The 2015-16 Tulane Women’s Basketball Team: A Winning Culture
May 28, 2020 | Women's Basketball
NEW ORLEANS – The 2015-16 Tulane women's basketball team was coming off a trip to the 2015 NCAA Tournament. Four seniors graduated from the year prior, but the 2015-16 team would not use that as an excuse to have a down season.
"We knew there was going to be a shift on our team because we had five freshmen and some transfer students," then senior forward Tierra Jones said. "Our team looked completely different in the 15-16 year. It was just really exciting coming together and meshing with the new players. More so than anything, our expectation was that we always want to compete. We did not want to use the excuse of losing a talented class to have a losing or low year. We still wanted to compete, and as the season went on, we realized we had a good amount of talent."
The Green Wave were a consistent group, as five players – Kolby Morgan, Leslie Vorpahl, Tierra Jones, Courtnie Latham and Chinwe Duru – started 31 of the 35 games that season. The guards, Morgan and Vorpahl, led the team on the court as the top scorers, while the seniors, Duru and Jones, provided vocal leadership and solid on-court play and Latham added the glue to the team.
"When it was time to work, we worked," assistant coach Doshia Woods said of the group. "I think they did a good job of holding each other accountable. I think it really started with that leadership and the experience of the guards coming back. It was a good mix. They weren't afraid to hold each other accountable and push each other. Managing that and the balancing of the personalities, it was a good group. Part of that was the consistency of those five that led us. They did that not only in practice, but in games and off the court as well."
After four seniors left the team, Tulane was in search of a new leader. Jones stepped into that role and her teammates took notice.
"She was just inspirational," Vorpahl said of Jones. "She would always have these pump-up talks before games. She really came into her game by her senior year. She was just such an asset for us on the floor. She would just sacrifice her body and we just kind of played off her energy a lot. She was definitely the most vocal at practice. She was our leader just all around."
Duru echoed the sentiment.
"She felt so intensely and she transferred that energy to us," Duru said. "Her game time speeches were always insane and out of this world and she would just do it off rip. That just showed how emotional and how invested she was to our team and to our success."
Tulane began the year with two wins prior to heading to Tallahassee, Florida to face the No. 6 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Tulane went into the game with something to prove and, although they didn't win, the Green Wave were able to gain something from the experience.
"That game was rough," Duru said of the game at FSU. "I was actually really proud of us. I think that really helped motivate the team, knowing that we were able to go toe-to-toe with a top 10 team. The atmosphere was insane. It was so fun. I think we kind of had FSU scared because I don't think they expected us to battle like we did. That is one thing that is really great about us from my four years. No matter who we were playing, we were trying to battle. It was bittersweet, but it was one of the best games that I played."
The team did not have long to dwell on the loss because it had LSU coming to town four days later. The Green Wave immediately put the loss behind them and bounced back for a big win over the Tigers, which gave Duru and Jones a 3-1 record against LSU in their careers.
The team then headed to the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, over Thanksgiving. After two losses to Rutgers and Green Bay, Tulane faced a crossroads with one game left against Virginia in the tournament.
"I think that tournament was a very defining moment for our team," Jones said. "We came in there and kind of lollygagged and it took us a moment to wake up in those first two games. The way we responded to play Virginia in the third game was probably one of the best team performances up to that point in the year. That is the memory I always think of when I think of that St. Thomas tournament. It is not how you fall or how you lose, it is how you respond to it. I think our team showed a lot of character and a lot of grit in having a big win. Morale wise it was huge for us."
The returners used the tournament as a teaching moment for the younger players.
"We lost the first two at the tournament and after the second game so that was kind of our first downturn in the season," Vorpahl said. "We had a team meeting afterwards, and before the next game, and we won the next game. We just needed to talk about it and show up every game no matter who it is. We told the freshmen that this is a winning culture and it was not okay to come to the Virgin Islands and play like this. That was a good turning point in the season for us. We needed that little kick in the butt."
The Green Wave went on to win the next seven games of that season. Tulane finished the regular season and conference tournament with a 21-11 overall record and an 11-7 conference mark.
The team then headed to the WNIT and prepared for a first-round matchup against Alabama. That game hit close to home for Jones, a Madison, Alabama native.
"I remember the administration made a push that they wanted to host some of the postseason games," Jones said. "There was a big marketing push to get people there and excite the student body and entice people to come. It was really cool because I'm from Alabama and I have a lot of connections to that team and that state, so even getting to play against Alabama was very comforting to me too. It was awesome."
The game lived up to the hype. Morgan stepped to the line with 18 seconds remaining and the Wave trailing by one. She knocked down two free throws and sent Tulane to the second round, where they would meet Georgia Tech.
"That game was so fun," Duru said. "There was so much energy there. We had so many people come to that game because Meredith [Schulte], Tene [Thompson] and Haryln [Wyatt] are from Georgia. Everybody showed out and came to support us in Atlanta. I remember that game having so much energy and being so fun. I do remember it being intense the whole game. I didn't feel like there was a lot of room to breathe, but it was also really fun. I think having all those games be so close gives you so much energy and so much faith. If you are able to play in those types of environments and those types of games, you can't fail. I remember that run being really fun."
Though Tulane's run came to an end in the third round of the tournament at Florida Gulf Coast, the accomplishments made that season left an impact on the entire program.
"Tulane basketball means Tradition. Legacy. Sisterhood," Duru said. "I still talk to everyone that I played with in some capacity. We're a family. Coach Stockton has been there for so long and to see her history from 1993 to now, we'll get together with the alumni and you can see that everyone is still so invested, from her first team until now."
Vorpahl and Jones saw the program as an opportunity.
"I think Tulane basketball symbolizes opportunity," Jones said. "When I think about Tulane basketball, I think of the opportunity it gave me to compete at a high level and get an awesome education that I am so thankful for."
"It is opportunity for sure," Vorpahl said. "As a 5-5, short, little, white girl I didn't know where I'd be placed for college or how much playing time I would get. I think coach Stockton gave me an opportunity as a freshman knowing that we had Jamie Kaplan at the point guard. She showed trust in me from the beginning. Coach trusted me on the floor. Then when I got injured overseas, coach called me and gave me another opportunity to just be a coach next to her – a legend."
The game of basketball, Tulane University and head coach Lisa Stockton gave these young women the opportunity to build relationships and make an impact on so many people. And they took advantage of every part of it.
"We knew there was going to be a shift on our team because we had five freshmen and some transfer students," then senior forward Tierra Jones said. "Our team looked completely different in the 15-16 year. It was just really exciting coming together and meshing with the new players. More so than anything, our expectation was that we always want to compete. We did not want to use the excuse of losing a talented class to have a losing or low year. We still wanted to compete, and as the season went on, we realized we had a good amount of talent."
The Green Wave were a consistent group, as five players – Kolby Morgan, Leslie Vorpahl, Tierra Jones, Courtnie Latham and Chinwe Duru – started 31 of the 35 games that season. The guards, Morgan and Vorpahl, led the team on the court as the top scorers, while the seniors, Duru and Jones, provided vocal leadership and solid on-court play and Latham added the glue to the team.
"When it was time to work, we worked," assistant coach Doshia Woods said of the group. "I think they did a good job of holding each other accountable. I think it really started with that leadership and the experience of the guards coming back. It was a good mix. They weren't afraid to hold each other accountable and push each other. Managing that and the balancing of the personalities, it was a good group. Part of that was the consistency of those five that led us. They did that not only in practice, but in games and off the court as well."
After four seniors left the team, Tulane was in search of a new leader. Jones stepped into that role and her teammates took notice.
"She was just inspirational," Vorpahl said of Jones. "She would always have these pump-up talks before games. She really came into her game by her senior year. She was just such an asset for us on the floor. She would just sacrifice her body and we just kind of played off her energy a lot. She was definitely the most vocal at practice. She was our leader just all around."
Duru echoed the sentiment.
"She felt so intensely and she transferred that energy to us," Duru said. "Her game time speeches were always insane and out of this world and she would just do it off rip. That just showed how emotional and how invested she was to our team and to our success."
Tulane began the year with two wins prior to heading to Tallahassee, Florida to face the No. 6 ranked Florida State Seminoles. Tulane went into the game with something to prove and, although they didn't win, the Green Wave were able to gain something from the experience.
"That game was rough," Duru said of the game at FSU. "I was actually really proud of us. I think that really helped motivate the team, knowing that we were able to go toe-to-toe with a top 10 team. The atmosphere was insane. It was so fun. I think we kind of had FSU scared because I don't think they expected us to battle like we did. That is one thing that is really great about us from my four years. No matter who we were playing, we were trying to battle. It was bittersweet, but it was one of the best games that I played."
The team did not have long to dwell on the loss because it had LSU coming to town four days later. The Green Wave immediately put the loss behind them and bounced back for a big win over the Tigers, which gave Duru and Jones a 3-1 record against LSU in their careers.
The team then headed to the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, over Thanksgiving. After two losses to Rutgers and Green Bay, Tulane faced a crossroads with one game left against Virginia in the tournament.
"I think that tournament was a very defining moment for our team," Jones said. "We came in there and kind of lollygagged and it took us a moment to wake up in those first two games. The way we responded to play Virginia in the third game was probably one of the best team performances up to that point in the year. That is the memory I always think of when I think of that St. Thomas tournament. It is not how you fall or how you lose, it is how you respond to it. I think our team showed a lot of character and a lot of grit in having a big win. Morale wise it was huge for us."
The returners used the tournament as a teaching moment for the younger players.
"We lost the first two at the tournament and after the second game so that was kind of our first downturn in the season," Vorpahl said. "We had a team meeting afterwards, and before the next game, and we won the next game. We just needed to talk about it and show up every game no matter who it is. We told the freshmen that this is a winning culture and it was not okay to come to the Virgin Islands and play like this. That was a good turning point in the season for us. We needed that little kick in the butt."
The Green Wave went on to win the next seven games of that season. Tulane finished the regular season and conference tournament with a 21-11 overall record and an 11-7 conference mark.
The team then headed to the WNIT and prepared for a first-round matchup against Alabama. That game hit close to home for Jones, a Madison, Alabama native.
"I remember the administration made a push that they wanted to host some of the postseason games," Jones said. "There was a big marketing push to get people there and excite the student body and entice people to come. It was really cool because I'm from Alabama and I have a lot of connections to that team and that state, so even getting to play against Alabama was very comforting to me too. It was awesome."
The game lived up to the hype. Morgan stepped to the line with 18 seconds remaining and the Wave trailing by one. She knocked down two free throws and sent Tulane to the second round, where they would meet Georgia Tech.
"That game was so fun," Duru said. "There was so much energy there. We had so many people come to that game because Meredith [Schulte], Tene [Thompson] and Haryln [Wyatt] are from Georgia. Everybody showed out and came to support us in Atlanta. I remember that game having so much energy and being so fun. I do remember it being intense the whole game. I didn't feel like there was a lot of room to breathe, but it was also really fun. I think having all those games be so close gives you so much energy and so much faith. If you are able to play in those types of environments and those types of games, you can't fail. I remember that run being really fun."
Though Tulane's run came to an end in the third round of the tournament at Florida Gulf Coast, the accomplishments made that season left an impact on the entire program.
"Tulane basketball means Tradition. Legacy. Sisterhood," Duru said. "I still talk to everyone that I played with in some capacity. We're a family. Coach Stockton has been there for so long and to see her history from 1993 to now, we'll get together with the alumni and you can see that everyone is still so invested, from her first team until now."
Vorpahl and Jones saw the program as an opportunity.
"I think Tulane basketball symbolizes opportunity," Jones said. "When I think about Tulane basketball, I think of the opportunity it gave me to compete at a high level and get an awesome education that I am so thankful for."
"It is opportunity for sure," Vorpahl said. "As a 5-5, short, little, white girl I didn't know where I'd be placed for college or how much playing time I would get. I think coach Stockton gave me an opportunity as a freshman knowing that we had Jamie Kaplan at the point guard. She showed trust in me from the beginning. Coach trusted me on the floor. Then when I got injured overseas, coach called me and gave me another opportunity to just be a coach next to her – a legend."
The game of basketball, Tulane University and head coach Lisa Stockton gave these young women the opportunity to build relationships and make an impact on so many people. And they took advantage of every part of it.
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