A10 Live! Interview
RICHMOND, Va. – With the season opener just a little more than two weeks away, the Atlantic 10 Conference women's basketball coaches gathered to look ahead to the future.
George Mason women's basketball coach Nyla Milleson joined her league counterparts for Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Media Day on Tuesday at the Richmond Marriott, just blocks away from the Richmond Coliseum, the site of the conference tournament.
Milleson, entering her fourth season at the helm at Mason, met with members of the print and broadcast media to talk about the Patriots' upcoming season. Mason, which hosts its season opener against Radford on Nov. 11, returns eight letterwinners from last year and welcomes five freshmen. The Patriots went 12-19 last year and 6-10 in conference play.
They reached the quarterfinals of the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship after opening up the tournament by defeating Dayton for the first time program history.
"We continue to make good progress since official practice has started but you really have to go back to last season," she said. "We had a little confidence builder beating Dayton in the conference tournament. Eight returners so we didn't lose anybody from a transfer standpoint besides our seniors. We've done a lot of leadership building, a lot of team chemistry so our day-to-day process has been much, much easier. We have added five freshmen but it is still has been a much easier day-to-day process."
Redshirt senior Kara Wright comes in as the team's top returning scorer after averaging 10.7 points. Fellow redshirt senior Tiffany Padgett is back as the team's top returning rebounder after averaging 5.8 boards in addition to 7.4 points a game. With Wright, Padgett, Tayler Dodson and Bridget O'Donnell, the Patriots bring back four returning starters from last year.
Sophomores Chinyere Bell and Jewel Triggs bring depth to the squad along with Niagara transfer Sylvia Maxwell and redshirt sophomore Casey Davis, who missed most of last season to an injury. Freshmen Jacy Bolton, Alexsis Grate, Sarah Kaminski, Allie McCool and DeJah Williford-Kelly also hope to contribute in their first collegiate seasons.
"There is a little bit more balance within our team," Milleson said. "Four starters so we have a good amount of experience back. I really love our freshmen, what they're doing. They bring a high skill set, a high basketball IQ. Our returners have a done a really good job getting them ready."
The Patriots were picked to finish 11th in the A-10 preseason coaches poll for the second straight year (they finished ninth in 2015-16). Saint Louis was picked to win the conference after sharing last year's regular-season title with Duquesne and George Washington. Duquesne and Dayton were both projected to finish second, defending A-10 Tournament champ GW was tabbed fourth and VCU rounded out the top five.
Coach Nyla Milleson quotes
On carrying confidence from win against Dayton in A-10 Tournament into 2016-17 season:
"Confidence is a big key to success and momentum. Our returners got a taste of that in the conference tournament. We had three top-100 RPI wins last year. Had two (conference) road wins, which we had never had a road win in the A-10 before that. So there is just a lot of things to build on and our returners really understand that. Our freshmen don't know anything so all they're going to know is what our returners show them and tell them."
On playing first conference game at Massachusetts on Dec. 4:
"We're going to look at it as another game on our schedule. One disadvantage a little bit is maybe going on the road but we will also be pretty road tested by that time. So we just need to be ready to play. UMass with a new system and a new coach, it will be interesting to see because we are going in a little bit blind. But I think we will be ready for the challenge."
On new conference tournament format that features first-round games at campus sites:
"Another change we are going to have to roll with. It definitely puts a lot of emphasis on trying to get in that top eight so you don't have to go on the road (and you can host the first-round game). Because we all know the road isn't always the easiest place to play. You're going to have be ready. It puts a little bit more emphasis day in and day out. But, again, that is what the sport of basketball is about, being ready to play. The A-10 is not a conference that you can circle any game that, 'Ah, this is a game we don't have to be at our best.' You better be at your best every single night. This just puts one more emphasis on it to try to get that homecourt advantage."
On how to be successful come A-10 Tournament time:
"I think it starts, well it has already started (with practice) with the consistency day in and day out. We're really gaining some of that. We're going to have to have some consistency from a couple of our returners, Kara Wright, Tiffany Padgett. We talked about momentum, we talked about confidence and it has really got to start in our non-conference for us. I believe if you can build some wins and some confidence early and let that carry you into the conference season and hopefully that carries you into the conference tournament."
On having a lot of experience back:
"We feel good. There are going to be nights that we go, 'Oh gosh, we have three freshmen on the floor. We're playing a little like about freshmen.' But again I think the consistency of every day and the consistency of preparation. But I can't just stress enough the change over the last couple years. That is the biggest thing. We don't have to fight to get people into the training room to do rehab. We don't have to get people in to get their shots in. They are doing it because that what an expectation of our program is. That has taken some time but I feel really good with where we are right now."
