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Delta State’s women’s basketball legacy endures even as national spotlight has faded
The Lady Statesmen won three straight Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women titles and later added three Division II championships.
- The Lady Statesmen will be recognized at The AP Top 25 Fan Poll Experience, held Thursday through Saturday at Arizona State's First Amendment Forum, honoring the program as the first number one team when the poll debuted 50 years ago.
- Under coach Margaret Wade, the team became an early powerhouse, winning three consecutive Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women national championships from 1975 to 1977 with star player Lusia Harris.
- Demand for games frequently exceeded the 3,000-seat Walter Sillers Coliseum, where fans sat on stage railings to watch. 'Everybody in Cleveland knew us and knew our names,' said Debbie Brock, starting point guard from 1974-78.
- Coach Tracy Stewart-Lange preserves this history to inspire recruits, guiding the team to an 18-11 record this season while encouraging players to 'step into those shoes and shine and push it forward.'
- Athletic director Mike Kinnison is working to recapture the program's former intensity, noting that local support remains strong despite the sport's shifting landscape. 'People still support it,' he said.
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16 Articles
16 Articles
Coverage Details
Total News Sources16
Leaning Left3Leaning Right3Center8Last UpdatedBias Distribution57% Center
Bias Distribution
- 57% of the sources are Center
57% Center
L 22%
C 57%
R 21%
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