Historic Season for Women's Basketball Comes to an End in Sweet 16

[Pasco, WA] – The 2024-25 Treasure Valley Community College Women's Basketball wrapped up the most successful season in the program's history since joining the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC) in 2002. Finishing the season with a record of 21-8, and an East Region record of 11-3, the Chukars won more games than any other TVCC women's basketball team. During the 2015-16 season, TVCC finished the season 18-11 overall, and 9-5 in the East Region, placing 4th. The following season, the Chukars finished 17-12 overall, and 8-8 in the East Region, again placing 4th. No other Treasure Valley women's basketball teams have won more than 15 games in a season.

The first time the Chukars made a trip to the NWAC Tournament was during the 2008-09 season, where they went 15-13 overall and 9-5 in the East Region. Earning 3rd place in the East Region was the highest a TVCC team has placed, a feat that has only been done twice, with the 2024-25 season being the second time. At the first appearance in the program's history, the Chukars were defeated by Lower Columbia in the Sweet 16, 74-66. Treasure Valley then went on a six-year drought before playing in the postseason again. The 2015-16 season was the 2nd tournament appearance for the Chukars, where they were defeated in the first round by eventual runner-up Peninsula, 71-55. Making back-to-back tournament appearances, the Chukars finished the 2016-17 season with a loss in the first round to Umpqua 84-49, where the Riverhawks would go on to place 3rd. Another six-year hiatus found TVCC out of postseason competition until the 2023-24 season, where they finished with a 12-17 overall record and 7-7 East Region record. The East Region 4th place Chukar squad would be defeated in the Sweet 16 by eventual champions, Lane, by a score of 59-49. With a tournament appearance this season, this marks only the 5th time in the program's history of playing in the postseason, and only the 2nd time playing in back-to-back seasons. The 2024-25 season was derailed by the West Region #2 seeded Green River Gators, who beat the Chukars in the Sweet 16 with a score of 81-63. TVCC Women's Basketball has never won a game at the NWAC Tournament.

Not only was the 21-win season something that had never been done, there were also multiple individual records broken. Sophomore Zoe Archibald, from Meridian, ID, set a record 249 career assists, passing the previous record of 216, which was set by Kelly Howard in the 2006-08 seasons. Also a sophomore, Sophia Legate out of Salt Lake City, UT, broke three records, and painted her name all over the TVCC record books. Legate broke the record for most made 3-pointers in a single season, sinking 100 from beyond the arc. Another 3-point record that Legate claimed was most made in a career, for a combined 161 over her two seasons. Both records were previously held by current Head Coach Riley Helmick, where she made 85 during the 2016-17 season, and made 143 over her 2015-17 career. Legate is also the all-time leading scorer in Chukar hoops history, scoring 818 points over her career. She out-scored the previous record by over 100 points, as the record held by Tracy Anderson during the 1978-80 seasons was 712 total points.

The 2024-25 Chukar Women's Basketball team cemented their season in the record books as the winningest team in the program's history. Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, the incoming group has an opportunity to do something that has never been done; make the NWAC Tournament for a 3rd consecutive year.