At 2-0 on the season in Big West play, the Cal Poly Women's Basketball team is off to their best conference start since the 2016-2017 season.
It’s still early but at this point in 2023, they were 0-2 in conference play and ended with Big West record of 7-12. Their last overall winning season was in the 2020-2021 season. Now, even though it’s a lot of new faces, the team is figuring out how to win.
“They understand so much better than they did even a month ago about how to close games out,” Head Coach Shanele Stires said.
For junior Annika Shah, it was apparent that this season’s 65-67 loss against Montana on Dec. 16 was a pivotal moment for the team because it was a game they felt they could’ve won but didn’t and from it, gained valuable lessons that helped them rattle off three straight wins.
“Obviously we were on the losing end of that really tight game [but] you can just see how much growth there's been just in a couple of weeks to come out on top in a tight game. We were able to get over that hump really quick and turn around and find things that were able to help us out in those situations.”
The transformation into a balanced, well-oiled machine didn’t begin on Dec. 16 though. It started in the first practices of the season that helped mold this group of returners, transfers and freshmen into a team that is more than just potential.
“Coaches always talk about how our practices are harder than games and we get after it in practice and it's super tiring. It's super intense," Shah explained. "That way when we come to games, it's almost like we can do this.”
According to senior Natalia Ackerman, it's been the three core attributes of being mentally, emotionally and physically strong that have shown themselves in practice and games which in turn has led to greater success in the W-L column.
“I think those three things are really big and important and I think everyone is all bought into being challenged, which is really important.”
Every conference game matters and there’s still 18 conference games left so going 2-0 isn't cause for celebration. While they are a long way from a program record of starting conference play 8-0 like the 2010-2011 Mustangs did, it’s the early improvement that is a sign of good things to come.
“For us to see the growth in the maturation of our players and to also know that we still have a lot of improvement ahead of us, that's a that's a good sign, especially here early in January,” Stires said.
The Mustangs take on another 6-6 team in Long Beach State Thursday, Jan. 4 as a part of a two game road stretch that ends with a match-up against U.C. Santa Barbara in the Thunderdome on Saturday, Jan. 6.
