A season after earning its first postseason berth since 2017-18, the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team is gearing up for their 2023-24 campaign.
With a roster full of veterans — as well as some key newcomers — the Hawks (20-11, 9-7 A-10 in 2022 – 23) have built excitement around this season, which starts Nov. 7 against Rider at Hagan Arena. And opposing coaches are taking notice, too, as St. Joe’s was picked to finish second in the A-10 preseason coaches poll. Rhode Island was picked to finish first.
To live up to those expectations following their WNIT berth last season, here are five things the Hawks must focus on:
Leaning on experience
St. Joe’s features players old and new sharing their knowledge of the game, the team and the conference.
“We have a lot of experience on the floor, which helps,” Head Coach Cindy Griffin said during the team’s media day Oct. 4. “They’re doing all the right things.”
Juniors Talya Brugler and Mackenzie Smith, who led the team in scoring with 16.7 and 13.6 points per game, respectively, are expected to lead the team in new ways this season, a role Griffin said the juniors are welcoming. Additionally, Brugler and Smith were named to the conference’s first and third teams, respectively, while sophomore Laura Ziegler, the reigning A-10 rookie of the year, was a second-teamer.
“They lead by example, but now they’ve got to take the next step as far as leading vocally,” Griffin said. “They’ve been leaders since stepping on campus, and they embrace that challenge.”
And while Chloe Welch may be new to Hawk Hill, the Davidson transfer has A-10 experience and talent that Griffin expects will aid the Hawks. Along with Welch is the addition of Scranton University transfer Bridget Monaghan, a WBCA All-American. The two, both of whom are in their final year of eligibility, have meshed well with the squad, Brugler said.
“They’ve done a great job following and also stepping up as leaders themselves,” Brugler said.
Filling the backcourt
With Katie Jekot gone, the Hawks will have to find a new starting point guard, and Griffin admitted as much.
“Our backcourt is a big question mark,” Griffin said.
There is no shortage of options, with players like Welch, Monaghan and junior Julia Nyström. While the position has not been decided yet, Griffin said, Nyström’s contribution to the success early last season has not been forgotten.
“I’ve been having to step up more to play the one,” Nyström said. “I like it. It’s a good challenge.”
Replacing Jekot
Filling the Jekot-sized hole in the backcourt is not the only way St. Joe’s will have to make up for the loss of their star guard. Jekot did more than lead the team in assists (4.8 per game). She also understood Griffin and the Hawks’ style of play.
“She just knew [the] pace of the game, pace of situations,” Griffin said.
Understanding pacing and when to pull back is one of the team’s challenges, said Griffin, and something they need to continue to work on with Jekot gone.
“This team wants to go go go go, and we have the athletes to do it,” Griffin said. “You’ve got to be able to pull back when you’re on offense when it’s time to execute in the halfcourt. That’s where we’ve got to continue to grow in those areas.”
Griffin’s proposed solution comes in the form of the veterans, specifically Nysröm, senior Emma Boslet and junior Kaylie Griffin, who are almost as familiar with the team as Jekot was.
“They understand what we’re trying to do,” the 23rd-year coach said. “I think early on in this season, you’re going to see the veterans a little bit more.”
Making their threes
Griffin hopes to see the Hawks make more threes after a season in which they shot 32.7% from beyond the arc. More specifically, she wants to see them shoot over 35% from three.
“38 is a great number,” Griffin said. “I think we could get there.”
Griffin’s optimism about the team’s three-point capabilities this season is supported by what she is seeing from them in practice.
“We’re really shooting the ball well, and I think it’s because of two reasons,” Griffin said. “One, we have really good shooters, and two, because they’ve been in the gym and work on their skills.”
Focusing on versatility
On a team that Griffin described as “very competitive,” one of the ways St. Joe’s can maintain that edge is by focusing on versatility. One way Griffin said they might do this is by playing Ziegler as a point forward, something becoming more common in the professional ranks. Griffin said having different players who can rebound the ball will help with the Hawks’ pacing.
“It really starts your transition a lot earlier and causes a lot of matchup situations with that,” Griffin said.
But Ziegler is not the only player Griffin is counting on for versatility. This is a goal set for the whole team.
“We know that we’re going to need to space the floor,” Griffin said. “We’ve got to be interchangeable. We’ve got to be versatile.”
This article was first published by the Philadelphia Inquirer Oct. 26, 2023 as part of the Inquirer’s college correspondent program.
