With an all-underclassmen starting five, including three freshmen, South Florida's first postseason berth augurs well for the future.
It also allows the past to go out in style.
Seniors Sarah Lochmann and Melissa Tape are the only players remaining from the sullied 2000-01 season, when eight racial discrimination lawsuits, many by former players, led to the dismissal of coach Jerry Ann Winters and a bottoming out. USF finished 4-24.
Three years later, coach Jose Fernandez has guided the Bulls into the WNIT. USF plays at 7 tonight at Richmond (20-9).
"The feeling of making a postseason tournament, you can't describe it," said Tape, a backup point guard from Australia. "We've been through a lot."
USF squeaked in at 14-14, boosted by a 7-7 mark in highly regarded Conference USA, which sent nine teams to postseason play. The Bulls' late charge - they won six of their last seven in the regular season - was led by C-USA freshman of the year Jessica Dickson, the nation's highest-scoring freshman with 18.8 a game.
Freshmen center Nalini Miller (10.7 ppg, 7.7 rpg) and guard Rachael Sheats (team-high 51.4 shooting percentage), junior college point guard Anedra Gilmore and forward Ezria Parsons, an Auburn transfer, round out an all-newcomer starting lineup.
"For us to make it here is amazing. We were picked last in the league," said Gilmore, who leads the team in assists (5.9) and steals (2.6). "But I knew we were better than (a last place team) when we first started practice. I thought, "If we're the worst team, than this league is awesome.' "
USF had to sweat out the WNIT bid Sunday night after losing to Cincinnati in the opening round of the C-USA tournament.
"We were here bright and early on Monday," Fernandez said.
"It was a little unexpected," Sheats said. "It shows how far we've come."
The Bulls want to make a run in the 32-team tournament, as each win adds confidence for the future. Eleven players could return next season, all except Tape and Lochmann, who average a combined 3.9 points.
A win tonight also means USF could play in the Sun Dome in the second round against Florida State.
Richmond's program also is on the upswing. The Spiders, who are led by Kate Flavin (18 ppg, 9.2 rpg), won their first two postseason games in the 2003 WNIT and defeated Florida this season.
