Women's Basketball Looks Forward To Promising Season
Oct 22, 2002 | Women's Basketball
Oct. 22, 2002
NEW ORLEANS, La. - - Heading into last season, the Tulane women's basketball team had many things going for it - namely size, speed and depth. Using that natural ability, the Green Wave raced out to 13 wins in its first 15 games, with the only losses coming to squads from Purdue and Drake.
However, what the Wave lacked last season was experience and the team suffered through a mid-season slump thanks to its youth. But the squad rebounded down the stretch, winning eight of its final 10 games to reach the NCAA Tournament for the eighth consecutive season.
Fast forward to the start of the 2002-03 season and the Wave doesn't have to worry about a lack of experience thanks to a roster highlighted by 11 returnees. The Wave boast four players who started at least 16 games a year ago and four seniors who should be the backbone of the team.
Yet the Green Wave still feature the size, speed and depth that led last season's squad to an impressive 24 victories.
"I think this year's team finally has all the pieces," Tulane head coach Lisa Stockton said. "In years past, we might have had depth, but lacked speed. Or we might have had size, but lacked depth or experience. This season we are fortunate to have many of the capabilities that you need to be successful. I really believe that this year's team has great potential."
Many national prognosticators agree with Stockton, as the Wave have been ranked in the Top 15 in a pair of preseason polls. Athlon Sports has the Green Wave listed 12th in its preseason poll, while Street &Smith's has the Wave ranked 15th with senior Teana McKiver listed on its preseason All-America team.
Such lofty rankings are nothing new for a Green Wave team that is one of just 12 schools to have reached the last eight NCAA Tournaments and has compiled seven straight 20-win seasons.
But the Green Wave know that a challenging schedule is ahead of them and that each person on the team must play her part if the squad is to maintain its lofty standards.
"It is nice to have the respect of the national polls, but we know we have a lot of work to do," Stockton added. "We want to challenge this team to meet its potential. Our theme this year is the Power of One. Every player on the team has a role to play and every player has the opportunity to affect the team in a positive manner. We want the players to take responsibility for the team as a whole. So far they have responded. They've come in in great shape and have worked extremely hard during the preseason."
 Gwen Slaughter teams  | |
Leading the charge into the 2002-03 campaign are seniors Teana McKiver and Gwen Slaughter. A pair of versatile 6-3 post players, the duo anchor what should once again be a formidable Green Wave front line.
McKiver, a preseason All-Conference USA selection for the second straight year, earned All-America honors from Basketball Times last season. An All C-USA choice last year as well, McKiver was the only player to rank among the league's Top 10 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and blocked shots. She finished third nationally in field goal percentage, trailing only Vanderbilt's Chantelle Anderson and Iowa State's Angie Welle.
Slaughter also ranked among the Conference USA leaders in rebounding and blocked shots and finished second on the team in scoring. A rebounding machine, Slaughter posted 11 double-doubles as a junior and can defend any of the five positions on the floor.
Though Slaughter usually lines up at power forward, with McKiver at center, the pair is versatile enough to switch positions through the game without missing a beat. Each should crack the 1,000 point barrier this season, as Slaugter enters the year with 833 career points, only one ahead of McKiver, who has 832 career points during her Tulane tenure.
"This could be a special year for Teana and Gwen," Stockton said. "They are both fifth-year seniors who have a chance to really make a statement. We have to feed off them. Even though Teana gets most of the attention, Gwen is equally as important to the team. She has the ability to do everything well."
Fellow seniors Britt Themann and Jessica Carroll should also contribute significantly this season.
Themann enters her final year at Tulane as the Green Wave's all-time leader in three-point shooting, having connected on 38.1 percent of her shots from behind the arc. Like McKiver and Slaughter, Themann has a chance to reach the 1,000-point plateau this year, as she enters the season with 736 career points.
"Britt is one of the best shooters in the league and one of the best I have coached," Stockton said. "Her ability to hit from long-range really opens up the floor."
Carroll returns to the front line for her senior season, bringing a bit of versatility to the low post. A hard-working power forward, Carroll has the ability to score facing the basket, yet also has the strength to rebound well.
"Jessica's ability to face-up down low really gives us a lot of options in the post," Stockton said. "She has a nice touch around the basket and has the ability to extend the floor with her jumpshot."
| "We want to challenge this team to meet its potential. Our theme this year is the Power of One. Every player on the team has a role to play and every player has the opportunity to affect the team in a positive manner. We want the players to take responsibility for the team as a whole. So far they have responded. They've come in in great shape and have worked extremely hard during the preseason." |
"Kaisha has an interesting combination of finesse and strength," Stockton said. "I don't think people realize just how good a shooter she is facing the basket. She adds a lot to our post play."
If the Green Wave had a noticeable weakness last season, it was youth on the perimeter. Not so this year, as the Wave's wing players each have a year of experience under their belts.
"It will make a big difference to have experience at the guard spots this year," Stockton said. "We will have a lot of competition and a lot of depth out there. Who will play throughout the year will really depend on how players perform during practice."
Junior Tiffany Wilson provided such a spark off the bench last season that when she finally earned a starting spot midway through the year, she did not relinquish it, starting the final 16 games of the campaign. A tough player, Wilson often did the little things that did not show up on the box score, while her rebounding and scoring improved throughout the season.
Fellow junior Delacey Joseph brings a great deal of athleticism to the wing this year and has the ability to score from almost anywhere on the floor. She twice hit game-winning jumpers last year and also improved her defense throughout the year.
"Tiffany really came on strong at the end of the season," Stockton said. "She has a knack for making the hustle plays that really provide a spark for the team. And while I think Delacey can give us a scoring threat on the perimeter, she should have a more complete game this year."
Providing depth on the perimeter are sophomores Kinya Lennix and Tymeka Moore, two of the Wave's fastest and most athletic players.
"Kinya has really improved coming into her sophomore season," Stockton said. "She brings a tremendous amount of speed and quickness to the wing. Tymeka is probably the most athletic player on the team. She has developed into a defensive stopper who knows how to use her athletic ability."
Tulane should boast an impressive 1-2-3 punch at the point guard position this year. Junior Kelly Nadeau moved into the point guard spot midway through last season, earning the starting nod in the final 19 games of the year. Perhaps the team's unsung hero last year, Nadeau led the team in steals while finishing second in assists.
 Kelly Nadeau returns | |
Joining Nadeau at the playmaker spot this year are junior transfer Muci Haris and true freshman D'Aundra Henry.
Both Haris, who sat out last season after transfering from Arkansas-Little Rock, and Henry have the versatility to play either point or shooting guard.
A former Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, Haris combines the ability to put up big numbers on offense with the ability to effectively run the team from the point.
"Muci can be our X-factor this year," Stockton said. "How much she contributes will make a big difference for us."
Henry, a true freshman from nearby Houma, La., could make an impact for the Wave very early in her collegiate career.
"D'Aundra can be a tremendous player for us," Stockton added. "She is a great athlete who loves to play defense. We are excited to have her join the program."
Sophomore Lakethia Hampton and redshirt freshman Shelly Cayette should bolster an already talented Tulane front line.
Hampton came on strong at the end of last season and has an uncanny knack for rebounding. An athletic power forward player, her ability to score facing the basket should again prove invaluable for the Wave centers.
Cayette sat out her true freshman season, but maintains four years of eligibility. A 6-4 force in the middle, she improved noticeably throughout last season and should provide a spark with both her rebounding and ability to block shots.
"With players like Lakethia and Shelly, our post play really is the strength of the team," Stockton said. "Lakethia's rebounding and Shelly's size down low will really add a lot to the team this year."
The Green Wave also welcome transfer Natalie Walsh. A native of nearby Slidell, La., Walsh played her first two seasons at Wofford where she set records for three-point shooting and was a member of the Southern Conference All-Freshman team.
"We should have a very well-rounded and well-balanced team this year," Stockton said. "I don't think we'll sneak up on anyone, but we have the confidence to face anyone on the schedule. Our players are very focused on improving this year. Almost everyone spent some time on campus working out over the summer. They are very motivated. It should be another exciting season of Tulane women's basketball."
