The Drake women's basketball team once again advanced to the women's NCAA Tournament, but was eliminated in the first round.Photo by Sarah Faye | Staff Photographer
March is over, but the NCAA Tournament is still courtside in the minds of many college fans. For Drake Bulldogs fans, this is the time to look back on one of the most influential women's basketball seasons in school history.
The Bulldogs will have high expectations for the 2024-25 regular season after having a statistically record-breaking campaign last season.
“Drake WBB's 2023-24 season put together a record-setting campaign that included a program record 29 wins, a Jackie Stiles MVC Player of the Year award, and two conference championships in the regular season and league tournament,” said Head. Coach Allison Pohlman said. “We have so many special moments to celebrate and I am so proud of our team.”
Looking back at some of the highlights of the season, there are some games that were better than others. Drake defeated the Iowa State Cyclones 85-73 early in the season, giving the Bulldogs two notable quad wins (a home win over a team better than Drake) (a win over a team with a NET ranking of 31-75) . After this game, the Bulldogs lost 113-90 to the University of Iowa Hawkeyes in Iowa City, Iowa. While the game wasn't a win for the Bulldogs, it was an important learning experience for the team heading into conference play. The Bulldogs also defeated Louisiana Tech 77-66 and the University of Maine 72-56 in the high-octane Thanksgiving Classic at the Knapp Center.
Drake also had a 48-point win against North Dakota midway through the season. The Bulldogs' record during conference play also included two big wins, an 82-62 win over the University of Illinois at Chicago and a 96-64 win over Indiana State University in the final conference game before the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament. Added.
These wins propelled the Bulldogs throughout the season and helped build important conference wins that would ultimately clinch the MVC Championship title.
“Due to Drake women's basketball's storied success, we expect to compete for a championship and play through the end of March,” Pohlman said. “Our trip to the NCAA Tournament is always very exciting, but the goal is not just to participate, but to prepare to win games.”
Thanks to a last-minute layup by forward Anna Miller, the top-seeded Bulldogs defeated the third-seeded Missouri State Lady Bears 76-75, clinching the MVC title and a trip to the Big Dance. Although Drake lost in the first round to the Colorado Buffaloes, this year's March Madness appearance was an example of how hard the Bulldogs have worked this season.
“March Madness has always been a goal for our team and we were very excited to be able to compete in the tournament,” Miller said. “It didn’t end the way I expected, but I hope to get back to March Madness next year.”
Bulldog fans looking forward to the 2024-25 season can expect more young talent to join the program and more excitement on the court, with the season schedule and roster expected to be announced in just a few months. Dew.
Men's Basketball and Women's Basketball Season Ticket Passes are now available and you can get your hands on Drake Athletics tickets Website.