BOZEMAN — It’s a big week for the MSU Women’s Basketball team – who’s playing in the Super 16 of the WNIT this Thursday at the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. It’s also just as big a week for head coach Tricia Binford.
“We’re filling the state with blue and gold, and we’re representing it with a lot of pride, and we want to do our best for them,” said Coach Binford.
Coach Binford has been the head coach for the MSU Women’s Basketball team for 21 seasons.
WATCH: The MSU women's basketball team is making history as they prepare to host Portland in the WNIT Super 16
“It’s been tremendous even since day 1,” said Coach Binford. “Every season is about what legacy are you going to leave in MSU history books, and right now, this team is part of some really exciting ones.”
Some of the exciting moments this year: securing the second-most program wins in Bobcat history and the first-ever postseason win.
“It feels great, but once again, you know, we’re just trying to turn the page and seeing if we can be 1% better today,” said Coach Binford.
The most impressive and special part? Coach Binford says it’s how well this year’s team has performed despite having no seniors.
“This year’s team being so young and finding a way to be as relentless in their own unique identity, it’s just been extremely gratifying to watch their growth, their perseverance, but also their confidence and belief in themselves,” said Coach Binford.
Binford’s success as head coach is also impressive and record-breaking. She is a five-time Big Sky Conference Coach of the Year, the winningest coach in MSU Women’s Basketball coaching history, and she constantly has MSU in the top 100 in the nation for game attendance, according to the school.
In fact, this past weekend, MSU had the largest attendance for any WNIT
match-up this year at 2,238. MSU’s ticket office says they are trending upwards of that amount for the game this Thursday.
“I know this community has always been extremely supportive, but I won’t lie, I got goosebumps,” said Coach Binford. “The way they showed up on Sunday was unbelievable.”
As Coach Binford explains, the crowd and home court advantage are crucial for player performance.
“We hope tomorrow is one of the most attended games we’ve ever had in Bobcat history,” said Coach Binford. “Homecourt advantage is huge. Playing in front of your home crowd, getting behind you, feeding off of that.”
Coach Binford says the team is continuing to prepare for Thursday’s game.
“The Super 16 is a way for us to honor and thank our community for getting out and supporting us all year,” she said.
“We want to make sure we give our very best game yet.”
The Bobcats take on Portland on Thursday at 7 p.m.
