Tonya Cardoza - Women's Basketball Coach

Photo by: Zamani Feelings

Tonya Cardoza

Title:
Head Coach
Email:
tcardoza@temple.edu
Phone:
215-204-1955
Alma Mater:
Virginia '91

Temple’s all-time winningest women’s basketball coach with an overall record of 251-188, Tonya Cardoza, coached the Owls from 2008-22.

During the 2020-21 season, Cardoza led the Owls to an 11-11 record during the shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. American Athletic Conference Preseason co-Player of the Year Mia Davis led Temple with 17.7 points and 7.6 rebounds per game. Davis once again captured national recognitions as she was named a Top 10 Cheryl Miller Award Finalist and a USBWA All-America Honorable Mention, earning both honors for the second-straight year. Davis also finished First Team All-AAC and First Team All-Big 5. In February, Davis became Temple's all-time leader in made free throws with four good foul shots at UCF. Davis' career total now sits at 412. Rookie Jasha Clinton had a standout season in the Cherry and White, averaging 14.4 points, 4.0 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 2.1 steals. Clinton was named the Philadelphia Big 5 Rookie of the Year while earning a spot on the AAC All-Freshman squad. Junior forward Alexa Williamson rounded out Temple's honors with a Second Team All-Big 5 recognition.

Cardoza led the 2019-20 Owls to a 16-15 record for their best finish in three seasons. Junior Mia Davis led Temple with her 18.8 points and 10.2 rebounds per game. Davis garnered national recognition in her third season in the Cherry and White, as she was named a Top 10 Cheryl Miller Award Finalist and earned USBWA All-America Honorable Mention. Davis was named the 2019-20 Big 5 Player of the Year while earning a spot on First Team All-Big 5. The forward also earned First Team All-AAC while teammate Ashley Jones was named the American Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year alongside her Second Team recognitions in both the Big 5 and the American. Freshman Asonah Alexander rounded out the conference awards with her All-Freshman team selection.

Cardoza developed a pair of American All-Conference performers in Mia Davis, a first team selection, and Alliya Butts, a second team honoree. Butts became the first ever Temple player to earn four All-Conference selections in her career. She graduated as Temple’s all-time leader in threes (291) and steals (279), and also finished her career ranking second all-time in points (1,936) and fourth in assists (414).

Cardoza guided a young Temple squad in 2017-18, as the Owls' started three freshmen most of the season. Rookies Mia Davis and Emani Mayo both earned All-Freshman honors from the American Athletic Conference under Cardoza's tutelage, while senior guard Tanaya Atkinson earned Temple's first-ever American scoring title. Atkinson also became just the second Temple player ever to finish her career with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds.

Cardoza's 2016-17 season was one of her best, as Temple went 24-8 overall, earned an NCAA bid, and finished second in the tough American Athletic Conference. The Owls' success garnered her several individual honors, among them being named one of 10 finalists for the WBCA National Coach of the Year Award. Cardoza shared American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors with UConn's Geno Auriemma and was also named the Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year for the fourth time in her career.

Reaching 20 wins for the third-straight season, Cardoza's 2016-17 Owls notched the program's best-ever RPI of 18 (at the end of regular season play), and finished with a final RPI of 25. Temple was ranked nationally for five weeks of the season, and beat two nationally-ranked teams (#16/17 DePaul, #20/21 USF). Locally, the Owls swept through the Philadelphia Big 5, taking the title with a 4-0 record.

Cardoza guided senior guard Feyonda Fitzgerald to a WBCA All-America nod, just the fourth player in Temple history to earn such accolades. Fitzgerald was also a WBCA All-Region selection, a first team American Athletic Conference selection, and the Philadelphia Big 5 Player of the Year. Following the season, Fitzgerald was the 20th overall pick in the 2017 WNBA Draft.

Temple's 2015-16 season marked the second-straight 20-win campaign, as Cardoza guided the Owls to an overall mark of 23-12. In the tough American Athletic Conference, Temple finished third, compiling an impressive 13-5 record, the best finish for the team in American history. During the regular season, Temple made waves with a six-game win streak, including a thrilling 68-66 win over #20 USF. The culmination of the 2015-16 season again saw the Owls earn a post-season bid. The team advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2016 WNIT, before a narrow 77-76 loss at Michigan. Individually, Cardoza's guards again shined, as sophomore Alliya Butts earned the program's first American Athletic Conference first team nod, while also being named a first-team All-Big five selection.

The 2014-15 Owls showed that they are ready to make a return to the national stage. Cardoza's squad made the first post-season final four in program history, advancing to the WNIT semifinals before falling in overtime at West Virginia. The Owls finished with a 20-win season, going 20-17 overall, including a 12-6 mark in the tough American Athletic Conference. The 2014-15 season saw the breakout of Butts, who was named Big 5 Freshman of the Year, while also earning spots on the American All-Conference team, the American All-Rookie team, and the All-Big 5 team. Junior combo guard Erica Covile also received All-Big 5 and All-American Athletic Conference honors, while senior Tyonna Williams earned the American Sportsmanship Award, as well as one of six spots on the All-WNIT team.

2013-14 marked a new era of women’s basketball at Temple for Cardoza— competing in the inaugural season of the American Athletic Conference. Guided by true freshman point guard Fitzgerald, the Owls faced seven nationally ranked opponents— tying the school record for the most in season— including two games against defending national champion and No. 1 Connecticut and Final Four participant Louisville. The young Owls finished fifth in American play after predicted to finish ninth, showing the league and the nation that they had fight.

Fitzgerald was a unanimous All-Freshman Team honoree from the conference as well as a second-team All-Conference selection. Junior Rateska Brown earned the American’s inaugural Sixth Player of the Year Award. Senior Natasha Thames was a second-team All-Conference honoree, and freshman Taylor Robinson was named to the All-Freshman team.

The 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year, Cardoza led the Owls to three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, advancing to the Second Round in both 2010 and 2011. The Owls narrowly missed earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament in 2011-12, but took a top spot in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) and advanced to the third round.

Along with earning Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year honors for the Owls' performance in 2010-11, Cardoza was honored as the Big 5 Coach of the Year for a third time. She earned that honor in each of her first three seasons at Temple, and the Owls earned their sixth straight Big 5 title in her first year with the program. Temple won the Big 5 again in 2011, and finished as runner-up in both 2010 and 2012.

Already 107-57 all-time in her head coaching career, Cardoza led Temple to at least 20 wins in her first four years at the helm. During her inaugural season in 2008-09, Cardoza guided TU to a 21-10 mark and an NCAA Tournament appearance. She was a finalist for the National Rookie Coach of the Year award. The Owls reached 25 wins in 2009-10 which tied for the second-most in the history of the program. In 2010-11, the Owls finished 24-9 which included a 15-game win streak and a 13-1 record in the Atlantic 10. The 2011-12 season saw Temple go 23-10 and win 14 in a row, once again with a 13-1 mark in the conference. During their final year of Atlantic 10 Conference play in 2012-13, Cardoza guided the nation’s second-youngest team (six freshmen).

After spending 14 years as assistant coach at the University of Connecticut under Hall of Fame coach Geno Auriemma, a tenure in which she helped the Huskies to five National Championships, few doubted that Cardoza had what it takes to build a successful program.

The Owls finished in the Top 3 in the Atlantic 10 for three consecutive seasons. In Cardoza’s first season she coached the squad to an upset over No. 13 Xavier, making her the first coach in TU women’s basketball history to upset a ranked team during her rookie season.

Cardoza was instrumental in All-Conference selection LaKeisha Eaddy’s transition to point guard in 2008-09, nearly helping the upperclassman set a new single season record for assists. Cardoza also retained then-freshman recruit Kristen McCarthy, who was named to the A-10 First Team in 2010, as well as taking home the title of Big 5 Player of the Year.

Cardoza's best recruit had to sit out a year after transferring from Division I Wright State in 2009, but Shey Peddy then became one of the top players in the history of the program. Peddy took home both the Atlantic 10 Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year awards in 2012, and was named the Big 5 Player of the Year for a second straight time. Peddy was a two-time Atlantic 10 First Team selection and made her mark on the all-time career record lists despite playing only two years with the Owls. Peddy became Cardoza’s first WNBA draft pick (as a head coach) when she was taken 23rd overall in the 2012 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky.

Arriving at Connecticut at the start of the 1994-95 season, Cardoza helped guide the Huskies to an unprecedented 465-41 record, seven Final Four appearances and six No. 1 National Rankings in the final Associated Press poll. Cardoza was a part of four undefeated regular seasons, including two unbeaten national championship teams in 1994-95 and 2001-02. The Huskies also won a NCAA record 70 consecutive games from 2001 to 2003. In Big East play, the team won 12 regular-season titles and 12 conference tournament championships.

Cardoza worked primarily with the guards at UConn, producing numerous All-America and All-BIG EAST performers, including WNBA stars Sue Bird, Renee Montgomery, and Diana Taurasi.

A 1991 University of Virginia graduate with a degree in anthropology, Cardoza starred for the Cavaliers, leading the team to four consecutive NCAA National Tournament appearances. As a senior, she led Virginia in scoring (15.5 ppg), and tied Dawn Staley for the rebounding lead (6.1 rpg) while earning the following honors: Kodak Honorable Mention All-America; Kodak First Team All-District III; First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference; NCAA Final Four All-Tournament Team, and NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. She was also a First Team All-ACC pick in 1988-89.

Cardoza played in 121 games for UVa and graduated ranked third on the career steals list (375), fifth on the school's career blocked shots list (110), eighth in points (1,622) and 10th in rebounds (667).

In 2002, Cardoza was named to the ACC 50th Anniversary Women’s Basketball Team along with seven other former Cavaliers including Staley.

Cardoza played professional basketball in Segovia, Spain, before taking the job at Connecticut.

COACHING EXPERIENCE
Temple University - Head Coach (2008-22)

Season	Overall	Conference	Postseason
2008-09	21-10	11-3 (A-10)	NCAA
2009-10	25-9	11-3 (A-10)	NCAA
2010-11	24-9	13-1 (A-10)	NCAA
2011-12	23-10	13-1 (A-10)	WNIT
2012-13	14-18	5-9 (A-10)
2013-14	14-16	8-10 (AAC)
2014-15	20-17	12-6 (AAC)	WNIT Final Four
2015-16	23-12	13-5 (AAC)	WNIT Quarterfinals
2016-17	24-8	13-3 (AAC)	NCAA
2017-18	12-19	3-13 (AAC)
2018-19	11-10	7-9 (AAC)
2019-20	16-15	7-9 (AAC)	No postseason due to COVID-19
2020-21	11-11	11-7 (AAC)
2021-22	13-15	8-8 (AAC)
TOTALS	251-188	135-87

Awards & Honors
2017 WBCA National Coach of the Year Finalist
2017 American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year
2017 Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year
2011 Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year
2011 Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year
2010 Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year
2009 Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year

100th Career Win
W, 67-59 at St. Bonaventure (1/13/13)

200th Career Win
W, 72-59 vs. Wichita State (3/3/18 - AAC First Round)