Video previewOne team. One dream. One stat.The San Francisco women's basketball program is unified in 2015-16, looking to use last season's successes to slingshot the squad on an even higher trajectory of success.
One team.
The Dons enter the season with a core of eight returning players ready to lead by an example of selfless, team-oriented basketball.
"I think so much of the success of the great programs is continuity; programs that have consistency in players, in staff" explained head coach
Jennifer Azzi. "I think that now that we've established that, and our players have been through the building process together. Now they have confidence going into this upcoming season, and that's I think why the best programs tend to stay that way. Now there becomes a history of now our seniors know what it's like so now they teach the freshmen."
USF has a dynamic senior duo, headlined by 2015-16 Preseason All-West Coast Conference honoree
Taylor Proctor. The forward from Colorado Springs, Colo., was a key cog in the Dons' successes a season ago, leading the team in points, rebounds and shooting percentage. Playing better than ever, Proctor is joined by fellow team captain
Zhane Dikes as the elder stateswomen of the squad. Dikes, a guard from Las Vegas, was an honorable mention All-WCC selection a year ago, directing the offense from the point.
The guard position features junior
Rachel Howard, back from injury that sidelined her a year ago, and sharpshooter
Anna Seilund on the wing, last year's WCC-leader in 3-point shooting percentage.
Kalyn Simon, the Dons' third team captain is stepping up as another threat on the perimeter in the USF offense.
Returning inside players
Michaela Rakova,
Claudia Price and
Hashima Carothers, are serving as mentors to a bevy of freshmen joining the position group. The trio's on-court experience and offseason growth helps provide a solid foundation of leadership to their incoming teammates.
"Every year is a new year, it's a new team, a new season," said Azzi. "This year we have a lot of new players, and we've got to make sure that we build our chemistry and that everyone is gelling on the same page by the time we start."
With seven newcomers to the squad, four are working in the post, increasing the size and depth for the Dons down low.
Zayn Dornstauder, native of Regina, Saskatchewan, comes in as a 6-foot-4 center and is expected to help anchor the presence in the paint, bringing a shot-blocking presence to the middle. She is joined by two fellow Canadians in mirror twins Cierra and
Alicia Roufosse, hailing from Abbotsford, British Columbia. Standing at 6-3, freshman
Dagny McConnell enters the fray from Beaverton, Ore., and the growth and development phase for all four post players will help bring added size, strength and skill to the team this year and in the future.
Newcomers at the guard spot include
Jaylin Jones, out of Placentia, Calif., and
Ninni Salmi, a product of Makelanrinne Sports HS in Kauhajoki, Finland. The final fresh face to join the Dons on the court is junior college transfer
Raushan Gultekin, a point guard from Lund, Sweden. Gultekin and Dikes are expected to team up from the floor general position providing a dynamic new look to the offense.
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One dream.
"It's bittersweet that we went into the first game [of the WNIT], played phenomenal and ended up coming up short," reflected associate head coach
Blair Hardiek. "But at the same time, in order to move onto the second game, third game, fourth game you have to know what it feels like to taste the first."
With that first glimpse of the postseason in 13 seasons, the Dons are dreaming of more in 2015-16. Last year's appearance in the WNIT marked just the fifth time in the era of the NCAA (since 1981) that USF enjoyed a trip to the postseason. The squad is hungry to take an even bigger bite this season, with their eyes on an even bigger prize. Â
"They know they've put the work in and now they want to see this thing through," said associate head coach
Shanele Stires on this year's unit. "They want a WCC championship, and they want to take this thing as far as they can in the NCAA tournament."
One stat.
"Being with a group of girls that work so hard and being with a group of coaches that believe in us so much – it just changes everything," noted Proctor. "It's about working together and building off each other to get the win."
Winning – without the wins, the dream has a chance to falter, and the leaders of the team and determined to springboard off last year's 19-14 season to cultivate a consistent culture of winning at the highest level.
"Everything we do you can tell there's a mentality that we want this," concluded Simon. "We've been putting in the time and the effort. The work. The blood, sweat and tears every day. And I'm ready just to as a team go out there and show them that we're here to stay."
The Dons open the regular season this Friday at North Texas, before returning to the Hilltop to take on Holy Names for its home opener on Nov. 17. During the first regular season game at War Memorial Gym, USF will honor last year's WNIT team, celebrating the banner hanging in the rafters. Another glimpse at the taste of achievement, that is sure to catapult the squad into living their mantra for the season with their vision clearly focused.
One team. One dream. One stat.
