Getting to Know the Southland: Women’s Basketball

As I reflect on the upcoming season, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement and anticipation. The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) women’s basketball team is gearing up to compete in the Southland Conference for the first time in the 2024-25 season, and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.

The Southland Conference logo

With UTRGV joining and Stephen F. Austin (SFA) rejoining the conference on July 1, the Southland will see 12 teams battle for championships. UTRGV’s other Southland opponents will be Houston Christian, Incarnate Word, Lamar, McNeese, New Orleans, Nicholls, Northwestern State, Southeastern Louisiana, Texas A&M-Commerce, and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

As I delve deeper into the world of Southland women’s basketball, I’m struck by the rich history and tradition of excellence that permeates the conference. The Southland ranked 25th as a conference in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET) rankings in the 2023-24 season, led by Lamar, which ranked 127th out of 360 Div. I women’s basketball teams. Lamar was the regular season conference champion with a 17-1 SLC record.

Lamar University women’s basketball team

The 2024 Jersey Mike’s Southland Basketball Championships had three games carried on linear channels by ESPN, including the women’s championship game, which was broadcast on ESPNU. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi won the 2024 tournament title and earned a 16-seed in the NCAA Tournament. The Southland Basketball Championships will be hosted at McNeese’s Legacy Center in Lake Charles, Louisiana through 2029.

Texas A&M-Corpus Christi women’s basketball team

As I look back on the history of the Southland Conference, I’m struck by the impressive list of champions that have emerged over the years. The 2024 tournament title was the first for the Islanders, making them the 15th different team to win the Southland tournament since 1983. SFA holds the conference record with 16 tournament titles, followed by Northwestern State’s three. The last six tournaments have seen new champions crowned – Southeastern Louisiana in 2023, Incarnate Word in 2022, SFA in 2021, former member Abilene Christian in 2019, and Nicholls in 2018. The last repeat champion was former member Central Arkansas in 2016 and 2017.

SFA women’s basketball team

In 1985, former member Louisiana-Monroe advanced to the NCAA Women’s Final Four and earned the conference’s highest ranking, finishing No. 2 in the national polls. Between Louisiana-Monroe and SFA, the Southland has capped 10 seasons with a top-20 ranking. The conference has won 12 games in the NCAA Tournament.

Louisiana-Monroe women’s basketball team

McNeese and SFA represented the Southland in consecutive Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) Championship games in 2013 and 2014, respectively. SFA became the fifth NCAA Div. I women’s basketball program in history to surpass 1,000 wins in 2016. UTRGV and SFA faced off in the first round of the 2017 WBI Tournament at the UTRGV Fieldhouse, and the Vaqueros took the 62-54 win.

UTRGV women’s basketball team

Players from the Southland have gone on to earn invitations to training camp with the Chicago Sky and the Phoenix Mercury. Several have gone on to play professionally overseas.

Women’s basketball players in action

Based on 2023-24 attendance records, the Vaqueros boast the third-best average attendance (1,223) and rank fifth in total attendance (17,128) among Southland programs. McNeese topped the attendance charts as it drew 1,656 fans per game and totaled 31,455.

UTRGV women’s basketball game

As I look to the future, I’m excited to see what the Southland Conference has in store for us. With its rich history, talented teams, and dedicated fans, I have no doubt that the conference will continue to thrive and produce top-notch women’s basketball.

The Southland Conference logo