It is no surprise that University of Connecticut placed first in the Big East Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll and redshirt senior guard Paige Bueckers was voted Big East Preseason Player of the Year. What is a bit surprising is that Providence College is third. After struggling for years and finishing near or at the bottom of the conference, new coach Erin Batth has instilled a sense of confidence in the players, and they are ready to take on even the toughest opponents.
Xavier University placed 11th out of 11 total teams in the poll, but coach Billi Chambers is undaunted. “Continuing to build, I think we have a great group of young women who are passionate about how we want to play and what we want to do,” said Chambers. “I’m loving seeing the development each day and the confidence that’s starting to show for each of them.”
Marquette has a new coach, Cara Consuegra, and the players have quickly adapted. Junior guard Olivia Porter was excited to see program alum Natisha Hiedeman playing in the recent WNBA Finals. “It inspires you to keep playing, keep trying,” said Porter. “Our goal as a collective is just to be the best that we can be. There are a lot of people saying what we can’t do, but we know what we can do.”
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There’s a substantial New Jersey presence on the Georgetown Hoyas. Graduate student guard Kelsey Ransom, from South River, is intent on again being named All-Big East First Team and Big-East All-Academic. “So much hard work, so many days, so many hours that it’s rewarding to start play,” said Ransom. “I’m excited every single time I hit the gym, so I’m excited for every day, every opportunity. I’m excited for tomorrow.”
Also, repping the Garden State is graduate student forward Chetanna Nweke, who comes to the Hoyas after graduating from Princeton. Her former Tigers teammate Kaitlyn Chen has joined the UConn Huskies, so after three years together, which included three Ivy League titles and three trips to the NCAA Tournament, they will now be opponents. “We were best friends and teammates, but she knows once it’s gametime we’re not messing around,” said Nweke, who is pursuing a master’s degree in health in the public interest. “I’m definitely excited for this new chapter.”