Ever since the Lady Bears were knocked out of the Sweet 16 in the 2019 NCAA Tournament, they've been waiting for the opportunity to get back and go even further.
The pandemic ruined their chance at doing so in 2020, but when they heard their names called on Monday, it was even sweeter.
Missouri State will play UC Davis in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament's Alamo Region on Monday at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
Missouri State head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton finally gets the chance to coach her team in the big dance.
Here's what you need to know about the Lady Bears heading into the tournament:
Monday was two years in the making
Only one senior graduated from the Lady Bears' Sweet 16 roster in 2018-19 to the point where they looked set to make runs for the foreseeable future.