Wyoming (26-9) plays for its first postseason women's basketball title Saturday when it hosts Wisconsin (23-12). The Badgers were WNIT runners-up in 1999 and won the tournament in 2000.
Four years ago, in coach Joe Legerski's first year at the helm of the Mountain West Conference school, Wyoming sold just 16 season tickets to the women's games.
"It's been one of those things where we've gone out and worked hard in the community, throughout the state, and you know we're close to almost a 1,000 season-ticket holders right now, and I got a pretty good feeling that's going to jump for next season,'' Legerski said.
Wyoming's success has spurred one record crowd after another - peaking at 12,225 in a semifinal on a snowy Wednesday night when Wyoming defeated defending WNIT champion Kansas State 89-79 in triple overtime.
A new record appears likely Saturday.
The title game sold out on Thursday - all 15,000 tickets, about 1,800 more than Wyoming's enrollment.
Saturday's game will be first between Wyoming and Wisconsin in women's basketball.
Wyoming reached the final by beating Nevada, Missouri, Oregon, South Dakota State and Kansas State.
The Cowgirls are led by Hanna Zavecz, who averages 14 points and 5.2 rebounds a game, followed by Justyna Podziemska with 13 points and 6.4 rebounds.
"I can't pronounce any of their players' last names,'' Wisconsin coach Lisa Stone remarked when asked about the Wyoming team.
Wisconsin beat Arkansas State, Kentucky, Virginia and Western Kentucky. The Badgers last lost in the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals in overtime to Purdue, which earned a No.
2 seed in the NCAA tournament and reached the regional finals before losing to North Carolina.
Stone said the close loss to a strong Purdue team has inspired Wisconsin.
"Our team has played with a very high level of confidence and are determined to finish this off,'' she said.
Wisconsin is led by Jolene Anderson, who has scored an average of 27 points a game in the four WNIT games and 19.8 points a game for the season. Anderson also has 15 steals in the postseason.
Janese Banks is next for the Badgers, averaging 14.7 points and 6.2 rebounds.
Both teams are young. Wisconsin has no seniors and starts two freshmen; Wyoming starts four juniors and a sophomore.
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