Last season, the Lady Bulldogs earned their first-ever trip to the NCAA basketball tournament. This year, the team continued to set records-winning its first 11 games, receiving its first national ranking, and setting attendance records at the Hump.

So what happened to the former SEC also-rans?

Fifth-year coach Sharon Fanning considers this season all part of a journey to achieve the ultimate goal she and the players have set for themselves: winning a national championship.

Top: SEC Freshman of the Year LaToya Thomas   Above: In her fifth year as coach of the Lady Bulldogs, Sharon Fanning has visions of an eventual national championship.

"Each year we try to improve and the more we improve, the more well known we are and that, in turn, helps our recruiting," Fanning explained. "Success breeds success."

Part of that success comes from the Southeastern Conference's leading scorer, freshman forward LaToya Thomas. However, Fanning says team chemistry and its work ethic have been a big part of this season's accomplishments, as well.

"I like the diversity of our team; we're fairly balanced," said Fanning. "Plus, the senior class has been with us the whole time (I've been here) and they always put the team first. They're very unselfish."

All this diversity and team chemistry have led to some major milestones for the latest edition of the Lady Bulldogs:

• Beating back a late rally by No. 2 Louisiana Tech to win 74-72 at Humphrey Coliseum in late November.
• Earning a spot in the Associated Press Top 25 for the first time in 26 years of MSU women's basketball. The women entered the poll at No. 25 in early December.
• Winning its first 11 games in a row before losing to Florida on the road.
• Ending a 17-game home court winning streak against LSU on Jan. 30. Mississippi State's last defeat at Humphrey Coliseum dated back to Jan. 17, 1999, when Alabama defeated the Lady Bulldogs 75-59.

And, as Fanning said, success breeds success. It also breeds some negatives.

"As you gain national attention, there are more distractions," she said. "We're no different, though. We try to work hard, stay who we are, and not focus on stats or how we're ranked each week."

Fanning's hard work and dedication have paid off. The Lady Bulldogs this year set a school record for wins. In March, Fanning was named SEC Coach of the Year, LaToya Thomas captured SEC Freshman of the Year honors, and the team led the SEC by placing eight players on the Women's Basketball Academic Honor Roll.