Preview of SMC Corsairs Women's Basketball
Laughter and excitement filled the Pavilion gym as the Santa Monica College (SMC) women’s basketball team kicked off their season with Media Day to reintroduce familiar faces and show new faces that are heading into the 2019-2020 season.
Although last season didn’t go as planned for the Corsairs, going 1-5 in Conference and 8-17 overall, this year's team isn’t letting that hold them back. With a new 15-woman roster, the Corsairs are planning on taking this season by surprise.
Head coach Lydia Strong is going into her 19th season and sees a lot of potential in her team this year.
“I feel a lot better because of the depth we have now, and three returning All-Conference players Nina Gazzo, Ariana Quintana, and Mariam Moges, which is a huge plus. Also with the leadership of five sophomores to help guide the freshman,” she said.
Strong has high expectations for her team this season because she feels they are going to be seen as the underdogs. With that comes commitment.
"The commitment aspect is gradually getting there; some still don’t know that they are accountable for their actions. Whether that's being late for practice, that has to come with consequences like running sprints, but they understand that this is a team and it’s bigger than them as individuals,” explained Strong.
Three of SMC’s sophomores – Camryn McMahan, Chassen Gutierrez, and Katie Georgev – shared how they feel about this upcoming season.
McMahan, who played last year and saw the difficulties of last season, explained, “Last year we were good, but we weren’t ready yet. We had missing pieces. This year we found the missing pieces to complete us, we complement one another, and I believe this season is going to be exciting.”
Even with a losing record, SMC doesn’t have to worry about players buying into the vision.
“As a returner that didn’t play last season, I felt that I really wanted to play for this program. I'm glad I made that decision,” Gutierrez said.
Georgev added, “This season is going to be exciting after playing at another school and taking a year off. Once I decided to come back and play again, I felt that SMC was a better place for me overall as a student-athlete.”
This year's team is made up of 10 freshmen and five sophomores that are ready to play and bring a winning mentality back to SMC. The chemistry is there between coaches, players, and the student managers.
SMC's season opening game is at Palomar College on Nov. 15, at the Palomar College Tournament in San Diego. The Corsairs’ first home conference game will be against Bakersfield College on Jan. 8.
Students interested in learning more about the Women’s Basketball team or who want to see a list of upcoming games may visit the Corsair Athletics website for more information.