Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears
collegiate sports club in the United States
The Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears are the athletic teams representing Missouri State University. Missouri State's athletics programs date back to 1908. Missouri State competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision. The majority of sports play in the Division I Conference USA. Missouri State became a full member of CUSA on July 1, 2025.
Men's swimming and diving had competed in the Mid-American Conference through the 2023–24 season, but sponsorship of that sport transferred to the Missouri Valley Conference in July 2024. With CUSA sponsoring soccer only for women, the men's soccer team joined the American Conference.
Missouri State athletics are frequently abbreviated as "MOST".
Sports sponsored
A member of Conference USA, Missouri State University sponsors six men's and 13 women's teams in NCAA sanctioned sports. The women's sports of acrobatics & tumbling and stunt, both included in the NCAA Emerging Sports for Women program, were added in 2024–25.
National championships
Team
Notes
Women's basketball NCAA tournament results
NCAA Tournament appearances
WBIT appearances
2024, 2025
WNIT appearances
2002, 2005 (Champions), 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2023
AIAW tournament appearances
Missouri AIAW state tournament: 1970–1982 (won 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975 and 1981 tournaments)
AIAW Region VI tournament: 1974, 1975, 1981
AIAW Division II national tournament: 1981
Conference championships
Gateway Conference (1983–1992) 2
1991, 1992
Missouri Valley Conference (1992–present) 12
1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2012, 2020, 2021
Head coaches
Reba Sims (10 seasons, 129–116), 1969–1979
Marti Gasser (4 seasons, 62–60), 1979–1983
Valerie Goodwin-Colbert (4 seasons, 48–63), 1983–1987
Cheryl Burnett (15 seasons, 319–136), 1987–2002
10 NCAA Tournament Appearances
2 Final Four Appearances
3 Sweet 16 Appearances
1 WNIT Appearance
Katie Abrahamson-Henderson (5 seasons, 95–61), 2002–2007
3 NCAA Tournament Appearances
WNIT Championship
Nyla Milleson (5 seasons, 105–87), 2007–2013
3 WNIT Appearances
Kellie Harper (6 seasons, 118–79), 2013–2019
2 NCAA Appearances
3 WNIT Appearances
Amaka Agugua-Hamilton (3 seasons, 73-15), 2019–2022
1 NCAA Appearance
1 Sweet Sixteen Appearance
Beth Cunningham (3 seasons, 68-30) 2022–present
2 WBIT appearances
1 WNIT appearance
Retired numbers
10 Jackie Stiles, 1997–2001 (finished career as leading career scorer in NCAA Division I women's basketball with 3,393 points; now #5 on the list)
22 Kari Koch, 2002-2006
35 Melody Howard, 1990–1994
42 Jeanette Tendai, 1982–1986
Facilities
Notes
Club sports
The university also sponsors several club sports teams, including ice hockey (ACHA), lacrosse (MCLA), and roller hockey (NCRHA).
“Missouri State Bears and Lady Bears” enters the record as collegiate sports club in the United States. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Missouri, State and Bears can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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