PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – On Saturday, November 16^th, prior to the women's basketball game against Utica University, Plattsburgh State Athletics will celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of the Plattsburgh State women's basketball program. With the game scheduled for 3 p.m., the event is set to begin around 2:45 p.m. The start times are dependent on the prior game between Potsdam and VTSU-Castleton which tips off at 1 p.m.

The event will honor the following alumnae expected to attend:

Cardinal Alumna: Graduation Year
Mya Smith: 2023
Frannie Merkel: 2020
Steph Linder:  2017
Devona Paul:  2016
Brittany Marshall:  2015
Misha Green-Yotts:  2015
Kathleen "KP" Payne:  2014
Laura Phillips:  2007
Rene Klementowski:  2006
Athena DiLorenzo-Ryan:  2005
Sarah Jensen:  2005
Nicky Viti-Duprey:  2002
Katie Castine-Terry:  2000
Kerry Chapin-Lavigne: 1998
Carrie Frederick-McComb:  1998
Desiree Peart:  1990
 Donna Dixon:  1989
Anne Slattery:  1984
Linda Byrne-Luguri:  1977
Emily Jones-Pleau:  1969
Joan Swan: 1967

Varsity women's basketball began NCAA competition at Plattsburgh State with the 1974-75 season. Prior to that, the college had an active women's basketball club, beginning with the 1966-67 squad that was coached by the late Phoebe Sturm, a Plattsburgh State Athletic Hall of Famer. 

Sturm was the longtime coach of the Cardinals, coaching the team from 1974-1996, accumulating 158 wins and a Coach of the Year award in 1987. She was followed by Erin Griffiths, who coached the team for one season before Cheryl Cole took over the team in 1997. Cole coached the team until 2020, wrapping up her 24-year head coaching career at Plattsburgh State with 249 victories, one State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) championship, and one NCAA Division III Tournament appearance to finish as the winningest coach in the program's history. Ben Sarraf, who spent eight seasons as an assistant under Cole, is the current head coach, taking over in 2020.

The team's SUNYAC Title came amidst a 23-6 season in 2014, as they took down Geneseo in the SUNYAC Championship game to advance to the NCAA Tournament. Brittany Marshall '15 was named the SUNYAC Tournament MVP, putting up 21 points in the semifinal win and 13 points in the championship game. The team traveled to Bowdoin for the NCAA First and Second Round, defeating Roger Williams before falling to Castleton in overtime in the second round.

Kathleen Payne '14 (2014) and Donna Dixon '89 (1988) are the two players in the team's history to win SUNYAC Player of the Year with both later being inducted into the Plattsburgh State Athletic Hall of Fame. Other Hall of Famers from the women's basketball program include Maureen M. Anken '84, Doris E. Benton '50, Gail Dunn Rudloff '66, Linda J. Feinman '81, Emily Jones Pleau '81, Margaret "Meg" Knott '84, Erin (Hutchinson) Lorah '04, Mary Schreck-Catellier '79, Anne M. Slattery '84, Alicia (LaValley) Wentworth '93.