ICYMI: Penn State Lady Lions basketball reaches historic milestone

Penn State Lady Lions basketball has seen a bit of resurgence this season under head coach Carolyn Kieger. The Lady Lions have picked up multiple quality wins early in the season as they look to make a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2013-14 season. But last week, Penn State reached another major milestone, the program won its 1,000^th game.

Penn State Lady Lions basketball reaches 1,000 all-time wins

With a 94-80 road victory over Rutgers last Sunday, the Penn State Lady Lions basketball program won its 1,000^th game. The Lady Lions are the 29^th program in women’s basketball history to reach the milestone. Penn State now has a 1,000-560 record all-time since the team was created in 1965.

𝙊𝙉𝙀 𝙏𝙃𝙊𝙐𝙎𝘼𝙉𝘿.

59 years of Lady Lion Basketball have led to this moment and a milestone few programs can claim. 🦁#LionMentality #1000Wins 🔵⚪️ pic.twitter.com/yK5CtaRA3F

— Penn State Women's Basketball (@PennStateWBB) January 14, 2024

Lady Lions eyeing a return to the NCAA Tournament

Penn State has been through quite the drought in recent years. The Lady Lions made 21 of the first 23 editions of the women’s NCAA Tournament. That run also included the 1998 WNIT Championship. After a brief five-year lapse, Coquese Washington took the Lady Lions to four consecutive tournaments between 2011-2014, two of which ended in sweet sixteen runs.

But things went stagnant in Happy Valley, with multiple losing seasons leading to Carolyn Kieger being brought in from Marquette to coach the Lady Lions. Penn State has been slowly adding wins in each of the first four years under Kieger but has yet to make the NCAA Tournament. The tournament drought is now at nine years, and the postseason drought is at five.

This year’s team is off to a 12-5 (3-3 Big Ten) start and is currently ranked No. 31 in the NET Rankings. After wins against Rutgers and Prudue this week, ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme has Penn State as a 10-seed in his latest bracket projection on January 19^th. Penn State Lady Lions basketball will next host Nebraska at the Bryce Jordan Center on Sunday.

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