Louisiana Tech Lady Techsters basketball

Conference affiliations

Thomas Assembly Center

The Thomas Assembly Center (TAC) has been home to the Lady Techsters basketball team since the 8,000-seat facility opened in November 1982. Constructed at a cost of $17.5 million, the TAC is a cylindrical arena with a concrete finish and bronze glass at the entrance level. In 2007 a new state-of-the-art maple wood floor was installed in the TAC and named "Karl Malone Court."

In the Lady Techsters' first game at the TAC, La Tech lost to USC, led by Cheryl Miller and Cynthia Cooper, 64–58 in front of 8,700 fans on December 4, 1982. However, the Lady Techsters picked up their first win at the TAC in their next game by defeating Alabama 83–56 on December 9, 1982.

On January 22, 1985, La Tech set an attendance record of 8,975 at the TAC in a women's/men's doubleheader in which the Lady Techsters defeated Northeast Louisiana 79-77 in overtime. The Lady Techsters have hosted fifteen crowds of more than 7,000 and eight capacity crowds of more than 8,000. The Lady Techsters regularly rank in the Top 40 in NCAA women's basketball average attendance, including a program record average of 5,330 in 1983-84.

The Lady Techsters have been almost unbeatable at the TAC. Entering the 2010-11 season, the Lady Techsters boast a 390-39 record at the TAC. The Lady Techsters' 90.9% winning percentage at the TAC ranks third best among active arenas only trailing Tennessee at Thompson–Boling Arena (94.2%) and Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion (93.7%). The Lady Techsters have recorded thirteen undefeated seasons at the TAC. La Tech is a perfect 36-0 all-time in NCAA Tournament games at the TAC. The Lady Techsters won 161 consecutive games against unranked opponents at home from 1992 to 2004, and the Lady Techsters won 114 consecutive regular season home conference games between 1992 and 2007. The Lady Techsters are 158-11 all-time against conference opponents in regular season games at the TAC. The Lady Techsters have posted home winning streaks of 49, 52 and 62 games, all of which rank in the Top 15 in Division I history.

Memorial Gymnasium

In 1952, Memorial Gymnasium was constructed on the Louisiana Tech University campus in Ruston to serve as the home of the La Tech Bulldogs men's basketball team. After the inception of the Lady Techsters basketball team in 1974, Memorial Gymnasium was home to Lady Techster basketball through the 1981–82 season. In the first game in program history, the Lady Techsters lost to Southeastern Louisiana 55–59 in Memorial Gym on January 7, 1975. However, in their next game, the Lady Techsters rebounded to defeat LSU 97–83 to christen Memorial Gym with the first victory in Louisiana Tech women's basketball history on January 24, 1975.

During the 1979–80 season, more than 5,000 fans routinely packed inside Memorial Gym to watch the Lady Techsters play, and La Tech's attendance peaked at 6,220 for UCLA and 6,314 for Stephen F. Austin. After that season, the Louisiana State Fire Marshal ordered Louisiana Tech to not allow more than 5,200 spectators into Memorial Gym again. If La Tech did not comply, the fire marshal vowed to personally count the crowd and not let more than 4,800 enter Memorial Gym again. As a result, Louisiana Tech President F. Jay Taylor initiated the construction of the 8,098 capacity Thomas Assembly Center.

In the Lady Techsters final game played in Memorial Gym, La Tech defeated Kentucky 82–60 on March 20, 1982. Throughout the eight seasons the Lady Techsters played in Memorial Gymnasium, La Tech amassed 84 wins and only 6 losses at home. The Lady Techsters' 93.3% winning percentage at Memorial Gym ranks third best all-time only trailing Tennessee at Thompson–Boling Arena (94.2%) and Connecticut at Gampel Pavilion (93.7%).

Lady Techsters

In 1974, Louisiana Tech President F. Jay Taylor established the university's first women's athletic program, a women's basketball team. He hired a 28-year-old P.E. teacher at Ruston High School, Sonja Hogg, as the program's first head coach. However, Hogg refused to call her team the Lady Bulldogs after the La Tech men's nickname. She asserted that bulldogs were "unfeminine" and that "a lady dog is a b!+¢#." For that reason, her first initiative as head coach was to nix the nickname Bulldogs from any connection with her team. Thus, Hogg decided to change her team's nickname to the Lady Techsters.

Hogg would not allow her Lady Techsters to wear knee or elbow pads because they were unladylike. Additionally, she designed the Lady Techster jerseys with sleeves because she did not like her ladies showing their armpits or bra straps. A 1986 Sports Illustrated article stated, "A Lady Techster is likely to be a good student and a devout Christian, probably favors needlepoint over Madonna tapes on airplanes and fears a drug test about as much as she does an airport metal detector." The same article stated that Hogg's insistence that her players act like ladies gave the team an "almost antebellum image" that was well-suited to a conservative town like Ruston.

Columbia blue

In 1896, Col. A.T. Prescott, president of what was then Louisiana Polytechnic Institute, announced the selection of red and blue as the institution's colors. Red was chosen to represent courage, and blue was selected to embody loyalty. In the 1960s, Columbia blue was introduced to Louisiana Tech in various applications. In 1974, Sonja Hogg, along with the head of the university's art department, Raymond Nichols, presented various shades of blue to the athletics council, and Hogg's preference of Columbia blue was adopted as the primary color of the Lady Techsters. Prior to 2003, the university's teams, departments, and organizations used various shades of blue ranging from light blue to dark blue. Yet in 2003, Louisiana Tech standardized its shade of blue by adopting reflex blue as the official hue. However, due to La Tech's rich tradition in women's basketball, the Lady Techsters basketball team was granted the only exemption to not adopt reflex blue and was allowed to continue to use the traditional Columbia blue.

Jersey sleeves

In 1974, Sonja Hogg designed the first Lady Techster jerseys with sleeves because she did not want her ladies showing their armpits. In addition, sports bras did not exist in 1974, and Hogg did not want spectators to see her ladies' bra straps hanging out of sleeveless jerseys either. As Lady Techster basketball rose to national prominence, the jersey sleeves became recognized as part of the Lady Techster brand. Sleeves were a staple of the Lady Techsters jerseys throughout Leon Barmore's tenure as head coach. After Barmore retired in 2002, new head coach Kurt Budke introduced the first Lady Techsters sleeveless jerseys at the behest of the players.

Hoop Troop

The Hoop Troop is the basketball pep band at Louisiana Tech. The band has been under the direction of Jim Robken since 1991. The Hoop Troop travels to all postseason games including conference tournaments and NCAA tournaments. In 2005, the Hoop Troop was featured in a Sports Illustrated article entitled "Top 65 Things We Want to Wee During March Madness" which stated, "30) The Louisiana Tech pep band, a.k.a. the Hoop Troop, the funniest band in the land."

Honors

Wade Trophy

Three Lady Techsters have been awarded the Wade Trophy, the award presented annually to the best women's basketball player in the NCAA. Connecticut is the only program to have more than three players awarded the Wade Trophy.

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

All-Americans

Eleven Lady Techsters have been awarded 16 Kodak First Team All-America honors.

Conference player of the year

Fourteen Lady Techsters have garnered 19 conference player of the year honors.

Olympic medalists

Lady Techsters have won 5 Olympic Games medals.

Lady Techsters in the WNBA

Twenty-one former Lady Techsters have been drafted or played in the WNBA. Numerous Lady Techsters have played professional basketball overseas.

Honors

Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Women's Basketball Hall of Fame

Naismith Women's College Coach of the Year

USBWA Women's National Coach of the Year

Maggie Dixon Award

Conference coach of the year

Leon Barmore coaching tree

Eight former assistant coaches under head coach Leon Barmore have become head women's basketball coaches.

Lady Techsters in coaching

Six former Lady Techsters have become NCAA head women's basketball coaches.