Tampa history: USF women's basketball team

The USF women’s basketball team is coming off one of it’s best seasons. Learn the history of the USF women's basketball program.

They are successful

The Bulls played their first season in 1972-73 and have been pretty solid. They notched their sixth consecutive 20-win season and fourth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2017-18. It marked the ninth 20-win season in program history. In fact, since the 2004-5 season, USF has only had two losing seasons.

They play in the AAC

After 12 years as an independent, the Bulls started play in the Sun Belt Conference before moving to the Metro Conference (became Conference USA), Big East and currently the American Athletic Conference.

Home sweet home

The Lady Bulls play in the Yuengling Center on the USF campus. Originally the Sun Dome, which opened in 1980, the stadium was updated in 2000 (the original inflatable roof of the Sun Dome was replaced with a more conventional hard dome) and again in 2011. It was renamed in Yuengling Center in 2018.

With 10,411 seats, the Yuengling Center is the fourth-largest basketball arena by capacity in the American Athletic Conference.

Postseason play

USF has made the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Tournament seven times in their history (2006, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2021). They have played in the Women's NIT 9 times including winning the tournament in 2009. They have also won two conference championships, taking both the regular season and tournament American Athletic Conference crowns in 2021.

Retired players

They have retired 4 jerseys in the women’s program’s history: Shantia Grace (3), Courtney Williams (10), Jessica Dickson (25) and Wanda Guyton (50). All four are in the USF Athletic Hall of Fame.