Clemson University announced on Apr. 10 that its women’s basketball team, led by head coach Shawn Poppie, achieved a historic season during the 2025-26 campaign. The Tigers reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 and set several program milestones under Poppie’s leadership.
The team’s success is significant as it signals a turnaround for Clemson women’s basketball, which had been predicted to finish eleventh in the Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll. Instead, Clemson finished with 21 regular-season wins—the highest total since the 2000-01 season—and secured 11 conference victories, marking their best performance in over three decades.
Poppie emphasized a philosophy of “Family, Energy, and Development,” fostering continuity and accountability within the roster. “I think when you focus on the little things every single day and do things the right way… the wins will come,” Poppie said following his hire in 2024. The Tigers also set an Atlantic Coast Conference record by making 21 three-pointers in a single game against Chicago State on December 28.
Key moments included defeating Duke to end their opponent’s seventeen-game win streak and securing victories over NC State and Notre Dame—both rare achievements for Clemson. Off-court camaraderie was highlighted when teammates pooled resources to reunite player Rusne Augustinaite with her mother from overseas; Augustinaite told CBS News about her gratitude: “I don’t know how it didn’t… slip, or someone didn’t text it in the wrong group chat or something. But they did a great job, and it’s all because of my teammates, and I’m just so happy to have them.”
Mia Moore emerged as one of the team’s standout players during her two years at Clemson, earning All-America Honorable Mention honors while averaging career highs in points (13.3) and assists (4.7) per game.
Although Clemson narrowly lost to USC in overtime during their first-round NCAA Tournament matchup after an official review negated what would have been a game-winning basket by Moore at regulation’s end, Poppie reflected on how close his team came: “Unfortunately, today I thought Southern Cal was one possession or point-1 second better than us.”
Looking ahead, Clemson secured its highest-ranked recruiting class ever—ranked third nationally—which suggests sustained competitiveness for future seasons. As Poppie concluded: “I’m incredibly proud of this group and what they’ve built together… This isn’t the end for us—it’s the foundation of where we’re going.”
