When the final buzzer of the season went off on March 24, 2023, the feeling was bittersweet. The University of Utah women’s basketball team had just experienced a demoralizing loss to the eventual National Champion, the LSU Tigers, in the Sweet Sixteen of the 2023 NCAA women’s tournment. As the players walked off the court you could feel the emotions they were going through, as the loss was heartbreaking, but the things they accomplished to get to that point had never been done before.

The 2022-23 Utah women’s basketball season was a historic one, which saw them claim their first Pac-12 title and make the third Sweet Sixteen in program history. Reaching the Sweet Sixteen was something that hadn’t happened for the Utes since 2006, meaning it was the first time in the Pac-12 era. Led by Pac-12 Head Coach of the Year, Lynne Roberts, the team featured stars including the likes of Pac-12 Player of the Year Alissa Pili, sharpshooter Gianna Kneepkens, all-around playmaker Kennady McQueen, combo guard Issy Palmer and former All Pac-12 Freshman team player Jenna Johnson. With all five of their starters most likely returning next year, the team will continue its upward trajectory and will compete once again next season.

After making the NCAA tournament for the second straight season, the Utes, who have historically not been considered a power in the Pac-12, are being recognized on a national level as a program on the rise. In an article by ESPN power-ranking the best women’s college basketball programs, the Utes were ranked 8th. The only Pac-12 team listed above them was the No. 6 Stanford Cardinal, a traditional women’s basketball powerhouse.

This national recognition couldn’t have happened at a better time as the popularity of the sport is at an all-time high and growth shows no sign of slowing down. There has been an average yearly increase of 18% for viewers of the March Madness finale for the women’s tournament, with last year’s game between UConn and South Carolina being the most watched since 2004. This season’s game between LSU and Iowa shattered the record, pulling in 9.9 million viewers and becoming the most-watched college women’s basketball game ever, with numbers over double that of last year.

During the offseason, the Utes added a critical piece to their team’s success when star USC forward Alissa Pili decided to head to Salt Lake City after three seasons with the USC Trojans. Pili was able to elevate her game to the next level and was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after putting up an incredible 20.7 points per game and grabbing 5.6 rebounds. Originally from Anchorage, Alaska, Pili is a superstar. She was voted a three-time Alaska Gatorade Player of the Year and twice was voted the National Female Athlete of the Year by MaxPreps. After being unhappy at USC, Pili joined the Utes in mid-2022 and rediscovered her passion for the game, leading to her best season yet.

Of course, a lot of credit for the Utes’ success has to be given to Roberts. Roberts was hired to coach the Utes to start the 2015-16 campaign after a couple of losing seasons. In her first three seasons, she saw some success, qualifying for the Women’s NIT tournament, but didn’t get the Utes to March Madness until the 2021-22 season. Being hired by the Utes in 2015-16 was a big step for Roberts as it meant that it was her first time coaching at a Power Five level. Two seasons removed from winning Big West Coach of the Year, Roberts was a proven coach and a good hire. 2023 was also a historic season for Roberts as she was able to win the Pac-12 Coach of the Year award, the first by a Utah head coach in program history.

The 2021-22 version of the Utah women’s basketball team saw them qualify for March Madness as a seventh seed but lose in the second round to the No. 2 Texas Longhorns. Not only were the Utes able to regroup after the tough defeat, but they were also able to get better after that tough loss. The Utes finished the 2022-23 season 27-5, good enough to make them a number two seed in March Madness.

Although they fell short against an extremely talented LSU team, there is no doubt that this team has the mentality and experience to come back even stronger next season. The Utes have the opportunity to be serious title contenders next season. It will take patience, determination and grit but this team has what it takes to put a banner up in the Huntsman and create even more history.

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