The Women’s Athletic Association was formed in 1930, and the women’s sports program continued through the 1960s. In 1971, the Women’s Rights Bill was passed and under Title IX, according to then Associate Athletic Director Linda Estes, “If colleges were going to discriminate against women, they ran the risk of losing their federal funding.” So the women’s sports program was substantially funded for the first time. Today, the popularity and support of the women’s basketball team grows each season.

“Good game ladies!” The Lobo women’s basketball team members exchange congratulations and high-fives while their hearts continue to pound after one intense game at “The Pit.” Ever-increasing numbers of fans pack the stadium for the UNM women’s basketball games. The crowds have reason to cheer for the UNM women’s team that is nationally ranked in the top 20 and locally ranked in the top three in the Mountain West Conference (MWC).

The Lobo women are known to be a threat in the Mountain West Conference. In the past eight seasons, they have ranked as one of the top three teams in the MWC. Last season, the Lobos were invited for the fourth straight year to play in the NCAA Tournament and finished in the “Sweet Sixteen.”

The Lobos demonstrate a lot of hard work, love, and dedication. Dribbling, running, shooting, weight training, and communication are the fundamentals of everyday practice, unlike the women’s teams of one hundred years ago. Their quick thinking and serious aggressiveness kick into gear when they step onto the court, and it doesn’t matter if it is a practice or an actual game, the ladies work hard to execute the plan.

Coach Don Flanagan, with the help of assistant coaches Yvonne Sanchez, Dave Shoemate, and Mike Terry, has shaped the Lobo women’s team into a powerhouse. These toned, tall girls are known for their outstanding defense, as well as their loyalty, commitment, and pride in UNM and their coaches.

To young and aspiring basketball players, the team’s on-court advice is to work hard, set goals, practice every day, and play basketball every chance you get. When the team gets the opportunity to play the men’s team, they are up for the match. Playing for a “club team” before entering college has helped many team members to become collegiate three-point shooters. The club team plays outside of the normal season, giving players experience throughout the year. Club play takes athletes to games and tournaments outside the home court—to experience all skill levels, where they can also be observed by college coaches and scouts.

All thirteen girls add individual talent to the group through their experience, teamwork, and their sportsmanship. Prior to a game, the girls loosen up by joking, laughing, dancing, and talking, but come game time, they put on their game faces and jog down the ramp leading to the court.

The MWC recruits women who are outstanding students. Each woman on the team has a dream—of becoming a teacher, a nurse, a biologist, a politician, or a businesswoman. Collectively, the Lobo women’s grade point average is well above a 3.0, with a number of the team members belonging to honor societies. Biology seems to be a popular major, and several current team members are majoring in education or business.

Coach Flanagan’s pride in the team is evident, for more reasons than their skill on the court, when he says, “There is a long history of our players graduating, going into business, staying in the community, and making valuable contributions in New Mexico.” Several former players and graduates of UNM are putting their education to work in the Albuquerque area. Former Lobo Cristal Garcia graduated with a business degree in May 2005 and is currently working with the New Mexico Thunderbirds as an account executive. Another Lobo alumnus, Melissa Fords, works for a CPA firm in Albuquerque. Flanagan adds, “The team looks up to these career women as role models, just as high school and middle school girls look up to the Lady Lobos.”

Local New Mexican Judi Vogt attended Sandia High School in Albuquerque. Abbie Letz, a graduate of Hanks High School in El Paso, Texas, and Jana Francis, who attended Canadian ( Texas) High School, are both strong players. Dionne Marsh from Flower Mound High School in Dayton, Ohio, is a fine free-throw shooter, and Katie Montgomery, marketing major born in Wichita, Kansas, is point guard. Along with her basketball performance, Timi E-Nunu is considered the best dancer, according to her teammates, is a National Honor Society member, and biology major. The diversity of the group puts the sass and spice into their interactions, and they learn from and teach one another.

These women and their coaches know the formula to victory is dedication, hard work, utilizing their talents, and taking any criticism as room for improvement. Being a star athlete does not only incorporate on-court abilities, but also brain power, a winning attitude, and team spirit.

The original “Olympians” and “Gladiators” of UNM women’s basketball would no doubt be proud of the tradition they started over 100 years ago, the way it has evolved, and the young women who are continuing to build on their legacy.

Karyth Becenti is a graduate of the University of New Mexico with a Bachelors of Arts Degree in professional writing and a minor in intercultural communications. She has recently completed internships with UNM’s Media Relations Athletic Department and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.