From a 10 game losing streak and a six game winning streak last season, to hiring a new associate coach and signing three sisters on the team this season, it has been, and will be, a crazy journey for the Vandals women’s basketball team this season.
As the new season 2022-2023 begins, let’s look back at the memories made by the team.
The last season began with a bang as the team won their first two games 64-50 against Whitman College and 95-46 against Lewis-Clark State College.
However, things started spiraling down for the team as they entered into a 10 game losing streak, ending their last game of 2021 with a loss of 63-76 against Northern Arizona University.
Despite the defeat, the women trained hard and started 2022 with a win against Eastern Washington University with a score of 63-42.
It didn’t end there. The team went on a six game winning streak as the season drew to a close.
In a public report about the NCAA Academic Progress rate of the Vandals athletics in the 2020-2021 season—after a year-hiatus due to the pandemic, the Vandals women’s basketball team posted a score of 991.
Additionally, one of the most exciting accounts for the Vandals women’s basketball, is that the team would not only have one, not two but three Beas playing this season.
The Bea sisters—Senior star player guard/forward Beyonce Bea and sophomore forward Skylar Bea —will be joined by their sister freshman guard Jaiden Bea this season.
A rumor circulated that key player graduate student guard/forward Tiana Johnson was coming back for another season—and it happened.
Johnson played at Sacramento State and transferred to the University of Idaho for her master’s in Dietetics. She’s not only a three-time Academic All-Big Sky selection, but she has achieved a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
With open arms, the team warmly and excitedly welcomed Johnson back as she would be playing as guard/forward in this upcoming season.
Meanwhile, Darin Spence was welcomed as a new Associate Head Coach for the Vandals women’s basketball team this season.
Spence has coached women’s basketball teams over the last 30 years and holds an overall record of 601-377 as a head women’s basketball coach across NCAA Division I and Division II, NAIA, and NJCAA schools.
It will be an exciting season as the team progresses from the last.
Come and cheer for the team as they begin the first game of the season on Oct. 30 at 2 p.m. in the ICCU Arena against Seattle Pacific University.
Moeka Shimizu can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @moekashimizu_
Martin
FYI - Jaiden Bea is a cousin to Skylar and Beyonce Bea.