He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years. WSU is assured a berth in the NCAA tournament, but Cal needed to win the conference tournament to get an NCAA tournament berth. [2], On May 15, 2008, Gottlieb was named head coach of the University of California, Santa Barbara. De Loy, Kiaira [14] Gottlieb was named Big West Coach of the Year for 200809. Dallas, Texas. [5], Center Colleen Galloway (197881) was the program's most notable player in its early days. WBB Feb. 25 2 P.M. at UC Davis. She also oversaw the signing of the seventh-ranked recruiting class in the nation, the programs highest-ranked class since 2009. Boyle's first season ended in the Golden Bears' first NCAA Tournament appearance in fourteen years. They won the Big West regular season championship with a 12-4 conference record. 8 Utah, has lost just one game this season and is perched atop the conference standings, having won its first thirteen games. TicketSmarter Ticket Resale Marketplace, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. "I think Cal played an unbelievable game," WSU coach Kamie Ethridge. She began her coaching career in 2003 as an assistant coach at Boston College, where she spent one season before joining Tara Vanderveers coaching staff at Stanford. In addition, the target lists are inevitably incomplete because offers are not publicly reported for many prospects. Inside The Lair. [51], Cal Women Fall To Notre Dame In NCAA Tournament, "Lindsay Gottlieb Earns 100th Win at Oregon", "Happy Birthday To Scarsdale's Lindsay Gottlieb", Lindsay Gottlieb on Twitter: "They called it the "Year of the Woman" at the NorCal Jewish Hall of FameI'd take any stage with these women! The ACC awards are voted on by a combination of the leagues coaches and a Blue Ribbon panel of mostly media. In 200708, California tied the 198384 Bears for the most wins in school history (244). Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. TicketSmarter Ticket Resale Marketplace, Hide/Show Additional Information For Ugonne (Michelle) Onyiah, Hide/Show Additional Information For Leilani McIntosh, Hide/Show Additional Information For Amaya Bonner, Hide/Show Additional Information For Bella Stevens, Hide/Show Additional Information For Karisma Ortiz, Hide/Show Additional Information For Claudia Langarita, Hide/Show Additional Information For Alma Elsnitz, Hide/Show Additional Information For Kemery Martn, Hide/Show Additional Information For Mia Mastrov, Hide/Show Additional Information For Evelien Lutje Schipholt, Hide/Show Additional Information For Jayda Curry, Hide/Show Additional Information For Ornela Muca, Hide/Show Additional Information For Sela Heide, Hide/Show Additional Information For Peanut Tuitele, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital, Eastvale, Calif. / Eleanor Roosevelt High School, Phoenix, Ariz. / Xavier College Preparatory, Stockholm, Sweden / Lulea Basketgymnasium, Lafayette, Calif. / Miramonte High School, The Hague, the Netherlands / Caland Lyceum, Athens, Greece / American Community School of Athens. After three years, Smith left the Farm for Berkeley and joined the Golden Bear staff for the 2007-08 season. Lindsay Gottlieb, Who Led California To NCAA Final Four, Named USC Women's Basketball Head Coach", "UCSB Gauchos 201213 Women's Basketball Record Book", "Big West Women's Championship Record Book", "Gottlieb Named Big West Coach of the Year; Green and Pedersen Named All-Big West First Team", "Lindsay Gottlieb Named Naismith Coach of the Year Finalist", "How Lindsay Gottlieb blends family into USC's 'once-in-a-lifetime' season", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lindsay_Gottlieb&oldid=1142769419, NCAA Regional championship Final Four (, 2013 - Finalist Naismith Women's Coach of the Year award, 2016 - inducted into Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Northern California, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 07:56. Watch Watch. 14 Arizona this past Friday. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Smith has helped lead the Bears to the postseason in 11 of her 13 seasons and was also part of the staff that led the Bears to the 2010 WNIT championship. The Cougars missed their first 11 three-point attempts and finished 2-fo-19 from distance. Under her supervision, the Bears have also continued to excel in the classroom, being recognized for their overall improvements in GPA each of the last three seasons.Felton came to Cal after spending the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons with the Oregon Ducks. The Golden Bears were ranked #13 in the AP pre-season poll, their highest ranking since 2009. [5][6][7] Most of her family members are lawyers, and her father was a New York state judge. According to Gottlieb, it took her "about 30 seconds" to accept. Cal YouTube. The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy. However, the second half success was not enough for an NCAA tournament bid and Cal wound up settling for the WNIT. California's 171 Pac-12 record earned them their first share of a regular-season conference title since 1982. The official Women's Basketball page for the California Golden Bears. The first came in the form of a 4-point victory over No. Gray-Lawson returned for round 2, and the Bears romped through the remaining games against Utah, Oregon, BYU, Illinois State and finally Miami (FL) in the first ever championship game held at Haas Pavilion to win the tournament. Mimnaugh, a two-time Big West Coach of the Year, led Cal Poly to back-to-back Big West regular season championships in 2011 and 2012 as well as its first Big . [12] The team lived up to the expectations, finishing the regular season 282 and being ranked as high as No. California was invited the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2009, as an 8 seed. Cal controlled the second quarter, building an eight-point lead before settling for a 27-21 advantage at halftime. Miles and fellow sophomore Sonia Citron were each named All-ACC first-teamers, a 10-player group, while junior Maddy Westbeld landed second-team honors. Their 13-5 record in conference play put them in second place in the Pac-12 Conference. Miller has had a stellar career as a player and coach. Cavaliers hire Cal women's coach Gottlieb to staff. [19] Gottlieb inherited a very talented, but young team, which had ended the 201011 season losing seven of their last eight games. 5. [38] And Gottlieb has established a Cal Women's Basketball website designed to appeal to young athletes and fans. Smith took over in the summer of 2019, after former head coach Lindsay Gottlieb led the Bears to a 20 win season in her last of eight seasons at the helm. [2], In 2005, Boyle was hired as the head coach of the University of California, and she brought Gottlieb with her to Berkeley as her top assistant. Woj: Cavs make landmark hire with Lindsay Gottlieb (1:58) Adrian Wojnarowski explains the impact of the Cavaliers' decision to hire Cal women's basketball coach Lindsay Gottlieb as an assistant coach. Boyle's final season in charge in Berkeley was 201011, which ended with a second-round loss in the WNIT to Colorado. The all-time winningest coach in program history, Jess Strom is in her 12th season as head coach and 17th overall as a member of the California (PA) coaching staff. 21charmin. Smith arrived at Cal for the 2007-08 under head coach Joanne Boyle and remained on staff when Lindsay Gottlieb became head coach in 2011-12. 8 Utes to Haas Pavilion to cap off a daunting weekend home stretch. "[36] Coach Gottlieb explained: "My philosophy in general is that college athletics should be an enjoyable experience for the people involved in it. [11] In her first season as a head coach, Gottlieb led the Gauchos to a 15-1 regular season conference record in the Big West Conference, and a 22-10 record overall. 22-ranked Arizona State in the opening round of the 2020 Pac-12 Womens Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas. at UC Irvine. On the hardwood, Smith has helped coach the Bears to the top three individual seasons in program history. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion [23] In the second round they faced 1 seed Notre Dame on the Irish home floor. To be able to do what I love, basketball, and have this intense impact on people, I felt that was it. [1] In just her second season at the University of California, Berkeley, Gottlieb led the 201213 Golden Bears to their first Final Four in school history, their first Pac-12 Conference championship, and the most wins ever by a Cal women's basketball team (32-4). One-time Cal women's coach Marianne Stanley was part of a 13-member class 2022 elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, it was announced on Saturday. Its unlikely that Cal pulls off the upset in either of this weekends games, but a win would feel like a breath of fresh air for Smith and her team. Highly-regarded throughout the coaching ranks at both the collegiate and professional levels, Smith has played a key role in building Cal into one of the premier programs on the West Coast, handling duties from recruiting and scheduling, to alumni engagement and campus equity and inclusion. Mar 4 8 p.m. WBB. On the hardwood, Smith has helped coach the Bears to the top three individual seasons in program history. 20/20 Cal Hosts Washington, WSU - The University of California Official Athletic Site", "2007 Women's College Basketball Rankings and Polls for Week 18 - ESPN", "Joanne Boyle leaving Cal to coach at Virginia", "WNIT CHAMPIONS! 7 seed Washington State 61-49 on Wednesday night in an opening-round game of the womens Pac-12 basketball tournament at Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas. A four-year letter winner at Stanford, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the school. Shes also the most efficient scorer in the Pac-12. 2 seed Utah in the quarterfinals on Thursday. TicketSmarter Ticket Resale Marketplace, Video Platform powered by CBS Sports Digital. fmimnaug@calpoly.edu. Stevens, Karisma They really made it hard for us to run any kind of offense.". The official Women's Basketball Coach List for the California Golden Bears Smith became the 10th head coach in Cal women's basketball history after spending 12 seasons as an assistant on the Golden Bear staff . Mar 22 TBA WBB. Cal's victory broke an 81-game conference winning streak for the Cardinal. On the hardwood, Smith has helped coach the Bears to the top three individual seasons in program history. A former team MVP as a player at the University of Louisville, Turner-Lewis served as an assistant coach in NCAA Division I for more than 10 years. Holding Pili to 15 or fewer points would be a huge victory and set Cal up for an upset. The Bears also recorded their best Pac-12 record (17-1) and won their first conference regular-season crown that season. Cal women's basketball head coach Charmin Smith is now in her fourth season in charge of the program. In her first two years in Berkeley, Cal set then-school records for wins in a season, finishing both years with 27-7 marks before Cal pushed itself into elite status with the record-breaking 32-4 Final Four campaign in 2012-13. Titans Dominate UC Davis, Win 70-58 February 23, 2023 Fujika Nimmo scored 25 points, leading the Titans to victory. It was tears, such an amazing moment for me, an accomplishment, (but) I wouldnt have this award if it wasnt for this amazing team and my staff., Last game:Notre Dame women overcome loss of Olivia Miles to clinch ACC regular-season championship. In her first two years in Berkeley, Cal set then-school records for wins in a season, finishing both years with 27-7 marks before Cal pushed itself into elite status with the record-breaking 32-4 Final Four campaign in 2012-13. [12] UCSB won both the regular season Big West championship and the conference tournament championship for 200809, which secured an invitation to the NCAA tournament. Head Coach. She has served on the Womens Basketball Coaches Association Board of Directors and was hired in April 2019 to serve as an assistant coach for the WNBAs New York Liberty. The Bears were no better from long distance, making just one of their 10 shots from beyond the arc. Pac-12 Network. The talent gap was on full display last Friday in the Bears 43-63 loss to USC, a game in which Cal scored its fewest points by far this season. [44], Gottlieb was named the women's head coach at the University of Southern California on May 10, 2021. Under his guidance Mikayla Cowling and Asha Thomas both earned Pac-12 Honorable Mention at the end of the 2017-18 season while freshman point guard Kianna Smith was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman team in 2018. NCAA Division II Championship Game. Features Archive. Harada will be embarking on his fifth season with the Titans in the fall of 2021. [34], In addition to their outstanding success on the court, Gottlieb's 201213 California team became nationally known as a team that had fun, while also keeping focus. On January 2, Cal won at home against Arizona State, the Pac-12s only winless team in conference play. Gottlieb was succeeded as head coach by Charmin Smith, who had been on staff at California since 2007 and had served as Gottlieb's associate head coach since 2012. Ortiz, Claudia Over the past two seasons, five Golden Bear guards have earned All-Conference recognition. Mastrov, who entered the game averaging 2.4 points, provided some unexpected offense for Cal, scoring eight points in a span of less than five minutes during the second quarter. [2] That year, Gottlieb led the Bears to the second round of the NCAA women's basketball tournament. The season is over for Cals womens basketball team. "We just struggled through the third and fourth quarters," Smith said. She and the Irish followed up last season by going 13-5 in the league to tie for third place and 24-9 overall in addition to advancing to the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament. Of the 15 McDonalds All-Americans in Cal womens basketball history, Smith has helped sign 13 of them since joining the Cal staff in 2007, including an impressive haul in 2009 with a class that featured four All-Americans that served as the foundation to the Bears 2013 NCAA Final Four run. There is no additional information to display: "[9], When Gottlieb returned to Brown for her senior year in 199899, she was both a player and a student assistant, working with the coaching staff. [20], Gottlieb's first team at California had no seniors, and started freshmen at point guard and forward. Smith becamethe 10th head coach in Cal womens basketball history after spending12 seasons as an assistant on the Golden Bear staff, including serving as the programs associate head coach since 2012. The University of Utah women's basketball team's dream season continued Tuesday with the release of the Pac-12 Women's Basketball All-Conference honors.. The Golden Bears continued their uphill climb in 200809, with a team led by seniors Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton. [26] Gottlieb led the Bears to a 17-1 conference record, making them Pac-12 Conference co-championsthe first conference championship in California Women's Basketball history. Highly-regarded throughout the coaching ranks at both the collegiate and professional levels, Smith has played a key role in building Cal into one of the premier programs on the West Coast, handling duties from recruiting and scheduling, to alumni engagement and campus equity and inclusion. The third-year Irish coach was named ACC Coach of the Year on Tuesday evening. Strength and Conditioning Coach: . [6] Galloway's number 13 was retired at the end of her collegiate career in 1981, the first Cal men's or women's player and to this day the only woman in program history to be so honored.[7]. Pierre, Kai Golden Bears On. She was the first coach at UCSB to win 20 games in her first season. Women's Basketball Schedule Roster Statistics Coaches Additional Links. 3 of 12 4 of 12 Cal women's basketball Head Coach Lindsay Gottlieb during a women's basketball game at Hass Pavillion in Berkeley on Friday, January 12, 2018. 50 conference games for Smith as head coach is only a milestone because it puts into perspective just how much the Bears have struggled over the course of the past four years in arguably the NCAAs best womens basketball conference. But it was a three-pointer by Astera Tuhina with 4:41 left in the fourth quarter that extended the Cougars lead to eight points and essentially ended Cals chances. Contact William Cooke at[emailprotected]. Jayda Curry led Cal with 16 points while playing all 40 minutes, and she made one three-pointer. We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here. Elsnitz, Kemery Schedule Schedule Feb 15 / Final Women's Basketball 58 at Long Beach State 68 Women's Basketball at Long Beach State February 15, 2023 7:00 p.m. Women's Basketball at Long Beach State February 15, 2023 7:00 p.m. Feb 18 / Final Women's Basketball 45 at UC Santa Barbara 63 Women's Basketball at UC Santa Barbara February 18, 2023 4:00 p.m. Women's Basketball Schedule Roster Stats Additional Links. charminsmith@berkeley.edu. You have to empower them to enjoy the experience. 20 Arkansas on November 24 and then a win over No. Gottlieb continued to coach the Golden Bears through the 201819 season, leading players including top-10 WNBA picks Clarendon, Brittany Boyd, and Kristine Anigwe to a total of seven NCAA tournament appearances, the most of any head coach in program history. But she was primarily responsible for working with and developing the Bears' outstanding freshman post players, Ashley Walker and Devanei Hampton. Felton, Tess Titans Drop Game Against UCSB, 74-58 February 20, 2023 A tight race ended in a loss for the Titans. 25 in the final USA TodayESPN women's basketball poll, and Joanne Boyle and Devannei Hampton received Pac-10 Coach and Player of the Year honors, respectively.[9][10]. The following year, the 24-year-old Gottlieb was asked by the head coach of the University of Richmond, Joanne Boyle, to be her top assistant. [15], During Gottlieb's second season at UCSB, the Gauchos compiled a disappointing 15-17 record. Following 12 consecutive losing seasons from 199394 to 200405, California began a resurgence under former Richmond head coach Joanne Boyle. [43] Gottlieb became the first NCAA women's head coach to be hired by an NBA team. Until there is definitive word that a player will be taking advantage of this extra year, the WBB Blog scholarship charts will not reflect this extra eligibility. Email. Considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time, she led USC to two national titles in 1983 and 1984 and was twice named NCAA Tournament MVP. Gottlieb coached at Cal through 201819, a year in which she led the Golden Bears to their seventh NCAA tournament appearance under her tenure. The complete 2021-22 schedule for Cal women's basketball was released on Monday, and the one disappointment is that former Golden Bears coach Lindsay Gottlieb will not be returning to Haas . Slideshow Videos Content Stream Photo Galleries Footer. They have two children, a son (b. 2022-23 Women's Basketball Roster - USC Athletics USC Athletics Main Navigation Menu Sport Navigation Menu News Ticker Buy Tickets Instagram Opens in new window Twitter Opens in new window Facebook Opens in new window 2022-23 USC Women's Basketball Roster Print Download 2022-23_USC_WBB_roster.pdf Roster Layout: Choose A Season: Sort By: Footer The team, led on the court by Oakland native Asha Thomas and 2019 WNBA draft first-round selection Kristine Anigwe, was eliminated in the second round by the Baylor Lady Bears, who went on to win the championship. 7 seed Washington State 61-49 on Wednesday night . Reed, Heidi And nearly 50 games in, there is still no sign that Smith has developed a team that is capable of even middling Pac-12 competitiveness. In her first two years in Berkeley, Cal set then-school records for wins in a season, finishing both years with 27-7 marks before Cal pushed itself into elite status with the record-breaking 32-4 Final Four campaign in 2012-13. LOS ANGELES Cal State L.A. has named Tuonisia Turner-Lewis to be the University s next head coach for woman s basketball. Cal has put together five top-20 recruiting classes in Smiths tenure, which includes three in the top 10 (2009, 2011, and 2020). WBB. In eight seasons as the head coach of the Golden Bears, Gottlieb compiled a 17989 overall record, with her teams going 8859 in Pac-12 play. He is the Titans' 11th head coach in the program's 51-year history. As the referees were assessing the sequence at the monitor, Mulkey could be seen telling them that Battles was talking to her. I can do that because I'm so confident in their focus. Head Women's Basketball Coach Year at California (PA) 17th (12th as Head Coach) Alma Mater Penn State - 2005 Phone 724.938.5394 E-Mail strom@pennwest.edu The all-time winningest coach in program history, Jess Strom is in her 12th season as head coach and 17th overall as a member of the California (PA) coaching staff. Then, Sunday, the Bears will welcome the No. On June 12, 2019, the Cleveland Cavaliers hired Gottlieb to a four-year contract as an assistant coach, becoming part of new head coach John Beilein's staff. ND did so without star point guard Olivia Miles, who suffered a knee injury with the Irish trailing 26-22 late in the second quarter. "This year's team would have murdered last year's team," she said. Cal has had ten 20-win seasons and made nine trips to the NCAA Tournament since Smiths arrival in Berkeley in 2007, highlighted by the programs first trip to the Final Four in 2013. Makayla Timpson, Florida State (292), 2. A four-year letter winner at Stanford, she earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in civil and environmental engineering from the school. A list of so many great coaches have received that award before me obviously (including) Muffet McGraw.. Although Alexis Gray-Lawson had to sit out the NIT opener because of an injury suffered in the Pac-10 tournament, the Bears edged UC Davis in overtime. Im honored, blessed. They also took #4 Stanford to overtime on the road, before falling 74-71. A St. Louis native, Smith was a star player for Stanford from 1993-97, helping the Cardinal to three NCAA Final Fours and three Pac-10 titles. In his previous three seasons in Berkeley, Farrow has helped Cal to three consecutive 20-win seasons and three NCAA Tournament appearances.An energetic and dynamic presence on the recruiting trail, Farrow also works extensively with the Golden Bears guards. Langarita, Alma NCAA Division II West Regional. Women's Basketball Coaches - Cal Poly Cal Poly Scoreboard WBB 90 vs UC Santa Cruz (Exhibition) 48 WBB 48 at UCLA 84 WBB 81 vs Simpson University (Calif.) 49 WBB 43 at #2 Stanford 80 WBB 48 at Fresno State 47 WBB Nov. 22 5 P.M. vs #1 South Carolina WBB Nov. 25 12 P.M. vs Sacramento State WBB Nov. 26 2:30 P.M. vs San Jose State WBB Dec. 10 2 P.M. Smith played an integral role in the development of three of the Pac-10's top posts - Brooke Smith, Jayne Appel and Kristen Newlin - and in the spring of 2007, she switched her focus to working with the Cardinal guards, including three-time Pac-10 Player of the Year Candice Wiggins. Ivey and the Irish wrapped up the ACC regular-season title outright on Sunday by rallying from a 10-point third-quarter deficit to beat host Louisville 68-65. Smith took over in the summer of 2019, after former head coach Lindsay Gottlieb led. The Bears, who finished with a 13-17 overall record, won two more games than they did last season, and Smith can see the improvement. Lance White out as Pittsburgh women's basketball coach Lance White, who coached Pitt to a 10-20 record this season and a 42-99 mark in his five seasons, is out as the Panthers' women's basketball . It was during that year abroad that she decided to pursue a coaching career seriously. The program has been to the NCAA tournament a total of nine times, and won three conference championships. WSU (20-9) will play No. Gottlieb was passionate about sports from an early age. During her time at Oregon, the Ducks were transformed into one of the most potent offenses in the nation, averaging 81.4 points per game in 2009-10. Cal womens basketball head coach Charmin Smith is now in her fourth season in charge of the program. The 2019-20 season marks Wendale Farrow's fourth season as an assistant coach for the Golden Bears. However, this was a conference tournament game so it does not extend her active streak of 51 straight regular-season games with at least one made three-pointer. The Bears ended the 201112 season with a record of 25-10. After beginning the season strongly and winning the Paradise Jam tournament in Saint Thomas, California carried their momentum into conference play. Over the course of her tenure, she has played a key role in the Bears player development, which has seen Cal produce seven WNBA Draft picks in recent years, including guards Layshia Clarendon, a 2017 WNBA All-Star and the ninth overall pick in the 2013 WNBA Draft, and Brittany Boyd, who earned WNBA All-Rookie recognition after being drafted ninth overall in 2015. As the fifth head coach in program history, Bishop has guided CPP to six NCAA Tournament appearances, which includes three Sweet Sixteen showings (2011, 2014, 2015), two Elite Eight appearances (2011, 2014) and a . Romine-Black, Daniel Coach Torino Johnson is joined in his postgame. Trending Videos. Offers come and go, so some offers listed may no longer be on the table, and some offers are erroneously reported. Conference regular season and conference tournament champion [28] They defeated Fresno State 90-76 in the first round,[29] and downed South Florida in overtime to advance to the Sweet Sixteen for only the second time in school history. Cheryl Miller is the new head coach of the Golden Eagles women's basketball program at Cal State LA, the University announced Friday. Following her collegiate playing career, Smith joined the professional ranks in the ABL from 1997-98 as a member of the Portland Power and played three years in the WNBA, along with one year in the Swedish Basketball League. "But I'm going to think about that for two minutes, and for the next 10,000 minutes I'm going to think about what this group did for the University of California." Jarrod Olson was named the California Baptist University women's basketball head coach in April 2012 and has led the Lancers to immense success at the NCAA level. Gottlieb was named Pac-12 Coach of the Year by the media, and was one of the four finalists for the Naismith National Coach of the Year. Harada was named the Cal State Fullerton head women's basketball coach on April 17, 2017 by Athletics Director Jim Donovan. Harada will be embarking on his fifth season with the Titans in the fall of 2021. Pac-12 . [15] The following summer, Layshia Clarendon was drafted ninth overall in the 2013 WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever. [21] They did pull off a 59-50 upset of #22 Virginia and their former coach Joanne Boyle. He dreams of her hit "I Wanna Dance with Somebody" playing as balloons fall from the . Spending her senior year at Scarsdale High School on the bench with a torn ACL led her to view the game from a different perspective, and to consider coaching. Gottlieb explained, "I knew that it was the perfect thing for me because it combined kind of my nerdiness and love of the X's and O's with the ability to impact 18- to 22-year-olds in a really significant way. [13] Following an overtime win over Georgia in the Elite Eight, California advanced to their first ever Final Four,[14] where they lost to Louisville. [3] The arena was originally known as Men's Gymnasium and then later Harmon Gymnasium until the late 1990s when it went through massive renovations which displaced the team for two seasons. [39] She has set an unequivocal goal of making the University of California Women's Basketball team one of the elite programs in the country.[40][41][42]. A mainstay on the Golden Bear bench for over a decade, Charmin Smith was named head coach of the Cal womens basketball team on June 21, 2019. The 20122013 season started with high expectations, with almost the entire team returning from the season before, including star guard Layshia Clarendon. . That is, the first player she has ever recruited to Berkeley without first seeing her play live.