Entering his 15th season at the helm of Penn women’s basketball in 2023-24, Mike McLaughlin has firmly established himself as one of the most respected and esteemed coaches in both the Ivy League and country while solidifying the Quakers as a nationally renowned program. McLaughlin was hired as the eighth head coach in program history on April 24, 2009.
A four-time Philadelphia Big 5 Coach of the Year, McLaughlin has a career record of 635-210 (.751) and has posted 20 or more wins in 21 of his 27 seasons as a head coach, including six 30-win seasons. The Philadelphia native has won 14 conference titles, is a 20-time Conference Coach of the Year, won his 500th game as a head coach during the 2015-16 season and then his 600th during the 2019-20 campaign.
McLaughlin has built the Penn women's basketball program into an Ivy League powerhouse. The Quakers have won at least 20 games in seven straight seasons prior to the pandemic, have clinched four Ivy League championships and three NCAA Tournament berths in 2014, 2016, and 2017, while winning the program's first two Big 5 titles in 2014-15 and 2017-18. Penn reached the postseason in the eight seasons prior to the pandemic (a school record) and returned to the Ivy League Tournament in 2023 as well as the WNIT.
He is joined by an experienced staff incuding: John Di Paolo, C'92, G'92, W'92 Associate Head Coach Kelly Killion, Assistant Coach Ashley Robinson, and Director of Operations Christine Woods.
One of the most storied sporting venues in the country, The Palestra — at the University of Pennsylvania — is located just five minutes from Center City Philadelphia.
Opened in 1927, The Palestra is the oldest major college arena still in use today and has hosted more games, more visiting teams and more NCAA tournaments than any other facility.
The Palestra has a capacity of 8,700 but every one of those seats feels like it’s right on top of the court. The energy and exuberance of the crowd adds to the experience. But that’s to be expected when you’re home to one of the greatest rivalries in college sports, the Big 5.
Penn, Villanova, Temple, St. Joe’s and LaSalle form the Big 5 and most of the games between the five teams take place on the floor of The Palestra, the group’s official home court.
In 2005, when ESPN.com asked its four college basketball experts for their favorite arenas, The Palestra was at or near the top of each one’s list. Jay Bilas said “it is one of the true gems of the sports world, right up there with Wrigley Field.”
Affectionately known as Rockwell Gym, the John R. Rockwell Gymnasium is located on the first floor of the Tse Sports Center and serves primarily as a practice gym for the men's and women's varsity basketball programs. In addition, the gym serves as a warm-up area for wrestling meets, a competition center for gymnastics and fencing, and additional practice space for volleyball. Rockwell is also used as a training area by several club and intramural teams on campus.
Rockwell Gymnasium features 6,000 square feet of multi-use space, retractable seating for 200 spectators, six retractable baskets, a full operational scoreboard, shot clocks at each end, and Robbins Basketball flooring. Standing room viewing is also available to front looking through the Class of 1978 and Class of 1979 Atrium, as well as from the second floor of the Tse Sports Center.
Rockwell Gym was named after John Richard (Rick) Rockwell W’64, WG’66 – former member of the board of Penn Athletics Overseers, Penn basketball sports board chair, and Penn football sports board member. The facility was part of a $27.2 million, 98,000-square-foot renovation of the existing Hutchinson Gymnasium. The project is certified as LEED Gold.
More than 18,000 square feet has been dedicated to Penn’s varsity intercollegiate athletes, with state-of-the art equipment, running areas, and setups that are unique to the University.
Entering from 33rd Street, certainly the highlight and most dramatic element of the center is the 30 weightlifting racks that were uniquely made for Penn by Sorinex. These racks use more than 20,000 pounds of WerkSan barbells and plates, which are generally considered the finest of their kind in the world. The flooring and platform inlays, unique to Penn, were designed by Mondo Flooring. The room also boasts two running tracks with a special surface specifically designed by Mondo Flooring for maximum traction and durability.
Penn’s intercollegiate weight room also boasts more than 40 LifeFitness machines for cardio as well as muscle development; 18 heavy bags from Balazs for kickboxing drills; two complete dumbbell sets (up to 150-pound weights) from Intek; and dozens of medicine balls from M&F Athletics for ballistic training.
As part of the George A. Weiss Pavilion inside Franklin Field, the University of Pennsylvania athletic department also unveiled the new, state-of-the-art Donald E. Frey Athletic Training Center in August 2010.
the 4,600-square-foot athletic training room boasts the latest in modality technology, hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, and rehabilitation equipment. Outfitted with two Polar Plunges, five Game ready machines, two Hivamat machines, light and laser therapy machines, and electrical stim and ultrasound machines, this room rivals any athletic training room in the country.
A program that dates back to 1921, the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball program has made its mark in the Ivy League. Under the program's all-time winning coach, Mike McLaughlin, the Quakers have a decorated history that is highlighted by six Ivy League titles and two Big 5 championships.
Through the program's time in the Ivy League, they've collected countless major honors to go along with their six championships including: 8 Players of the Year, 6 Rookies of the Year, and 5 Defensive Players of the Year. Former Quaker Eleah Parker garnered three of those honors, opening her career with Rookie of the Year in 2017-18 and followed it with back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year awards. Recent graduate Kayla Padilla also began her collegiate prowess with a Rookie of the Year accolade, going on to have one of the most successful careers for a Quaker through three seasons.
McLaughlin has led the program to three NCAA tournament appearances. Additionally, the six seasons prior to the 2019-20 slate had the Quakers either winning the Ivy League or the Big 5. The 2019-20 season had the program mark its seventh-straight season with 20-plus wins, as the Quakers were heading to the Ivy tournament as the No. 2 seed before the COVID-19 pandemic.
The program has had two All-Americans, Diana Caramanico in 2001 and Sandra Hawthorne in 1983. Caramanico earned a first-team honor, as she is arguably the best player in Ivy League history with a league- and program-record 2,415 career points.
Caramanico went on to play professionally overseas, joining countless others that have come through the program to continue their careers after college. Currently, there are three Quakers playing professionally.
A Message from Penn President Liz Magill.
Welcome to the University of Pennsylvania.
Penn has a proud tradition of translating knowledge into social-minded action that dates back to our founder, Benjamin Franklin. This tradition of active pragmatism, articulated in Franklin’s maxim “well-done is better than well-said,” lives today through the inclusive policies, innovative work, and impactful engagement of our faculty, students, and staff.
Take a virtual tour of our beautiful campus and engage with Penn online.
The University of Pennsylvania offers a multitude of housing and dining options both on and off campus, all members of the University community can find the accommodations that make Penn feel like home.
Penn offers the ability to participate in social, political, and artistic activities that put learning into practice in a globally minded community.
From the one-of-a-kind Penn Museum and various galleries across campus, to accomplished student performances in music, dance, and theater, culture and the arts play a leading role in life at Penn.
The Pennovation Works is a distinctive blend of offices, labs, and production space developed by The University of Pennsylvania to link the intellectual and entrepreneurial initiatives necessary for advancing knowledge and generating economic development.
Wharton is changing the way business is done. Our faculty, students, and alumni generate big ideas, back them up with incisive analysis, and turn them into ingenious solutions that work. We educate, inform, and inspire the leaders who are meeting the world’s complex challenges, advancing business practice, and driving economic growth at a global scale.
The Center for Student-Athlete Success (CSAS) creates a positive experience during the student-athlete lifecycle through a holistic approach to personal growth and development during their time at Penn.
If you're interested in being part of the University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team fill out the recruiting questionnaire below.