After an extremely rough 2-28 season, and losing some key players such as Toyosi Abiola, Alexis Lewis, and Treyanna Clay, the Iona College women’s basketball team is going into the 2018–2019 season with many new players, a positive mindset, and a new assistant coaching staff.

Head Coach Billi Chambers, who is entering her sixth season of leading the Gaels on the court, has welcomed assistants Allan Chaney and Jordan McCann to her staff, as well as graduate assistant Jasmyne Fogle.

“The culture of our program has been restored,” Chambers said in an email interview. “These young women are completely bought in to our coaching staff and to each other. Even with all the new faces on the team and staff, it has been an incredibly smooth transition.”

On the court, the Gaels have welcomed many new faces, including six freshmen. That said, Coach Chambers notes one key to this season  is a returning player.

“Tori Lesko, our captain, is back from [an] injury last season and is in great shape, which I think is an incredible balance to her big basketball IQ and leadership,” Chambers said.

Lesko played only six games last season after playing all 31 games her freshman year. Lesko is poised for a big year, along with the team’s other players, both newcomers and returners.

“We are preaching team basketball and I feel we have an opportunity [for] several of them to perform at a high level,” Chambers said.  

With such a young team, Chambers says the Gaels don’t have any thoughts of last year’s struggles.

“We don’t talk about the idea of being an underdog,” Chambers said. “We focus on getting better every single day and coming to compete at our best.”

Chambers also notes what it takes to be a strong team.

“In terms of a player break[ing] out, it takes a resilient mentality, a short memory when it comes to mistakes and a relentless drive to improve every day,”