Karlie Burris: Competition, Connection, and a New Era at Portland State

This week on The Krista Redpath Show, I’m continuing to take you Around the Big Sky in Women’s Hoops, and our next stop is Portland, Oregon.

I’m joined by Karlie Burris, the head women’s basketball coach at Portland State, who is now in her first season leading the Vikings and opening a new era for the program.  We begin the conversation by setting the stage with the sports era Karlie grew up in while coming up in Tucson, Arizona, a time when Arizona men’s basketball won a national championship, Arizona women’s basketball was a regular NCAA Tournament team, the WNBA launched, and the Diamondbacks captured a World Series. Karlie shares how growing up in that environment — earning a black belt in Taekwondo, playing basketball with the boys, and embracing defense — helped shape her competitive mindset.

From there, Karlie reflects on her high school years at Salpointe Catholic, where she played alongside Sybil Dosty, who would go on to play at the University of Tennessee. She then takes us into her college decision, where she was recruited to the University of Portland by then assistant coach Loree Payne (Havre, Montana) and we talk about how recruiting is so often built on trust and connection.

We also touch on a unique Big Sky thread in Karlie’s journey: Loree Payne later went on to coach Northern Arizona for eight seasons, and Karlie’s first assistant coaching opportunity also came at Northern Arizona, where she was hired under Sue Darling. Karlie explains how those early experiences helped shape her approach to recruiting and coaching. From there, the conversation moves through her championship years at UNLV under Lindy La Rocque and into her current role at Portland State. We discuss the standards she’s establishing in year one, what she’s learning about her team now that the season is underway, and how she defines success beyond wins and losses.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation about competition, preparation, and the coaching connections that shape careers  and a deeper look at Karlie Burris as she leads Portland State women’s basketball.