As Kent State University's women’s basketball team prepares to play in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002, the achievement is exciting and monumental for more reasons than one.
The Golden Flashes have made it to the NCAA tournament during a moment when women’s basketball is in the prime spotlight and delightedly during Women’s History Month. Kent State will be making its sixth overall NCAA Tournament appearance.
The No. 15 seed Golden Flashes will play No. 2 seed Notre Dame in a first-round matchup at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday, March 23. The winner of the first-round game will be advancing to play either No. 7 seed Ole Miss or No. 10 seed Marquette in the second round on Monday, March 25.
Randale L. Richmond, vice president and director of the Kent State Athletics department, spoke with Kent State Today's April McClellan-Copeland about how Kent State’s women’s basketball team deserves its spot on the national stage.
Led by MVP Katie Shumate, the Golden Flashes (21-10) captured the fourth Mid-American Conference Tournament championship in program, defeating Buffalo in the championship game on Saturday, March 16, 78-60, following victories over Northern Illinois in the quarterfinals and Ball State in the semifinals.
Suzette McQueen, deputy athletic director/senior woman administrator (SWA), said it has been an honor to work with the women on the Golden Flashes team. The team has worked hard, she said, and they are reveling in the moment.
McQueen spoke with Kent State Today about her words of advice for the Golden Flashes as they represent Kent State on the national stage.
“The MAC is a hard conference to play in,” McQueen said. “It is a one bid league. The person who wins the conference championship is the only team that will go on to the NCAA championship. They (Golden Flashes) fought and fought and fought and they are so deserving of it.”
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