The women’s basketball team comes into the 2009-10 season having lost a Hall of Fame coach, Kay Yow, and its top scorer from last season, Shayla Fields. The proverbial “torch” has been passed to new head coach Kellie Harper, who hopes to return the Wolfpack to the proud, winning tradition set forth by Yow in years past.
Harper has previously coached at Western Carolina and has played for Hall of Fame coach Pat Summitt at the University of Tennessee.
“We want our kids to return to national prominence and possibly a final four,” Harper said.
The Pack returns many players from last year’s team. The backcourt will feature senior guard Nikitta Gartrell, who ranked third on the team in points with 10.7 points scored per game. Last year she teamed with departed Fields to be the top scoring duo in the ACC.
Redshirt junior guard Amber White was the high scorer of the Florida Atlantic game with 25 points, a career high. She suffered from an Achilles injury last season, but is expected to play a major role this year. The team will also have freshman guard Marissa Kastanek, the only addition to the roster.
“I have no idea about playing in the ACC because I haven’t been here,” Kastanek said. “But we have lots of veterans who I can look up to.”
Harper said she is going to look towards the experienced backcourt in order to push the tempo of the game to the point at which other teams will not be able to keep up. Having this experience and seniority on the roster will allow Harper to achieve this game plan with ease.
“We cannot replace Shayla Fields with one player, it is going to take a team effort,” Harper said.
The frontcourt will be lead this season by senior forward Lucy Ellison, who started all 30 games for the Pack last season, compiling a team-leading 6.8 rebounds per game.
Junior forward Tia Bell is another key player in the frontcourt for the Pack. Bell started 15 games last season and ranked fourth in the ACC in blocked shots with two blocks per game.
Harper said she expects the frontcourt to provide tough rebounding and defensive abilities that will enable the Pack to create transition opportunities that will feed into the up-tempo style she demands.
“[The team] is adapting well to the up-tempo style of play,” Gartrell said.
The transition from legendary coach to a brand new coach has already taken place. The coaching staff and players have been working hard on and off the court to develop their relationships, which will be vital to the success in the standings at the end of the season.
According to Gartrell, the Wolfpack’s goal for the season is to become a top competitor in the conference as well as in the NCAA.
“Our goal is to be a powerhouse in the ACC and try to make it to a final four,” Gartrell said.
The “torch” has been passed from the old to the new, but Harper wants to keep some of the traditional qualities of the women’s basketball program started by Yow. One of those qualities is the sense of family and togetherness on and off the court.
“We treat each other like we’re family,” Kastanek said.
