CEDAR CITY, Utah - The Southern Utah University women's basketball program is looking to build off of their third straight winning season under Head Coach Tracy Sanders after going 18-12 last season. The Thunderbirds will look to continue their winning ways in the 2022-23 campaign, which will serve as their inaugural season in the Western Athletic Conference.
Preseason polls predicted Southern Utah to finish sixth overall in the WAC. The Thunderbirds aim to prove they belong near the top of the conference, and they'll have plenty of opportunities to show it against great teams. Coach Sanders believes this is the toughest schedule the Thunderbirds have had during her tenure here. "There is some really good talent in this conference," said Sanders. "We're going to have to be focused and ready to go every night."
The Thunderbirds had two players honored in the All-WAC preseason teams; Tomekia Whitman was named to the first team, while teammate Cherita Daugherty was named to the second team.
There will be a mix of both new and returning players on the court this season for Southern Utah.
Tomekia Whitman and Megan Jensen are two notable transfer students slated to make their debut for the T-Birds next week. One of the key factors they will bring to the table is experience. "Megan and Tomekia are already coming in as leaders on our team. They are instant contributors," said Sanders.
Whitman was phenomenal for Idaho State last season at the guard position, leading the Bengals in points (11.9), rebounds (6.9), and steals (2.2). Whitman is expected to make a big impact for SUU.
Jensen, the transfer from Utah Valley, will help set the tone down low this season. The center is coming off of her junior year with averages of 6.3 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds each contest.
The Thunderbirds return many players, including Cherita Daugherty and Daylani Bellena, who each averaged over 10 points per game last season.
Something that Sanders believes will set the T-Birds apart from the rest of the pack is their team chemistry. "I think our chemistry is really good right now," said Sanders. "The way we play we have to understand each other's strengths and weaknesses. Communication is going to be a big part of our success."
Coach Sanders spoke of her teams' performance in practice as of late. "We are getting better and better," Sanders said. "I think we've made some jumps defensively in the past few weeks. Things are starting to come together."
Everything is coming together at the right time, it seems, as the season is just around the corner.
The Thunderbirds will play their first game at home on Monday, November 7 against New Mexico. Conference play will begin starting December 29, when in-state rival Utah Tech comes to town.
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