The San Jose State Spartans women's basketball team represents San José State University in NCAA Division I college basketball as a member of the Mountain West Conference.
The women's basketball program at San Jose State University, then San Jose Normal School, began in 1895. By 1968, San Jose State College established its first intercollegiate-sponsored women's basketball team that became formally established in the 1971âÂÂ72 season with the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.
Carolyn Lewis became head coach at San Jose State in 1974. In 1975, the women's basketball program offered its first scholarship.
Sharon Chatman succeeded Lewis as head coach in 1976, the year the team joined the NorCal Conference. In Chatman's 10 seasons as head coach, she compiled a 143âÂÂ121 record and led the Spartans to NorCal championships in 1978 and 1979 and the AIAW women's basketball tournament every year from 1978 to 1981. In 1982, San Jose State women's athletics programs moved from the AIAW to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and the women's basketball team moved from the NorCal Conference to the NorPac Conference.
Chatman posted losing records during each of her final three seasons (1983âÂÂ1986), and the team continued to post losing records throughout the six-season tenure of Tina Krah from 1986 to 1992 and coach Karen Smith's first season in 1992âÂÂ93. Krah was 17âÂÂ143 as head coach. San Jose State women's basketball joined the men's basketball program in the Pacific Coast Athletic Association (now the Big West Conference) in 1986, Krah's first season. In 1993âÂÂ94, Karen Smith led the Spartans to their first winning season since 1982âÂÂ83. This would be the only winning season in Karen Smith's tenure, during which San Jose State moved from the Big West to the Western Athletic Conference in 1996.
Janice Richard replaced Smith in 1999, and the Spartans' next winning season would be in 2001âÂÂ02 with a 17âÂÂ11 record. Richard also led the Spartans to two straight winning seasons in 2004 and 2005. Lamisha Augustine became the first San Jose State women's basketball player drafted to the WNBA in April 2006, when the Sacramento Monarchs selected Augustine in the third round of the 2006 WNBA draft. In August 2006, Richard took a medical leave of absence to seek treatment for breast cancer.
Assistant coaches Greg Lockridge and Derrick Allen served as interim head coaches for the 2006âÂÂ07 season, a season in which the Spartans fell from 13âÂÂ15 the previous season to 5âÂÂ27. Lockridge was head coach for the first six games (posting an 0âÂÂ6 record), and Allen took over for the last 21 games (going 5âÂÂ21). The university placed Lockridge on paid administrative leave on November 30, 2006, a week after a San Jose Mercury News report that leading scorer Amber Jackson transferred after "difficulty in dealing with" Lockridge.
In April 2007, San Jose State hired former Lynn University head coach Pam DeCosta as the Spartans' head coach. DeCosta served as head coach for four seasons, during which she posted a 13âÂÂ106 record.
Tim La Kose became the women's basketball head coach in April 2011 after ten seasons as head coach at Cal State Bakersfield. Under La Kose, the Spartans improved to 11âÂÂ19 in 2011âÂÂ12, following a 2âÂÂ27 season. The Spartans had another 11âÂÂ19 season in 2012âÂÂ13, their final season in the WAC. San Jose State athletics programs joined the Mountain West Conference on July 1, 2013.
On August 30, 2013, during the first week of the fall semester, La Kose resigned, citing personal reasons. Athletic director Gene Bleymaier hired Sacramento State head coach Jamie Craighead on September 16, to replace La Kose. San Jose State had its third straight 11âÂÂ19 (5âÂÂ13 MWC) season under Craighead in 2013âÂÂ14. In Craighead's second season, the team improved to 15âÂÂ17 (7âÂÂ11 MWC). Entering the Mountain West Conference women's basketball tournament as the #8 seed, San Jose State made the semifinals by upsetting #1 Colorado State in the second round. This marked the first time in tournament history the #8 seed beat the #1 seed. On January 21, 2015, Ta'rea Cunnigan broke the San Jose State career scoring record previously set by Ricky Berry (1,768 in 1988). Cunnigan ended her career with 2,062 points.
As of the conclusion of the 2023âÂÂ24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season:
As of the conclusion of the 2024âÂÂ25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season:
<nowiki>*</nowiki>Greg Lockridge was an interim coach (0âÂÂ6) during part of the 2006âÂÂ07 season, Derrick Allen was the interim coach (5âÂÂ21) for the remainder of the 2006âÂÂ07 season.