After finishing last season 15-10 overall and 7-7 in University Athletic Association (UAA) conference play, the Emory University women’s basketball team aims to build off that momentum and start the season strong. The Eagles will open this year’s season on Nov. 8 against Trinity University (Texas), before taking on the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, the No. 25-ranked team in the country, the following day.
Heading into her eighth season as head coach, Misha Jackson said this year’s team is one with depth, balance and versatility.
“We can score in so many different ways,” Jackson said. “It’s a fun problem to have, but as coaches, we’ve got to figure out what lineups can work the best together, and we’ve got infinity factorial lineups for us.”
The Eagles have several returning standout players, including junior guard Alexandra Loucopoulos, who received All-UAA First Team and D3hoops.com All-Region honors last season. She finished last season strong, leading the team in points with a 43.4% field goal average. Loucopoulos said she spent the summer in New Jersey working on becoming an even better all-around player.
“I was definitely in the gym a lot,” Loucopoulos said. “Working on my own game and tying it back to the team and thinking about how I can improve myself to bring back a better version of myself for the upcoming season.”
Last season, the Eagles finished second in the UAA in opponent three-point percentage and third in free-throw percentage, but they struggled with consistent rebounding and had too many turnovers. Jackson said those struggles are points of emphasis heading into this season.
“A lot of those games we didn’t control, meaning we lost the possession battles,” Jackson said. “I do think if we win that, we usually have a lot of firepower, meaning we’ve got a lot of different ways to score.”
Jackson also said a focus for this season is not solely their on-court performance, but developing a championship mentality.
“The level of expectation here at Emory is that we’re competing for championships,” Jackson said. “But our goal right now is to get better at the process … We’ve got to really fall in love with the process, so that the end result will take care of itself.”
Strong leadership from the juniors and seniors is at the heart of the team’s success. Junior guard Emma Starr said she has stepped into a new role this season as an upperclassman.
“I’m really focused on leadership and giving my guidance to my younger teammates, as well as really working hard,” she said. “Our goals are always to make it to the NCAA tournament — an end goal of winning the national championship always motivates us.”
Loucopoulos said she is trying to lead the team on the mental side of the game and help out her younger teammates.
“As a junior, it’s a great year to be the bridge between the seniors and the freshmen,” Loucopoulos said. “My goal this year as a junior is to be that bridge and make sure everyone’s emotions are in check and everyone’s where they want to be.”
Loucopoulos also explained the importance of team chemistry and said that a strong bond between her teammates can lead to success on the court.
“We’re very close,” Loucopoulos said. “Our team loves to have fun, make jokes, and when we’re making jokes and playing free, it’s very obvious. And we always play better when we’re having fun.”
Starr also emphasized the importance of team chemistry, especially with the addition of new teammates this season.
“It’s really exciting — our initial chemistry, learning each other in the preseason, working together,” Starr said. “We have a bunch of talent, and we also are learning a bunch of new offenses and different plays that we can utilize with the talent and the players we have.”
As the team prepares for the long season, some players are looking forward to key matchups on the schedule. Loucopoulos said she is most excited to face off against New York University (NYU), the reigning back-to-back NCAA champions.
“I know our seniors have never beat them,” Loucopoulos said. “One of my goals this season is to beat NYU, and I think we have all the pieces to do that this year.”
Starr said she is similarly looking forward to that match up, being from the area.
“I’m from New Jersey, and I love to go home and play NYU,” Starr said. “I get a huge family crowd, and a lot of the players on our team are from the Northeast area, so we get great support. You’d probably think it was a home game for us.”
