| Stony Brook Seawolves women's basketball | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | Stony Brook University | ||
| First season | 1969; 56 years ago (1969) | ||
| Head coach | Joy McCorvey (1st season) | ||
| Conference | Coastal Athletic Association | ||
| Location | Stony Brook, New York | ||
| Arena | Island Federal Credit Union Arena (capacity: 4,160) | ||
| Nickname | Seawolves | ||
| Colors | Red, blue, and gray[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 2021 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 2020, 2021 | |||
| Conference regular-season champions | |||
| 2020, 2024 | |||
TheStony Brook Seawolves women’s basketball team is the college basketball program representingStony Brook University inStony Brook, New York. The Seawolves currently participate as part of theNCAA Division I basketball, and compete in theCoastal Athletic Association.[2] The Seawolves currently play their home games in theIsland Federal Credit Union Arena.
Stony Brook reached theNCAA tournament for the first time in 2021, a year after the team's 28–3 season ended prematurely with the cancelation of the America East Championship and NCAA Tournament due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
Stony Brook began play in the 1969–70 season at the Division III level. The program advanced to Division II beginning in the 1995–96 year, and fully transitioned to Division I in 1999, hiringTrish Roberts as head coach.[3]
Stony Brook played two independent seasons as before joining theAmerica East Conference in 2001. In Stony Brook's first America East season, the Seawolves finished in seventh place but earned two upsets in the tournament to advance to the finals. Stony Brook almost reached the NCAA Tournament but fell toHartford 50–47.[4] Roberts failed to reach double-digit victories in her next two seasons and resigned on August 25, 2004.[5] She cited family issues butNewsday reported that several players left the team and Roberts clashed with first team All-Conference player Sherry Jordan.[6]
Sacramento Monarchs assistantMaura McHugh was named interim head coach on September 10 and promoted to full-time head coach on April 26, 2005 after an 8–20 season.[7][8] In McHugh's second season, Stony Brook won 20 games for the first time in program history and finished a program-best second place in the regular season. On December 2, 2005, Stony Brook played No. 19Temple, its first ranked opponent in program history, and pulled the 58–56 upset.[9] The Seawolves lost in the conference semifinals but qualified for theWNIT, where they lost toHofstra in the program's first-ever postseason appearance.[10][11][12] After another second-place finish in the conference regular season in 2006–07 at 14–2, the Seawolves were upset byUMBC in the quarterfinals and McHugh resigned three months later.[13]
McHugh's assistant Michele Cherry was named her successor, but Cherry suffered three straight 20-loss seasons and was on course for a fourth before she resigned in the middle of the 2010–11 campaign, leading assistant Evelyn Thompson to handle head coaching duties for the remainder of the season.[14]
On April 7, 2011,Canisius associate head coach Beth O'Boyle was named Stony Brook's fourth Division I head coach.[15] O'Boyle went 4–26 in her first season and improved by 10 wins in each of the next two years. She won a program record 24 games in 2013–14[16] as Stony Brook returned to the America East Championship for the first time since 2002, but were blown out 70–46 byAlbany.[17] Stony Brook qualified for the2014 WNIT and lost toMichigan 86–48 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines' head coach was former Stony Brook playerKim Barnes Arico.[18] On April 28, 2014, O'Boyle resigned to accept the head coaching position atVCU.[19]
On June 15, 2014,Auburn assistant head coach Caroline McCombs was named as O'Boyle's successor.[20] In McCombs' first two seasons, Stony Brook finished with 17 wins and in third place in the America East, earning bids to theWBI both times, losing toSiena in 2015 andYoungstown State in 2016.[21][22] McCombs became the program's all-time winningest head coach on November 21, 2018 with her 67th win, surpassing Roberts.[23] Stony Brook won its first game against a Power Five school by defeatingPenn State 81–70 on November 25, 2018.[24] Her first 20-win season came in 2018–19 but ended in the America East semifinals with a loss to Hartford.[25] McCombs reached 100 career victories on January 2, 2020.[26]
The 2019–20 season saw Stony Brook shatter program records, at one point owning a 22-game winning streak, the longest in the nation.[27] Stony Brook defeatedPittsburgh in December for its second program Power Five victory.[28] The Seawolves won their first America East regular season title after defeatingVermont to improve to 25–1 and 13–0 in conference.[29] As the top seed, Stony Brook advanced to the America East Championship with a 28–3 record, set to faceMaine at home, but the game was canceled a day before as theCOVID-19 pandemic began to sweep through the United States. The Seawolves still earned the America East title as the highest seed remaining.[30]
Stony Brook earned its redemption in the 2020–21 season. The Seawolves, as the second seed in the America East Tournament, earned a bye to the semifinals, routingUMass Lowell to set up a championship rematch with top-seeded Maine.[31] On the road, Stony Brook came back from an 11-point deficit to upset Maine 64–60 and clinch its first trip to the NCAA Tournament in program history.[32] Stony Brook lost 79–44 toArizona in the first round.[33] McCombs announced on April 2, 2021 that she would be leaving Stony Brook after seven years to beGeorge Washington's new head coach.[34]
On April 28, 2021,James Madison assistantAshley Langford was hired to replace McCombs.[35] In Langford's first season, Stony Brook finished 23–6 with wins overSt. John's,Rutgers andWashington State.[36] However, Stony Brook was banned from the America East tournament because the team announced it would be leaving the conference to join theColonial Athletic Association (CAA).[37] Stony Brook was invited to the WNIT, losing atVCU 56–48.[38] In 2022–23, Stony Brook finished 18–13 in its first CAA season, losing toNortheastern in the second round of the conference tournament.[39][40] Stony Brook won the 2023–24 CAA regular season title by going 25–3 overall and 16–2 in conference.[41]
The Seawolves have appeared in theNCAA Division I women's basketball tournament one time. Their overall combined record is 0–1.
| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | #14 | First Round | #3 Arizona | L 44−79 |
The Seawolves played in the inauguralWomen's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) in 2024. Their combined record is 1–1.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | First Round Second Round | #1James Madison Illinois | W 81–70 L 62–79 |
The Seawolves achieved their firstWomen's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) appearance in 2006. Their overall combined WNIT record is 0–3.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | First Round | Hofstra | L 65–92 |
| 2014 | First Round | Michigan | L 48–86 |
| 2022 | First Round | VCU | L 48–56 |
The Seawolves have appeared in theWomen's Basketball Invitational (WBI) two times. Their overall combined WBI record is 0–2.
| Year | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | First Round | Siena | L 46–53 |
| 2016 | First Round | Youngstown State | L 60–67 |
| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trish Roberts(Independent /America East)(1999–2004) | |||||||||
| 1999–00 | Trish Roberts | 18–10 | |||||||
| 2000–01 | Trish Roberts | 16–12 | |||||||
| 2001–02 | Trish Roberts | 16–14 | 7–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2002–03 | Trish Roberts | 9–19 | 7–9 | T–4th | |||||
| 2003–04 | Trish Roberts | 7–21 | 6–12 | T–8th | |||||
| Maura McHugh(America East)(2004–2007) | |||||||||
| 2004–05 | Maura McHugh | 8–20 | 6–12 | 9th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Maura McHugh | 20–10 | 12–4 | 2nd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2006–07 | Maura McHugh | 18–11 | 14–2 | 2nd | |||||
| Michele Cherry(America East)(2007–2011) | |||||||||
| 2007–08 | Michele Cherry | 8–23 | 2–14 | 9th | |||||
| 2008–09 | Michele Cherry | 6–23 | 4–12 | 7th | |||||
| 2009–10 | Michele Cherry | 10–20 | 7–9 | T–4th | |||||
| 2010–11 | Michele Cherry Evelyn Thompson | 7–23 | 3–13 | 8th | |||||
| Beth O'Boyle(America East)(2011–2014) | |||||||||
| 2011–12 | Beth O'Boyle | 4–26 | 1–15 | 9th | |||||
| 2012–13 | Beth O'Boyle | 14–16 | 6–10 | T–4th | |||||
| 2013–14 | Beth O'Boyle | 24–9 | 13–3 | 2nd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| Caroline McCombs(America East)(2014–2021) | |||||||||
| 2014–15 | Caroline McCombs | 17–14 | 10–6 | 3rd | WBI First Round | ||||
| 2015–16 | Caroline McCombs | 17–15 | 8–8 | T–3rd | WBI First Round | ||||
| 2016–17 | Caroline McCombs | 12–18 | 5–11 | 8th | |||||
| 2017–18 | Caroline McCombs | 18–12 | 10–6 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2018–19 | Caroline McCombs | 23–8 | 11–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 2019–20 | Caroline McCombs | 28–3 | 14–2 | 1st | Postseason canceled due to COVID-19[42] | ||||
| 2020–21 | Caroline McCombs | 15–6 | 11–3 | 2nd | NCAA First Round | ||||
| Ashley Langford(America East /CAA)(2021–2024) | |||||||||
| 2021–22 | Ashley Langford | 23–6 | 14–4 | 2nd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2022–23 | Ashley Langford | 18–13 | 11–7 | 6th | |||||
| 2023–24 | Ashley Langford | 28–5 | 16–2 | 1st | WBIT Second Round | ||||
| Joy McCorvey(CAA)(2024–present) | |||||||||
| 2024–25 | Joy McCorvey | 0–0 | 0–0 | ||||||
| Total: | 381–355 (.518) | ||||||||
National champion Postseason invitational champion | |||||||||
| Coach | Year | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Ashley Langford | 2024 | CAA |
| Caroline McCombs | 2020 | America East |
| Player | Year | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Gigi Gonzalez | 2024 | CAA |
| Mykeema Ford | 2007 | America East |
America East Defensive Player of the Year
America East Rookie of the Year
America East Sixth Player of the Year
| Player | Years | Conference |
|---|---|---|
| Gigi Gonzalez | 2024 | CAA |
| Annie Warren | 2022, 2023 | America East, CAA |
| India Pagan | 2020 | America East |
| Jerell Matthews | 2019 | America East |
| Shania Johnson | 2018, 2019 | America East |
| Sabre Proctor | 2014, 2015 | America East |
| Chikilra Goodman | 2014 | America East |
| Jessica Smith | 2007 | America East |
| Mykeema Ford | 2006, 2007 | America East |
| Sherry Jordan | 2002, 2003 | America East |
America East All-Conference Defensive Team
