Photo by: Chris Jones Photography
WBB: LEFT SOMETHING ON THE TABLE
3/24/2020 4:44:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Lady Bears Bring Back Solid Core For 2020-21
Kim Mulkey will never know whether this 2019-20 Baylor Lady Bear team would have won it all and hoisted the program's fourth national championship trophy at the Final Four in New Orlean
That's what hurts is knowing you had a team that that was capable of defending last year's national championship. The Lady Bears were 28-2 and ranked third nationally when the rest of the season was canceled because of COVID-19.
"We definitely felt like we left something on the table, but there were no guarantees," Mulkey said. "As a coach, you have very few opportunities where you really have a team that has a chance to win a national championship. You have teams that are good year-in and year-out, but they might not be good enough to win that championship.
"We had post play, we had returning players, we had 3-point shooting. Our defense, once again, was super. We were going to play those first two games at home. There are no guarantees, but you certainly like your chances playing at home. And then, being in the Dallas Regional and having an opportunity to stay close to where our fans could drive to New Orleans, should we have made it. It just makes you wonder, what if? What if?"
Prefacing her remarks with the understanding that "what's going on in the world is much bigger than any national championships," the hardest part was not having any closure.
The team was sitting on a plane on the tarmac at Waco Regional Airport when it got word that the Big 12 had canceled the tournament in Kansas City. A day later, the NCAA made the sobering announcement that the postseason men's and women's basketball tournaments would be canceled, as well as the remaining winter and spring sports championships.
"If I could have closure, if I could have a date, if I could know something. It's the unknown that drives you nuts," Mulkey said. "I have to figure out when I can see my team. Is it going to be this fall? Is it going to be in the summer? You've got kids that want to go to summer school that are probably going to have to take online courses. Who knows? I can't give any definitive answer to anybody. So, I just try to stay busy. I'm going to have the best-looking yard in Waco by the time this is over."
While some things were left unfinished, the Lady Bears did win their 10th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season title, ran their home court winning streak to 56 and had a 58-game conference winning streak snapped in a 57-56 loss at Iowa State in what turned out to be the last game of the year.
Senior forward Lauren Cox became the sixth different Baylor player to be named Big 12 Player of the Year, earned first-team All-America honors and was a three-time finalist for the Katrina McClain Award that recognizes the top power forward in the country.
"If you look at the wins and losses, there's not going to be many four-year players that come here that have that kind of record," Mulkey said. The Lady Bears were 140-9 over the last four years, and Cox was sidelined by injuries for two of the losses.
"She's just so competitive. She hated to lose, she hated to be hurt. She was a leader by her actions on the floor. She played both ends of the floor. She just impacted the game for us, just her presence on the floor."
Led by Cox and Mulkey, who was named the league's Coach of the Year for the third year in a row and eighth time overall, Baylor dominated the postseason Big 12 awards.
DiDi Richards was named Defensive Player of the Year and is also one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year; grad transfer point guard Te'a Cooper was co-Newcomer of the Year and joined Cox and sophomore forward NaLyssa Smith on the All-Big 12 first team; and sophomore Queen Egbo was voted the Sixth Person of the Year.
"We will reflect on it and never, ever diminish what we did (this year)," Mulkey said. "But, we would be that way, anyway. If we were in the playoffs and lost and didn't win it again, or even make a Final Four, we would reflect on it and keep perspective. This just makes you wonder, what if? How far could we have gone with this bunch again?"
The 28 regular-season wins ties for the fourth-most in program history, behind only the 2012 national champions (31), the 2016 Elite Eight squad (30) and the 2013 team that lost in the Sweet 16 (29).
Looking ahead to next season, Mulkey has some big shoes to fill with Cox, Cooper, guard Juicy Landrum and 6-6 grad transfer post Erin DeGrate. That foursome accounted for 46.3 percent of the team's scoring, 33.7 percent of the rebounds and 86.3 percent of the 3-pointers made.
There's a good core coming back, though, with Smith (14.3 ppg, 8.0 rebounds) and Richards (8.2 ppg, 5.7 assists) as returning starters and Egbo (10.8 ppg, 6.8 rebounds) emerging as an inside force. Also coming back are rising senior guard Moon Ursin, juniors Trinity Oliver and Caitlin Bickle and sophomore guard Jordyn Oliver.
Added to the roster will be a pair of high school All-Americans in 5-foot-7 point guard Sarah Anders and 6-4 post Hannah Gusters. Teammates this year at Irving MacArthur, they were rated the top two recruits in the state of Texas and top 10 nationally.
"It's very tough to come in as a freshman (point guard) and make an impact," Mulkey said. "What helps when you're a freshman coming in at this level is the players around you. (Andrews) has got players that have experience at this level to help her and make her job easier.
"Hannah's got the size, she'll be the biggest player on our roster. She's not a back-to-the-basket player. She can face up and do a lot of the things Lauren Cox did for us, which will complement Queen and NaLyssa and Bickle."
Andrews and Ursin, who was 12-of-37 from outside the arc, will likely be the Lady Bears' best threats from 3-point range. Cooper and Landrum hit 56 and 55 treys, respectfully, with Landrum setting a single-game record with 14 3-pointers in a 111-43 win over Arkansas State.
"You have to hope that we've got Moon and Sarah Andrews and those type of kids that can shoot the 3-ball," Mulkey said. "I just have to wait until they get here and see what our strengths are. We won a national championship (last year) and made two (3-pointers) in the national championship game. So, we'll take what their strengths are, we'll evaluate it and we'll run some things that make us successful."
After bringing in her first three grad transfers over the previous two years, including her last two starting point guards, Mulkey said "you're always looking" for potential transfers.
"The transfer portal has changed our lives," she said. "You're always looking, but it takes a special one that can help you. You don't dare take any that are just adding numbers. We have a quality team and quality talent, and I believe in everybody on our roster. And now, it's time for some of them to step up and do their part and be the player they are and not try to be a senior that departed. Be who you are, bring your strengths to the table."
That's what hurts is knowing you had a team that that was capable of defending last year's national championship. The Lady Bears were 28-2 and ranked third nationally when the rest of the season was canceled because of COVID-19.
"We definitely felt like we left something on the table, but there were no guarantees," Mulkey said. "As a coach, you have very few opportunities where you really have a team that has a chance to win a national championship. You have teams that are good year-in and year-out, but they might not be good enough to win that championship.
"We had post play, we had returning players, we had 3-point shooting. Our defense, once again, was super. We were going to play those first two games at home. There are no guarantees, but you certainly like your chances playing at home. And then, being in the Dallas Regional and having an opportunity to stay close to where our fans could drive to New Orleans, should we have made it. It just makes you wonder, what if? What if?"
Prefacing her remarks with the understanding that "what's going on in the world is much bigger than any national championships," the hardest part was not having any closure.
The team was sitting on a plane on the tarmac at Waco Regional Airport when it got word that the Big 12 had canceled the tournament in Kansas City. A day later, the NCAA made the sobering announcement that the postseason men's and women's basketball tournaments would be canceled, as well as the remaining winter and spring sports championships.
"If I could have closure, if I could have a date, if I could know something. It's the unknown that drives you nuts," Mulkey said. "I have to figure out when I can see my team. Is it going to be this fall? Is it going to be in the summer? You've got kids that want to go to summer school that are probably going to have to take online courses. Who knows? I can't give any definitive answer to anybody. So, I just try to stay busy. I'm going to have the best-looking yard in Waco by the time this is over."
While some things were left unfinished, the Lady Bears did win their 10th-consecutive Big 12 regular-season title, ran their home court winning streak to 56 and had a 58-game conference winning streak snapped in a 57-56 loss at Iowa State in what turned out to be the last game of the year.
Senior forward Lauren Cox became the sixth different Baylor player to be named Big 12 Player of the Year, earned first-team All-America honors and was a three-time finalist for the Katrina McClain Award that recognizes the top power forward in the country.
"If you look at the wins and losses, there's not going to be many four-year players that come here that have that kind of record," Mulkey said. The Lady Bears were 140-9 over the last four years, and Cox was sidelined by injuries for two of the losses.
"She's just so competitive. She hated to lose, she hated to be hurt. She was a leader by her actions on the floor. She played both ends of the floor. She just impacted the game for us, just her presence on the floor."
Led by Cox and Mulkey, who was named the league's Coach of the Year for the third year in a row and eighth time overall, Baylor dominated the postseason Big 12 awards.
DiDi Richards was named Defensive Player of the Year and is also one of four finalists for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year; grad transfer point guard Te'a Cooper was co-Newcomer of the Year and joined Cox and sophomore forward NaLyssa Smith on the All-Big 12 first team; and sophomore Queen Egbo was voted the Sixth Person of the Year.
"We will reflect on it and never, ever diminish what we did (this year)," Mulkey said. "But, we would be that way, anyway. If we were in the playoffs and lost and didn't win it again, or even make a Final Four, we would reflect on it and keep perspective. This just makes you wonder, what if? How far could we have gone with this bunch again?"
The 28 regular-season wins ties for the fourth-most in program history, behind only the 2012 national champions (31), the 2016 Elite Eight squad (30) and the 2013 team that lost in the Sweet 16 (29).
Looking ahead to next season, Mulkey has some big shoes to fill with Cox, Cooper, guard Juicy Landrum and 6-6 grad transfer post Erin DeGrate. That foursome accounted for 46.3 percent of the team's scoring, 33.7 percent of the rebounds and 86.3 percent of the 3-pointers made.
There's a good core coming back, though, with Smith (14.3 ppg, 8.0 rebounds) and Richards (8.2 ppg, 5.7 assists) as returning starters and Egbo (10.8 ppg, 6.8 rebounds) emerging as an inside force. Also coming back are rising senior guard Moon Ursin, juniors Trinity Oliver and Caitlin Bickle and sophomore guard Jordyn Oliver.
Added to the roster will be a pair of high school All-Americans in 5-foot-7 point guard Sarah Anders and 6-4 post Hannah Gusters. Teammates this year at Irving MacArthur, they were rated the top two recruits in the state of Texas and top 10 nationally.
"It's very tough to come in as a freshman (point guard) and make an impact," Mulkey said. "What helps when you're a freshman coming in at this level is the players around you. (Andrews) has got players that have experience at this level to help her and make her job easier.
"Hannah's got the size, she'll be the biggest player on our roster. She's not a back-to-the-basket player. She can face up and do a lot of the things Lauren Cox did for us, which will complement Queen and NaLyssa and Bickle."
Andrews and Ursin, who was 12-of-37 from outside the arc, will likely be the Lady Bears' best threats from 3-point range. Cooper and Landrum hit 56 and 55 treys, respectfully, with Landrum setting a single-game record with 14 3-pointers in a 111-43 win over Arkansas State.
"You have to hope that we've got Moon and Sarah Andrews and those type of kids that can shoot the 3-ball," Mulkey said. "I just have to wait until they get here and see what our strengths are. We won a national championship (last year) and made two (3-pointers) in the national championship game. So, we'll take what their strengths are, we'll evaluate it and we'll run some things that make us successful."
After bringing in her first three grad transfers over the previous two years, including her last two starting point guards, Mulkey said "you're always looking" for potential transfers.
"The transfer portal has changed our lives," she said. "You're always looking, but it takes a special one that can help you. You don't dare take any that are just adding numbers. We have a quality team and quality talent, and I believe in everybody on our roster. And now, it's time for some of them to step up and do their part and be the player they are and not try to be a senior that departed. Be who you are, bring your strengths to the table."
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballSunday, September 20
Monday, September 14
Thursday, April 30
Monday, April 20
