Cheryl Sorenson, a Portland native who spent the previous three years on The Bluff as an assistant coach, was named head coach of the University of Portland women’s basketball program during the spring of 2014. Sorenson replaced long-time head coach Jim Sollars, who retired after 28 years at the helm of the Pilots, and she is the fifth head coach program history.
A highlight of the Sorenson era came during the 2014-15 season when the Pilots had three players, seniors Cassandra Brown, Kari Luttinen and Jasmine Wooton each become 1,000 career point scorers. It was the first time in program history to have three players reach 1,000 career points during the same season, and all three reached the milestone during a win.
Cassandra Brown then took the nation by storm when she won the National Three-Point Contest (men’s and women’s!!) on national television during the 2015 NCAA Final Four weekend. Brown topped Gonzaga men’s basketball senior and fellow Canadian Kevin Pangos in the final at Butler’s historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. Brown ranked seventh in the nation that season in three-point percentage (.444) and she was 14th in free throw shooting (.883). Her three-point percentage that year, and her 75 three’s made both ranked second all-time on Portland’s single season charts. Her free throw percentage ranked fifth.
Brown was named to the 2014-15 All-WCC Second Team, Luttinen was named to the WCC’s All-Academic team, and Hannah Mattson and Kaylie Van Loo earned all-academic honorable mention.
In 2016, Van Loo landed on the WCC’s All-Academic team, while also earning All-WCC Honorable Mention. Mattson nabbed WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention accolades. The next year Van Loo again collected all-academic honors and Mattson again was all-academic honorable mention. On the court, Van Loo was voted to the All-WCC Second Team, and a year later she matched that feat while also landing more academic honors.
During the 2017-18 season, Portland toppled Saint Mary’s at home, giving the Pilots their first win over the Gaels since 2009. Following the season, both Darian Slaga and Julie Spencer nabbed All-WCC Honorable Mention, while Rachelle Owens was voted to the league’s all-academic squad.
Sorenson, who attended Clackamas High School and played collegiately at the University of Washington, has assisted in every aspect of the UP program during her time on the bench, including managing Portland’s defense, directing the development of the post players and assisting with recruiting.
Sorenson inherits a program that returns most of the roster from the 2013-14 season, including leading scorers Cassandra Brown (14.1 ppg), Jasmine Wooton (13.1 ppg) and Kari Luttinen (12.9 ppg). Both Brown and Wooton garnered All-WCC recognition as juniors in 2014.
Sorenson was hired as an assistant coach at Portland during the summer of 2011 after spending the previous four years as an assistant coach at Eastern Washington University. Sorenson was EWU’s recruiting coordinator and she helped lead the Eagles to the 2010 Big Sky regular season title. Under her tutelage, Eastern Washington forward Julie Piper became the first player in school history to be named the Big Sky Most Valuable Player, while guard Brianne Ryan landed on the all-conference first team.
Prior to landing with the Eagles, Sorenson served as the head coach of the women’s team at Bellevue Community College (Wash.) for three seasons (2005-07). After winning just four games her first year, Sorenson led the Bulldogs to 22 wins the next season and to an impressive 26-5 record in 2007. Sorenson was named the NWAACC North Division’s Coach of the Year after the remarkable turnaround.
Before BCC, Sorenson served as the head coach of the girls’ team at Eastside Catholic High School, also located in Bellevue.
Sorenson graduated from Washington in 2003 with degrees in both communications and psychology. She was a wing for the Huskies and she was a team captain during her junior and senior campaigns. Sorenson helped lead UW to two NCAA Tournaments, including the 2001 Regional Final, and a pair of WNIT berths. She garnered Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention accolades during her final season at the school.
Sorenson earned multiple All-America honors at Clackamas High School, while landing on the all-state first team and all-state tournament team two years in a row. Sorenson finished her prep career with 1,968 career points and she led the state of Oregon (24.8 ppg) in scoring during her junior campaign.
Sorenson married Stephen Lee during the summer of 2014, and they have two young children.