After almost eight years with the Lumberjacks, women's basketball head coach Loree Payne has left Northern Arizona to coach at Santa Clara.
Before Payne’s arrival, the women’s basketball program had been experiencing losing records and was consistently missing the postseason. Payne quickly turned the program around and recorded six winning seasons in conference play in her seven years with the team.Â
×
Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.
kAmsFC:?8 96C }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 E6?FC6[ D96 AC@5F465 2 `_h\`_g @G6C2== C64@C5 2?5 3642>6 E96 AC@8C2>VD H:??:?86DE 9625 4@249 :? s646>36C a_ac]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 567:?:E6=J 2 E@F89 EC2?D:E:@?[ 3FE E96C6’D ?6G6C 2 C:89E E:>6 E@ >2<6 2 EC2?D:E:@?] (96? 2? @AA@CEF?:EJ @A6?D E92E J@F 42?’E C6D:DE[ J@F 92G6 E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5[� !2J?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmx? 96C D64@?5\E@\=2DE 82>6 H:E9 E96 {F>36C;24<D[ !2J?6 =65 E96> E@ 2 9:DE@C:4 G:4E@CJ @G6C pC:K@?2 @? |2C49 a_ 5FC:?8 E96 7:CDE C@F?5 @7 E96 (@>6?’D q2D<6E32== x?G:E2E:@? %@FC?2>6?E W(qx%X] xE H2D ;FDE E96 D64@?5 E:>6 6G6C E96 {F>36C;24<D 925 56762E65 E96 (:=542ED 2E E96:C 9@>6 4@FCE :? %F4D@?]k^Am
kAm�%9:D J62C H2D G6CJ[ G6CJ DA64:2=[ 2?5 @3G:@FD=J H6 >256 9:DE@CJ 2?5 925 E96 36DE D62D@? :? D49@@= 9:DE@CJ[ 2?5 H6’G6 AFE E96 AC@8C2> @? E96 >2A] xE H2D D@>6E9:?8 E92E x�> C62==J AC@F5 @7[ H92E H6 H6C6 23=6 E@ 244@>A=:D9 E96C6[� !2J?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAm%96 {F>36C;24<D DE625:=J :?4C62D65 E96 ?F>36C @7 H:?D A6C D62D@? @?46 !2J?6 E@@< E96 96=>] %96 7:CDE EH@ J62CD F?56C 96C =6256CD9:A[ }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 DE:== 6IA6C:6?465 =@D:?8 C64@C5D \\ f\ab 96C 7:CDE J62C 2?5 `b\`g E96 ?6IE \\ 3FE 3J a_aa E96C6 H2D 2 EFC?:?8 A@:?E] %96 {F>36C;24<D H6?E a`\`c E92E J62C 2?5 H6C6 E9:C5 :? E96 q:8 $<J r@?76C6?46]k^Am
kAm%9:D J62C[ }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 H6?E af\g @G6C2== 2?5 D64@?5 :? E96 4@?76C6?46 369:?5 |@?E2?2] %@E2= 2EE6?52?46 2E E96 (2=<FA $<J5@>6 :?4C62D65 7C@> 2C@F?5 c[___ A6@A=6 E@ @G6C e[`__ A6@A=6 3J E96 6?5 @7 E96 a_ac\ad D62D@?]k^Am
kAm�(6 H:==[ C:89E ?@H[ 8@ 5@H? :? 9:DE@CJ 2D E96 36DE H@>6?’D 32D<6E32== E62> :? }p& 9:DE@CJ[ 2?5 E92E :D 567:?:E6=J 2 AC6EEJ 2>2K:?8 =6824J 7@C FD 2?5 E96D6 A=2J6CD[� !2J?6 D2:5]k^Am
kAmr@5J y@9?D@?[ 2DD@4:2E6 2E9=6E:4 5:C64E@C 2E $2?E2 r=2C2[ D2:5 @?6 @7 E96 >2:? C62D@?D 96 2?5 E96 9:C:?8 E62> 49@D6 !2J?6 H2D 5F6 E@ 96C 23:=:EJ E@ EFC? E62>D 2C@F?5]k^Am
Northern Arizona women's basketball coach Loree Payne talks to players, from left, Saniyah Neverson (33), Olivia Moran (22) and Taylor Feldman (5) before they sub into a game against Weber State on March 2, 2024, in the Walkup Skydome.
NAU Athletics, courtesy
kAm“tG6CJH96C6 {@C:VD 366?[ D96’D 3F:=E E96 AC@8C2> 2?5 :E’D 4@?D:DE6?E=J 2?5 8C25F2==J 8@EE6? 36EE6C J62C 27E6C J62C 27E6C J62C[â€� y@9?D@? D2:5] â€p?5 H6 E9:?< E92E H:E9 E96 :?G6DE>6?E H6’C6 >2<:?8 :? H@>6?’D 32D<6E32==[ {@C66 :D 8@:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 5@ E96 D2>6]â€k^Am
kAmw6 D2:5 s:C64E@C @7 pE9=6E:4D w62E96C ~H6? 2=D@ D2H A@E6?E:2= :? !2J?6 2D E96 ?6H 4@249] y@9?D@? =:DE65 96C E:>6 A=2J:?8 2E &?:G6CD:EJ @7 (2D9:?8E@? 2?5 4@249:?8 2E !F86E $@F?5 2?5 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 2D DEC@?8 :?5:42E@CD @7 96C DF446DD]k^Am
kAm“~? A2A6C[ :E H2D :>>65:2E6=J =:<6[ ‘~z[ E9:D :D 567:?:E6=J D@>63@5J E92E H6 H@F=5 36 C62==J 2EEC24E65 E@[’â€� y@9?D@? D2:5] “qFE E96? 2D H6 8@E E@ <?@H 96C 2D 2 A6CD@? >@C6[ :E 3642>6 6G6? >@C6 2AA2C6?E E92E D96 H2D 567:?:E6=J E96 }@] ` @AE:@? 7@C FD[ 3642FD6 D96’D D@ A@D:E:G6 2?5 5@6D E9:?8D E96 C:89E H2J 2?5 :D ;FDE 2 8@@5 A6CD@?]â€k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? D2:5 9:D 8@2= 7@C E96 H@>6?’D 32D<6E32== E62> :D E@ 364@>6 2 DF446DD7F= AC@8C2> 9:D DEF56?ED 2?5 2=F>D 42? 62D:=J C@@E 7@C] w6 25565 E92E 96 H2?ED E@ D66 E96 E62> 92G6 4@?D:DE6?E H:??:?8 D62D@?D[ 2?5 96 D2:5 !2J?6 42? 96=A 56=:G6C E92E]k^Am
kAm!2J?6 >256 2 DH:7E 6I:E 27E6C E96 4@?4=FD:@? @7 E96 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 H@>6?’D 32D<6E32== D62D@? @? |2C49 ab[ 7@==@H:?8 E96 =@DD E@ q6=>@?E :? E96 D64@?5 C@F?5 @7 E96 (qx%] qJ |2C49 ac[ !2J?6 H2D 2E $2?E2 r=2C2[ D9@@E:?8 >65:2 A24<286D 2?5 862C:?8 FA E@ 4@249 H:E9 E96 qC@?4@D] $96 D2:5 E96 C62D@? 7@C E96 BF:4< EFC?2C@F?5 H2D 5F6 E@ E96 @A6?:?8 @7 E96 EC2?D76C A@CE2=]k^Am
kAmâ€�%96 EC2?D76C A@CE2= @A6?D E9:D H66< 2?5 E96C6’D C62==J ?@ E:>6 E@ H2DE6 :? 86EE:?8 DE2CE65 D@>6H96C6 ?6H 3642FD6 J@F 2C6 8@:?8 E@ 92G6 E@ 3F:=5 J@FC C@DE6C 2?5 AFE 6G6CJE9:?8 E@86E96C[â€� !2J?6 D2:5] “tG6CJE9:?8 92AA6?D H:E9 2 D6?D6 @7 FC86?4J :? 4@==686 2E9=6E:4D C:89E ?@H]â€k^Am
kAm%96 EC2?D76C A@CE2= @A6?65 @? %F6D52J[ 2?5 !2J?6 H2DE65 ?@ E:>6 4@>3:?8 E9C@F89 E96 =:DE @7 A@E6?E:2= 2E9=6E6D 7@C 96C 563FE D62D@? 2E $2?E2 r=2C2 :? E96 H:?E6C]k^Am
kAmâ€�%96C6’D 2 =@E[ 3FE :E’D 366? 8C62E] xE’D 2 8C62E 3FDJ?6DD[â€� !2J?6 D2:5] “xâ€�> 86EE:?8 2 =@E 244@>A=:D965 2?5 C62==J ECJ:?8 E@ =2J E96 7@F?52E:@? 96C6]â€k^Am
kAmy@9?D@? D2:5 !2J?6 92D 2=C625J DE2CE65 42==:?8 A@E6?E:2= 2E9=6E6D 2?5 9:C65 2 E62> @7 2DD:DE2?E 4@2496D 369:?5 96C] w6 >6?E:@?65 E92E @?6 @7 E96 >2:? C62D@?D 7@C 96C DF446DD 2E }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 H2D 96C 23:=:EJ E@ 7:?5 E96 C:89E 2E9=6E6D]k^Am
kAm“{@C66’D 23:=:EJ E@ C64CF:E E96 C:89E EJA6 @7 DEF56?E\2E9=6E6[ ?@E ;FDE 2? 2H6D@>6 32D<6E32== A=2J6C[ 3FE 2=D@ 8@@5 A6@A=6[ 8@@5 DEF56?ED E92E C62==J 7:E @FC 4F=EFC6 96C6 2E $2?E2 r=2C2 &?:G6CD:EJ[Q y@9?D@? D2:5]k^Am
kAmw@H6G6C BF:4< 96C EC2?D:E:@? 76=E[ !2J?6 E@@< E:>6 E@ E2=< H:E9 E96 A=2J6CD 2?5 25>:?:DEC2E@CD 2E }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 2?5 7F==J 6IA=2:? 96C 564:D:@?] $96 D2:5 D96 H:== 2=H2JD 92G6 DA64:2= >6>@C:6D @7 }@CE96C? pC:K@?2 2?5 E96 {F>36C;24<D]k^Am
kAmâ€�(96? J@F 42C6 23@FE A6@A=6[ J@F 2C6 92AAJ H96? E96J 86E AC@>@E:@?D 2?5 H96? E96J 86E ?6H @AA@CEF?:E:6D 6=D6H96C6[ 2?5 x E9:?< E92E H2D A2CE @7 E96 6>@E:@?D[Q !2J?6 D2:5] Qr92?86 :D 2=H2JD 92C5[ 3FE x ;FDE 2AAC64:2E6 @FC A=2J6CD 2?5 @FC 25>:?’D DFAA@CE E9C@F89 E96 H9@=6 AC@46DD]â€k^Am
kAm!2J?6 H:== 36 H@C<:?8 =@?8 9@FCD E96 ?6IE 76H >@?E9D H9:=6 D96 4@?E:?F6D E@ 3F:=5 E96 C@DE6C 2E $2?E2 r=2C2]k^Am
kAm}@CE96C? pC:K@?2 ?2>65 2 ?6H 9625 4@249 7@C E96 H@>6?’D 32D<6E32== E62> @? %F6D52J]k^Am
Dinkins is no stranger to Northern Arizona University.
kAm{2FC2 s:?<:?D[ 2 7@C>6C {F>36C;24< A=2J6C 2?5 AC6G:@FD 9625 4@249 2E vC2?5 r2?J@?[ H:== 36 E2<:?8 @G6C 2D D@@? 2D A@DD:3=6]k^Am
