Shelton State Community College‘s women’s basketball team has been the epitome of success both on and off the court in representing junior colleges. Led by coach Madonna Thompson in her 26th season and a 690-144 record, the Lady Buccaneers won their 200th straight conference game and a 17th conference title under Thompson in 2023-24.
“It’s amazing to us. I actually didn’t realize how many we won in a row until the beginning of this year. That was our big goal and getting to 200 and getting to that level is not something that many programs can say they achieved, which makes it so special,” Thompson said about the team’s 200th straight conference win.
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Along with numerous coach of the year awards for Thompson, she has also received two Alberta Lee Cox Sportsmanship Awards in 2009 and 2013. She has also sent 104 players to 4-year institutions including Clemson University, Old Dominion University and Jacksonville State University.
This year’s team ranks sixth in the nation in the NJCAA (National Junior College Athletic Association) with a 26-4 record and winning its ninth straight conference title. Led by sophomore Adrianna Jones, the Lady Bucs are looking to make their mark in the NJCAA tournament as the No. 6 seed.
Sending players to 4-year institutions is very important for Thompson, and perhaps more important than the team’s success on the court.
“That is the whole purpose of junior college, it is the absolute most important thing for me,” Thompson said.
She also emphasized the importance of success for the team both on and off the court and how pivotal it is to strive for it.
“I try to get the team to always strive for success on the court and off the court as well in their social lives, education and among their peers, and I tell them that you are much more likely to succeed on the court if you succeed off the court. I find that as one of the most pivotal points I try to make to them daily,” Thompson said about the importance of success on and off the court.
Thompson was also a member of the Alabama women’s basketball team from 1992-95 and the 1994 team that reached the NCAA Final Four under coach Rick Moody. She finished her graduate studies at Alabama and then pursued coaching a few years later beginning as an assistant coach before becoming the head coach at Shelton State in 1997.
“The reason I got into coaching is just my competitiveness. When I was little I always had a ball in my hand, I was always very active. I have always had that competitive spirit. In my time working away from basketball, I realized how much I missed it and that’s what inspired me to get into coaching,” Thompson said.
The NJCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship will take place March 26-April 1, 2024 at the Ford Wyoming Center in Casper, WY., for the first time ever. The Buccaneers clinched the No. 6 seed, and will play the winner of Three Rivers and Mississippi Gulf Coast in the second round of the tournament in hope of capturing their s first ever NJCAA tournament championship.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Shelton State wins its 200th straight conference game, led by coach Madonna Thompson
