NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In the world of women’s college basketball, Connecticut and South Carolina have been the cream of the crop in recent years.
Iowa, LSU, Texas and UCLA are among the elite, as well.
Colorado typically isn’t included in conversation about the top programs in the country, yet head coach JR Payne has quietly built the Buffaloes into one of the most consistent. And, she’s leading the premier Division I basketball program – men or women – in the state.
The Colorado women’s basketball team celebrates earning a bid to the NCAA Tournament in 2022. (Brian Howell/BuffZone.com)
On Saturday, the Buffs (22-11) will make their fourth appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last five years. Seeded 10th in the Fort Worth 1 region, CU will face seventh-seeded Illinois (21-11) in the first round in Nashville (7:30 p.m. MT, ESPN2).
“It’s actually really awesome,” Payne said of the Buffs’ run of success. “Coaching’s hard, and this profession’s hard, and playing college basketball is hard, but to be able to consistently have success, I think just speaks to the culture of the program and the way we do things, and that we do things the right way and really try to recruit kids that embody the things that we value.”
While CU is making its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance in the last five seasons, the other D-I programs in the state have combined for five appearances in the same time frame: three by the Colorado State men and one each by the CU men and CSU women.
Nationally, CU is one of just 13 power conference programs (21 overall) to win at least 21 games in each of the last five seasons. Overall, CU is 114-53 over the last five years, with 17 wins against Associated Press Top 25 foes.
Shea Ralph, the head coach of No. 2 seed Vanderbilt, the host in Nashville, doesn’t know much about CU’s program. She is a friend of CU legend Shelley Sheetz, who is now a Buffs’ assistant, but admits she’s been too focused on her own program to follow CU. (The Buffs and Commodores could meet in Monday’s second round).
Ralph, however, knows the challenges of the job and credits Payne and her staff for what they’ve done.
“I think any team and coaching staff that can build a program in this day and age and be consistently winning in a P4 level is doing something right,” Ralph said.
Payne, who is 186-127 at CU, has done it the same way throughout her 10 seasons in Boulder, despite significant turnover.
After struggling through the first three seasons (44-50 record), Payne had the Buffs in line for a WNIT spot in 2020 before the postseason was canceled due to COVID. In 2021, they went to the WNIT and advanced to the third round.
Then, in 2022, led by seniors Mya Hollingshed, Peanut Tuitele and Lesila Finau, the Buffs snapped a nine-year March Madness drought.
Colorado’s Jaylyn Sherrod (00) causes Duke’s Celeste Taylor (0) to lose control of the ball during the first half of a second-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament, Monday, March 20, 2023, in Durham, N.C. (AP Photo/Karl B. DeBlaker)
In 2023 and 2024, it was Jaylyn Sherrod, Quay Miller, Frida Formann, Aaronette Vonleh, Kindyll Wetta and others leading CU to new heights, with back-to-back trips to the Sweet 16.
Graduation and more relaxed transfer rules nationally have changed rosters around the country, including at CU, yet Payne continues to win.
A year ago, the Buffs had 10 new players and came up just short of the NCAA tournament, as the first team out.
They’ve rebuilt with 10 new players again this year, including guards Zyanna Walker and Desiree Wooten, to go along with returning All-Big 12 forward Jade Masogayo.
While the roster has changed dramatically over the past few years, the operation has not. It’s a program not built on stars, but on hard work, defense, toughness, fundamentals and preparation.
“If we’re anything, we’re tough,” Payne said. “We might not be the biggest or the most skilled at every single spot, but we’re definitely tougher than most.”
Throughout this run, Sherrod is the only player that’s gained some national attention, during CU’s run to the Sweet 16 in 2024, but she was lightly recruited out of high school and was the embodiment of toughness. That’s carried over in the two years since.
Colorado Buffaloes’ Jade Masogayo, right, drives around Utah Utes’ Chyra Evans, left, at the CU Events Center in Boulder on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (Matthew Jonas/Staff Photographer)
“I feel like just how we practice every day (is key),” said guard Kennedy Sanders, who is out with an injury year, but is the last remaining player from the 2024 squad that went to the Sweet 16. “We always talk about being where our feet are and having good practices every day. You’re not going to have perfect practice every day, but just making sure you’re working hard, staying together.”
Payne and her staff have also built a family culture within the program.
“It’s always been that,” Sanders said. “It’s just way more special to play for someone that you love and that you know cares about you. … Our coaches truly do care about us on and off the floor. So, it’s cool just to play for them and obviously you want to play hard for them.”
Of course, the coaches have their moments when they will yell at the players, but Sanders said, “Our coaches don’t yell often, but when they do we know they’re upset and we know we need to fix something.”
For Payne, it’s a style that has worked, even in the ever-changing world of college athletics. That’s why she has once again led her team to March Madness, despite 10 of the 14 players on the roster being first-year Buffs.
“Honestly, this year’s team has just been so much fun that every day is awesome with these guys,” Payne said. “I’m going to be so sad when it’s over. We expect most of our team to be back next year, but it won’t be the exact same group. I think these guys have acclimated to our culture really well of just being blue collar, tough, hard-nosed, fearless – all of those things that we’ve always been. So it’s not surprising that we’ve been able to get back. When a team buys in like that, it’s not too hard.”
CU doesn’t get a lot of recognition nationally for its success, and Sanders said that’s good, in a sense, to maintain the underdog mentality. Yet, she admits she wishes more people knew about the Buffs’ success.
“Because our coaches deserve it and we’ve had so many different teams and players,” she said. “Our coaches definitely deserve the recognition. But, we’re all in it together.”
CU Buffs women’s basketball vs. Illinois
TIPOFF: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. MT, Memorial Gymnasium in Nashville, Tennessee
TV/RADIO: ESPN2/KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
RECORDS: Colorado 22-11, 11-8 Big 12; Illinois 21-11, 9-9 Big Ten
COACHES: Colorado — JR Payne, 10th season (186-127; 287-240 career). Illinois — Shauna Green, 4th season (84-46; 240-121 career).
KEY PLAYERS: Colorado — F Tabitha Betson, 6-2, So. (4.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg); F Anaelle Dutat, 6-0, Sr. (8.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.7 spg, .516 fg%); F Logyn Greer, 6-4, Fr. (9.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg); F Jade Masogayo, 6-3, Sr. (11.2 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.9 apg, .483 fg%); G Maeve McErlane, 5-10, Jr. (1.4 ppg, 0.8 rpg); G Zyanna Walker, 5-11, Jr. (11.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.3 apg, 2.1 spg); G Desiree Wooten, 5-8, Jr. (13.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.6 apg, 1.6 spg). Illinois — G Jasmine Brown-Hagger, 5-9, Jr. (6.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg); G Aaliyah Guyton, 5-7, So. (6.6 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 2.1 apg); G Destiny Jackson, 5-6, Fr. (9.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 5.2 apg); F Cearah Parchment, 6-3, Fr. (13.4 ppg, 8.5 rpg, .402 3pt%); C Lety Vasconcelos, 6-7, So. (3.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, .558 fg%); F Berry Wallace, 6-1, So. (18.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, .868 ft%); G Maddie Webber, 6-0, Jr. (11.0 ppg, 2.6 rpg, .410 3pt%).
NOTES: The winner of this game will play Monday against the winner of Saturday’s matchup between No. 2 seed Vanderbilt and No. 15 seed High Point. … CU is 21-16 in 16 previous trips to the NCAA Tournament, including 4-2 in its last two trips. … Illinois is 9-10 in its NCAA Tournament history, and is in March Madness for the third time in four years under Green. … This is the first time since 2000 that Illinois has made back-to-back tournament appearances. It went 1-1 in last year’s tournament. … CU is 4-2 all-time against the Fighting Illini, but the teams haven’t met since a 79-56 Buffs win in Boulder on Dec. 7, 2013. … Illinois ranks second nationally in free throw percentage (.815), 17th in 3-point percentage (.361) and 24th in field goal percentage (.457). The Buffs rank 134th in free throws (.729) and 104th in field goal percentage (.425), and they have the lowest 3-point percentage (.276, 302nd) in the 68-team tournament field. … CU is 150th in field-goal percentage defense (.395), while Illinois is 294th (.425).