University of Texas - Rio Grande Valley Women's Basketball

Lane Lord, a five-time conference and three-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year who spent the previous 11 years as the head coach at Pittsburg State, was announced as the new head coach of the UTRGV women’s basketball team on May 21, 2018. 2025-26: Year 8 was the best yet for Lord and the women's basketball program. UTRGV captured the first 20-win season in program history with a 21-14 record and earned the first postseason road victory with a return to the WNIT, the first postseason appearance since 2019. The Vaqueros set or tied 14 single-season program records: overall wins (21), conference wins (16), road wins (11), road winning percentage (68.7%, 11-5), consecutive road wins (8), consecutive conference wins (7), tied longest winning streak (7), points scored (2,315), field goals made (817), free throws made (476), free throw percentage (74.1%, 476-642), rebounds (1,471), rebounds per game (42.0), and assists (519).  Lord's team was the only one in the conference to place two student-athletes on the All-Conference First Team in Charlotte O'Keefe and Jalayah Ingram. O'Keefe also made the All-Defensive Team and Ingram was named the Newcomer of the Year. O'Keefe will go down as one of the best players in program history. The three-time SLC Player of the Week in 2025-26 leaves as the program record holder in career rebounds (1,207), career blocks (146), single-season rebounds (400), and single-game rebounds (24) while ranking in the top 10 in career points (1,106), single-season blocks (44, twice), career field goals made (425), career field goal percentage (.437), career assists (240), career free throws made (194), and career games played (118). She is fourth in SLC history in career double-doubles (39) and fifth in career rebounds with two of the top 10 rebounding seasons in conference history. This season, she  led the conference in all rebounding categories and was ranked in the top 15 nationally in all four – second in rebounds per game (13.8), third in defensive RPG (9.7), sixth in total rebounds (399) and 13th in offensive RPG (4.0). She was also first in double-doubles (17) and minutes per game (35.93), ranking 14th and 20th in the nation, respectively. O’Keefe was the only SLC women’s basketball player to average a double-double this season – for the second consecutive year – as she produced 12.4 points and 13.8 rebounds per game to go with shooting 48% from the field, 83 assists, 44 blocks and 37 steals.  Ingram was a key junior college addition who made a massive impact in her first season at UTRGV. She led the team and was second in the SLC scoring 16.9 PPG. She was third in the conference with a team-best 137 assists (4.2 APG) and with 7.1 RPG. Ingram ranked fourth in the nation with 241 free throw attempts and fifth with 193 made free throws, which is a new single-season program record. Ingram scored 558 points in 2025-26, which is third-most in a season in program history, and she dished out the third-most assists in a season of any UTRGV women’s basketball player. She shot 80% from the free throw line and 40% from the field while snatching 49 steals and recording 32 blocks in a stellar debut year with the Vaqueros.  2024-25: In his seventh season, Lord coached the Vaqueros to their winningest season since 2018-19 as they went 16-16. UTRGV won the most conference games in a season in program history, going 11-9 in its first Southland Conference season. The Vaqueros had their best road record (6-9) and longest winning streak (5) since 2018-19. They earned their first win over a Power 4 conference opponent since 2003 with a 70-68 win at Houston.    Lord guided Charlotte O’Keefe to Southland All-Conference Second Team and All-Defensive Team honors. She was the only SLC player to average a double-double in the 2024-25 season and finished the regular season nationally ranked in total rebounds (2nd), rebounds per game (3rd), offensive RPG (6th) and defensive RPG (8th). O’Keefe set program records for rebounds in a single season (400), rebounds in a game (24), and career rebounds (400) in her junior season while recording five of the top-10 single-game rebounding performances in program history.    Lord also coached Kade Hackerott to Southland All-Conference Second Team honors. Hackerott made 119 free throws in the 2024-25 season, the fifth-most in a season in program history as she led the team in minutes played (32.7 MPG) and scoring (13.1 PPG).  2023-24: In his sixth season with the program, guided Jayda Holiman to All-WAC Freshman Team honors after missing the first 10 games of the season averaging 9.1 points per game and finishing third on the team in scoring.   Lord saw the Vaqueros finish second in the WAC in attendance with 17,129 and second in average home attendance with 1,224 fans per game. The Vaqueros saw the largest crowd to watch a women’s basketball game in the Rio Grande Valley as a program-record 6,591 fans filed into Bert Ogden Arena to see them play No. 5 Texas. 2022-23: In his fifth season with the program, Lord won more than 10 games for the fourth time in his tenure. Led the team to six wins in the first 10 games of the season with wins over McNeese, Northern Colorado, Corpus Christi, Houston Christian, and Boise State and then closed out the season by winning three of the final four games, including wins against Tarleton State, Sam Houston, and Utah Valley.   Lord saw Iyana Dorsey be named to the All-WAC Second Team as she led the WAC last season with three games of 30 or more points scored and set a program record for most free throws made in a single season with 147.    Lord also saw the Vaqueros set a program record with a .730 free throw percentage while finishing the season with 217 made three-pointers, which ranks tied for fourth in program history.  2021-22: In his fourth season with the Vaqueros, Lord saw the program reach double-figure wins for the third time in four seasons. Two of those wins came against the top two teams in the WAC on the road after knocking off Grand Canyon and stopping Stephen F. Austin’s 32-game conference win streak and 38-game home win streak.    Following the win at SFA, Lord got the Vaqueros rolling into the WAC Tournament where they picked up wins over Seattle U and Abilene Christian. Lord saw Taylor Muff be named to the All-WAC Second Team and the All-Newcomer Team.    Under Coach Lord, the Vaqueros set a program record for most three-pointers made in a season with 245, which ranked fourth in the WAC. The Vaqueros also put together a stretch of 36 three-pointers in the wins over SFA, Seattle U, and Abilene Christian, which marked the most three-pointers made over a three-game span since Dec. 12-19, 2010. 2020-21: In his third season at the helm, Lord guided the Vaqueros through a season like no other while maintain their excellence in the classroom with a team GPA of 3.38 and 13 AD Honor Roll Recipients.    Lord saw Amara Graham become the eighth player in program history to surpass the 1,000 career point mark as she finished the season as the WAC’s leading scorer with 16.5 points per game.    Lord also saw Graham and Sara Bershers earn All-WAC honors as Graham was named to the All-WAC Second Team and Bershers earned All-WAC Honorable Mention. The Vaqueros finished the season second in the WAC with 6.9 three-pointers made per game.  2019-20: Lord guided the Vaqueros to another double-digit win season in his second year with the program. The 2019-20 season marked the fourth straight season with 10 wins at home, including a win over New Mexico State.    Lord saw Amara Graham and Trelynn Tyler earn All-WAC honors as Graham was named to the All-WAC Second Team while Tyler was named to the WAC All-Newcomer Team.    Under Lord, the Vaqueros set a program record for points scored in a WAC game in an 87-68 win over CBU while finishing the season second in the WAC in steals (8.7) and third in scoring (67.4), assists (14.1), and three-pointers made (7.0). 2018-19: In his first season at the helm, Lord guided UTRGV to an 18-15 record en route to a birth into the Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) Tournament. He guided UTRGV to a program record 10 WAC victories as it clinched the No. 2 seed in the WAC Tournament, where UTRGV made the championship game for the third time since joining the WAC.   Lord coached Madison Northcutt to a trio of postseason awards as she was named to the All-WAC Second Team, All-Defensive Team, and the All-Newcomer Team. Under Lord, UTRGV finished with the WAC’s best scoring defense by allowing 61.2 points per game.  Lord compiled a 231-102 (.694) record during his tenure at Pitt State, including five trips to the NCAA Division II National Tournament in the last seven years and the program’s first two Elite Eight appearances. During that time, Pitt State averaged 24.4 wins per season while going 171-50 (.774). Pitt State won 20 or more games seven times in Lord’s 11 years.   For his career, Lord has a 467-199 (.701) head coaching record in 24 seasons, including 14 seasons at the collegiate level, during which time he is 326-137 (.704).   Lord earned Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Coach of the Year honors in 2009, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2017), NCAA Regional Coach of the Year recognition in 2009, 2012 and 2017), and Kansas Basketball Coaches Association Four Year Women's College Coach of the Year honors in 2018.   Highlights of Lord’s tenure include the 2016-17 season, when Pitt State went 16-3 mark in MIAA play for the program’s first MIAA regular season title since 1996. During that season, Pitt State climbed as high as No. 5 in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Top 25 poll.   In 2011-12, Lord led Pitt State to the program’s first NCAA Tournament berth since 1998 and an Elite Eight appearance after going a program record 27-6 (.818).   Lord came to Pitt State from Barton Community College (BCC), where he led the women’s basketball program to a 77-20 (.794) record from 2004-07.   In 2006-07, Lord guided his team to a 27-3 overall record and a share of the Jayhawk Conference West Championship. His squad won 24 of its final 25 games and finished the season on a 12-game winning streak. BCC compiled 15 wins against teams that were either ranked or receiving votes in the NJCAA Top 25 poll.   In 2005-06, BCC was ranked as high as No. 8 in the NJCAA national poll.   Lord began his coaching career as the head girls’ basketball coach at Wichita Heights High School from 1995-to-2004, during which time he compiled a 141-62 (.695) record.   Lord amassed an 89-8 (.918) record and a claimed a pair of Kansas Class 6A state titles during his final four years at the post, earning Kansas Class 6A Coach of Year in both 2002 and 2003. In 2003, he was named the Kansas Girls Coach of the Year for all classes by the National Federation of High School Coaches.   Originally from Waco, Lord earned a bachelor’s degree in physical education and special education from Tabor College in 1993. He earned a master’s degree in school leadership from Friends University in 2003.   Lord is married to the former Stacy Shobe. The couple have one daughter, Logan.    Year-by-Year Head Coaching Results Overall Conference Postseason Year School W L Pct. W L Pct. 1995-96 Wichita Heights High School 10 11 .476 1996-97 Wichita Heights High School 9 11 .450 1997-98 Wichita Heights High School 10 12 .455 KSHSAA 6A Sub-State Runner-Up 1998-99 Wichita Heights High School 9 12 .429 1999-00 Wichita Heights High School 14 8 .636 KSHSAA 6A Sub-State Runner-Up 2000-01 Wichita Heights High School 24 1 .960 KSHSAA 6A State Tournament Third Place 2001-02 Wichita Heights High School 24 1 .960 KSHSAA 6A State Tournament Champions 2002-03 Wichita Heights High School 21 4 .840 KSHSAA 6A State Tournament Champions 2003-04 Wichita Heights High School 20 2 .909 KSHSAA 6A State Tournament Runner Up Total Wichita Heights High School 141 62 .695 2004-05 Barton Community College 22 12 .647 Region VI Runner Up 2005-06 Barton Community College 28 5 .848 Region VI Runner Up 2006-07 Barton Community College 27 3 .900 Total Barton Community College 77 20 .794 2007-08 Pittsburg State 10 17 .370 4 14 .222 2008-09 Pittsburg State 20 9 .690 14 6 .700 2009-10 Pittsburg State 14 14 .500 12 8 .600 2010-11 Pittsburg State 16 12 .571 13 9 .591 2011-12 Pittsburg State 27 6 .818 17 3 .850 NCAA Division II Elite Eight 2012-13 Pittsburg State 17 10 .630 11 7 .611 2013-14 Pittsburg State 23 8 .742 16 3 .842 NCAA Central Regional Tournament 2014-15 Pittsburg State 27 7 .794 15 4 .789 NCAA Central Regional Tournament 2015-16 Pittsburg State 29 6 .829 18 4 .818 NCAA Division II Elite Eight 2016-17   Pittsburg State   25   6   .806   16   3   .842   MIAA Conference Champions NCAA Central Regional Tournament 2017-18 Pittsburg State 23 7 .767 15 4 .789 Total Pittsburg State 231 102 .694 151 65 .699 2018-19    UTRGV 18 15 .545 10 6 .625 Women's Basketball Invitational 2019-20     UTRGV 13 17 .433 8 8 .500 2020-21    UTRGV 6 14 .300 2 8 .200 2021-22     UTRGV 14 19 .424 8 10 .444 2022-23     UTRGV 12 18 .400 6 12 .333 2023-24     UTRGV 6 23 .206 5 15 .250  2024-25      UTRGV 16 16 .500 11 9 .550 2025-26    UTRGV 21 14 .600 16 6 .727 Women's National Invitational Tournament Total     UTRGV 106 136 .438 65 74 .468 Total Collegiate Head Coach 414 258 .616   WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT LANE LORD   Jim Littell, Oklahoma State Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lane Lord has been a proven winner at every level. His team’s will be well prepared and will play with tremendous effort. Lane’s ability to recruit and work ethic will equate to instant success at UTRGV.                                                            Brandon Schneider, Kansas Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lane has been highly successful at every stop in his career. He does a terrific job of teaching the game, while also motivating and relating to his players. He’s a perfect fit to build upon the strong foundation coach Larry Tidwell established.    Jory Collins, Kansas Women’s Basketball Assistant Coach Lane Lord has regularly gotten the most out of his players. They buy into his system and seem to really enjoy playing for him. His teams are championship caliber year in and year out. They are always one of the toughest teams to guard. His players and fans will enjoy the brand of basketball Coach Lord brings to UTRGV.   Cindy Stein, Southern Illinois Women’s Basketball Head Coach  Lane Lord is a great hire for UTRGV. He coaches with tremendous passion and expertise. He is a proven winner and will get the job done with positive energy, leadership and integrity. His team has always played with great effort, suffocating defense and a strong basketball IQ. Lane will be an active member in the community and will be a great asset for the athletic department and University. This is a guy that knows how to do things right and people will enjoy working with him and his very energetic but down to earth personality.   Dave Slifer, Central Missouri Women’s Basketball Head Coach Lane has brought a huge amount of energy to the Pitt State women’s basketball program, which has reflected in many NCAA appearances and two Elite Eight appearances. Lane has taken dribble-drive motion offense to a whole new level. His teams are extremely well prepared and very hard to guard. Players, fans, and coworkers will enjoy the relationships Coach Lord develops. We certainly are going to miss his leadership in our league and definitely some of the competitive battles we have had over the years. Our league lost a star coach today.

Danny Hughes was hired on April 21, 2026 as the associate head coach for UTRGV women’s basketball.    Hughes joins UTRGV after spending six seasons (2018-24) coaching the South Florida (USF) Bulls. He was originally hired as a women’s basketball assistant coach in May 2018 and was elevated to assistant head coach in August 2020.    Hughes helped USF go 127-63 (.668) over his six seasons and capture three American Athletic Conference titles. Hughes made three trips to the NCAA Tournament at USF in 2023, 2022 and 2021. He helped the Bulls earn two NCAA Tournament victories, first defeating #9 Washington State in the first round of the 2021 tournament and then beating #9 Marquette in an overtime first-round game in 2023. USF was ranked as high as #18 by USA Today in the 2020-21 season in which the Bulls claimed the American regular season and tournament titles while being ranked as high as #19 by the Associated Press. In 2022-23, USF was ranked as high as #25 by the Associated Press and won the American regular season championship. Hughes helped USF reach the second round of the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) in his first season.    At USF, Hughes worked closely with the power forwards and point guards and coached several All-Conference selections, including Bethy Mununga, a two-time Katrina McClain Award candidate as the nation’s top power forward and a First Team, Second Team and two-time All-Tournament Team honoree in the AAC. Hughes developed guards Sydni Harvey and Elisa Pinzan. Harvey made The American All-Conference Third Team and was named the Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team at the 2020-21 conference championships. Pinzan was a Second Team All-Conference selection and the AAC’s Most Improved Player during the 2020-21 season.    Hughes worked independently as a scout and video coordinator during the 2024-25 NCAA season.   Prior to USF, Hughes was the associate head coach at UMass from 2016-18 and an assistant coach at SMU from 2009-16. He spent the 2008-09 season as an assistant at St. John’s after three seasons (2005-08) at Houston, where he was an assistant coach and the interim head coach in 2008. Hughes did two stints at Trinity Valley Community College, first in 1991-92 before returning as an assistant from 2001-05. He started his coaching career as a graduate assistant at Sam Houston State (1990-91) before serving as the athletic director and head boys basketball coach at Cross Roads High School in Texas from 1992-00.    At SMU, Hughes helped the Mustangs earn back-to-back postseason appearances and the 2012-13 Conference USA Championship while coaching C-USA Player of the Year Keena Mays.    At St. John’s, Hughes helped guide the team to the third round of the WNIT and coached Monique McLean to the All-Big East Second Team.    At Houston, Hughes oversaw recruiting, compliance, fundraising, practice, game preparation, and coordination for scouting reports. He led the team to a 15-16 mark as the interim head coach in 2008, the program’s best record in three years. The Cougars won eight consecutive conference games, marking their longest such streak in four years, and earned the first first-round bye in the C-USA Tournament in three years.    Hughes coached Trinity Valley to the Region XIV playoffs three teams and helped develop the top junior college player in America in 2001. At Cross Roads High School, Hughes tallied a 123-89 coaching record and a state playoff appearance.   Hughes was a standout player before beginning his coaching career. He played two seasons at TVCC, earning All-Region and All-League honors after helping the team to a combined 44-15 record. He was the team MVP as a sophomore and was selected to play on the National Junior College All-Star Team comprised of the top 12 JUCO players in the country.    The prolific three-point shooter went on to be a two-year starting shooting guard at TCU and a two-time winner of the Jim Killingsworth MVP award given to the team’s top player each season. In two seasons (1987-89), Hughes shot 45% (108-240) from the three-point line – ranking third on TCU’s career list. He shot 45.2% (70-155) from behind the arc during the 1988-89 season – ranking second on the single-season all-time list.    Hughes was inducted into the TVCC Hall of Fame in 2010. He was the first inductee into the Cross Roads High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.    Hughes hails from Athens, Texas and received a bachelor in kinesiology from TCU. Hughes and his wife, Quinn, have two daughters, Griffin and Grayson.   

Ipek Turkyilmaz, who spent 2017-18 as the head coach at Trinidad High School in Trinidad, Colo., and has seven prior years of collegiate coaching experience, joined UTRGV women's basketball as an assistant coach on June 5, 2018.   Turkyilmaz, who enters her fifth season with the program, works primarily with the guards.    In 2022-23, Turkyilmaz saw guard Iyana Dorsey earn All-WAC Second Team Honors after leading the WAC with three games of 30 or more points scored. Turkyilmaz also saw Dorsey set the program record for free throws made in a season with 147.   Turkilymaz saw the Vaqueros finish with 217 three-pointers made, which ranks fifth in program history. In 2021-22, Turkyilmaz guided the development of guard KaCee Kyle, who tied a single-game program record with 15 assists against Abilene Christian. Turkyilmaz also played a huge role in the Vaqueros’ three-point shooting as the Vaqueros set a program record for most three-pointers made in a season with 245, which ranked fourth in the WAC.  In 2020-21, Turkyilmaz helped UTRGV rank second in the WAC in three-pointers made per game (6.9) while also helping maintain their excellence in the classroom with a team GPA of 3.38 and 13 AD Honor Roll Recipients. Turkyilmaz guided guards Amara Graham and Sara Bershers to All-WAC Honors as Graham finished the WAC's leading scorer with 16.5 points per game while Bershers finished her sophomore campaign with 13.9 points per game. In 2019-20, helped UTRGV rank third in the WAC in scoring offense, third in assists per game (14.1), second in steals per game (8.7), and third in three-point field goals made per game (7.0).   In 2018-19, helped the Vaqueros reach the WAC Tournament Championship Game while helping UTRGV lead the WAC in scoring defense (61.2 ppg). Turkyilmaz coached collegiately at Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) from 2010-13 and 2014-17, and at Metro State in 2013-14. She also served as a student assistant at Arizona in 2009-10 after playing with the team as a junior in 2008-09.   Turkyilmaz played for current UTRGV head coach Lane Lord during her first of two seasons at Barton Community College (BCC) in 2006-07.   While at WNCC, Turkyilmaz was responsible for preseason and postseason training, guard play, and special situations. She also recruited six international players for the 2015-16 roster.   Turkyilmaz started every game during her two years at BCC, leading her team to a regional championship and a fourth place finish at nationals as a sophomore. She holds several program records, including three-point field goals made, with 90 in a season and eight in a game and was inducted into the 2020 BCC Hall of Fame. Turkyilmaz shot 40.4 percent from the outside during her two seasons. She also earned First Team All-West Region honors in 2007-08 and honorable mention in 2006-07.   Originally from Izmir, Turkey, Turkyilmaz played for the Turkish National Team from 2002-03.   Turkyilmaz earned her Associate of Arts from BCC in 2008, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art from Arizona in 2010, and Master of Science in Organizational Management with a focus in Sports Management from Chadron State in 2013.

Edinburg North alum Victoria Pena joined UTRGV women's basketball as the coordinator for basketball operations in June of 2018.   Pena, who enters her sixth season with the program, coordinates the team travel and meals while helping to keep practices efficient. Pena also plays a big part in helping maintain the program’s excellence in the classroom. Pena spent 2017-18 season at Hill College and helped Hill to an 18-13 record.    She went on to play at Stephen F. Austin from 2012-16, appearing in 54 games while helping the team to the 2014 and 2015 Southland Conference Championships. As a senior, Pena was honored with the Murray Shaw Academic Award, which recognizes the student-athlete with the highest grade point average in each sport.    This is Pena’s second stint at UTRGV after assisting in the compliance department during the spring of 2017.    Prior to her first stint with UTRGV, Pena served as a volunteer assistant coach for Edinburg North’s varsity girls’ basketball team while working as the social media coordinator for the Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame.    Pena earned her Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Stephen F. Austin in 2016.   She then gained experience as a paralegal, working for Thomas J. Henry Injury Attorneys in San Antonio for nine months immediately following graduation.

Ronnie Cantu was elevated to Director of Women’s Basketball Operations on May 12, 2025 after spending the 2024-25 season as the program’s graduate student coach.     During the 2024-25 season, Cantu was able to gain an understanding of the inner workings of a basketball program. Along with fulfilling coaching duties, such as instructing individual workouts and assisting with practice, she was able to aid Victoria Pena, who spent the last seven years leading basketball operations and will now focus on her role as assistant coach, with day-to-day operations.    From team and staff communication to preparation for opponent arrivals to helping coordinate travel, Cantu was able to watch and practice the tasks of an operations director to prepare for her next chapter. She learned the importance of time management, effective and purposeful communication, attention to detail and problem-solving.     As the DOBO, Cantu will oversee travel plans, budgets, scheduling and act as a liaison between the program and athletics staff to ensure the program runs smoothly.     Cantu joined the Vaqueros program on Aug. 21, 2024 after playing for St. Edward’s in Austin from 2020-24. She earned her bachelor’s in kinesiology with an emphasis in physical therapy. She played in 94 games and made 31 starts for the Hilltoppers, averaging 3.9 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. She earned the Topper True award, which is given to one student-athlete each year who embodies what it means to be a Hilltopper.   Cantu hails from Mission and was a standout while playing for her father, Rafael, at Mission Veterans High School. She was the district and RGV Basketball Coaches Association (RGVBCA) All-Valley Newcomer of the Year in 2017, the district co-MVP in 2019, and the district and RGVBCA MVP in 2020. She also earned The Monitor’s All-Area Co-Offensive Player of the Year, All-Region IV and Class 5A All-State honors from the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches (TABC) as a senior.