Women's Basketball

Coach Stephenson

Kori Stephenson is the face of MCC Women’s basketball, having served the program as an assistant since 1999. Entering her fourth season as head coach of the T-Birds she expects huge dividends from her efforts.

Originally from Forsyth, Montana, Kori graduated from South Dakota School of Mines & Technology in Rapid City, SD in 1998, earning a BA in interdisciplinary sciences. As a member of the Hardrocker’s women’s basketball team, she played for longtime head coach Barb Felderman, earning 1st-team NAIA All-American honors, three NAIA national tournament appearances and holding the all-time scoring record from 1997-2000 with 1,934 points. Kori had been the top assistant at Mesa since 1999 during which the Lady Thunderbirds finished 7th in the nation in 2001-02 at Hagerstown, MD and 5th in 2004-05 in Phoenix.

During Kori’s tenure at Mesa, 30 players have gone to play at NCAA Division I, II and NAIA schools throughout the country. With extensive recruiting efforts throughout the Valley she is establishing a range of upcoming talent to complement her returning sophomores, resulting in a solid recruiting class for 2009-10.

Kori lives in Mesa with her husband Brian and their son, Brady.

stephenson@mesacc.edu
480-461-7544

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Lady Thunderbirds Basketball 2009

MCC Women's Basketballl Team Picture and Outlook It will be a daunting task for the Mesa Lady Thunderbirds Basketball Program to eclipse last year’s regular season run. However, if anyone is up to the task, it is Coach Kori Stephenson and her Assistants Katie McDonald and Sam Stevens.

After climbing to as high as #2 in the NJCAA polls last season and a regular season mark of 26-4, the ladies fell in the opening round of the Regional Playoffs. Now, Mesa turns to a talented core of returners to make another run at a National Championship.

Talented guards Callina Hurley, Briana Benjamin, Alannah Begay, Prayer Branham and Kimmy Randall will return. Post players Katie Tomlinson and Domika Moore are the only returning bangers down low. Gone is ACCAC and Region I Player of the Year Brooke Jackson, and ACCAC 2nd-Teamer Katrina Graham. Also moving on is Sam Darley, Alicia Anderson, Vanna Moses, Abbey Ritz, Shaina Chafin, and Mary Natsyn.

Coach Stephenson already has five committals for the ’09-’10 season. Amber Bond, a forward out of Gilbert, Nicole Crisp, a guard out of Farmington, New Mexico, Lydia Kruse, a guard out of Gilbert, Christina Buescher, a guard out of Millennium HS, and Jasmine Petit, a forward from Orem, UT.

Stephenson enters her fourth year as Head Coach and has yet to miss the playoffs. Her 56-39 record and 2007-08 Region I Championship are a sign that Mesa Lady Thunderbirds Basketball is in good hands.