The Cal Poly Mustangs women's basketball team represents California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, located in San Luis Obispo, California. The school's team currently competes in the Big West Conference, which they have played in since 1996, two years after joining Division I. The team plays its home games in Mott Athletics Center.
| Cal Poly Mustangs | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| |||
 | |||
| University | California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo | ||
| Head coach | Shanele Stires (3rd season) | ||
| Conference | Big West | ||
| Location | San Luis Obispo, California | ||
| Arena | Mott Athletics Center (capacity: 3,032) | ||
| Nickname | Mustangs | ||
| Colors | Poly green, copper gold, and stadium gold[1] | ||
| Uniforms | |||
| |||
| NCAA tournament appearances | |||
| 2013 | |||
| Conference tournament champions | |||
| 2013 | |||
| Conference regular season champions | |||
| 2011, 2012 | |||
History
editCal Poly began playing women's basketball at the intercollegiate level in 1974 in the AIAW, with NCAA-sponsored play beginning in 1981.
The Mustangs have had three teams tie for the school record for wins (21) in a season: the 1981–82 squad coached by Marilyn McNeil and the 2008–09 and 2012–13 squads coached by Faith Mimnaugh.
Following Sharon Chatman (1974–75) and Mary Stallard (1975–79), McNeil coached Cal Poly from 1979 to 1986 before becoming an athletics administrator on campus. In 1994, McNeil departed Cal Poly to become the athletic director at Monmouth University,[2] from which she retired in 2021.[3] Taking over after Jill Orrock (1986–95) and Karen Booker (1995–97), Mimnaugh served as head coach from 1997 to 2022.[4] Shanele Stires, former WNBA player[5] and head coach at Cal State East Bay, was hired as the team's seventh head coach on April 14, 2022.[6]
The furthest the team has advanced came in March 2013,[7] when Cal Poly defeated Pacific 63–49 to win the Big West Conference women's basketball tournament, their first conference tournament championship[8] after two previous years of regular-season titles.[9] Seeded 14th in their ensuing NCAA Tournament appearance,[10] they lost 85-55 to Penn State in the first round. Cal Poly qualified for the semifinal round of the Big West Tournament in March 2020, but the postseason was abruptly canceled due to COVID-19 after the Mustangs had won comfortably[11] twice in the tournament's earlier rounds.[12]
The team has made four WNIT appearances, losing to California (Berkeley) in 2011,[13] Washington in 2012,[14] San Diego in 2014,[15] and Pacific in 2024.
Division I Season-by-Season Results
edit| Season | Coach | Overall | Conference | Standing | Postseason | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karen Booker (American West) (1995–1996) | |||||||||
| 1995-1996 | Karen Booker | 5–23 | 2–4 | Member of American West during transition from DII to DI | |||||
| Karen Booker (Big West Conference) (1996–1997) | |||||||||
| 1996–1997 | Karen Booker | 4–23 | 3–12 | 6th (West) | |||||
| Karen Booker win–loss total: | 9–46 | ||||||||
| Faith Mimnaugh (Big West Conference) (1997–2022) | |||||||||
| 1997–98 | Faith Mimnaugh | 6–20 | 3–12 | 6th (West) | |||||
| 1998–99 | Faith Mimnaugh | 8–18 | 2–13 | T–5th (West) | |||||
| 1999–00 | Faith Mimnaugh | 9–19 | 5–10 | T–4th (West) | |||||
| 2000–01 | Faith Mimnaugh | 12–17 | 5–9 | 6th | |||||
| 2001–02 | Faith Mimnaugh | 11–17 | 7–9 | 5th | |||||
| 2002-03 | Faith Mimnaugh | 10–17 | 6–10 | 6th | |||||
| 2003–04 | Faith Mimnaugh | 14–14 | 10–8 | 4th | |||||
| 2004–05 | Faith Mimnaugh | 11–16 | 5–13 | 9th | |||||
| 2005–06 | Faith Mimnaugh | 13–14 | 7–7 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2006–07 | Faith Mimnaugh | 14–14 | 9–5 | T–3rd | |||||
| 2007–08 | Faith Mimnaugh | 13–19 | 8–8 | T–5th | |||||
| 2008–09 | Faith Mimnaugh | 21–11 | 11–5 | 3rd | |||||
| 2009–10 | Faith Mimnaugh | 18–11 | 11–5 | T–2nd | |||||
| 2010–11 | Faith Mimnaugh | 18–13 | 12–4 | 1st | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2011–12 | Faith Mimnaugh | 17–15 | 12–4 | 1st | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2012–13 | Faith Mimnaugh | 21–11 | 13–5 | 2nd | NCAA Tournament First Round | ||||
| 2013–14 | Faith Mimnaugh | 18–14 | 11–5 | 2nd | WNIT First Round | ||||
| 2014–15 | Faith Mimnaugh | 15–14 | 10–6 | 3rd | |||||
| 2015–16 | Faith Mimnaugh | 15–16 | 7–9 | 6th | |||||
| 2016–17 | Faith Mimnaugh | 11–18 | 7–9 | 7th | |||||
| 2017–18 | Faith Mimnaugh | 17–12 | 11–5 | 2nd | |||||
| 2018–19 | Faith Mimnaugh | 6–21 | 3–13 | 9th | |||||
| 2019–20 | Faith Mimnaugh | 11–18 | 6–10 | 8th | Cancelled | ||||
| 2020–21 | Faith Mimnaugh | 13–11 | 8–8 | 6th | |||||
| 2021–22 | Faith Mimnaugh | 3–22 | 2–13 | 11th | |||||
| Faith Mimnaugh win–loss total: | 325–392 | ||||||||
| Shanele Stires (Big West Conference) (2022–Present) | |||||||||
| 2022–23 | Shanele Stires | 10–18 | 7–12 | 7th | |||||
| 2023–24 | Shanele Stires | 17–14 | 13–7 | 4th | WNIT First Round | ||||
| Shanele Stires win–loss total: | 27–32 |
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| Total: | {{{overall}}} | ||||||||
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National champion
Postseason invitational champion
| |||||||||
NCAA tournament results
edit| Year | Seed | Round | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | #14 | First Round | #3 Penn State | L 55−85 |
Pro Basketball Alumni
edit- Former Cal Poly forward Kristina Santiago won three consecutive (2013–15) Bulgarian NBL Playoffs MVP awards after leading her club, Dunav 8806, to consecutive titles. After a stint with Hapoel Rishon LeZion in Israel, Santiago rejoined Dunav 8806 in December 2013. The former All-America honorable mention then signed with Helios in Vétroz, Switzerland, before being acquired by BC Alte Kanti Aarau of the Swiss Ligue Nationale. She averaged 22.4 points (on 55.6-percent shooting) and 9.3 rebounds for Aarau in 2016-17.[16][17]
- Rachel Clancy, a former third-team Academic All-American,[18] played for Real Canoe Natación in Madrid during the fall of 2011.[19][20]
- Molly Schlemer signed with the ChemCats Chemnitz of Germany in October 2014. In September 2015, following her All-EuroBasket rookie season, Schlemer was picked up by Urla Belediyesi Gencli in Turkey, where she was the TKBL’s third-leading scorer on the way to all-league second-team honors. Most recently in 2018, Schlemer led Edirne Belediyesi averaging 22.3 points (ranking No. 1 in the Turkish league) along with 11.7 rebounds (fourth throughout the TKBL).[21][22]
- In 2019, alumni Dynn Leaupepe and Lynn Leaupepe became the fourth and fifth former Mustangs women's basketball players to embark on pro careers. Dynn Leaupepe, with Basketball Klubben Amager[23] in the Copenhagen suburb of Kastrup, Denmark, finished her rookie year winning the Dameligaen Player of the Year accolade after leading her club to the Danish title, 3-1 in a five-game series over Stevnsgade.[24]
- Meanwhile Lynn Leaupepe plays for the Sunbury Jets in Victoria, Australia.[25] Sunbury, coached by Kennedy Kereama, trains at Boardman Stadium just over 25 miles northwest of Melbourne.[26]
- In 2021-22, former Mustang Sierra Campisano played in the preseason with the WNBA's Chicago Sky,[27] before signing with BKG Prima in Hungary. She averaged 16.7 points and 6.8 rebounds as a rookie overseas.[28]
- Cal Poly graduate Kirsty Brown signed with the Leicester Riders of the Women's British Basketball League in August 2022.[29]
USA Basketball Participants
edit
Laura Buehning, a first-team WBCA College Division All-American in 1982[30] while playing for Cal Poly, played for Team USA at the 1980 William Jones Cup in Taiwan.[31]
References
edit- ^ "Cal Poly Athletics Brand Guidelines" (PDF). February 9, 2019. Retrieved December 5, 2022.
- ^ Kamin, Arthur Z. (1994-12-18). "New Jersey Q & A: Dr. Marilyn McNeil; Standing Up for Women's Sports Status". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "All Good Things". Monmouth Magazine. 2021-05-05. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Coach Mimnaugh reflects on her journey with the Mustangs". KSBY. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "SHANELE STIRES". www.salinacentralathletics.com. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Shanele Stires introduced as the new head coach of Cal Poly women's basketball". news.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Cal Poly vs. Pacific - Game Recap - March 16, 2013 - ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-06-25.[dead link]
- ^ "Cal Poly upsets Pacific to win Big West women's basketball final". Los Angeles Times. 2013-03-17. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "1920WBBRecordBook (PDF) - The Big West" (PDF). bigwest.org. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Cal Poly to play Penn State in first round of NCAA Tournament". News Channel 3-12. 2013-03-19. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Women's Basketball". bigwest.org. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Women's Basketball's postseason run cut short due to coronavirus concerns". Mustang News. 2020-03-12. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "California Advances to the WNIT Second Round". California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ Athletics, Washington. "Washington Huskies". Washington Huskies. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "USD women go to second round of WNIT". San Diego Union-Tribune. 2014-03-21. Retrieved 2022-06-25.
- ^ "Cal Poly Women's Basketball History and Record Book" (PDF).
- ^ "Kristina Santiago Basketball Player Profile, BC Alte Kanti Aarau, Cal Poly, News, NLB stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Lewis, Clancy honored as Cal Poly's top athletes". sanluisobispo. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Cal Poly Women's Basketball History and Record Book" (PDF).
- ^ "Rachel Clancy Basketball Player Profile, University of Limerick Huskies, Cal Poly, News, Division 1 stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Cal Poly Women's Basketball History and Record Book" (PDF).
- ^ "Molly Schlemer Basketball Player Profile, Istanbulgucu, Cal Poly, News, TKBL stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Geraldynn Leaupepe Basketball Player Profile, BK Amager, Cal Poly, News, Dameligaen stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - eurobasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ Truong, Brian (2019-06-05). "Former guards Dynn and Lynn Leaupepe are finding success individually overseas". Mustang News. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Geralynn Leaupepe Basketball Player Profile, Sunbury Jets, News, State League stats, Career, Games Logs, Best, Awards - australiabasket". www.eurobasket.com. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ Truong, Brian (2019-06-05). "Former guards Dynn and Lynn Leaupepe are finding success individually overseas". Mustang News. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
- ^ "Sierra Campisano". WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ Eurobasket. "BKG Prima Akademia basketball, News, Roster, Rumors, Stats, Awards, Transactions, Details-eurobasket". Eurobasket LLC. Retrieved 2022-06-12.
- ^ "Brown Becomes A Rider". Leicester Riders. Riders Media. August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Women's Basketball Award winners" (PDF).
- ^ "USA Women's R. William Jones Cup Team All-Time Roster by Affiliation". www.usab.com. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved 2019-06-07.
