Traditionally, Florida A&M Lady Rattler basketball has been a powerhouse. From the days of Mickey Clayton where the women often outdrew the men’s games to Claudette Farmer who led the FAMU Lady Rattlers (then Rattlerettes) to the school’s first-ever appearances in the NCAA playoffs, FAMU women’s basketball has been storied. And with Bridgette Gordon at the helm, those glory days could be returning to the highest of seven hills.
Beginning in the New South Women’s Conference, then to the MEAC, FAMU basketball has been a traditional force. Stellar players like Natalie White, Cathy Robinson, Sybil Rivers, April Manning, and Shelly Boston etched records that stood tall.
Over the last several years, Lady Rattler basketball has fallen on hard times. While coaches Debra Clark and LeDawn Gibson both had successful periods as head coach, there was no consistency in attaining the level of success Rattler fans were accustomed to.
A few years after the departure of Gibson, those watching the team now feel the team is being led by a legitimate coach to make a run at the SWAC tournament sometime soon.
Florida A&M Vice President and Director of Athletics Tiffani-Dawn Sykes didn’t take long to name Bridgette Gordon the head coach after the sudden departure of former head coach Shalon Pillow. Gordon and Pillow have a commonality as they both played for arguably the greatest women’s basketball coach in Pat Summit at Tennessee.
Bridgette Gordon herself was a force to be reckoned with. She is a 2007 Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer. She is the eighth head coach in FAMU history. With two national titles and Olympic experience, she has experienced Collegiate basketball at the highest levels.
FAMU Women’s Basketball has had some downtime as of late. In the 2021-2022 season, the team won just six games while losing 23. 2022-2023 would be worse. The team lost 25 games while winning just three.
So far this season, even with the late start the Lady Rattlers has already won four games. More importantly, with limited time to reshape the personnel, the team is playing a solid brand of basketball.
FAMU battled the JSU Tigers for a half
On Jan. 29, the team looked very sharp and executed very well against SWAC power Jackson State. The team went in at the half with a one-point lead, up 34-33. There was a good plan and the team was executing it against a SWAC power.
“I told our team that we had been battle tested. We ran out of a little bit of energy in the third quarter and with foul trouble it faded us a little. Overall, our depleted depth got the best of us and we just couldn’t hang down the line,” said Bridgette Gordon.
There were times over the last several years that constant moans and sound of disapproval of what was happening on the court would take precedence. On social media, the fanbase was wondering what happened to the greatness of Lady Rattler basketball.
Grant you, the Rattlers weren’t just playing anybody. Tomekia Reed has her Tigers rolling again, sitting in the top spot in the conference with a perfect 6-0 record. It takes a complete team, great plan and solid execution for four quarters to defeat JSU. For a half the Lady Rattlers were able to maintain that. In the end, the fatigue and depletion of personnel to execute the perfect game plan fell short.
Optimism even after the loss to JSU persists. In FAMU social media circles, there is an understanding that rebuilding from the years of subpar performances will take time. It is also widely acknowledged that Gordon is the right fit for FAMU.
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