Set for its 38th edition in 2017, the GCI Great Alaska Shootout women’s tournament has established a tradition of its own as one of the premier events in the game.
This year’s Shootout will mark the 19th straight year that a four-team women’s tourney is part of the November action.
After hosting the Northern Lights Invitational women’s basketball tournament from 1980 to 1997, UAA was forced to suspend the tournament due to a significant round of budget reductions in the summer of 1998. The hiatus lasted only one year, though, and in 1999 the NLI was reborn in the form of the Shootout.
And so it is that this year’s women’s Shootout field of host Alaska Anchorage, Missouri State, Portland and USC will carry on the tradition of the Northern Lights – a tournament with a storied history of its own.
The NLI opened as a four-team tournament in late March of 1980. In 1981 the tournament doubled in size to eight teams and remained that way through 1992. After changing to a four-team, round-robin format for two seasons, the NLI and UAA went back to hosting seven visiting teams until 1997.
One of the problems the NLI faced through the years was to find a consistent home on the calendar as NCAA women’s basketball expanded and organized along more traditional conference lines. The tournament dates were moved from March to February in 1982 to avoid conflicting with postseason play. The tournament later moved to January and then, in 1994, moved once again to December in order to attract the best NCAA Division I teams available.
Over the years the NLI also moved homes three times, being held at both the Wells Fargo Sports Complex (1980-82, 1986-97) and Sullivan Arena (1983-85, 1999-2013).
Through the years some of the top women’s collegiate basketball teams have played in the event – most notably the 1997 appearance and championship of a Tennessee Lady Volunteers team that featured All-American Chamique Holdsclaw. Other top teams have included Clemson, Georgia, Iowa, Purdue, Old Dominion, Texas, Penn State, Louisiana Tech, North Carolina and Stanford.
The 1986 field rates as one of the best in the tourney’s history as three teams – USC, Northeast Louisiana and Western Kentucky were all ranked in the top 20 that year. The ’86 event also featured USC’s Cheryl Miller, the most heralded women’s player of her time.
Like their male counterparts, the host UAA women’s basketball team has always been the lone NCAA Division II team in the tournament. And although the men have fared well in the Shootout, they have yet to win it – an impressive feat the women have pulled six times (1990, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009).
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Women's All-Time Champions / Runners-Up / MOPs
Year Champion Runner-up Score Most Outstanding Player
1980 Iowa Alaska Anchorage 73-52 Cindy Haugejordge (Iowa)
1981 San Diego State Houston 50-41 Diena Pels (SDSU)
1982 Minnesota Indiana 70-66 Laura Coenen (Minnesota)
1983 Old Dominion Wichita State 76-53 Lorri Bauman (Drake)
1984 Texas UNLV 82-60 Annette Smith (Texas)
1985 Louisiana Tech Penn State 88-69 Dawn Royster (N. Carolina)
1986 Northeast Louisiana Southern Cal 70-68 Lisa Ingram (NE La.)
1987 New Orleans Memphis State 84-61 Kunshinge Sorrell (Miss. State)
1988 South Carolina UNLV 98-97 OT Martha Parker (USC)
1989 Stephen F. Austin Old Dominion 96-81 Connie Cole (SFA)
1990 Alaska Anchorage South Alabama 88-87 Diane Dobrich (UAA)
1991 Northern Illinois Louisville 63-60 Lisa Foss (NIU)
1992 Penn State Mo.-Kansas City 83-62 Susan Robinson (PSU)
1993 Hawaii SMU RR** Valerie Agee (Hawaii)
1994* Rhode Island NE Louisiana RR** Dayna Smith (URI)
1994* Clemson UCLA 79-62 Tara Saunooke (Clemson)
1995 South Carolina Arizona State 83-71 Shannon Johnson (USC)
1996 Georgia Oregon 72-55 Tracy Henderson (UGa)
1997 Tennessee Wisconsin 87-66 Chamique Holdsclaw (UT)
1998 No Tournament
1999 Kansas Louisville 78-68 Lynn Pride (Kansas)
2000 Ohio State Rhode Island 95-60 Jamie Lewis (OSU)
2001 Iowa Gonzaga 90-73 Lindsey Meder (Iowa)
2002 Nevada Indiana 68-56 Laura Ingham (Nevada)
2003 Alaska Anchorage Clemson 61-58 Kamie Jo Massey (UAA)
2004 Stanford La.-Lafayette 67-47 Candice Wiggins (Stanford)
2005 Cent. Connecticut St. Arizona 69-65 OT Gabriella Guegbelet, (CCSU)
2006 Alaska Anchorage UC Riverside 72-67 Rebecca Kielpinski (UAA)
2007 Alaska Anchorage Santa Clara 52-50 Rebecca Kielpinski (UAA)
2008 Alaska Anchorage Syracuse 58-57 Rebecca Kielpinski (UAA)
2009 Alaska Anchorage Cincinnati 49-48 Nicci Miller (UAA)
2010 Kent State Alaska Anchorage 53-47 Jamilah Humes (Kent State)
2011 Miami, Fla. South Florida 92-72 Shenise Johnson (Miami)
2012 Utah State Alaska Anchorage 67-57 Devyn Christiansen (Utah State)
2013 Georgetown Alaska Anchorage 92-78 Andrea White (Georgetown)
2014 Long Beach State Alaska Anchorage 69-60 Megan Mullings (UAA)
2015 Western Kentucky Alaska Anchorage 62-58 Kendall Noble (Western Kentucky)
2016 Southern California Portland 67-54 Kristen Simon (USC)
2017 Alaska Anchorage Tulsa 59-53 Shelby Cloninger (UAA)
* = 1994 tourneys played in Jan. & Dec., respectively
RR** = 4-team round robin format
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GCI Great Alaska Shootout
Women's All-Time Participants
School Record Year(s)
Air Force 1-1 2006
Akron 1-2 1997
Alabama Birmingham 1-2 1987
Alaska Anchorage 38-56 ALL
Alaska Fairbanks 1-2 1981
Appalachian State 2-1 1991
Arizona 1-1 2005
Arizona State 4-2 1982, 95
Arkansas 2-1 1982
Arkansas State 1-2 1988
Army 0-3 1994
Baylor 2-4 1988, 92
Binghamton 1-1 2017
Boise State 2-3 1990, 14
Boston College 1-2 1996
Bradley 0-2 2007
Brigham Young 2-3 1996, 03
Butler 0-2 2006
Cal State Northridge 0-2 2008
Central Connecticut State 2-0 2005
Central Michigan 1-1 2011
Cincinnati 1-1 2009
Clemson 4-1 1994, 03
Cleveland State 1-1 2007
Coastal Carolina 1-1 2009
Drake 2-1 1983
Eastern Kentucky 0-2 2002
Eastern Washington 1-1 2004
Florida State 1-2 1984
Fordham 0-3 1988
Furman 1-1 2005
George Mason 1-1 2015
Georgetown 2-0 2013
Georgia 3-0 1996
Georgia State 2-4 1984, 91
Georgia Tech 5-4 1983, 90, 94
Gonzaga 2-3 1987, 01
Hawaii 7-2 1981, 85, 93
Holy Cross 1-2 1995
Houston 2-1 1981
Idaho 2-1 1984
Indiana 3-2 1982, 02
Iona 2-1 1986
Iowa 4-0 1980, 01
Jackson State 1-1 2008
Kansas 2-0 1999
Kent State 2-0 2010
Long Beach State 2-0 2014
Louisiana Lafayette 1-1 2004
Louisiana Tech 3-0 1985
Louisville 4-4 1985, 91, 99
Loyola Marymount 1-5 1985, 95
Manhattan 2-1 1997
Marist 0-3 1995
Marquette 2-3 1992, 01
Maryland Eastern Shore 0-2 2017
Memphis State 2-1 1987
Mercer 1-2 1996
Miami, Fla. 5-3 1984, 87, 2011
Minnesota 3-0 1982
Mississippi 2-1 1997
Mississippi State 2-1 1987
Missouri-Kansas City 2-1 1992
Missouri State 1-1 2016
Monmouth 0-3 1989
Montana State 1-2 1994
Mount St. Mary’s 0-2 2003
Nevada 2-2 1980, 02
Nevada-Las Vegas 4-2 1984, 88
New Mexico 1-2 1981
New Mexico State 1-2 1991
New Orleans 5-1 1987, 92
Nicholls 0-2 2013
North Carolina 2-1 1985
North Carolina-Greensboro 1-2 1994
North Dakota State 1-1 2012
Northeast Louisiana 5-1 1986, 94
Northeastern Illinois 0-3 1993
Northern Arizona 1-4 1991, 99
Northern Illinois 3-0 1991
Notre Dame 1-2 1981
Ohio State 2-0 2000
Old Dominion 5-1 1983, 89
Oregon 2-1 1996
Penn State 5-1 1985, 92
Pennsylvania 1-2 1983
Pepperdine 1-7 1984, 97, 2015
Portland 1-1 2016
Portland State 1-2 1989
Prairie View A&M 0-2 2012
Providence 3-3 1989, 94
Purdue 2-1 1981
Radford 0-3 1987
Rhode Island 4-1 1994, 00
Sacramento State 2-1 1992
San Diego 1-2 1986
San Diego State 5-1 1981, 89
San Francisco 0-3 1982
San Jose State 0-2 2010
Santa Clara 1-1 2007
South Alabama 2-1 1990
South Carolina 6-0 1988, 95
South Florida 1-4 1983, 2011
Southeastern Louisiana 0-3 1992
Southern California 4-1 1986, 2016
Southern Methodist 4-5 1986, 90, 93
Southern Utah 0-3 1990
Stanford 3-2 1983, 04
Stephen F. Austin 3-0 1989
Syracuse 1-1 2008
Temple 2-1 1990
Tennessee 3-0 1997
Texas 3-0 1984
Texas A&M 1-2 1997
Texas-El Paso 2-1 1989
Texas-San Antonio 1-2 1991
Toledo 2-1 1996
Tulane 2-1 1995
Tulsa 1-1 2017
UC Riverside 2-2 2006, 13
UCLA 2-1 1994
U.S. International 1-2 1988
Utah State 3-5 1982, 86, 2012
Valparaiso 1-1 2000
Wake Forest 1-2 1990
Washington 2-3 1982, 2010
Weber State 2-1 1986
Western Carolina 0-2 2009
Western Kentucky 6-2 1986, 88, 2015
Wichita State 2-1 1983
William & Mary 2-1 1994
Wisconsin 2-1 1997
Wyoming 1-1 1980
Xavier 2-1 1995
Yale 0-5 1985, 14
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Women's Shootout Teams Qualifying for that Year's NCAA Tournament
1980 & 1981: No NCAA Women's Tournament
1982 (1): Arizona State
1983 (1): Old Dominion**
1984 (2): Nevada-Las Vegas, Texas*
1985 (3): Louisiana Tech*, North Carolina, Penn State
1986 (3): Alaska Anchorage, Southern Cal***, Western Kentucky**
1987 (2): Memphis State, New Orleans
1988 (3): Alaska Anchorage, South Carolina, Western Kentucky
1989 (4): Alaska Anchorage, Old Dominion, Providence, Stephen F. Austin
1990 (0)
1991 (2): Appalachian State, Northern Illinois
1992 (2): Alaska Anchorage, Penn State
1993 (0)
1994 (1): Alaska Anchorage
1994-95 (0)
1995-96 (2): Holy Cross, Tulane
1996-97 (3): Georgia*, Oregon, Toledo
1997-98 (2): Tennessee****, Wisconsin
1999-00 (2): Alaska Anchorage, Kansas
2000-01 (0)
2001-02 (1): Iowa
2002-03 (0)
2003-04 (0)
2004-05 (1): Stanford*
2005-06 (0)
2006-07 (2): Alaska Anchorage, UC Riverside
2007-08 (2): Alaska Anchorage**, Cleveland State
2008-09 (1): Alaska Anchorage**
2009-10 (1): Alaska Anchorage
2010-11 (1): Alaska Anchorage
2011-12 (2): Alaska Anchorage*, Miami (Fla.)
2012-13 (0)
2013-14 (1): Alaska Anchorage
2014-15 (2): Alaska Anchorage, Boise State
2015-16 (1): Alaska Anchorage***
2016-17 (1): Alaska Anchorage
*Elite 8 Qualifier
**Final 4 Qualifier
***NCAA Runner-Up
****NCAA Champion
