Hall of Famer: Tulane’s Stockton receives huge C-USA honor

DALLAS, Texas (WGNO) — Tulane’s women’s basketball’s head coach Lisa Stockton will be inducted to the Conference USA Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2023, Commissioner Judy McLeod announced on Monday. Coach Stockton becomes the fourth member of Tulane inducted into the CUSA Hall of Fame, the second Tulane coach and the fourth coach overall in this the fifth class of Hall of Famers.

Coach Stockton has served as the head coach of the Tulane women’s basketball team since the start of the 1994 season. In that time, she has amassed a record of 579-324 (64.1%) leading the Green Wave. She became the all-time winningest women’s basketball coach in the state of Louisiana with her 65-54 victory over Cincinnati on February 18, 2023. Overall, Coach Stockton sports a career record of 642-351 (64.6%) in her 30 years as a collegiate head coach.  She recorded a 179-113 (61.3 %) CUSA record in the school’s 19 years as a member of the conference. Coach Stockton totaled an overall record of 397-193 (67.2%) in those same 19 years from the start of the 1995-96 campaign. Those 397 wins were the most in the league during her time in CUSA. She was twice voted the CUSA Coach of the Year (2007 & 2010), led Tulane to four regular season CUSA Championships (1997, 1999, 2007 & 2010) and five CUSA postseason tournament titles (1997, 1999, 2000, 2001 & 2010), She guided Tulane to an NCAA Tournament in their first eight years (1995-96 to 2002-03) and nine total appearances plus five WNIT berths. She won 20 or more games 13 times during her time in CUSA.

Individually, Coach Stockton coached the CUSA Player of the Year in Grace Daley in 2010. She mentored the CUSA Freshman of the Year in Danielle Blagg in 2012 and the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in four times (Grace Daley – 1998, Janell Burse – 1999, 2000 and 2001). Thirty times a member of her squad was selected All-CUSA during her time in the league. She had four players earn a spot on the league’s All-Defensive Team (Brett Benzio – 2012, Roshaunda Barnes – 2011, Chassity Brown – 2010 and D’Aundra Henry – 2009). Eight players were honored with selection to the CUSA All-Freshman Team under her watch (Leslie Vorpahl – 2014, Danielle Blagg – 2012, Olivia Grayson – 2010, Brett Benzio – 2009, Ashley Langford – 2006, Sarah Goree – 1999, Grace Daley & Kelly Scanlon – 1997). A pair of her players earned CUSA Sixth Player of the Year distinction (Janell Burse – 1999 and Teana McKiver – 2001). She had 17 different CUSA All-Tournament selections, including the MVP four times (Mary Lowry – 1997, Grace Daley – 1999, Janell Burse – 2000, Danielle Nunn – 2010). Thirty-six times one of her players was selected as a CUSA Player, Rookie or Freshman of the Week.  Five different players she coached garnered All-American honors during her time in CUSA (Barbara Farris – 1997, Grace Daley – 1998-2000, Janell Burse – 2000-2001, Teana McKiver – 2002-03 and Jamie Kaplan – 2013-14). Additionally, Ashley Langford was a Freshman All-American in 2006 and Chassity Brown was named to the WBCA’s All-Region IV Team in 2010.

At the 10th anniversary of the conference in 2005, Janell Burse and Grace Daley were named to the CUSA Team of the Decade. Additionally, seven individual players that she coached during her time in the CUSA have been voted into the Tulane Hall of Fame (Janell Burse, Grace Daley, Barbara Farris, Olivia Grayson, Teana McKiver, Gwen Slaughter and Ashley Langford).

Forty-three of her former players earned CUSA Commissioner’s Honor Roll recognition 93 times for holding GPAs of 3.2 and higher. Six of her former student-athletes – Brooke Blankenship (2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, Kiki Ciznar (1996-97), Jamie Kapan (2012-13, 2013-14), Courtnie Latham (2013-14), Gwen Slaughter (2002-03), Britt Themann (1999-00, 2000-01, Christy Thomaskutty (1995-96), and Leslie Vorpahl (2013-14) claimed CUSA Commissioner’s Academic Medal honors for maintaining at least a 3.75 GPA. Ashley Langford (2008-09) and Jami Montagnino (2006-07) were named CUSA Scholar Athletes, and Thermann earned a CUSA Postgraduate Scholarship in 2003.   

Coach Stockton is Tulane’s second coach to be voted to the CUSA Hall of Fame following Rick Jones (baseball) in 2020. Overall, she is the fourth Tulane coach or former student-athlete inducted to the CUSA Hall of Fame (Rick Jones – 2020, Jake Gautreau – 2019 and Michael Kogan – 2019).

The other four members of the 2023 CUSA Hall of Fame Class are Tobi Amusan (UTEP – track & field), Kenneth Dixson (Louisiana Tech – football), Roddy White (UAB – football) and Alyssa Cavanaugh (Western Kentucky – volleyball).

“Each of our 2023 inductees has made an important impact on their respective sports and the history of our league,” said Judy MacLeod, Conference USA Commissioner. “It is our honor to recognize this exceptional group for induction as our fifth Hall of Fame class. We are appreciative of their contributions and are looking forward to shining a spotlight on their stories, as well as celebrating their legacy to our conference.”

The league’s Hall of Fame Committee selects the nominees and the league’s Athletics Directors serve as the voting panel for the CUSA Hall of Fame. The inaugural class made its debut in 2019 with 20 student-athletes, three coaches and two administrators. Current and future CUSA Hall of Fame class size will be a minimum of one inductee and a maximum of five inductees per year. Nominees not selected in this class will remain on the ballot for future years.

Criteria to be eligible for the Hall of Fame includes the following:

•         A minimum of two years played for student-athletes; minimum five years served for

coaches/administrators (coaches/administrators in current roles are eligible)

•         Student-athletes are only eligible five years after their last CUSA competition

•         Considerations for student-athletes will be based on but not limited to All-America selections and

national honors, CUSA superlative awards, academic standing and off-the-field contributions

•         Considerations for coaches/administrators will be based on contributions to CUSA as a whole

The Tulane women’s basketball team returns eight players from last season’s roster for the 2023-24 season including 2023 American Athletic Conference All-Tournament Team selection Kyren Whittington. The Green Wave have added two freshmen, 6’3” center Lily Beth Ba and 5’8” point guard Joy Madison-Key along with 6’2” graduate transfer Hannah Pratt.

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