(Editor's note: This is the first of a multi-part MTN Sports series celebrating girls basketball in Montana.)
BILLINGS — Girls and women's basketball has never been more popular than it is right now.
With the ascent of stars like Caitlin Clark, the growth of the WNBA, and soaring television ratings, the sport is catching attention. And while Montana has produced its share of WNBA players, the truth is the state has a rich history of cultivating high-quality girls basketball talent.
If there’s a mastermind behind this tradition, it’s Robin Selvig, the former head coach of the Montana Lady Griz from 1978 to 2016.
"I credit the growth in Montana to good high school coaching and women finally getting an opportunity and taking full advantage of it," Selvig told MTN Sports.
His resume with Lady Griz basketball is nothing short of impressive. The university’s court is named after him, and his record speaks volumes, highlighted by more than 800 career wins — mostly with homegrown players.
"We had a ton of really good Division I players coming out of this state," Selvig noted.
Kevin Woodin, now in his 21st year as the women's head coach at MSU Billings, can attest to that legacy. Before his tenure at MSUB, he spent a decade as head coach at Billings West High School.
"I'm not here to argue about the change of seasons, but when I first started, girls basketball was in the fall,” Woodin recalled. “I just remember coach Selvig dominating the recruiting at that time."
Selvig emphasized the importance of opportunity: "What I found coaching both at Plentywood High School and here (at UM) was that given the opportunity, they were going to take full advantage of it."
"Coach Selvig always told me that it was much easier for him in the fall to get out there and watch those Montana players," Woodin added. "That was an advantage, and obviously, he won, and won, and won."
"It's exciting to watch how fast the sport grew, especially here at the university," Selvig said.
Like Selvig, Woodin has achieved success on the national stage, showcasing rosters filled with Montana high school graduates.
"Over my entire time here, almost 80% of our players have been from Montana," Woodin acknowledged. "The small schools — Class C and Class B — have been great to us. Some of our best players ever have come from there."
So, what contributes to this success?
“I think there’s a work ethic built into their communities, and I believe they’ve benefited from great high school coaching,” Woodin explained.
Mandy Morales, who played high school basketball for Woodin at Billings West, exemplifies this legacy. A member of Billings' first public school girls state championship team in 2003, she signed with Arizona State.
“I do believe that Mandy would’ve been a multi-year starter and an all-conference type player at Arizona State," Woodin said. "No question, and their coaches told me that.”
But her heart was at home, so Morales transferred to the University of Montana, where she ranked No. 10 on the Big Sky Conference’s list of greatest female athletes in any sport. The league also called Morales “the best Native American to come out of the University of Montana’s women’s basketball program.”
Debbie Olson Sevier was a teammate on West's inaugural girls program in the 1970s. Now living in Glendive, the longtime girls basketball enthusiast has watched Montana's Division I talent grow through the decades.
"I see a lot of progress with allowing girls to be involved in sports over the last 50 years," she said, noting young girls "wanting to be like dad, wanting to be like their older brother. Some of them just played against guys and it was just the thing they did."
Said Selvig: "Taking advantage of an opportunity that was given to them was what young women did, and now ... see where it’s gone."
Most recently, Breanna Williams, a Billings Skyview graduate, has made headlines by earning Montana’s last two girls Gatorade player of the year awards. She now wears No. 40 for the University of Maryland.
“Basketball is basketball, and great effort is great effort," Woodin said. "It’s just blossoming, and I hope it continues to grow.”
