FAU women’s basketball will open the 2022-23 campaign on Thursday, Nov. 11, against the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats at Daytona Beach, Fla. 

“Love this group. They work hard and I think they’re excited about the direction this program is headed in,” said head coach Jennifer Sullivan. 

The Owls endured a difficult season last year, having suffered injuries and loss of players. However, multiple Owls have said they are prepared to turn around a 5-25 campaign with a championship mindset this year. 

“Attitude wise, I wanna win,” said graduate forward Amber Gaston.  “[Last year] was a great experience for us to be hungrier this year.” 

New Skills/What’s to Offer/The Difference 

This year, the team has brought in some new players that will add size, aggressiveness, and speed to the roster. Among the new faces will be junior guards Jada Moore and Devyn Scott, as both transferred to FAU over the offseason. 

Moore transferred from Kansas State with an average of 2.3 points and 2.1 assists last season for the Wildcats. Scott transferred from Fairleigh Dickinson University with an average of 5.5 points and 2.7 assists per game in 2021.

“We’re trying to see their roles in the team and what they can bring,” said senior forward Janeta Rozentale. “We’re bringing new plays, and trying to play faster and more aggressively. We’ve brought in some size so we’re looking more now for post players.” 

The Owls also have a solid group of returning players including Gaston, who was the Owls’ most efficient scorer last season by shooting 50% from the field. She also struggled with an injury from last year, but said her aim now is to stay healthy and support the team alongside other teammates that faced similar challenges last season. 

Through the support and encouragement the Owls received on all ends of the court, it has helped them push through numerous challenges. Instantly, the connection the returners made with the new players helped them unite on and off the court, which they didn’t get much of last year.   

“I can already see a huge difference from this time last year as opposed to this time this year,” said senior guard Alexa Zaph. 

Motivation

Last year didn’t reflect the Owls’ goals and offered them a new perspective of the game, fueling their motivation. 

“We didn’t even have the thought of giving up,” said senior guard Nikola Ozala. “I’ll give everything I have to get to our goal, I’ll still be giving all I have for the people on this team and people surrounding us and our coaches.” 

The Owls, through their dedication and hard work, have the ability to dominate the court and use new tactics going into the season. 

“We’re not the [last-place] team in the conference, we can do better, we can win a lot of games. Last year’s record wasn’t us,” said Rozentale. 

Jahadonai Brammer is a contributing writer for the University Press. For more information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or DM her instagram @jahadonaib