The 2023-2024 women’s basketball season was full of firsts, growing pains and yet another quarterfinals ending. Coming off a disappointing 13-17 (9-9) record last season, the Idaho women’s basketball team made a change at the head coaching position, naming Carrie Eighmey in charge of the Vandals.
The Vandals ended this season 15-16, (8-10), where they showed tons of promise and some signs of what this team could be.
In her first season, Eighmey had to work with a roster of five returning players, with only one starter coming back. In the transfer portal, Eighmey landed transfers Sarah Schmitt, Kennedy Johnson, Amalie Langer, Hope Butera, Michelle Bork and Georgia Gray.
Eighmey also kept the two true freshmen who committed to the Vandals before she accepted the job, Aspen Caldwell and Madelynn Muniz.
The Eighmey era began in victory with a 92-50 victory over Walla Walla University; after a loss to Cal Poly in the next game, the Vandals went to Hawai’i for the Bank of Hawai’i Classic and came home with victories over California State University Fullerton (56-48) and the University of Hawai’i (50-40). The Vandals had some momentum coming back to Moscow.
The Vandals, however, dropped four of their next six games to finish non-conference play 5-5 and head into conference play. The Vandals started conference play with a bang, defeating Sacramento State and Portland State on the road to open conference play 2-0.
Idaho took a two-game hiatus from conference play to play the University of Denver and Chicago State. The Vandals won both, but disaster struck. In the 80-52 victory over Chicago State, Idaho lost Butera for the season with an ACL injury, which Eighmey confirmed a few days later.
Butera led the Vandals in every category and was a massive loss for the Vandals only two games into conference play. The loss of Butera showed, and they dropped the next four conference games to 9-9 and 2-4 in conference play. The Vandals ended their losing streak with a 60-56 victory over Northern Colorado.
In the next five games, the Vandals went 2-3, including a second win over Sacramento State, 70- 64, which gave them their third home win of the season.
Idaho won their next two games against Weber State and Idaho State, then dropped games to UNC and Northern Arizona. With three games left, Idaho went 1-2, finished the regular season 15-15 (8-9), earned the sixth seed and matched up with the third-seeded Montana Grizzlies.
Montana had beaten the Vandals twice in the season and, behind an explosive first and third quarter, defeated the Vandals 73-61 and ended their season.
What’s next for Idaho? The season is over, and the Vandals will lose four of five starters again. They will now look to take the next step in the Eighmey era and win the conference tournament.
For a team that was pieced together by transfers and had injuries and a ton of setbacks throughout the season, the Vandals had some moments of promise and have a bright future ahead. They are going to make significant steps in year two under Eighmey and are heading in the right direction. They will look to make a run at the Big Sky tournament and NCAA tournament next season.
Jayden Barfuss can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @JaydenBarfuss10