Women's Basketball 1996-1998

From 1996 through 1998, the Howard University Women’s Basketball program demonstrated what determination, discipline, and belief could accomplish. For four consecutive seasons, the Lady Bison captured the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship, winning back-to-back-to-back-to-back postseason titles and establishing a standard of excellence that elevated our program onto the national stage.

Those teams represented more than talent. They represented passion, commitment, and a relentless pursuit of greatness. Through strong recruiting, rigorous training, thoughtful scheduling, and the unwavering belief that we belonged on the national stage, the Lady Bison proved that Howard University could compete with anyone in the country.

During that remarkable stretch, Howard recorded victories against nationally recognized programs, including the University of Minnesota from the Big Ten Conference and powerhouse programs from the Atlantic Coast Conference such as the University of Maryland and North Carolina State University. These victories, combined with our continued dominance within the MEAC, brought national attention to Howard Women’s Basketball.

Our success also led to Howard University becoming a contracted Nike-sponsored program with Nike. Nike provided shoes, apparel, and camp resources for both our players and coaching staff an investment that helped reduce equipment costs for the university while recognizing the growing national profile of our program.

The Lady Bison’s achievements also helped strengthen the competitive reputation of the MEAC during NCAA Tournament play. Through strong scheduling and head-to-head victories against major programs, the conference improved its NCAA tournament seeding position from 16th to 11th place an important step forward for HBCU women’s basketball.

The legacy of those teams can also be seen in the many honors earned by our student-athletes. Howard players received multiple Player of the Year awards, First Team All-Conference selections in both the regular season and tournament play, and national recognition for rebounding and statistical performance. Lady Bison players ranked among the nation’s leaders in scoring, rebounding, steals, and assists.

That success also resulted in my appointment to serve on the NCAA Women’s Basketball Rules Committee, an opportunity to contribute to the continued growth and integrity of the game at the national level.

Most importantly, those teams helped establish Howard University Women’s Basketball as a legitimate and nationally competitive program one built on pride, discipline, and excellence.

More than three decades later, the same championship spirit remains alive. In 2024, members of those historic teams reunited to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Howard University Women’s Basketball. Their goal was to raise $50,000 in support of the program that helped shape their lives.

True to form, those champions exceeded expectations.

In June 2024, they presented Howard University’s President and Athletic Director with a gift of $100,000 a testament to their continued love for the university and their commitment to the future of Lady Bison basketball.

Today, we salute these remarkable women of Howard University. Their competitive spirit, leadership, and dedication helped build a lasting legacy for Howard Athletics and for women’s basketball.

They will always be champions and always Bison."