SWAC co-champions, SWAC tournament champions, and an automatic bid to the NCAA women’s tournament, who am I talking about, you ask? No one other than the powerful and dynamic 2006-2007 women’s basketball team of Prairie View A&M University. That’s right, not only did the team set records and accomplish goals, they raised the bar to a new standard for Prairie View’s athletic programs. Some may see it as luck, but the Lady Panthers see it as a symbol of hard work.
The road to the NCAA Tournament began in the summer of 2006 where the Lady Panthers were under the tutelage of head coach Cynthia Cooper-Dyke, assistant coaches Toyelle Wilson, Kenric Harvey, and Anthony Williams.
The team is made up of eight freshmen, three sophomores, one junior, and one senior. So not only did the players have to get to know one another, they had to learn, trust, and depend on themselves.
Through all of the trials and tribulations the ladies had to go through, such as running horses, being at practice at 5:30 a.m., running for turnovers and missed free throws, injuries, losing and gaining players, and the thousands of bags of ice, the Lady Panthers came out as champions.
The Lady Panthers faced some of the best talent all over the nation throughout the season. They started the regular season 2-0, then suddenly headed toward a downward spiral that led them to a 10-game losing streak.
Through the tough times, the Lady Panthers were down, but refused to be out. As the regular season was coming to an end, they came together and out of the last 17 games of the regular season they only lost three.
The team punched its ticket to the SWAC Tournament, and earned the title of SWAC co-champions, sharing the title with Jackson State.
The 2007 Women’s SWAC Tournament was held in Birmingham, Ala. and had Prairie View ranked as the number two seed, which proved to be nothing but a number to the women of Prairie View.
The first round the ladies vanquished Southern University with a score of 80-49. The next round of the tournament proved to be a slightly harder task, with the Panthers facing Grambling State and winning with a final score of 77-55.
The championship round of the tournament was like a David and Goliath match as Jackson State was ranked number one. When it was all said and done, with the final score 68-62, the Panthers were victorious.
With that win, Prairie View clinched the SWAC tournament and freshman Candice Thomas earned honors as the SWAC tournament MVP, and Gaati Werema was named All-SWAC, and SWAC freshman of the year.
The next order of command was a ticket to the NCAA tourney, where the Lady Panthers faced off in the first round of play against the University of North Carolina in Pittsburgh, Pa. As the Panthers played as hard as they could their effort was not enough, which brought their season to a close.
Angel Smith, a senior guard described her experience on the basketball team as “hard, but worth it.” Smith said some things that she and her teammate had to go through was “being is shape and prepared for the season, becoming a team, and getting to know each other.” The Lady Panthers only had four returning players from last season, so the team was practically rebuilt.
When asked if there is anything she could change about the season, Smith without hesitation replied, “Nothing.” The Lady Panthers have came a long way, and are waiting on that banner to hang proudly in the Baby Dome.
The Lady Panthers may be SWAC champs for a season, but they will forever be champions in the heart of Prairie View.