When a team gets used to playing and winning at a high level, the hunger for even more success only grows. Such is the case with the Temple women’s basketball team, coming off its sixth-straight NCAA Tournament appearance and looking for no less this year.
In her first year as head coach of the program, Tonya Cardoza guided the Owls to a second-place finish in the Atlantic 10 and an overall record of 21-10. Cardoza returns three starters and three of the top five leading scorers from last year’s team, including three-year starter and All-Atlantic 10 honoree LaKeisha Eaddy. There will be a void to fill with the graduation of leading scorer and rebounder Shenita Landry and second-leading rebounder Shanea Cotton, but the team is up to the task.
“Anytime you make it to the NCAA Tournament, that is a big deal, no matter where you are,” says Cardoza. “The fact that we got an at-large bid last year speaks volumes. We did a great job putting ourselves in that position, and I think this year we’ll have to do the same thing. We really have to buckle down and win games that we’re supposed to win. Last year we lost some games we probably should have won, so we can’t have any upsets like that.”
Eaddy and sophomore Kristen McCarthy join forces as captains of the team. McCarthy not only showed tremendous talent as a rookie last season, but is a vocal and emotional leader who is well-respected by her teammates. Both have been honored already in the preseason, as Eaddy earned preseason A-10 second team honors, and McCarthy garnered third team honors.
Veteran leadership also comes from seniors Kristie Watkins-Day and Jasmine Stone, who both return for their fourth and final season with the Owls. Watkins-Day started in 20 contests as a junior, missing eight games due to injury.
Temple has been picked to finish fifth of 14 teams in the A-10, but the Owls are unconcerned. The same poll picked the team to finish fourth a year ago, and Temple instead went on to tie for second place in the regular season.
“I think (our pick) has a lot to do with what other teams have returning, and with us losing the two seniors that we lost,” says Cardoza, “but we’re not settling for fifth. Just like last year, we’re going to give it our all, and just like the other teams, we’ll be trying to win an A-10 regular season championship.”
After coming in brand new last year, Cardoza feels like some of the “new guy” challenges are behind her, and is encouraged to see how the team is shaping up so far this season.
“I think we’re totally different from last year in the sense that it’s not a struggle to get them to do what I want,” she says. “Last year, being the new guy and trying to change things around, it wasn’t as easy to get them to buy into certain things that I felt were important. Coming into this year, it’s like night and day. I think there’s great leadership, they’re working extremely hard, and it’s been very encouraging.”
Eaddy will again have the duties of spearheading the Cherry and White’s offensive attack. The 5-6 point guard, now in her senior year, is headed toward Temple’s all-time assist record and is ready to lead the team to big things.
“Keisha is really competitive, she wants to win, and she wants to be really good,” says Cardoza. “She can get down on herself when things aren’t going the way she wants them to, so we need to make sure to keep her focused in that sense. But she’s a tremendous talent, and I think she’s going to have a really good senior year.”
Watkins-Day gave the Owls limited production last year and will be expected to step up in her senior season.
“I expect Kristie to have a better season than last year,” commented Cardoza. “Her injury really broke up the season and contributed to some inconsistency. Right now, she looks better than I saw her all of last year. We definitely need her to be more of a scoring threat.”
Stone, whose presence on the court has been limited the last couple years due to eligibility issues, will finally start the season as an active player who is much-needed in the post.
“Jasmine didn’t play a lot last year so we’re still waiting to see what she’s capable of doing, and this will be the first year she actually gets to start a season,” says Cardoza. “That added depth and size will definitely help. She’s very emotional and plays with a lot of passion, which I think will rub off and be key for these guys, especially early.”
Junior guard Shaqwedia Wallace gave the Cherry and White a boost off the bench last season, ranking third on the team, averaging 11.0 points per game in 28 appearances. Junior Marli Bennett also aided the Owls from the sideline, tallying significant minutes in all 31 games last season.
“Qwedia was solid for us last year, but now she’s going to have to pick it up and be consistent,” says Cardoza. “She’s going to have to be that scorer for us just about every night, to really give us a chance. Marli is undersized but is athletic and can rebound and bang with those guys down there. She will have to be more of an offensive threat for us. I know how much she wants to contribute. She wants to be a key factor, and I think she has all the tools to do that.”
Adding depth in the post is junior Danielle Brinkley, who played in 16 games as a walk-on last season. “Danielle has gotten herself in better shape and is definitely going to see more playing time than she did last year,” said Cardoza. “She’s a strong, physical post player who can knock down a jump shot.”
Temple will look to McCarthy for support on the offensive end. After a successful freshman campaign in which she garnered A-10 All-Rookie honors, McCarthy proved she has what it takes to compete on the collegiate level, posting 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
“Kristen had a solid freshman year,” said Cardoza. “She needed to improve her shooting and free throw percentage, and I know she’s been working on that throughout the offseason. She’s a great player for us and she can do it all. She gives you 110 percent every time on the floor and is a coach’s dream.”
Providing depth at the point will be junior Reese Fields and sophomore BJ Williams. Williams made four starts in 14 appearances for the Owls last season, tallying 28 assists, while Fields saw action in 23 games which included an 18-point performance in a win at Penn.
“BJ missed a lot of action last year because of a foot injury, but I think when she comes in the game she changes the tempo for us,” says Cardoza. “She’s a true point guard and a playmaker. She’s hungry and is playing with so much passion right now, which I’m happy to see. She’s probably had the biggest change from last season to this season in how she approaches things.
“Reese is someone who works extremely hard. Last year she got some minutes, and this year depending on what happens, she just has to be ready to give us quality minutes when we need her. Last year she had to come in the Penn game, and she helped us win that game. She’s just a great teammate.”
Without their top rebounders from a year ago, the Owls will look to two true freshmen to help fill that void. Victoria Macaulay, a 6-4 center from Staten Island, N.Y., averaged 17.1 points and 10.6 rebounds per game while leading her Curtis High School team to a PSAL A League Championship.
“I think that by her junior year, Victoria is going to be a force in the A-10,” says Cardoza. “She has great size and just has to get a little stronger. We’re hoping she can pick up where Shanea left off, especially as far as shot-blocking.”
The other newcomer is freshman Natasha Thames, a 6-0 forward from Port Huron, Mich. As a senior, Thames averaged 11.0 points and 12.0 rebounds for Academy of Holy Cross, garnering all-state third team honors.
“Natasha is probably the most underrated player in this class,” says Cardoza. “Shenita brought us so much on the offensive and defensive end, but I don’t think we’re going to lose a lot because Natasha brings the same things. She can score in the post, she can rebound, she’s physical, she’s non-stop and can play 40 minutes without getting tired. I think by her sophomore year she’ll be one of the best players in the A-10. I know it’s a lot to expect from a freshman, but what she’s shown so far is that she’s going to be one of the top rookies in the league this year.”
The Owls play a tough schedule every year, and this year is definitely proving to be no exception. Their non-conference schedule includes six 2009 NCAA Tournament participants, including three that are ranked in the Top 25. The most notable of those is a New Year’s Eve contest against #6 Duke. Temple will face #15 Florida State and #25 Rutgers on the road.
A-10 opponent Xavier is sitting at #11 in the preseason AP Poll, and will be Temple’s first conference opponent on Jan. 10 in a nationally-televised contest on ESPN2.
“We have a pretty good non-conference schedule that I think will prepare us for when A-10 comes around,” says Cardoza. “All in all, I think our players’ heads are where they need to be at this point in time, and we’re just trying to get better every day at practice.”