By By Nick Pipitone
Pride women’s basketball has had excuses in the past.
It was inexperienced, it had a new head coach, it had key injuries and it had no depth. Now, entering the 2005-06 season, the Pride, whether it likes it not, will not have any excuses to fall back on.
Head coach Felisha Legette-Jack is entering her fourth season with the Pride and has everything she could ask for-the return of four starters, forward Amaka Agugua’s comeback and a deep, healthy roster.
After going 35-51 in three seasons and having little success in the CAA playoffs, the team is now set to be a contender. Tomorrow night, the Pride opens the season hosting Fordham at the Arena.
“The only pressure [the team] has is me,” Jack said. “If they don’t satisfy me there’s going to be a lot of yelling. But that’s the only pressure our kids will ever feel. I love this game too much to feel pressure. You just got to enjoy it and let the chips fall where they may.”
The Pride has only lost one big contributor from last year’s squad-guard Charlotte Baldrey-Chourio-and returns seven players. Along with those seven, the team welcomes back Agugua, a second team All-CAA selection in her junior year and a pre-season first team selection before last year.
Agugua was sidelined for all of last season rehabbing from surgery on her leg. The 5-11 forward’s absence was felt, as the Pride finished the year at 13-16 overall and 7-11 in the conference.
“You always feel like you have a shot with Amaka on the team,” Jack said. “Last year she had a great voice on the sideline and gave us a lot of encouragement, but it’s better when she’s on the court. You feel like you have a shot.”
The Virginia native brings her career 10.4-ppg and 6.2-rebounds-per-game average back to the Pride lineup at power forward. In her junior year, Agugua posted five double-doubles and shot a school-record 56 percent from the field. After sitting out an entire season and watching her team struggle, the senior is eager to get back on the court.
“It was hard sitting out last year,” Agugua said. “I’m really looking forward to the first game.”
Even more important than Agugua’s return, is the Pride’s newfound depth. The team has 15 players on the roster-the most Jack has had in her three-year tenure. Last season, as a result of injuries and other circumstances, the team played a majority of its games with less than 10 players. After a while, the lack of numbers became a strain on the team.
Jack said that, as opposed to last year, the team has enough players to field a practice squad during the week to simulate game experience more realistically, an advantage the Pride did not have last season.
“It’s good because we have enough of our veterans back,” returning starter Lizanne Murphy said. “We know the system and we’re able to help out the rookies coming in and they’re able to pick up things a lot faster.”
With its deepest roster in recent memory, the Pride will face some tough competition in the CAA. Picked to finish fifth in the conference in the preseason CAA Women’s coaches poll, the team will play in an expanded conference of 12 teams. In the most recent RPI rankings, the CAA was ranked 12th out of 31 division I conferences.
Old Dominion is the early preseason favorite to capture its 15th consecutive conference title, while other contenders like James Madison, Drexel, Delaware and Towson all return four starters.
“We’re going to prove to everybody in this conference that we’re a force to be reckoned with,” junior guard Cigi McCollin said. “Regardless of where people think we should finish, we’re going to dictate where we should be at the end.”
Not only will its conference play be difficult, but the Pride’s non-conference schedule will be at its most stringent in Jack’s tenure. Its 10 possible non-conference opponents averaged 17 wins last season and six of these nine games will come on the road.
In its most challenging non-conference game, the Blue & Gold will travel to the University of Connecticut on Dec. 22 to play the five-time national champions. Last year, the Huskies posted a 25-8 record and made a run to the Sweet 16.
Nonetheless, the Pride has the most talented and complete team since Jack took over. With seven players returning and the addition of five freshmen, the roster is set. The team had three players picked to the pre-season All-CAA team, the most of any in the conference.
Now, more than ever, the Pride needs results.
Guards
Going into the season, returning starter India Ali was vying for the job with junior transfer Jeanell Hughes and freshman Nikki Williams and it appears that Ali will be the starter to open the season tomorrow night against Fordham.
“India Ali is going to be our spearhead person in that position,” Jack said. “Everything is really strong except our point guards really.”
Last season, Ali started in 14 games, alternating with the departed Baldrey-Chourio and put up average numbers (3.4 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game).
At shooting guard, McCollin returns to start and hopes to continue what is turning out to be a fine career. The pre-season first-team All-CAA selection and 2004-05 first-team representative is the Pride’s most complete player. Last season, the junior led the team in PPG, three-pointers and steals, while ranking third in the conference in scoring. She was inarguably the team’s MVP.
Forwards
Murphy will start at her natural position this season at small forward after filling in for Agugua last year at power forward. Murphy is a pre-season second team All-CAA selection and the Pride’s most consistent rebounder. Last year, she was the only player in the conference to average a double double (11.8 ppg, 10.4 rpg).
“We’re so big compared to last year [at forward],” Murphy said. “We’re big and we’re athletic. All the post players we have can run up and down the court and do good things. I think we’re going to be good inside.”
The long-awaited comeback of Agugua at power forward makes the Pride’s front line considerably intimidating. With Agugua back, Jack can bring junior Lana Harshaw off the bench, a commodity the team did not have last year. In 14 starts last season, Harshaw averaged 8.1 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Center
The development of junior Vanessa Gidden has been tremendous and with her joining Murphy and Aguugua down low, the Pride should be even better on the boards after leading the CAA last season.
Gidden is a preseason second-team all-conference selection and a fierce shot-blocker. The six-foot-three junior averaged 2.2 blocks, leading both the team and the CAA. In addition, over the summer, both her and McCollin played for the Long Island team in New York’s Empire State games and brought home LI’s first gold medal since 1985.
“I think playing this summer for Long Island was a very good experience for Cigi and I,” Gidden said. “I think it really helped us to have more chemistry on the court. Bringing that winning experience to the team is going to play a big part this year.”
So here it is, the 2005-06 Pride women’s basketball team. It has depth, returning starters, a healthy Agugua and three pre-season all-conference players.
The one thing that Jack and her team do not have this year is excuses.

Lizzane Murphy must have a successful season for the Pride to make any noise in the CAA. (Photo Courtesy Athletic Dept.)
