By Philip Rossman-ReichThe Daily Northwestern
The Northwestern women’s basketball team will face a tall challenge this season: the loss of leading scorer and rebounder Ifeoma Okonkwo.
Since her sophomore year, Okonkwo, who graduated this past June, has been a fixture in the Wildcats’ lineup. She led the team in scoring the past two seasons as well as rebounding for two of the past three seasons. Her 15 points per game last season accounted for 25 percent of the team’s average of 60. She led the team in scoring 12 times – including a 31 point game – and rebounding 15 times including four double-doubles last year.
However, the team realizes it is time to move on. The lone senior, guard A.J. Glasauer, who was very close with Okonkwo, said Ifeoma told her one thing:
Move on and do something she didn’t get the chance to by advancing past the Big Ten and into the NCAA Tournament.
The team culminated a disappointing 6-22 campaign last season with a loss to Illinois in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. This year’s team will have to replace the production lost from Okonkwo’s departure while trying to find a way to win and move up in the Big Ten in coach Beth Combs’ third season at NU.
“You don’t really replace Ifeoma,” Glasauer said. “Everybody scores a little more. Everybody has two-to-three more points. Everyone gets a couple more rebounds. That’s what we have to do as a team. We have to replace what we lost on points, rebounds (and) defense from her.”
In their first game without Okonkwo, the Cats defeated the semi-professional Chicago Challengers 59-55 Friday. NU led the entire game, getting the lead with great passing from Glasauer and junior Nadia Bibbs as well as a dominating performance on the boards by junior Melissa Miller and freshman Kaitlin McInerney. The team’s hustle and willingness to dive on the floor for every loose ball shows the team is willing to fight for a better season.
Glasauer will be expected to help carry some of the offensive load and provide leadership lost from Okonkwo’s departure. However, Combs doesn’t believe the burden rests solely on her senior’s shoulders.
She believes the group of juniors and sophomores on the team will also be able to step in and help.
“I think we have four players, three juniors and a senior, who have gone through my system the last couple years,” Combs said. “They know what they need to do. They have been great leaders on this floor and they’re a great unit together.”
Glasauer, Bibbs, junior guard Sara Stutz, Miller and McInerney are likely to start on opening night against Valparaiso on Friday. Sophomore Kristin Cartwright will provide energy off the bench. Cartwright along with the upperclassmen in the starting lineup will share leadership responsibilities and try to acclimate the younger players to Combs’ offensive and defensive system.
Combs expects to play her freshmen early and often this season and it will be up to the experienced group of players to get them ready to play before each game.
“We all just try to get the freshman into the game, keep them motivated (and) be positive with them (so) that they just get up to the level that we are with the plays,” Glasauer said. “They have a great responsibility this year.”
Despite playing well in Friday’s game, Combs sees the lack of size among the forwards – McInerney (6-foot) and Miller (6-foot-1) – as the team’s weak spot this season.
“We’re going to be undersized in the post and we really have to rely on everybody with their mobility and their agility,” Combs said.
NU hopes to counteract any size disadvantage by running the ball and playing aggressive defense. Combs feels that any player can score on the floor and has plays designed to feature each player’s strengths.
The Cats will have to be ready to play by the time they enter Big Ten competition in late December. They will face many of the nation’s top teams, including Big Ten favorite Ohio State. They potentially could play against top-ranked Maryland when they travel to Freeport in the Bahamas for the Junkanoo Jam on Nov. 25.
The Buckeyes, who finished 15-1 in the conference last season, were picked unanimously by the coaches and the media to finish first in the Big Ten this season. They are ranked seventh in the ESPN/USA Today Coach’s Poll and feature two-time Big Ten Player of the Year Jessica Davenport. Purdue and Michigan State are ranked 13th and 17th respectively in the poll.
NU was voted to finish last in the Big Ten by the media and coaches of the conference.
Despite the stiff competition, the Cats have a simple goal this season. Put the work of the past two years under Combs together and start winning games whether that gets them deep into the postseason or simply a better regular season record.
“We need to win ball games,” Combs said. “We’ve been with these guys a couple years. We’ve got a great solid group of sophomores and juniors with one senior that has been around this system for two years and know what to expect and know what is expected of them.”
Reach Philip Rossman-Reich at [email protected].
