On Jan. 11th, 2015 the Oregon Ducks and No. 11 ranked Oregon State Beavers faced off in the 94th edition of the women’s basketball Civil War series at Matthew Knight Arena. Oregon and first-year head coach Kelly Graves lost that game 77-48 in front of 2,100 people. Flash forward four years to last night, and the No. 3 Ducks defeated the No. 9 Beavers 77-68 while a sold-out crowd at MKA watched their squad solidify themselves as a national title contender.

In 2014 Graves was handed a rebuilding project in Eugene. The program hadn’t finished with a conference winning record since the 2004 season. Graves, now in his fifth season as head coach at Oregon, is currently coaching one of the best teams in the country sitting at 24-1. He has also been able to develop the talents of the No. 1 overall projected pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft in Sabrina Ionescu.

It is remarkable to see what this team has been able to accomplish in such a short time, not only with success on the court, but the culture behind the program. Overshadowed by the great Oregon Duck athletic programs like men’s basketball, football, and softball - women’s basketball never got anywhere near the same support. The lack of support was clearly seen in the attendance of fans.

I chatted with Oregon alum and former Vice President of the Pit Crew Isaiah Truong, who attended UO from 2013-17, about the women’s program and how he has witnessed the entire growth of the program. Something Truong touched on the most was the support of the student fan base behind the team.

“You could count on your fingers and toes how many students would be at the games back when I was a freshman,” Truong said. “Often times you only needed your fingers.”

On Friday night, students lined up outside the doors of MKA hours before the hour mark of when the public is allowed in before the game. If students showed up during the fourth quarter of a game four years ago, they would get a front row seat. Truong went on to say that he knew someone who once attended a game where there were only two other students in the Pit alongside himself.

“Attendees of Oregon women’s basketball games are some of the most actively involved and engaged fans, these women deserve it because they play their hearts out night in and night out,” Truong added.

I also spent some time talking with another former Oregon Duck, Kallyn Ehlers, who graduated from UO in 2016. Ehlers worked for the Oregon athletic department. She also shot video for Pac-12 Networks during the 2014-16 seasons. That 2014-15 Oregon Ducks team finished ninth in the Pac 12 with an overall record of 13-17.

"Only a couple hundred fans scattered MKA and the black curtains covering the top level were always down," she remembered.

It’s crazy to compare that to what we have come to expect the turnouts of current women’s games. She also mentioned the impact that Oregon has on social media, and how much coverage is now on the team.

“At first I was the only of my friends watching their games,” she stated. “Now it seems like everyone I talk to knows that Sabrina got a triple-double last night. Social media has been huge - everything on Twitter is about them.”

These are groups of people who have witnessed the good and bad times, but the students who just arrived to campus last year, they are a little spoiled.

Current students at UO are here for the ride, they get to embark on the best run in Oregon women’s basketball history and it is only the beginning. Fellow sophomores like myself have only known what this team is as of the last two years since attending the university, so pretty dang good. We are the graduating class that has a strong chance of seeing an Oregon Ducks women’s basketball team win a national championship in the coming years.

I spoke with a current student who shares this perspective on women’s basketball. Sam Tidrick-Schmidt, a current sophomore at UO, is an avid Oregon Ducks athletics supporter. He waited in line three hours before last night's game. Not only is this women’s team getting attention from students and the public, but from other coaches and athletes around campus.

“Coach Cristobal front and center with his players yelling and screaming,” he stated. “Interacting with fans helps build such a great atmosphere.”

There is a buzz around campus of this team and it reaches a new high point each and every week.

“Everyone knows they are top notch,” he added. “There are folks that wouldn’t have dreamed of going to a women’s game, that are now in attendance.”

Nearly five years ago, head coach Kelly Graves was handed a program that was in dire need of rebuilding. Not only did he rebuild, at a blazing speed I might add, but he reshaped the perspective of a student body at UO, the city of Eugene, the state of Oregon, and the country.

Graves in postgame after the Civil War touched on how amazing it is for seniors Oti Gildon and Maite Cazorla to play in front of a crowd like they did last night. He went on to say that in their freshman year home opener, there were a total of 950 people in the crowd. From a team that only four seasons ago you could count everyone in the stands, to an upcoming national powerhouse and developing a potential No. 1 overall draft pick - it is remarkable to imagine what this team is capable of for years to come.





