As the nation celebrates Black History Month, the story of the Cheyney State Lady Wolves remains one of the most remarkable yet often overlooked achievements in college basketball history.
In 1982, the Lady Wolves became the only HBCU (Historically Black College and University) team ever to reach the NCAA national championship game, defying the odds in a sport dominated by well-funded powerhouse programs.
Their journey was led by C. Vivian Stringer, a young coach hired by Cheyney State (now Cheyney University of Pennsylvania) in 1971 as a professor. Coaching the team without pay, Stringer built a program that thrived despite limited resources—no locker rooms, no showers, and no scholarships.
Despite these obstacles, the 1982 Lady Wolves roster included eight high school All-Americans. As a Division II school competing against Division I teams, they shocked the nation with a 19-game winning streak leading into the NCAA tournament. Entering as a No. 2 seed, they became the first HBCU team—men’s or women’s—to reach the Final Four.
Even at the Final Four, their fight for recognition continued—official merchandise failed to include Cheyney State alongside the other teams. But the Lady Wolves didn’t let that stop them. They advanced to the national championship game against No. 1-ranked Louisiana Tech, starting strong with a 16-8 lead before ultimately falling short.
Though they lost the game, their legacy was cemented. Cheyney State remains the only HBCU to ever compete for an NCAA basketball title.
Coach C. Vivian Stringer went on to make history, becoming the first coach in NCAA history to lead three different women’s programs to the Final Four and the first Black college basketball coach to reach 1,000 career wins. In 2009, she was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, securing her place as a trailblazer in women’s basketball.
As Black History Month honors the Black community, the story of the Cheyney State Lady Wolves is a powerful reminder of perseverance, excellence, and breaking barriers in sports.
