DETROIT (11/25/2025) -- The early years of women's basketball showcased some of the most remarkable talent in all of the NCAA. A five-year period in which the Titans didn't just play, they were the women's sports show in town. 

Just think: the Titans started their program with 15 straight wins in 1977-78. It would be 75 days from their first tip before U-D ever fell, ending the year at 18-3 overall, which included a win over Michigan. 

The following season didn't get off to the same start, but that was due to early competition, mainly No. 9 Delta State in the season opener, followed by Kansas and four-time All-American Lynette Woodard in the annual U-D Women's Classic. After that, the Titans cruised, finishing the year 27-4, with a state college title and victories over Michigan, Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State, and Indiana. 

"We didn't care who we played," said three-year letterwinner Davida Boozer. "We had just as good players as anyone. Cheryl was a great player, she was a pro. Lisa (Blackburn) was great. I was an undersized center, Gigi would dive for balls all the time, and Mary was as good and tough as a player you will ever see, and all of us wanted to compete with the best."

In 1979-80, the Titans were 25-8 and made the AIAW National Tournament. Still, four of those losses were to ranked opponents, including No. 1 Old Dominion, led by Nancy Lieberman and Anne Donovan, No. 12 Kansas, No. 17 Northwestern, and No. 11 North Carolina State, coached by Kay Yow. The U-D Classic, which had become one of the premier women's basketball events in the country, saw the Titans host ODU and LSU. 

"We wanted to play the best teams, and the athletic department was very supportive of us playing the top teams," said Titan Hall-Of-Famer Cheryl Williams. 

After dominating local teams for three years, with five wins over Michigan and three over MSU, the Titans set their sights on the national stage, as again the U-D Classic saw No. 11 N.C. State in town, but the Wolfpack escaped with the trophy, 74-63, in 1980-81.

It was later that season that the Titans finally conquered a ranked team when U-D broke the hearts of third-ranked Kansas at home on Valentine's Day. Kansas had beaten the Titans in each of the last two years, but this time around, U-D showed that Motor City toughness. 

It was a back-and-forth game early, but the Titans took the lead midway through the first on a basket from Williams. At the half, Williams had 12 points as U-D led 26-20, limiting Woodward to just four points. 

"We had a great game plan from our coaches, utilizing a half-court trap and press, and they were not ready for it," said Williams. Years later, when I was playing in Italy, Woodard was also playing there, and we would play each other, and she always said, you took it to us."

"We had a great defense, a bit of a half-court trap and press, and every time they tried to throw it over, there was Cheryl right there," said four-year letterwinner Gigi Yax. 

In the second half, Williams was unstoppable, and at one point, her three straight baskets put the team up 48-36 with over seven minutes remaining, and U-D would celebrate a 52-46 triumph. Williams had 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight steals, while Blackburn recorded the school's first triple-double with 12 points, 16 rebounds, and a then-school record 12 assists. 

"We came out and established a pattern of play, a tempo right from the start," said head coach Mark Roickle in an interview after the game. "Whenever Kansas challenged us, our defense would turn them back. We won the game on intensity. We knew what we had to do to beat Kansas, and we went out and executed. Our aggressiveness on defense and patience on offense won it for us." 

The next year, the Titans were in revenge mode again as the U-D Classic brought Seton Hall, No. 9 N.C. State and No. 10 Kentucky. The four-year senior class of Blackburn, Williams, Yax, and Mary Lillie had accomplished so much in their time, but one thing had eluded them: a title at their home tournament. 

"If we didn't do anything else all season long, we had to win the Classic for the seniors," said coach Roickle. 

After dispatching Seton Hall 52-43, where Williams had 12 points, 17 rebounds, six blocks, and six steals, the title game was set up against the ninth-ranked Wolfpack. 

Unlike in the win over Kansas the year before, the Titans needed everyone to beat N.C. State. Lillie had eight points and seven assists at the half, and Yax had eight points, four of them in the final minute to send the team into the break up 32-29. 

It was a tight tussle in the second half, with U-D leading by as many as five, only to see the Wolfpack jump back in front with three minutes left and take a 59-56 advantage with under a minute remaining.

"We wanted to win it for the seniors," said Boozer. "We said that coming into the game, it was time for the seniors to win this."

The seniors had their moment, with some help from a rookie. Blackburn started it with a jumper, and then the defense forced a turnover. U-D set up a play, and Lillie found freshman guard Regina Pierce, who took a few dribbles and was wide open just past the foul line. Williams was on one side of the basket, and Blackburn was around the perimeter, but Pierce - who was 2-of-9 shooting at the time - buried the shot to put the team ahead. 

"I honestly don't remember too much about the shot, but I will tell you what, I came to Detroit because it was the best program in the state," said Pierce, a four-year letterwinner who was the all-time leading scorer in Michigan High School history as a prep. "I was used to winning in high school, and I wanted to play with the best, and that senior class had great players who were hard workers."

"That year, Regina and I kind of switched back and forth on starting as she was more of an offensive player and I was the better defender," said Yax. "In that game, I believe Linda (Page) was scoring a lot for them, and at halftime, the coach told me I was going in more to help stop her."

With about 10 seconds left, N.C. State had one final chance, but Boozer came up with a block, and the ball landed in the hands of Williams as the clock struck zero.

The team effort saw Lillie end with 12 points and 11 assists, while Williams tallied 10 points and 18 rebounds. Yax and Boozer each had 10 points, and Blackburn finished with eight and five caroms. 

"It was something we wanted as seniors," said Williams. "The year before, we were passed over by the NCAA and didn't make the tournament, and we were looking to make sure everyone knew who we were this time around."

"Detroit is where you wanted to go to play basketball," said Pierce. "I was a scorer and I came to U-D thinking that I should play and start every game, but the team had so many good players and that helped me just practicing and playing with that group everyday."

The first five years of women's basketball saw the Titans post a 103-29 record. They won three state tournaments, were regional finalists twice, and earned a bid to the AIAW National Tournament. They played the best teams, played in the best arenas, and most importantly, they played for the name on the front of the jersey. 

"It is great to watch games on television and tell people that we played at Rupp Arena, played at Kansas, played games at Joe Louis Arena. We wanted to play all the great teams, and we had players that just wanted to win," said Yax.

The era might be different now with NIL, social media, and an arms race for facilities. Still, for the early Titans, they did it the old-fashioned way with grit and determination, and left a legacy of dominance as they paved the way for greatness in the sport of women's basketball. 

The Queen moves unobstructed in any direction on the chessboard, and for the early Titans, they were the Queens of female sports in the state of Michigan.