Walker and MV should be a lot different players

Next season. MV is playing injured right now. She also has no lower body strength this season. Assuming she doesn’t get hurt before next season, that will all be behind her. She will have her mobility back and have strength to hold her ground for rebounds (she gets easily pushed under the basket now).

Walker played this season after sitting out two years. The inconsistent play this year is a direct result of that combined with being in a new system with new teammates. She has shown a lot of flashes of being the star she was entering college. Next year she should be at top form day one. That makes her the starter and others rotating in - not the other way around. She’s by far the most dynamic player we have on this team.

I think we need to be 4 around 1 much of the time and then against some of the biggest teams attempt to have Maddie in at the same time as sam and MV to try and be a little bigger.

With 3 guards plus Sam I expect to see Gilbert, Anaya and Walker as the starters and Alli swapping in for any in foul trouble or not shooting well. Basically, it’s play the 3 that are scoring the best that day.

Maddie will likely sub for Sam and MV - with Sam playing more forward when that happens for MV. Nat is 90% likely sitting out a year. The other forward will sub some but likely not be the first option off the bench for MV.

PG will be Gilbert / Campbell / Hayes / Peebles. Likely 2 of those 4 in at the same time often and playing the same roles Jackie and Marina did - to some extent both running the point at times.

In general, the 5 returning starters are doing to be the starters again. We will rotate at least 3 players in off the bench routinely and a 4th more than normal. The biggest difference will be we have subs for rest, fouls and off nights next year. When someone is having a 2-16 night we have another player to try closer to the 2-8 point v no choice but to pray for better luck - like this year.

Abby is going to be the odd one out much of the time because she isn’t a scorer. We will see her at times purely for defense - trying to stop a hot player or at the ends of halves when the other team has the final shot / possibly to prevent a 3rd foul on another player. Most games she will get 4-8 minutes is my guess. MM needs to get ya back into the 75-80 point range so she isn’t putting anyone in the game that can’t score other than for special situations.

I think people vastly underestimate the gains the existing starting five will make from
This year to next year. The freshman will not have to carry the team and MM will use them off the bench for at least the first 10-15 games. Maybe one will become close to a starter by end of season.

Finally - I still expect a forward transfer.