The Georgetown Voice 6 November 2018 (Women's Preview)

VOICE The Georgetown

November 6, 2o18

— The Basketball Preview — Photo: George Ferridge

November 6, 2018

2

THE GEORGETOWN VOICE Volume 51 • Issue 6

staff editor-in-chief Jake Maher Managing editor Margaret Gach news

executive editor Alex Lewontin Features editor Emily Jaster assistant features editor Jack Townsend news editor Noah Telerski assistant news editors Rachel Cohen, Damian Garcia, Katya Schwenk

culture

executive editor Caitlin Mannering Leisure editor Brynn Furey assistant leisure editors Kayla Hewitt, Brynne Long, Ryan Mazalatis Sports editor Beth Cunniff Assistant sports editor Jorge DeNeve, Aaron Wolf

Photo: George Ferridge Cover design: EGAN BARNITT

contents Clear Eyes, Full Bench, Year Two: Women’s Basketball Sets Sights on Postseason Run Beth Cunniff On Point: Mikayla Venson Takes Over the Offense in her Final Season Tristan Lee Meet the New Gals Nathan Chen, Brynn Furey, Bradley Galvin, Max Krukov

opinion

3 4 5

Playing it Forward: Women’s Basketball’s Day Camp Expands Access to D.C. Community Jorge DeNeve

6

Women’s Big East Preview Errol French and Teddy Carey

7

Dear Reader,

Executive editor CHRIS DUNN voices editor Lizz Pankova Assistant Voices editors Mica Bernhard, Ava Rosato EditoriaL board Chair Nick Gavio Editorial Board Jonny Amon, Sienna Brancato, Chris Dunn, Claire Goldberg, Emily Jaster, Alli Kaufman, Alex Lewontin, Jake Maher, Caitlin Mannering, Phillip Steuber, Noah Telerski, Jack Townsend

halftime

Leisure editor Dajour Evans assistant leisure editors Inès de Miranda, Juliana Vaccaro de Souza, Nicole Lai Sports editor Santul Nerkar Assistant sports editor Teddy Carey, Jake Gilstrap, Tristan Lee

design

Executive editor Margaux Fontaine Spread editor Jake Glass Photo Editor Rachel Zeide cover Editor Egan Barnitt assistant design editor Camilla Aitbayev, Jacob Bilich, Delaney Corcoran Staff designers Kathryn Crager, Josh Klein, Lindsay Reilly, Olivia Stevens

copy

On this campus, and across the sports world, women’s sports do not receive the same attention that men’s sports do. The Voice, too, has not always lived up to the ideal of equal coverage. Even within the past few years, our basketball previews have featured more pages and more stories about the men’s team, topped off with covers that have almost exclusively featured men’s players.

As a woman leading the sports section, the first to do so during my time at the Voice, it was important to me that this issue give equal weight to the men’s and women’s basketball teams—that neither team be seen as greater or more important than the other, and that both teams receive the coverage and attention they deserve. By creating two sides to this issue, with two front covers, our aim was to accomplish just that. No longer will we relegate the women’s team to the back cover or feature less reporting on women. Each page, each story, and each spread was intentionally created to equally cover these two teams.

This preview, however, serves only as the beginning of a bigger conversation about the coverage of women both on this campus and across sports media in general. Throughout the basketball season, the Voice will continue to strive to have a reporter at every home game—both men’s and women’s—and we urge other outlets to do the same.

I hope you will take the time to read what we have written about the women’s team and to appreciate an exciting team on the rise. I hope you will even take the time to head to McDonough Arena this season to witness the incredibly talented young women who comprise the women’s basketball team.

BEth Cunniff, Sports editor See Reverse Side for Basketball Preview Staff

copy chief Hannah Song assistant Copy editors Cade Shore, Neha Wasil editors Mya Allen, Emma Bradley, NataLie Chaudhuri, Brendan Clark, Kate Fin, Max Fredell, Nancy Garrett, Emily Kim, Moira Phan, Madison Scully, Sophie StewarT, Maya Tenzer, Kristin Turner, Megan Wee

online

Website Editor Maggie Grubert Podcast editor Parker Houston assistant podcast editor Devon O’Dwyer Social Media Editor Katherine Randolph Content Editor Claire Goldberg MULTIMEDIA editor Amy Guay

business

general manager anna gloor assistant manager of accounts & sales Isabel Lord

support

associate editors Sienna Brancato, Gustav Honl-Stuenkel, Julia Pinney, Eman Rahman

Staff writers

Kent Adams, Luis Borrero, Nathan Chen, Annemarie Cuccia, Haley D’Alessio, ErroL French, Bradley Galvin, Peter Guthrie, Dominic Parente, Roman Peregrino, John Picker, Zach Pulsifer, Will Shanahan, Cam Smith

3

THE GEORGETOWN VOICE

Clear eyes, Full Bench, YEAR TWO Women’s Basketball Sets sights on postseason run

by Beth Cunniff

Photo: Margaux Fontaine

In James Howard’s

first season as head coach of the Georgetown women’s basketball team, the Hoyas finally broke through with a historic postseason run. Now, in his second year, Howard hopes to use the momentum of last year and a deeper bench to fuel the team and make a run at the top spot in the Big East.

The Hoyas started slow last year but picked up steam as the season went on, dismantling Marquette before beating DePaul in Chicago and taking down Creighton at home. They earned a spot in the Big East semifinals for the first time in 19 years with a win over three-seed Villanova, and continued on to win their first round Women’s National Invitational Tournament game over Delaware.

Howard knew that despite their challenges, last year’s Hoyas were a special bunch. “We started three of the smallest guards in the country in Division I last year and to be able to get postseason play out of it…that was really inspiring for the program,” he said. “Then to beat the top four teams that all went to the NCAA [Tournament], I thought it was a remarkable achievement with the team that we had.”

The success of last year’s team stemmed from now-senior guard Dionna White, who is expected to be a leader on both sides of the court this season. She was first on the team in scoring last year with 18.7 points per game, and she sat atop the Big East with 88 steals, 26 more than the next player in the conference. Her impressive numbers across the board earned her Big East Defensive Player of the Year honors, a spot on the All-Big East First Team last season, and a 2018-19 preseason All-Big East selection.

Despite being the most consistent scorer on the team, and arguably the best defensive player in the conference, White is still looking to improve in those areas this season. Her expectations for herself are simple: “Be more consistent, picking up the intensity on defense, and just looking to get my teammates the ball.”

In her first three years at Georgetown, White was joined in the backcourt by point guard DiDi Burton (COL ’18), who led the team in assists last season. Graduate student guard Mikayla Venson, who primarily played off the ball last season after transferring from the University of Virginia, will fill the hole left by Burton this year. Venson averaged 13.2 points per game and shot .383 from 3-point range in her first year as a Hoya.

White and Burton’s pairing on the court was a stable presence in past years. Now, White has found that the team must relearn that chemistry. “We’re really emphasizing on pushing the ball, getting the ball up the court, and just building that team dynamic where we’re all on the same page,” she said.

White and Venson are the only two starters returning from last season, but the Hoyas are welcoming back graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako, who missed the 2017-18 campaign due to injury. Her return to the team gives the Hoyas both more size and scoring ability at the guard position. Adomako finished second in points in the 2016-17 season, behind White, and was named an All-Big East Honorable Mention.

Howard believes that the addition of Adomako alongside White and Venson makes the team a strong contender for postseason success. “I expect us to compete for a Big East Championship,” he said, regarding how Adomako’s return impacts his team. “You have three solid players like that who have done the work during their college careers at different times; Dorothy being able to go score 30, Mikayla can go score 30, Dionna can score 30.”

“

I expect us to compete for a Big East Championship.

White agreed that Adomako will give the team an immediate boost. “Dorothy, she’s gonna do what she’s always done since she came here,” she said. “She’s a scorer. She knows how to score the ball, get buckets, rebound, just bring that extra offensive piece that we didn’t have last year.”

Adding to the lineup of guards is senior Brianna Jones, who is eligible to play this season after transferring from the University of Louisville. Despite the fact that Jones hasn’t played a game in a Hoyas uniform yet, Howard is looking to her to be a vocal leader on the court.

“It’s just like second nature for her,” Howard said. “She is that energizing. She’s the one that gets the other players in the gym. She’s the one that understands every offensive set, every defensive set and is willing to reach out to others and help make them better.”

The returning leadership in the backcourt will balance out a frontcourt which lost center Yazmine Belk (COL ’18) and for-

ward Cynthia Petke (COL ’18). Belk was a consistent starter who added rebounding power, while Petke was a huge presence for the Hoyas last season, finishing second in the Big East in rebounds and second on the team in scoring.

Looking to fill their places will be junior forward Anita Kelava, who, like Jones, is eligible to play after her transfer from the University of Maine. Howard sees Kelava as an offensive weapon who can contribute right away in Petke’s absence.

Sophomore center Breonna Mayfield will also look to make a bigger contribution in her second season, after averaging just 4.5 minutes per game last year.

“Mayfield has really picked up her game, in a standpoint of talking and being 6-foot-5, being able to get rebounds for us this year,” Venson said of her teammate. “She’s big on the little things: talking in the paint, helping the next person.”

Sophomore forward Tatianna Thompson and junior guard Morgan Smith, who both contributed significant minutes off the bench last season, will be called on to make a greater impact in their second and third seasons, respectively.

Howard also added six freshmen to his team, creating a far deeper bench than last year’s squad, which typically only played seven players deep. And, according to the senior leaders, the freshman class is already starting to make an contribution.

“Everyone works extremely hard, whether it’s the first group on or the last group,” Adomako said. “We all work really hard, whether it’s in lift, or conditioning, or practice.”

With all the talent on this team, Howard is planning to play with a set starting four and rotate players in the fifth spot. “We are gonna have a swing starter as a five,” he said. “A lot of people probably have never seen that done, but I think I got enough talent in that one position to play to other opponents in their strengths.”

The Hoyas were picked to finish fifth in the Big East Preseason Coaches’ Poll, behind the four teams which made the NCAA tournament last season. They will start their season at Richmond on Nov. 6 before taking on Maryland Eastern Shore (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) in their home opener on Nov. 9. Georgetown will likely face its biggest test of non-conference play when it takes on No. 4 Baylor (Big 12) in the South Point Thanksgiving Shootout, before settling into conference play, when it hosts Xavier on Dec. 29.

The Big East will prove a worthy test for this Georgetown team, but with the return of Adomako, a bench that goes up to 13 viable players deep, and the confidence of a team that took down four tournament teams a season ago, nothing is out of reach.

“Team’s goal?” Venson said. “Of course, Big East Championship.”

ON POINT 4

November 6, 2018

Mikayla Venson Takes Over the Offense in her Final Season By Tristan Lee mikayla venson

didn’t originally commit to play basketball at Georgetown. And when she did, she didn’t sign up to play under now-head coach James Howard. But in her fifth year of eligibility and back at her natural position of point guard, she is poised to bring her team into the upper echelons of the Big East and make a run at the NCAA Tournament.

The Arlington, Virginia native graduated from Yorktown High School as a five-star recruit. Though she only played on her high school team her freshman year, Venson played AAU ball and was nationally ranked 33rd overall and seventh at her position in her class by ESPN. For her first two years of college, she went to the University of Virginia, where she excelled on the court. In her freshman year, she made the All-ACC Freshman team and went on to score 15.1 points per game as a sophomore, leading the Cavaliers. Venson established herself as an elite shooter, setting a new program record for 3-pointers made in a season her sophomore year. She finished with 70 that season.

Despite her enormous success at Virginia, Venson was not satisfied. In a 2016 interview with the Daily Progress, Mikayla’s mother Pia Venson said that a change of scenery made the most sense for Mikayla’s basketball goals. At the end of the 2015-16 regular season, before that year’s Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), she announced that she intended to transfer elsewhere.

Venson chose Georgetown, committing to play for former head coach Natasha Adair. Due to NCAA transfer rules, however, Venson watched from the bench in what turned out to be Adair’s final season, a year in which the Hoyas earned a spot in both the Big East quarterfinals and WNIT first round, but were unable to win a postseason game.

When Venson finally donned the blue and gray in 2017 under Howard, she made an immediate impact. As a team captain, she averaged 13.8 points and 2.8 assists per game, finishing second and third on the team, respectively. Venson was also the Hoyas’ most effective threat from deep, recording a team-leading 36.8 percent 3-point percentage and sinking 51 3-pointers. Her efforts were integral to Georgetown’s wins in both the Big East Tournament and the WNIT. Although Venson spent substantial time at point guard with the Cavaliers, DiDi Burton (COL ’18) was the primary point guard and ball handler last season, while Venson mostly played off the ball in her first year at Georgetown. Following Burton’s graduation, Venson is expected to to return to her old position and take over as the Hoyas’ floor general.

Venson will be tasked with spacing the floor and setting her teammates up to score. Last year, Burton led the team in this regard with 4.1 assists per game, but Venson was not far behind with 2.8 per game. Though her position is different from last year, she will have a familiar face alongside her in senior guard Dionna White. Venson and White are the only returning starters from last year, and their chemistry and experience playing together in the backcourt will help the offense run smoothly.

Howard expects the transition to be easy for Venson and the team.

“Mikayla has been a point guard all her life. Now [she’s] just taking the time of getting her feet back wet, being able to communicate with her teammates, get everybody in sets and knowing what sets the run for her scorers,” Howard said. “I saw it last game.

We scrimmaged Coppin [State] and I saw where she was looking [to] pass and getting her teammates involved more so than herself, and that’s what a good, solid point guard does.”

“

I have to learn how to lead and fire my team up whenever possible.

However, switching to point guard on offense could bring challenges defensively. Last year in the two-three spot, she mostly played defense against players who were bigger, but slower, than her. But this year, her opponents will be fast and agile, a challenge that Howard thinks she’s ready for.

“There are going to be times where you’re going to have quick point guards, but she’s so crafty, she plays angles very well, so I don’t think that’s going to be a big problem for her because she’s a smart IQ player,” Howard said. “I think she’ll be fine.”

Venson’s new role on the court also presents an opportunity to take initiative as a team leader. A graduate student, she has

Photo: Georgetown Athletics COmmunications

been through the ups and downs of four years of college basketball. She has seen the Big East, the ACC, and the WNIT. With all of this experience, Venson has become more vocal on the court, which has been a large part of her maturation as a college ball player.

“For me, freshman and sophomore year I was a point guard, but I wasn’t truly the leader on the team,” Venson said. “I have to step outside the box and step outside of my comfort zone because I’m not the biggest talker, but I have to learn how to lead and fire my team up whenever possible.”

With six incoming freshmen and a host of inexperienced sophomores, Venson has stepped up as a leader by being a role model and mentor for younger players.

“Honestly, I try to take everybody under my wing,” she said.

“I’m huge on bringing people in and making them feel like we’re a family at the end of the day, so whether they need me on or off the court I’m always there to talk.”

It has been a long road for Venson. She is at her second school, in her fifth year of eligibility, neither of which is the norm for a college player. Now she is stepping into her greatest challenge yet—taking on more responsibilities, both on the court as the point guard and off the court as a mentor, on a team with a chance to make a real postseason run.

Venson’s pairing with White in the backcourt, along with the return of graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako, who missed Venson’s first Georgetown season due to injury, gives the Hoyas the talent and depth they need to contend for a Big East championship and make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2012. Venson will play a key role as the starting point guard and a veteran player for the Hoyas. Despite their lofty goals, Venson isn’t letting her team get ahead of themselves.

“I think we are really valuing just every single game and knowing that we can’t sleep on any team, no matter what.”

5

THE GEORGETOWN VOICE

Meet the New Gals

By Nathan Chen, Brynn Furey, Bradley galvin, and Max Krukov

Cassandra Gordon — 5’10” guard

Brianna Jones — 5’9” guard

Cassandra Gordon comes to Georgetown from Santa Barbara High School, where she was a four-year starter at the guard position and earned Second Team All-California Interscholastic Federation honors in 2017. She averaged 16.3 points per game in her senior year on 42 percent shooting from the field and 71 percent at the line. After Gordon signed her letter of intent, head coach James Howard had high praise for her skills.

“Cassandra is an athletic guard with a smooth midrange game,” he said, “who also brings great energy on the defensive end.”

Brianna Jones transferred to Georgetown from Louisville last fall, but was ineligible to play in the 2017-18 season because of NCAA transfer rules. In 2015, Jones was ranked 40th overall and eighth in her position among her high school class by ESPN. In her senior year of high school, she was selected to play in the first women’s Jordan Brand Classic, an all-star game featuring the best high school basketball players in the country. Jones did not see much playing time at Louisville, averaging 6.3 minutes per game off the bench over two seasons. As a senior at Georgetown, Jones is expected to be a leader on the team and to make a contribution both on and off the court.

Tayanna Jones — 6’2” guard

Anita Kelava — 6’3” forward

Tayanna Jones joins Georgetown having already made history twice in her basketball career. Last spring, Jones became the first basketball player in Kenny, North Carolina’s North Johnston High School history to move on to a Division I program. She also helped lead the team to the second round of the North Carolina state playoffs for the first time. In high school, Jones averaged 17.8 points per game as well as 7.1 rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Jones has a huge advantage on the court, as her length and accuracy make her an effective player anywhere on the floor. She is confident in her jump shot inside the paint and can still lead the team from outside the perimeter, which will make her a valuable addition to this Georgetown team.

Having transferred to Georgetown from Maine last fall, Anita Kelava is ready to hit the court as a Hoya this season after sitting out last season due to NCAA transfer rules. Before joining Maine’s team as a freshman, she played on the U-14, U-16, U-18, and U-20 Croatian National Teams, leading the rebounding effort of the U-18 team with an average of 8.8 per game. Kelava was ranked a four-star recruit out of high school by Blue Star Europe. Howard sees Kelava as one of the players who is ready to step up and take on a larger role this season, especially as one who can reliably score 3-pointers.

Nikola Kovacikova — 5’11” guard

Courtney Meadows — 5’5” guard

Hailing from Levice, Slovakia, Nikola Kovacikova joins the Hoyas after compiling an impressive resume overseas. Kovacikova was a member of the Slovakia National Team for the past four years and recently played for UKF Nitra. While in junior leagues, Kovacikova was the top scorer for six seasons and received team MVP honors five times. In the 2015-16 season, she won league MVP in the European Girls Basketball League after finishing as the top scorer. Kovacikova also won the world championship in a high school 3-on-3 basketball tournament. “We are excited about the addition of Nikola to the Hoya family,” Howard said when Kovacikova committed. “She has the ability to score at the combo guard position and it will add more depth as we head into the upcoming season.”

Courtney Meadows begins her career on the Hilltop after starting at three different high schools, leaving her mark at each stop. During her sophomore season, Meadows received First Team All-Conference honors and set the Davidson Day School single-season assist record. The following season, Meadows transferred to Rocky River School and set the single-season assist record there. She finished her high school career at Concord First Assembly, where she averaged 11.3 points per game. Howard believes Meadows will be a defensive boost. “Meadows is one of the best on-ball defenders in the nation. Her speed and toughness will play a valuable role next season,” he said when she committed in 2017.

Lilly Wehman — 6’2” forward

Shanniah Wright — 6’1” forward/center

Lilly Wehman arrives to the Hilltop from Loyola Academy in Wilmette, Illinois. Wehman, who holds the all-time blocks record at her high school, looks to bring the Hoyas the same athleticism and defensive prowess that she exhibited in high school. Wehman has battled numerous obstacles during her career: She tore her ACL in 2015, forcing her to miss her sophomore season, and was only able to start playing again the following summer. During her senior year, she led Loyola Academy to a regional championship while playing through a stress fracture in her left foot. As a rim protector and player who can stretch the floor on offense, Wehman will be a valuable addition to the Hoyas.

Shanniah Wright, a graduate of Polytechnic Preparatory Day School from Brooklyn, New York, joins Georgetown as an established scorer and four-star recruit. ESPN ranked Wright as the 83rd best recruit in the nation and the 16th at the forward position. In her high school career, she averaged 24 points and 16 rebounds per game. Her other accolades include three First Team All-State selections, as well as four First Team All-League selections. According to Howard, her footwork is of particular note.

Wright could make an immediate impact, both in the paint and on the glass for the Hoyas this season.

Photos: Georgetown Athletics Communications

November 6, 2018

6

playing it forward

Women’s basketball’s Day Camp expands access to D.C. community

The Georgetown

women’s basketball team has built a tradition of serving the community, and its basketball camp gives the team a chance to continue reaching out. Over three days during the summer, the coaching staff and players teach the fundamentals of basketball to girls between the ages of 8 and 17 at the Lady Hoyas youth basketball day camp. This year, though, the team has made changes to make the camp more accessible.

In the past, the $200 registration fee had made the camp inaccessible to underprivileged members of the D.C. community. A member of Georgetown’s coaching staff approached Jimmy Lynn, an adjunct professor who mentors Georgetown’s student-athletes, with a potential solution.

“Three years ago, one of the assistant coaches reached out to me and said, ‘We’re having the Lady Hoyas basketball camp this summer. There’s 30 girls from underprivileged, low-income families that want to attend, but they don’t have money. Can you help find a sponsor to pay for it?’” Lynn said. So, Lynn posted on Facebook looking for sponsors. “I was hoping we’d have enough money so maybe six or eight girls we’d be able to send to camp; by the end of that first day, all 30 girls had sponsors.”

That was 2016. The camp was cancelled in 2017, when former head coach Natasha Adair left Georgetown to coach at Delaware, but current head coach James Howard renewed the program in 2018 with the goal of reaching even more girls in the community. This year, 50 girls had sponsors to attend the camp.

The team works on a variety of service projects, such as volunteering in soup kitchens, visiting women’s shelters, and participating in walks for sickle cell disease and breast cancer. But the Lady Hoyas camp is unique in that the players develop a more intimate bond with the community members they serve.

“When one of those kids that we directly helped comes to camp to say thank you, it makes it more human, it makes it more personal,” Adair said. “Our players got to connect with them on a one-on-one basis, almost in a big sister type role.”

And the players dove in head first, with each player leading her own station of the camp based on her basketball strengths.

by jorge deneve “The players are hands-on when we have camps,” Adair said.

“You would see [senior guard] Dionna White teaching dribbling at the time. You would see, when I was there, Faith Woodard [COL ’17] teaching rebounding, and DiDi Burton [COL ’18], who just graduated and is now on staff as a graduate assistant, she would teach defense.”

More important are the connections the team made with the campers off the floor. They accompanied the girls to lunch at Leo’s and talked with them during breaks in practice.

“It was great. It’s always good giving back to the little kids,” said graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako. “We enjoy when they come to our camps, so it’s always nice.”

Members of the team with different levels of experience in their Georgetown careers took part this year, from veterans like Adomako and junior guard Morgan Smith to transfers from other schools who have yet to play a minute on the court for the Hoyas, like junior forward Anita Kelava (Maine) and senior guard Brianna Jones (Louisville). Even players who had yet to start their college careers, such as freshmen guards Courtney Meadows and Tayanna Jones, among others, were involved in coaching the campers.

“It’s been a hit because our young women are able to reach out to [the campers], and they connect,” Howard said. “And it’s connecting the community with our players, and that’s the way we want to be able to do it.”

Lynn himself received guidance from mentor Ted Leonsis (COL ’77), the CEO of Monumental Sports & Entertainment, when the two worked together at AOL. For Lynn, the best way to repay a mentor is to pay it forward. It’s what he’s done for the student-athletes at Georgetown, and he encourages them to mentor the generation after that.

“For me, it’s taking these women basketball players, including a bunch of freshmen, [and] trying to teach them at a young age how important it is to give back,” Lynn said.

Lynn is also on the board of the Washington Nationals Youth Baseball Academy. The academy gives kids from underserved neighborhoods in D.C. a place to spend time after school and during the summers to further their educations and participate in sports like baseball and softball. Ten of the 50 girls who had sponsors for the 2018 basketball day camp came from the program.

Howard said that when Lynn goes to the academy, the girls remember Georgetown’s camp and ask about the team.

“They’re asking about our players,” Howard said.

“And they know our players by name just be-

Photos: Jimmy Lynn cause of the interaction they had this summer with them, and, ‘Mr. Jimmy, when are we going for a game? When are we going to Georgetown? When are we going to see Brianna? And when are we going to see Tayanna?’ You know, that’s the special part of what we’re doing.”

For the kids, this went beyond just a basketball camp. They all learned skills on the court, but the memories are going to be from the moments off the court with the team. It’s easy to see how special these interactions were.

“Courtney is a freshman, there’s like six girls on her lap,” Lynn said. “They love Morgan, Anita was terrific, I mean across the board.

Dorothy can be a little shy; [she] had two girls up in her arms.”

However valuable these memories are, the camps are about more than just spending time with college athletes. Lynn hopes that exposing the girls to a college atmosphere will give them the idea that college is indeed attainable for them. To emphasize this point, he makes sure the girls have an hour outside of the gym to visit the McDonough School of Business and meet Dean Patricia Grant.

“Dean Grant’s African-American [and a] first-generation college graduate,” Lynn said. “I wanted the little girls to see that there’s someone else that looks like them, and she’s like the principal of this building.”

Lynn hopes to expand the program even further and bring a group of women’s basketball players to the academy once a month.

As more kids earn sponsorships to come to Georgetown’s camp, they’ll continue to be exposed to college players and a college coaching staff, with college emphasized as an attainable end goal. Adair sees coaches as “invested in the youth for tomorrow,” and it’s for this reason that Adair hopes the program continues to grow.

“It went from 30 to 50, and then let’s just keep growing it.

Let’s grow it by 20, if not more. I’m looking to see it grow this year as a fan and as a supporter, still,” she said. “Let’s go 70, let’s go 80, let’s see if we can hit that 100 mark of people supporting players that want to come to camp.”

The camp has an effect on the Georgetown team as a reminder of their own backgrounds and struggles in getting to where they are, and there lies the root of the team’s service tradition. As the team reflects on what they’ve been given, Howard emphasizes to his locker room that they have to give more.

“We talk about it every day, we can’t fall on all the great things that have been given, we also have to give back,” Howard said. “I think they gave us some hope, as well. And know that, hey, you can do anything, no matter where you’re from or what you have.”

THE GEORGETOWN VOICE

women’s big east preview 1. Marquette

No. 19 Marquette is the favorite to defend its Big East regular season crown and make a run at the conference championship by returning all five starters from last season. Senior guard Allazia Blockton, reigning Big East Player of the Year, led the conference with 19.1 points per game and helped lead Marquette to a 15-3 record in conference play last year. This season, Blockton is joined by senior guards Natisha Hiedeman and Amani Wilborn who both averaged more than 12 points per game last season. 2017-18 Big East Co-Coach of the Year Carolyn Kieger is poised to lead this team to another successful season and another Big East title.

2. DePaul

7

By Errol French and Teddy Carey

6. St. John’s

St. John’s failed to make the NCAA Tournament last season but showed resilience in the WNIT, where it beat Marist, Penn, and Duquesne before falling to West Virginia in the quarterfinals. The graduation of the Red Storm’s top scorer, forward Maya Singleton, creates an opening for some of last season’s supporting cast to contribute. If St. John’s wants to get back to postseason play, senior guard Akina Wellere, who finished second on the team in scoring with 10.5 points per game last season, will need to step up and become the leader of this team. She will be joined by sophomore guard Qadashah Hoppie, who shot 37.6 percent from behind the a and averaged just over 10 points per game in her Big East Freshman of the Year campaign.

7. Butler

No. 15 DePaul is coming off of one of its best seasons in school history, having beaten Marquette in the Big East championship game and made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, the Blue Demons led the Big East in scoring, thanks to forward Mart’e Grays and guard Ashton Millender, both now seniors, who averaged 14.4 and 13.6 points per game, respectively. They are joined by junior guard Kelly Campbell and junior forward Chante Stonewall, who each averaged over 10 points per game last season. Despite the team’s strengths, it will face its share of adversity, especially in its non-conference schedule, including current National Champion No. 1 Notre Dame looming in game two.

Butler returns four starters, including its three leading scorers: redshirt senior guard Whitney Jennings, senior forward/center Tori Schickel, and junior guard Kristen Spolyar. They will be the focal points of head coach Kurt Godlevske’s offense. Schickel was named to the All-Big East First Team last season, and Jennings received an honorable mention for her performance. The Bulldogs also added two eligible transfers to their roster in redshirt junior center Ashanti Thomas (Penn State) and redshirt junior guard Katherine Strong (VCU).

3. VillaNova

8. Seton Hall

With the graduation of their leading scorer, guard Alex Louin, the Wildcats will be looking for players to lead their team back to the NCAA Tournament. Junior forward Mary Gedaka, last season’s Big East Sixth Woman of the Year, and senior guard Adrianna Hahn, who both averaged around 11 points per game last year, are expected to fill that gap. Hahn, who made 69 3-pointers last season to finish fifth in the Big East, will be an integral part of the Villanova offense and a key leader on the team. Last year, Villanova had the best defense in the conference, which led to an 11-0 start and an overall successful season.

They will try to replicate that success this upcoming year, as they make a push at the regular season title.

Seton Hall is losing its top three scorers but gaining two transfer students who are immediately eligible to play: graduate student guards Victoria Cardaci (Clemson) and Diandra DaRosa (Virginia Tech). Another bright spot for the Pirates is senior guard Inja Butina, who finished in the top 10 in the Big East in both assists and steals last season. Junior forward Shadeen Samuels averaged just 7.5 points per game last year but led her team in both offensive and defensive rebounds. If Cardaci and DaRosa can gel with Butina and Samuels, the Pirates could work their way up the standings.

4. Creighton

9. Providence

The Bluejays failed to finish in the top three in the Big East last season, but managed to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament and are looking to build off this momentum for the upcoming season. The Jays will continue to feed the ball to senior forward Audrey Faber and junior forward Jaylyn Agnew, who each averaged over 14 points per game last season. Head coach Jim Flanery will need junior guard Olivia Elger, who averaged 10 points in her 24 games last season, to step up after the departure of guard Sydney Lamberty. Winning the conference may be unlikely for Creighton this season, but another tournament berth is well within reach.

The Friars return four starters including senior guard Jovana Nogic, who led the team last season with 17.1 points per game and the conference with a 94.5 percent free throw percentage. Two other guards are returning: senior Maddie Jolin, who was second in the Big East with a 41.8 3-point percentage last season, and sophomore Chanell Williams, who was a Big East All-Freshman Team honoree. These three will be tasked with carrying much of the offensive load for head coach Jim Crowley, as he tries to lead his team to a successful season.

5. Georgetown After reaching the Big East semifinals for the first time in 19 years, Georgetown returns with senior guard Dionna White, the Hoyas’ leading scorer and Big East Defensive Player of the Year. The only other returning starter for the Hoyas is graduate student guard Mikayla Venson, who finished third on the team in scoring last year. The Hoyas will also have graduate student guard Dorothy Adomako back in the lineup after missing all of last season with an injury. Transfer senior guard Brianna Jones (Louisville) and transfer junior forward Anita Kelava (Maine), both eligible to play for the first time at Georgetown this season, along with the top recruiting class in the Big East, add depth to head coach James Howard’s offense.

10. Xavier Junior guard Na’Teshia Owens is the only returning starter for the Musketeers in what will likely be a rebuilding year. Aaliyah Dunham, one of the only other returning players who saw significant minutes last year and who earned Big East All-Freshman honors, will also need to step up as a leader this year. The Musketeers added four freshmen to their roster to set them up for the future, but it is difficult to see Xavier making a successful push for the championship in 2018-19.