 18 | Quinnipiac (12) | 68–65 | Marquette (5) | Lexington | Round of 64 |
| March 20 | Oregon (10) | 74–65 | Duke (2) | Bridgeport | Round of 32 |
| March 20 | Quinnipiac (12) | 85–78 | Miami (FL) (4) | Bridgeport | Round of 32 |
| March 25 | Oregon (10) | 77–63 | Maryland (2) | Bridgeport | Sweet Sixteen | |
Conference winners and tournaments
Each of the 32 Division I athletic conferences ends its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference is given the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. The winners of these tournaments receive automatic invitations to the 2017 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. This will be the first season in which the Ivy League holds a conference tournament.[39]
| Conference | Regular
season winner | Conference
player of the year | Conference
Coach of the Year | Conference
tournament | Tournament
venue (city) | Tournament
winner |
|---|
| New Hampshire | Carlie Pogue, New Hampshire[40] | Maureen Magarity, New Hampshire | 2017 America East women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Albany |
| UConn | Napheesa Collier & Katie Lou Samuelson, UConn[41] | Geno Auriemma, UConn & Tonya Cardoza, Temple | 2017 American Athletic Conference women's basketball tournament | Mohegan Sun Arena
(Uncasville, CT) | UConn |
| Stetson | Brianti Saunders, Stetson[42] | Lynn Bria, Stetson | 2017 ASUN women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Florida Gulf Coast |
| Dayton
George Washington | Jackie Kemph, Saint Louis[43] | Jeff Williams, La Salle | 2017 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites
Remainder at Richmond Coliseum
(Richmond, VA) | Dayton |
| Notre Dame | Alexis Peterson, Syracuse[44] | Wes Moore, NC State | 2017 ACC women's basketball tournament | HTC Center
(Conway, SC) | Notre Dame |
| Baylor | Brooke McCarty, Texas[45] | Karen Aston, Texas | 2017 Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament | Chesapeake Energy Arena
(Oklahoma City, OK) | West Virginia |
| Creighton
DePaul | Brooke Schulte, DePaul[46] | Doug Bruno, DePaul | 2017 Big East women's basketball tournament | Al McGuire Center
(Milwaukee, WI) | Marquette |
| Big Sky Conference | Montana State
North Dakota | Peyton Ferris, Montana State [47] | Travis Brewster, North Dakota[48] | 2017 Big Sky Conference women's basketball tournament | Reno Events Center
(Reno, NV) | Montana State |
| Big South Conference | Radford | Emma Bockrath, High Point[49] | Ronny Fisher, Campbell | 2017 Big South Conference women's basketball tournament | Vines Center
(Lynchburg, VA) | UNC Asheville |
| Maryland
Ohio State | Kelsey Mitchell, Ohio State[50] | Kim Barnes Arico, Michigan | 2017 Big Ten Conference women's basketball tournament | Bankers Life Fieldhouse
(Indianapolis, IN) | Maryland |
| UC Davis | Channon Fluker, Cal State Northridge[51] | Jennifer Gross, UC Davis | 2017 Big West Conference women's basketball tournament | First round/Quarterfinals at Walter Pyramid
(Long Beach, CA)
Remainder at Honda Center
(Anaheim, CA) | Long Beach State |
| Elon | Precious Hall, James Madison[52] | Charlotte Smith, Elon | 2017 CAA women's basketball tournament | JMU Convocation Center
(Harrisonburg, VA) | Elon |
| WKU | Jennie Simms, Old Dominion[53] | Joye Lee-McNelis, Southern Miss | 2017 Conference USA women's basketball tournament | First round/Quarterfinals at Bartow Arena
(Birmingham, AL)
Remainder at Legacy Arena
(Birmingham, AL) | WKU |
| Green Bay | Mehryn Kraker, Green Bay[54] | Katrina Merriweather, Wright State | 2017 Horizon League women's basketball tournament | Joe Louis Arena
(Detroit, MI) | Green Bay |
| Penn | Michelle Nwokedi, Penn[55] | Mike McLaughlin, Penn | 2017 Ivy League women's basketball tournament | Palestra
(Philadelphia, PA) | Penn |
| Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference | Quinnipiac | Robin Perkins, Rider[56] | Lynn Milligan, Rider[57] | 2017 MAAC women's basketball tournament | Times Union Center
(Albany, NY) | Quinnipiac |
| Kent State (East)
Central Michigan (West) | Larissa Lurken, Kent State[58] | Todd Starkey, Kent State | 2017 Mid-American Conference women's basketball tournament | First round at campus sites
Remainder at Quicken Loans Arena
(Cleveland, OH) | Toledo |
| Bethune–Cookman | Te’Shya Heslip, Howard[59] | Vanessa Blair-Lewis, Bethune–Cookman | 2017 MEAC women's basketball tournament | Norfolk Scope
(Norfolk, VA) | Hampton |
| Drake | Lizzy Wendell, Drake[60] | Jennie Baranczyk, Drake | 2017 Missouri Valley Conference women's basketball tournament | iWireless Center
(Moline, IL) | Drake |
| Colorado State | Ellen Nystrom, Colorado State[61] | Joe Legerski, Wyoming | 2017 Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament | Thomas & Mack Center
(Paradise, NV) | Boise State |
| Robert Morris | Anna Niki Stamolamprou, Robert Morris[62] | Charlie Buscaglia, Robert Morris | 2017 Northeast Conference women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Robert Morris |
| Belmont | Tearra Banks, Austin Peay[63] | Cameron Newbauer, Belmont | 2017 Ohio Valley Conference women's basketball tournament | Nashville Municipal Auditorium
(Nashville, TN) | Belmont |
| Oregon State | Kelsey Plum, Washington[64] [65] | Scott Rueck, Oregon State | 2017 Pac-12 Conference women's basketball tournament | KeyArena
(Seattle, WA) | Stanford |
| Bucknell | Claire DeBoer, Bucknell[66] | Aaron Roussell, Bucknell | 2017 Patriot League women's basketball tournament | Campus sites | Bucknell |
| South Carolina | A'ja Wilson, South Carolina[67] | Robin Pingeton, Missouri | | Bon Secours Wellness Arena
(Greenville, SC) | South Carolina |
| Chattanooga
Mercer | Kahlia Lawrence, Mercer[68] | Trina Patterson, UNC Greensboro | 2017 Southern Conference women's basketball tournament | U.S. Cellular Center
(Asheville, NC) | Chattanooga |
| Central Arkansas | Taylor Ross, Stephen F. Austin[69] | Sandra Rushing, Central Arkansas | 2017 Southland Conference women's basketball tournament | Leonard E. Merrell Center
(Katy, TX) | Central Arkansas |
| Grambling State
Texas Southern | Britney Wright, Alabama State[70] | Freddie Murray, Grambling State | 2017 SWAC women's basketball tournament | Toyota Center
(Houston, TX) | Texas Southern |
| Western Illinois | Emily Clemens, Western Illinois[71] | JD Gravina, Western Illinois | 2017 Summit League women's basketball tournament | Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
(Sioux Falls, SD) | Western Illinois |
| Little Rock | Sharde' Collins, Little Rock[72] | Joe Foley, Little Rock | 2017 Sun Belt Conference women's basketball tournament | Lakefront Arena
(New Orleans, LA) | Troy |
| Gonzaga | Cassie Broadhead, BYU[73] | Lisa Fortier, Gonzaga | 2017 West Coast Conference women's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena
(Las Vegas, NV) | Gonzaga |
| New Mexico State | Moriah Mack, New Mexico State[74] | Mark Trakh, New Mexico State | 2017 WAC women's basketball tournament | Orleans Arena
(Las Vegas, NV) | New Mexico State | |
Award winners
All-America teams
The NCAA has never recognized a consensus All-America team in women's basketball. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the Sporting News, and the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.
However, of the major selectors in women's basketball, only the AP divides its selections into separate teams. The women's counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), selects a single 10-member (plus ties) team, as does the USBWA. The NCAA does not recognize Sporting News as an All-America selector in women's basketball.
Major player of the year awards
Kelsey Plum, Washington[75]
Kelsey Plum, Washington[76]
Kelsey Plum, Washington[77]
Kelsey Plum, Washington[78]
Major freshman of the year awards
Sabrina Ionescu, Oregon[79]
Major coach of the year awards
Geno Auriemma, Connecticut[77]
Geno Auriemma, Connecticut[83]
Geno Auriemma, Connecticut[84]
Other major awards
Kelsey Plum, Washington[85]
Sydney Wiese, Oregon State[87]
Angel Elderkin, head coach, Appalachian State & Holly Rowe, broadcaster, ESPN[91]
Coaching changes
Several teams changed coaches during and after the season.
| Team | Former
coach | Interim
coach | New
coach | Reason |
|---|
| Arkansas | Jimmy Dykes | | Mike Neighbors | Dykes resigned at the end of his third season, finishing with a 43–49 overall record and 16–36 in the SEC, capped off with an 11-game losing streak to end this season.[92] Washington's Neighbors was hired as his replacement.[93] |
| Belmont | Cameron Newbauer | | Bart Brooks | Newbauer left to fill the Florida vacancy.[94] DePaul assistant Brooks was hired as his replacement.[95] |
| Cal State Fullerton | Daron Park | | Jeff Harada | Park was fired after 4 seasons in the wake of numerous allegations of misconduct with his players.[96] The school went to Division II for their next hire, tabbing Central Washington's Jeff Harada as the next head coach. |
| Davidson | Michele Savage | | Gayle Coats Fulks | Savage was fired on March 8 after seven seasons.[97] The school hired Wake Forest asst. Fulks as her replacement.[98] |
| Delaware | Tina Martin | Jeanine Radice | Natasha Adair | Martin announced her Retirement on April 28. Asst. Radice was named interim coach during the school coaching search. The school would then hire Georgetown's Adair as the next head coach.[99] |
| Denver | Kerry Cremeans | | Jim Turgeon | Cremeans resigns on March 17. Turgeon was hired as the next coach. |
| Eastern Illinois | Debbie Black | | Matt Bollant | Black was fired after 4 seasons, composing a 34-80 overall record with a 21-43 record in Ohio Valley Conference play. Former Illinois coach Bollant was hired as the next coach.[100] |
| Florida | Amanda Butler | | Cameron Newbauer | Butler was fired on March 6—her 45th birthday—after 10 seasons at her alma mater. Despite being ranked by the AP in the preseason, the Gators finished with their second losing record in three seasons, and remain the only women's team on the campus that has never won a conference championship.[101] Florida hired Belmont head coach Newbauer. |
| Florida Atlantic | Kellie Lewis-Jay | | Jim Jabir | Lewis-Jay was fired on March 6 after five seasons and an overall 73–103 record. Jabir was hired as the next coach.[102] |
| Georgetown | Natasha Adair | | James Howard | Adair left for the Delaware opening. Top assistant Howard was promoted to head coach. |
| Grambling State | Nadine Domond | Freddie Murray | Domond left to take an asst. coaching position at Rutgers on July 1, 2016. Asst. coach Murray was named interim coach for 2016-17. He later had the tag removed on April 6, 2017 |
| Grand Canyon | Trent May | Milee Karre | Nicole Powell | May was fired on March 7 after 10 seasons. Top assistant Karre was named interim head coach during the search for May's successor.[103] Oregon asst. coach and former WNBA star Powell was tabbed as the next head coach.[104] |
| Illinois | Matt Bollant | | Nancy Fahey | Bollant was fired on March 14 after five seasons. He went 61–94 overall and 22–62 in Big Ten play, and had been sued in 2015 by seven former players who alleged racial harassment.[105] The Illini turned to Women's Basketball Hall of Fame coach Fahey from Division III Washington (MO), where she led the Bears to five national titles and 737 wins in 31 seasons.[106] |
| Illinois State | Barb Smith | | Kristen Gillespie | Smith was fired on March 13 after four seasons. She inherited a program that had put together seven straight winning seasons, but the Redbirds went 28–93 during her tenure.[107] Illinois State hired Gillespie from Division II in-state school Lewis.[108] |
| Lafayette | Theresa Grentz | C.K. Calhoun | Kia Damon | Grentz was fired on April 4 after two seasons and a 10–51 overall record and 6–30 in conference play. Top assistant Calhoun was named as interim head coach during the search for Grentz' successor.[109] The school would then hire Cincinnati asst. Damon as their next head coach. |
| Long Beach State | Jody Wynn | | Jeff Cammon | Wynn left for the Washington opening.[110] The school hired Colorado asst. Cammon, who was previously an assistant under Wynn for 5 seasons. |
| Maine | Richard Barron | Amy Vachon | | Barron was forced to take an extended medical leave on January 6 due to an as-yet-undetermined, but not life-threatening, neurological condition.[111] Vachon took over on an interim basis at that time. Her interim term was extended after the end of the season in order to allow Barron to seek further treatment and determine if he can return to coaching.[112] |
| Marshall | Matt Daniel | | Tony Kemper | Daniel resigned on March 12 after five seasons, citing family reasons, specifically an opportunity to move back to his home state of Arkansas.[113] Marshall promoted top assistant Kemper to fill the vacancy.[114] |
| Mississippi Valley State | Jessica Kern | | Ashley Walker | Kern left after 1 season for the Tennessee State opening. The school went to the NAIA for their next hire, tabbing Wiley College's Walker as the next coach. |
| Mount St. Mary's | Bryan Whitten | | Maria Marchesano | Whitten was fired on March 22. IUPUI asso. head coach Marchesano was hired as his replacement. |
| Murray State | Rob Cross | | Rechelle Turner | Cross was fired on February 27 after nine seasons. While he led the Racers to an OVC regular-season title in his first season, the Racers never finished higher than fourth in the conference during the rest of his tenure.[115] The Racers went a mere five minutes' drive for their new coach, hiring Turner after 21 seasons as head coach at their city's high school.[116] |
| Nevada | Jane Albright | | Amanda Levens | Albright announced her retirement on March 1, effective at season's end, after 33 seasons as a Division I head coach and nine at Nevada.[117] The Wolf Pack hired top Arizona State assistant Levens, who had been a Nevada assistant from 2003 to 2008.[118] |
| New Mexico State | Mark Trakh | | Brooke Atkinson | Trakh left for the USC vacancy.[119] Atkinson, who served as an assistant at New Mexico State from 2003 to 2011, was hired after serving as an assistant coach at Colorado State for the last three seasons. |
| North Carolina Central | Vanessa Taylor | Kendra Eaton | Trisha Stafford-Odom | Taylor was fired on March 23 after an 8–21 season and a 33–113 overall record in five seasons. The Eagles, after naming assistant Eaton as interim coach during their search for a permanent replacement, hired Stafford-Odom, a former assistant at UCLA, North Carolina, and Duke, from Division II Concordia–Irvine.[120] |
| Old Dominion | Karen Barefoot | | Nikki McCray | Barefoot left for the UNC Wilmington opening.[121] The school hired former WNBA All-Star McCray-Penson, who spent the last 9 seasons as an assistant under Dawn Staley at South Carolina.[122] |
| Pepperdine | Ryan Weisenberg | | DeLisha Milton-Jones | Weisenberg was fired on March 8 after four seasons in which the Waves went 28–94, capped off with a 7–23 record this season. The Waves hired Milton-Jones, who joined the program as an assistant at the start of the season after 17 seasons playing in the WNBA.[123] |
| Southeastern Louisiana | Errol Gauff | | Ayla Guzzardo | Gauff resign from Southeastern Louisiana on March 9. Guzzardo was hired as the next coach. |
| Tennessee State | Larry Joe Inman | | Jessica Kern | Inman resigned as head coach on March 9, 2017, citing personal reasons. Mississippi Valley State coach Jessica Kern was hired as his replacement.[124] |
| UNCW | Adell Harris | | Karen Barefoot | Harris resigned from UNCW on April 12, 2017 to pursue other interests. The school hired Old Dominion's Barefoot as her replacement. |
| USC | Cynthia Cooper-Dyke | | Mark Trakh | Cooper-Dyke resigned after the Trojans' season ended with a first-round loss in the Pac-12 Tournament on March 3. She had led the Trojans to an NCAA appearance in her first season in 2014, but the Trojans posted mediocre records in her other three seasons, ending with a 14–16 mark this season.[125] The Trojans brought back Trakh, who had been their head coach from 2004 to 2009, from New Mexico State. |
| UTEP | Keitha Adams | | Kevin Baker | Adams left for the Wichita State opening.[126] The school hired Baker from Division II Angelo State to be their next head coach. |
| Washington | Mike Neighbors | | Jody Wynn | Neighbors left for the Arkansas opening. The school hired Long Beach State's Wynn as his replacement.[127] |
| Wichita State | Jody Adams-Birch | Linda Hargrove | Keitha Adams | The Shockers parted ways with Adams-Birch on January 22 with the team at 8–10 on the season. She had been temporarily replaced by top assistant Kirk Crawford three days earlier while AD Darron Boatright reviewed the program. Following Adams-Birch's departure, former Shockers head coach Hargrove was brought back to serve for the remainder of the season.[128] [129] Wichita State ultimately hired UTEP head coach Keitha Adams as the permanent replacement. |
| Winthrop | Kevin Cook | Lynette Woodard | The Eagles parted ways with Cook on February 24 after suspending him in January for what the school called a personnel matter. Top assistant Woodard was named interim coach during Cook's suspension,[130] and Winthrop removed the interim tag after the season.[131] | |
See also
Notes and References
- Division I student-athletes still making gains in APR . NCAA . April 20, 2016.
- Conference Student-Athletes Unveil New ASUN Brand Identity. April 28, 2016. ASUN Conference.
- News: South Carolina's A'ja Wilson leads AP preseason All-Americans . . NCAA . November 6, 2016 . November 25, 2016.
- News: Power outage forces Notre Dame and Louisiana-Lafayette to switch venues during middle of game . . November 23, 2016 . November 25, 2016.
- ASUN Conference Introduces North Alabama as Newest League Member. ASUN Conference. December 5, 2016. December 7, 2016.
- News: Eight players ejected at UNLV-Utah State after benches-clearing brawl . . January 7, 2017 . January 8, 2017.
- News: Mountain West suspends 3 after UNLV-Utah State brawl . Associated Press . ESPN.com . January 10, 2017 . January 13, 2017.
- California Baptist University to Join WAC in 2018-19 . Western Athletic Conference . January 13, 2017 . January 21, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20171231051633/http://wacsports.com/news/2017/1/12/NEWS_0112173725.aspx?path=general . December 31, 2017 . dead .
- The Summit League Adds The University of North Dakota . The Summit League . January 26, 2017 . January 27, 2017 . February 2, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170202040002/http://thesummitleague.org/general/2016-17/releases/20170126g1swrw . dead .
- News: Use of improper basketballs to affect CAA tourney seeding . Graham . Hays . ESPN.com . February 2, 2017 . February 2, 2017.
- News: Ohio State's Kelsey Mitchell fastest player to reach 2,000 points . Associated Press . ESPN.com . December 8, 2016 . December 17, 2016.
- News: Kelsey Plum becomes Pac-12 all-time leading scorer, scores 44 to lift UW past Boise State . Percy . Allen . . December 11, 2016 . December 31, 2016.
- News: Biggest D-I women's rout: No. 3 Baylor tops Winthrop 140-32 . Associated Press . ESPN.com . December 16, 2016 . December 17, 2016.
- News: UConn wins 90th straight game to match own NCAA record . Graham . Hays . ESPN.com . January 10, 2017 . January 10, 2017.
- News: Kelsey Plum tops 3,000 career points in Washington win . Associated Press . ESPN.com . January 13, 2017 . January 14, 2017.
- News: UConn women break their own NCAA record with 91st straight win . Associated Press . ESPN.com . January 14, 2017 . January 15, 2017.
- News: Stanford's Tara VanDerveer just 2nd women's coach to reach 1K wins . Associated Press . ESPN.com . February 3, 2017 . February 4, 2017.
- News: Gabby Williams notches career-high 26 points to lead No. 1 UConn over No. 6 South Carolina . Associated Press . ESPN.com . February 14, 2017 . February 14, 2017.
- News: Plum breaks NCAA scoring mark as Washington beats Utah 84-77 . Associated Press . ESPN.com . February 25, 2017 . February 26, 2017.
- News: UConn wins AAC behind Katie Lou Samuelson's record-breaking night . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 6, 2017 . March 7, 2017.
- News: Texas A&M rallies from 21 down in biggest comeback in women's NCAA tourney history . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 18, 2017 . March 19, 2017.
- News: Baylor women open with most-lopsided NCAA tournament win . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 19, 2017 . March 21, 2017.
- News: Plum scores 38 as Washington races past Oklahoma 108-82 . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 21, 2017 . March 24, 2017.
- News: Kelsey Plum's career ends as Washington falls to Mississippi State . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 24, 2017 . March 24, 2017.
- News: Mississippi State's OT buzzer-beater ends UConn's streak at 111 games . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 31, 2017 . April 2, 2017.
- News: Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer joins elite 1,000 wins club. USA TODAY. 2017-10-06. en.
- News: Broncos Get Presnell 600th Career Win. 2017-10-06.
- News: K-State women's basketball coach Jeff Mittie reaches 500 career wins. kansascity. 2017-10-06. en.
- News: Sugar Bears push winning streak to 10 as Rushing wins 500th. 2017-10-06. en.
- News: Women's basketball: Baylor coach Kim Mulkey tallies 500th win after Lady Bears down Texas Tech. 2017-02-25. NCAA.com. 2017-10-06. en.
- Web site: Coyotes christen Sanford Coyote Sports Center with a victory . . November 13, 2016 . December 19, 2016.
- Web site: Bison Women Coast to 79-59 Exhibition Victory Over Bemidji State . . November 3, 2016 . February 16, 2021.
- Web site: Late Rally Lifts NDSU Women's Basketball to 70-63 Win over Dickinson State . . November 12, 2016 . February 16, 2021.
- Alabama Women's Basketball to Return to Coleman Coliseum . . May 31, 2016 . May 13, 2017.
- Web site: DePaul strikes arena naming rights deal with Wintrust. November 17, 2016. November 16, 2016. . Danny . Ecker.
- Web site: NJIT breaks ground on $100M Wellness and Events Center. app.com. 12 November 2015.
- News: Robert Morris to build new basketball, volleyball arena . Bill . Brink . . January 18, 2017 . February 23, 2018.
- Web site: UPMC Events Center: Official Announcement . Robert Morris Colonials . February 24, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180223171437/http://www.rmu.edu/Athletics/events-center-home/events-center-announcement . February 23, 2018 . dead .
- The Ivy League Adds Men's, Women's Basketball Tournaments Beginning in 2017 . Ivy League . March 10, 2016 . March 10, 2016 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160311041901/http://ivyleaguesports.com/information/general_releases/2015-16/releases/The_Ivy_League_Adds_Mens-Womens_Basketball_Tournaments_Beginning_in_2017 . March 11, 2016 .
- 4 Teams Earn America East WBB Major Awards; All-Conference Teams Announced . America East Conference . March 3, 2017 . March 5, 2017.
- UConn's Collier, Samuelson Named American Women's Basketball Players of the Year . American Athletic Conference . March 3, 2017 . March 4, 2017.
- Saunders Named @ASUNWBB Player of Year; Hatters Earn Three Honors . ASUN Conference . March 1, 2017 . March 5, 2017.
- Saint Louis' Kemph Named Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Player of the Year; La Salle's Williams Voted Coach of the Year . Atlantic 10 Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017.
- Syracuse's Peterson Voted ACC Women's Player of the Year . Atlantic Coast Conference . March 1, 2017 . March 1, 2017 .
- 2016-17 Phillips 66 All-Big 12 Women's Basketball Awards Announced . Big 12 Conference . March 2, 2017 . March 2, 2017.
- BIG EAST Announces Women's Basketball Major Awards . Big East Conference . March 1, 2017 . March 1, 2017.
- Montana State's Ferris Earns #BigSkyWBB MVP Honors . Big Sky Conference . March 5, 2017 . March 6, 2017.
- North Dakota's Brewster Earns #BigSkyWBB Coach of the Year . Big Sky Conference . March 7, 2017 . March 7, 2017.
- Big South Announces 2016-17 Women's Basketball Award Winners . Big South Conference . March 7, 2017 . March 8, 2017.
- Big Ten Women's Basketball Honors Announced On BTN . Big Ten Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170720164156/http://www.bigten.org/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/022717aab.html . July 20, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- CSUN's Fluker Named Player of the Year . Big West Conference . March 6, 2017 . March 6, 2017.
- JMU's Precious Hall Headlines WBB Postseason Awards . Colonial Athletic Association . March 7, 2017 . March 8, 2017.
- WBK: 2017 Superlative Awards Announced . Conference USA . March 5, 2017 . March 6, 2017.
- #HLWBB Postseason Awards Announced; Kraker Player of the Year . Horizon League . February 28, 2017 . March 1, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170302113700/http://www.horizonleague.org/blog/hlwbb-postseason-awards . March 2, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- Women's Basketball Postseason Awards, All-Ivy Announced . Ivy League . March 9, 2017 . March 9, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170312064520/http://ivyleaguesports.com/sports/wbkb/2016-17/releases/Womens_Basketball_Postseason_Awards-_All-Ivy_Announced . March 12, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- MAAC Announces 2016–17 Women's Basketball Major Award Winners . Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference . March 3, 2017 . March 3, 2017.
- Rider University's Lynn Milligan Named The Rock MAAC Women's Basketball Head Coach of the Year . Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference . March 3, 2017 . March 3, 2017.
- Women's Basketball Postseason Awards Announced . Mid-American Conference . March 7, 2017 . March 3, 2017.
- MEAC Announces Women's Basketball All-Conference Honors . Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference . March 3, 2017 . March 5, 2017.
- Drake's Lizzy Wendell Named Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year . Missouri Valley Conference . March 9, 2017 . March 9, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170312083549/http://www.mvc-sports.com/wbasketball/news/2016-17/9433/drakes-lizzy-wendell-named-jackie-stiles-mvc-player-of-the-year/#.WMIdKhIrJPM . March 12, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- Mountain West Announces 2016-17 Women's Basketball All-Conference Team . Mountain West Conference . March 6, 2017 . March 8, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170312033116/http://www.themw.com/news/mountain-west-announces-2016-17-women-s-basketball-all-conference-team-03-06-2017 . March 12, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- Regular Season Champion Robert Morris Snags Two Major Honors; All-NEC Teams Announced . Northeast Conference . March 3, 2017 . March 11, 2017.
- Austin Peay's Banks and Belmont's McCabe Earn Top OVC Women's Basketball Postseason Honors . Ohio Valley Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017.
- 2016-17 Pac-12 Women's Basketball honors . https://web.archive.org/web/20170301014345/http://pac-12.com/article/2017/02/28/2016-17-pac-12-women%E2%80%99s-basketball-honors . dead . March 1, 2017 . Pac-12 Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017.
- 2016-17 Pac-12 Women's Basketball media honors . https://web.archive.org/web/20170302075044/http://pac-12.com/article/2017/03/01/2016-17-pac-12-womens-basketball-media-honors . dead . March 2, 2017 . Pac-12 Conference . March 1, 2017 . March 1, 2017.
- Patriot League Women's Basketball Major Awards and All-League Honors Announced . Patriot League . March 3, 2017 . March 7, 2017.
- 2017 SEC Women's Basketball Awards announced . Southeastern Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017.
- Women's Basketball Awards Announced . Southern Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017.
- Stephen F. Austin's Taylor Ross Named Women's Basketball Player of the Year . Southland Conference . March 7, 2017 . March 18, 2017.
- 2016-17 All-SWAC Women's Basketball Teams Announced . Southwestern Athletic Conference . March 6, 2017 . March 18, 2017.
- WIU's Clemens Earns #SummitWBB Player of the Year Honors . The Summit League . March 2, 2017 . March 3, 2017.
- Little Rock's Collins, Foley highlight Women's Basketball individual honors . Sun Belt Conference . March 6, 2017 . March 7, 2017.
- WCC Women's Basketball 2017 All-Conference Team Announced . West Coast Conference . February 28, 2017 . February 28, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170301180829/http://wccsports.com/news/wcc-women-s-basketball-2017-all-conference-team-announced-02-27-2017 . March 1, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- WAC Announces Women's Basketball Award Winners . Western Athletic Conference . March 6, 2017 . March 18, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170319112533/http://wacsports.com/news/2017/3/6/WBB_0306170218.aspx . March 19, 2017 . dead .
- News: First, career scoring record; then, Wooden Award for Kelsey Plum . Mirin . Fader . ESPN.com . April 7, 2017 . April 7, 2017.
- Washington's Kelsey Plum Named 2017 Citizen Naismith Trophy Winner . Atlanta Tipoff Club . April 1, 2017 . April 2, 2017.
- News: Washington's Kelsey Plum, UConn's Geno Auriemma earn AP honors . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 30, 2017 . March 30, 2017.
- Wade Trophy Winner Kelsey Plum of Washington Headlines 2017 WBCA NCAA Division I Coaches' All-American Team . . April 1, 2017 . April 2, 2017.
- USBWA Presents 2016-17 Women's Honors . United States Basketball Writers Association . March 31, 2017 . April 1, 2017.
- News: Washington senior Kelsey Plum is espnW's national player of the year . Mechelle . Voepel . ESPN.com . March 9, 2017 . March 30, 2017.
- Destiny Slocum Is First WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year Presented by adidas . . April 2, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Web site: UConn's Geno Auriemma is espnW's coach of the year, while Oregon's Ionescu named top freshman . Mechelle . Voepel . ESPN.com . March 9, 2017 . March 28, 2018.
- Geno Auriemma Named 2017 Werner Ladder Naismith Women's College Coach Of The Year . Atlanta Tipoff Club . April 1, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Geno Auriemma Named 2017 United States Marine Corps/WBCA National NCAA Division I Coach of the Year . . March 23, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Washington Point Guard Kelsey Plum Named 2017 Lieberman Award Winner . Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . April 2, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- WBCA Names Gabby Williams 2017 NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year . Women's Basketball Coaches Association . March 27, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Oregon State's Sydney Wiese Wins 2016-17 Senior CLASS Award for Women's Basketball . Premier Sports Management . March 30, 2017 . April 1, 2017.
- Shauna Green Named 2017 Spalding Maggie Dixon NCAA Division I Rookie Coach of the Year . . March 31, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Ally Disterhoft of Iowa, Canyon Barry of Florida Highlight CoSIDA Academic All-America® Division I Basketball Teams . College Sports Information Directors of America . March 2, 2017 . March 2, 2017.
- Elite 90 for McPhee . . March 30, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Elderkin, Rowe to Receive Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award . United States Basketball Writers Association . December 29, 2016 . February 28, 2017.
- News: Jimmy Dykes quits as Arkansas women's coach after 3 seasons . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 3, 2017 . March 3, 2017.
- Mike Neighbors tabbed to Lead Razorbacks. . April 4, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- News: Belmont's Cameron Newbauer hired to revitalize Gators' hoops program . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 27, 2017 . March 27, 2017.
- News: Belmont hires Bart Brooks as new women's basketball coach . Associated Press . ESPN.com . April 24, 2017 . April 25, 2017.
- Daron Park exits Cal State Fullerton women's basketball amid allegations of misconduct . Daily Titan . March 12, 2017 . April 22, 2017.
- Michele Savage Dismissed as Head Women's Basketball Coach . Davidson Wildcats . March 8, 2017 . March 10, 2017.
- Davidson names Gayle Coats Fulks Women's Basketball Coach . WBTV . May 10, 2017 . May 14, 2017.
- News: Georgetown women's coach Natasha Adair taking Delaware job . ESPN . May 14, 2017. May 14, 2017.
- News: Matt Bollant to lead EIU women's basketball . . April 17, 2017. April 19, 2017.
- News: Florida fires women's hoops coach Amanda Butler after 10 seasons . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 6, 2017 . March 6, 2017.
- FAU Athletics to Seek a New Head Women's Basketball Coach . . March 6, 2017 . March 31, 2017.
- May will not return as women's basketball head coach . Grand Canyon Antelopes . March 7, 2017 . March 10, 2017.
- Sources: GCU to hire ex-WNBA star, Oregon assistant Nicole Powell. Swish Appeal. April 8, 2017. April 9, 2017.
- News: Illinois fires Matt Bollant after five seasons . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 14, 2017 . March 15, 2017.
- News: Illinois hires Nancy Fahey as next basketball coach . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 22, 2017 . March 23, 2017.
- News: Illinois State fires Barb Smith after four seasons . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 13, 2017 . March 13, 2017.
- Kristen Gillespie Introduced as Illinois State's Eighth Head Women's Basketball Coach . . April 4, 2017 . April 5, 2017.
- Lafayette, Women's Basketball Coach Part Ways . . April 4, 2017 . April 18, 2017.
- Wynn Named Washington Head Women's Basketball Coach . . April 14, 2017 . April 14, 2017.
- Update from Coach Richard Barron . . April 5, 2017 . April 18, 2017.
- Amy Vachon named UMaine women's basketball interim head coach . . April 5, 2017 . April 18, 2017.
- News: Marshall women's basketball coach Matt Daniel resigns . Doug . Smock . . . March 12, 2017 . March 31, 2017.
- Marshall Elevates Kemper to Head Women's Basketball Coach . . March 17, 2017 . March 31, 2017.
- News: Murray State fires Cross after nine seasons . Jeff . Bidwell . . . February 27, 2017 . March 30, 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170331211612/http://www.wpsdlocal6.com/story/34617092/murray-state-fires-cross-after-nine-seasons . March 31, 2017 . dead . mdy-all .
- Murray State Hires Rechelle Turner as Head Women's Basketball Coach . Murray State Racers . March 29, 2017 . March 30, 2017.
- Women's basketball coach Jane Albright announces retirement . . March 1, 2017 . April 2, 2017.
- Levens named Wolf Pack women's basketball coach . . March 31, 2017 . April 2, 2017.
- News: USC brings back Mark Trakh as women's basketball coach . Associated Press . ESPN.com . April 21, 2017 . April 22, 2017.
- News: North Carolina Central hires Trisha Stafford-Odom as coach . Associated Press . ESPN.com . May 8, 2017 . May 9, 2017.
- News: Barefoot named UNCW women's basketball coach, contract released . WECT 6 . May 3, 2017 . May 4, 2017.
- News: ODU to hire former Olympic and WNBA star Nikki McCray-Penson as women's coach . The Virginian Pilot . May 23, 2017 . May 23, 2017.
- News: Pepperdine promotes DeLisha Milton-Jones to head coach . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 30, 2017 . March 30, 2017.
- News: Jessica Kern hired as TSU women's basketball coach . . April 12, 2017 . April 12, 2017.
- News: Cynthia Cooper-Dyke resigns as USC women's basketball coach . ESPN.com . March 3, 2017 . March 3, 2017.
- Keitha Adams Named Women's Basketball Coach . . March 29, 2017 . March 30, 2017.
- News: Wynn Named Washington Head Women's Basketball Coach . . April 14, 2017 . April 14, 2017.
- Adams-Birch, WSU Mutually Agree to Part Ways . Wichita State Shockers . January 22, 2017 . January 22, 2017.
- News: Wichita State announces coach Jody Adams-Birch won't return . Associated Press . ESPN.com . January 22, 2017 . January 22, 2017.
- News: Suspended Winthrop coach Kevin Cook is no longer with school . Associated Press . ESPN.com . February 24, 2017 . March 6, 2017.
- News: Hall of Famer Lynette Woodard named new Winthrop women's coach . Associated Press . ESPN.com . March 28, 2017 . March 28, 2017.
