Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball

The Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team represents Vanderbilt University in the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Commodores have never won the SEC championship, although they have won six SEC tournament titles (1993, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2007 and 2009); the SEC has awarded its official championship based solely on regular-season record since the 1985–86 season.[2] The current head coach is Stephanie White, who was head coach of the Indiana Fever when she was hired in 2016, and finished the 2016 WNBA season with the Fever.[3] White replaced Melanie Balcomb, who resigned after the 2015–16 season.[4]

Vanderbilt Commodores
2020–21 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team
University	Vanderbilt University
Head coach	Stephanie White (5th season)
Conference	SEC
Location	Nashville, Tennessee
Arena	Memorial Gymnasium (Capacity: 14,316)
Nickname	Commodores
Colors	Black and Gold[1]
Uniforms
Home Away Alternate
NCAA Tournament Final Four
1993
NCAA Tournament Elite Eight
1992, 1993, 1996, 2001, 2002
NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, 2009
NCAA Tournament Second round
1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
NCAA Tournament Appearances
1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
AIAW Tournament Appearances
1982
Conference Tournament Champions
1993, 1995, 2002, 2004, 2007, 2009

Memorial Gymnasium

The Commodores play their home games in Memorial Gymnasium. Memorial Gymnasium was built in the early 1950s. It was dedicated as the campus memorial to students and alumni killed in World War II; a plaque commemorating those who died is displayed in the Gym's North lobby.

At the time of the Gym's construction, there was a serious discussion within the Vanderbilt community about whether the school should de-emphasize intercollegiate athletics and refocus on its academic program. As a compromise between those who advocated increased athletics competition and those who argued in favor of de-emphasis, the Gymnasium was built to hold only about 9,000 seats, and it would be readily adaptable to other uses—significantly, as a possible concert hall.

Consequently, the gymnasium floor was built up above its surroundings, more in the nature of a stage. The areas out of bounds along the sidelines were very wide, in contrast with the small facility which it replaced, where the walls were right along the sidelines and players could scrape their shoulders bringing the ball up the court. This necessitated the placement of the benches at the end of the court, which was not highly unusual at the time.

Memorial Gym is well known for its unusual design. The end-of-the-floor bench location is now unique in major college basketball, and SEC coaches who travel to Memorial, along with coaches from other schools who have played at Vanderbilt as a post-season venue, have said that the unusual setup gives Vanderbilt a tremendous home court advantage, since no other facility in which opponents play is arranged in such a way.[5]

Current roster

2020–21 Vanderbilt Commodores women's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown G 0 Bella LaChance 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) Fr St. Thomas Aquinas HS Davie, FL G 1 Enna Pehadzik 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) RS Sr Horsens Statsskole Horsens, DEN G 2 Chelsie Hall 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Sr Seffner Christian Boca Raton, FL G 3 Jordyn Cambridge 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Jr Ensworth Nashville, TN F 5 Yaubryon Chambers 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) So Providence Christian Murfreesboro, TN G 12 Demi Washington 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) So New Hope Wake Forest, NC G 15 Brinae Alexander 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Jr Riverdale HS Murfreesboro, TN G 22 Brylee Bartrum 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) So Seffner Christian Tampa, FL F 23 Koi Love 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) So Miami Country Orlando, FL F 24 Autumn Newby 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) Sr Archer HS Lawrenceville, GA F 25 Kyndall Golden 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) So New Manchester HS Atlanta, GA G 33 Kiara Pearl 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) So Eastern HS Louisville, KY C 44 Emily Bowman 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Fr Huntsville HS Huntsville, AL F 50 Kaylon Smith 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) So Oxbridge West Palm Beach, FL	Head coach Stephanie White (Purdue) Assistant coach(es) Kelly Komara (Purdue) Gary Redus II (South Alabama) Marqu'es Webb (Vanderbilt) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster Last update: November 22, 2020

Year by year results

Conference tournament winners noted with # Source[6]

Season	Team	Overall	Conference	Standing	Postseason	Coaches' poll	AP poll
Joe Pepper (Independent, SEC) (1977–1980)
1977-78	Joe Pepper	15–9	–
1978-79	Joe Pepper	11–16	–
1979-80	Joe Pepper	12–14	–
Joe Pepper:		38–39	–
Phil Lee (Independent, SEC) (1980–1991)
1980-81	Phil Lee	12–16	–
1981-82	Phil Lee	20–14	–		AIAW First Round
1982-83	Phil Lee	12–14	2–6	4th (SEC East)
1983-84	Phil Lee	23–9	2–6	T-3rd (SEC East)	NWIT Champions
1984-85	Phil Lee	14–13	2–6	5th (SEC East)
1985-86	Phil Lee	22–9	4–5	T-6th	NCAA Second Round (Bye)	25	20
1986-87	Phil Lee	23–10	4–5	6th	NCAA Second Round (Bye)	21	18
1987-88	Phil Lee	18–10	4–5	7th
1988-89	Phil Lee	21–8	5–4	T-4th	NCAA First Round
1989-90	Phil Lee	23–11	5–4	5th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	17
1990-91	Phil Lee	19–12	4–5	T-5th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	20
Phil Lee:		207–126	32–46
Jim Foster (SEC) (1991–2002)
1991-92	Jim Foster	22–9	6–5	T-4th	NCAA Elite Eight	7	13
1992-93	Jim Foster	30–3	9–2	T-2nd#	NCAA Final Four	4	1
1993-94	Jim Foster	25–8	9–2	2nd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	13	12
1994-95	Jim Foster	28–7	8–3	T-2nd#	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	8	6
1995-96	Jim Foster	23–8	7–4	T-3rd	NCAA Elite Eight	7	12
1996-97	Jim Foster	20–11	6–6	6th	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	17	20
1997-98	Jim Foster	20–9	9–5	4th	NCAA First Round	25	18
1998-99	Jim Foster	13–14	6–8	T-8th
1999-2000	Jim Foster	21–13	6–8	T-6th	NCAA Second Round	25
2000-01	Jim Foster	24–10	8–6	T-6th	NCAA Elite Eight	7	10
2001-02	Jim Foster	30–7	10–4	T-2nd#	NCAA Elite Eight	5	4
Jim Foster:		256–99	84–53
Melanie Balcomb (SEC) (2002–2016)
2002-03	Melanie Balcomb	22–10	9–5	T-5th	NCAA Second Round	20	14
2003-04	Melanie Balcomb	26–8	8–6	4th#	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	13	13
2004-05	Melanie Balcomb	24–8	10–4	3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	14	18
2005-06	Melanie Balcomb	21–11	8–6	T-5th	NCAA Second Round	22
2006-07	Melanie Balcomb	28–6	10–4	T-3rd#	NCAA Second Round	17	7
2007-08	Melanie Balcomb	25–9	11–3	3rd	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	15	21
2008-09	Melanie Balcomb	26–9	10–4	T-2nd#	NCAA Sweet Sixteen	8	14
2009-10	Melanie Balcomb	23–11	9–7	T-3rd	NCAA Second Round	24
2010-11	Melanie Balcomb	20–12	10–6	T-3rd	NCAA First Round
2011-12	Melanie Balcomb	23–10	9–7	7th	NCAA Second Round
2012-13	Melanie Balcomb	21–12	9–7	7th	NCAA Second Round
2013-14	Melanie Balcomb	18–13	7–9	8th	NCAA First Round
2014-15	Melanie Balcomb	15–16	5–11	T-11th
2015–16	Melanie Balcomb	18–14	5–11	11th
Melanie Balcomb:		310–149	120–90
Stephanie White (SEC) (2016–present)
2016–17	Stephanie White	14–16	4–12	13th
2017–18	Stephanie White	7–24	3–13	T-12th
2018–19	Stephanie White	7–23	2–14	14th
2019–20	Stephanie White	14–16	4–12	13th
2020–21	Stephanie White	4–4	0–3	Season canceled Jan. 2021[7]
Stephanie White:		46–83	13–55
Total:		855–486
National champion         Postseason invitational champion         Conference regular season champion         Conference regular season and conference tournament champion       Division regular season champion       Division regular season and conference tournament champion       Conference tournament champion

Other awards and honors

• Jence Ann Rhoads, 2011 First Team All-SEC[8]
• Elan Brown, 2010 All-SEC Rookie Team
• Tiffany Clarke, 2010 All-SEC Rookie Team
• Merideth Marsh, 2010 Second Team All-SEC
• Jence Ann Rhoads, 2010 First Team All-SEC[9]
• Jennifer Risper, 2008-09 Vanderbilt women's Co-Athletes of the Year[10]
• Jennifer Risper, Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), National Defensive Player of the Year (2009)[11]
• Jennifer Risper, SEC All-Tournament Team (2009)
• Jennifer Risper, SEC All-Defensive Team (2008)
• Jennifer Risper, Second-team All-Southeastern Conference honouree (2008)
• Jennifer Risper, All-tournament honors at the 2007 Contra Costa Times in Berkeley, California
• Jennifer Risper, All-tournament selection (2007 Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament.)
• Jennifer Risper, Female Newcomer of the Year honors among all Vanderbilt student-athletes (2006)
• Christina Wirth, Earned All-Tournament honors at the 2006 VU Holiday Classic.
• Christina Wirth, All-tournament honors at the 2007 Contra Costa Times Classic in Berkeley, Calif
• Christina Wirth, Most Valuable Player of the 2007 Vanderbilt Thanksgiving Tournament
• Christina Wirth, Named a first-team All-Southeastern Conference honoree (2008)
• Christina Wirth, Second-team recognition from the Associated Press (2008)
• Christina Wirth, Named preseason All-SEC by league coaches (first team) and writers (second team) (2008)
• Christina Wirth, Named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District IV third team(2008)[12]
• Christine Wirth, All-Senior All-America First Team by the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award committee.[13]
• Christine Wirth, All-SEC Honors
• Christine Wirth, SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player[14]
• Christine Wirth, SEC All-Tournament Team
• Christina Wirth has received honorable mention on the 2009 State Farm Coaches' All-America Team[15]
• Christina Wirth, 2008-09 Vanderbilt women's Co-Athletes of the Year[10]

Player awards

SEC Awards

• Player of the Year

Chantelle Anderson - 2002

References

1. "Vanderbit Art Sheet" (PDF). Vanderbilt University Division of Communications. October 25, 2018. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
2. "Championships: SEC Champions" (PDF). 2012–13 SEC Women's Basketball Media Guide. Southeastern Conference. p. 88. Retrieved May 16, 2013. From 1980 to 1985, the SEC champion was the winner of the SEC Tournament. Since 1986, the SEC champion has been determined by the regular season schedule.
3. "Stephanie White named head coach of the Commodores" (Press release). Vanderbilt Commodores. May 24, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
4. "Vanderbilt's Melanie Balcomb out as women's basketball coach". The Tennessean. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
5. "Column: Do you believe in magic?". www.vucommodores.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
6. "Media Guide" (PDF). Vanderbilt University. Retrieved 11 Aug 2013.
7. Feinberg, Adam (January 18, 2021). "Vanderbilt women's basketball season discontinued over COVID-19, depleted roster". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 19, 2021.
8. "Jence Rhoads". seniorclassaward.com. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
9. "Four Commodores earn SEC honors". cstv.com.
10. "The Vanderbilt Hustler". The Vanderbilt Hustler. Archived from the original on 2011-07-13. Retrieved 2009-05-28.
11. "Jennifer Risper named WBCA National Defensive Player of the Year". cstv.com.
12. "Christina Wirth Bio - Vanderbilt Official Athletic Site". cstv.com.
13. "Wirth An All-Senior All-American". cstv.com.
14. "Vanderbilt claims SEC Tournament title". cstv.com.
15. "Wirth named Honorable Mention All-American". cstv.com.

See also

• Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball

External links

• Official website