DENVER – Last season, the MSU Denver women's basketball team had a strong and talented inside rotation while the perimeter players continued turning into stars as the season progressed.
This year maybe the opposite.
Led by now-veteran guards Kendra Parra and Tosjanae Bonds, as well as the transferring-back-home
Jaiden Galloway, the Roadrunners could have one of the best guard rotations in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference by the end of the season.
The inside players are largely untested at the college level, though, with the exception of senior transfer Leilah Hill.
"We have an identity, but we're still trying to find good combinations and lineups," MSU Denver coach
Tanya Haave said. "And we're trying to get healthy."
It's time now, though, to find out where the Roadrunners are at and start thinking about where they might go by season's end.
The 2022-23 campaign starts this weekend, as MSU Denver travels to Gunnison, Colo., for neutral-site games Friday at 4 p.m. against Angelo State (Texas) and Saturday at 5 p.m. against Texas Woman's.
It's the same lineup as the opening weekend of last season, when the group gathered in Denton, Texas, and the Roadrunners defeated Angelo State before falling in triple-overtime to Texas Woman's.
Four months later, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Texas Woman's defeated MSU Denver in another overtime game.
"Given our history, maybe we should plan on playing at least one overtime," Haave said, laughing.
But, while MSU Denver is picked to finish fourth in the RMAC this season after winning the league tournament last year as the sixth seed, the experienced Angelo State and Texas Woman's teams, picked fourth and third in the Lone Star Conference, respectively, appear to be much closer to being finished products at this point. Both teams have nearly all their key players returning.
"We're going to have our work cut out for us, no doubt about it," Haave said.
Angelo State finished 15-13 overall last season but was 12-4 in the rugged Lone Star, reaching the conference tournament semifinals. Texas Woman's went 20-9 overall and 12-3 in league play.
"Angelo almost played their way into the regional after starting out slow," Haave said.
"They've played together for a year, and I expect it to be a tough game. They're going to be very good.
"And Texas Woman's has another outstanding team. It's a tough ask for us. They've got their whole starting lineup back."
The Roadrunners are searching to fill the inside production of All-American Allie Navarette, RMAC Tournament most valuable player
Morgan Griego and All-RMAC second team pick
Jaela Richardson.
But the perimeter seems in good hands after Parra and Bonds starred down the stretch. Galloway's return softens the blow of losing RMAC all-tournament point guard Alex Carlton.
Galloway was All-RMAC second team in 2019-20 before playing two seasons at Division I Northern Colorado. Parra was the RMAC Co-Freshman of the Year in 2020-21 and Bonds, named to the RMAC all-tournament team is destined for more All-RMAC accolades.
In Galloway and Bonds, the Roadrunners may have the best pair of on-ball defending guards in the league.
"I think we'll play a little faster," Haave said. "We're playing with much better pace than we did last year. Right now we're playing fast and rushed. If we can play fast without being rushed, that's the goal.
"We've got kids who can run."
Vigil, who was the Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year at the first of her two Division I stops, figures to lead an inside attack that includes junior college transfer Miza Gilberto, with freshmen Brianna Sealy, Lara Asgeirsdottir and Shayne Young looking for playing time as veteran Mya Jones seeks to return.
On the perimeter, freshman Mikylah Espinosa seeks to follow the path of Galloway and Bonds, senior Brianna Bailey and freshman Brooklynn Jones offer high-quality shooting, sophomore Mariana Silva Pereira builds on experience gained as part of the regular rotation last season and freshman Ashlyn Yow looks to crack the rotation this season.
