WVU Libraries

by Olivia Howard, WVRHC Reference Assistant

The first West Virginia University women’s basketball team began its first season in 1973. The team members were Suzie LeFever, Lynn Buckley, Lisa Weisenstein, Sara Roberts, Cheryl Puskarich, Beth Shank, Carolyn Huffman, Cindy “Sam” Booth, Michelle Jaccar, Jo Salisbury, Pam Harper, Leslie Sergy, Celeste Knaus, and Jo Nutter.

The team was the result of Title IX mandates. Title IX is a landmark U.S. federal civil rights law enacted as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. Title IX ensures that students, regardless of their gender, have equal access to educational opportunities, including sports, academic programs, and extracurricular activities. Through its enforcement, Title IX has played a crucial role in fostering a more equitable educational environment, promoting fairness, and breaking down barriers for women and marginalized groups in education and athletics.

During their first season, the team played 10 local games scheduled by first head coach Kittie Blakemore and participated in the West Virginia State Tournament for 14 games. Blakemore would remain as head coach for 19 seasons, leading the team to a conference tournament championship in the A10 in 1989, and a first-place finish in the regular season in her final season, 1992.

Though the team only won four of those first games and placed fourth in the State Tournament, they came back stronger the next season, winning 13 of their 17 games.

Kittie Blakemore is most notable for spearheading the formation of what would later become the Women’s Athletics program at WVU, alongside Dr. Wincie Ann Carruth. A highlight of the collection is the original, “Proposal for an Intercollegiate Athletic Program for Women,” at WVU from 1972. You can learn more about the first head coach of the WVU Women’s Basketball team and West Virginia University women’s athletics trailblazer, Kittie Blakemore, by viewing the Kittie Blakemore Papers (A&M 5274) at the West Virgina & Regional History Center.