Each summer, women’s basketball teams around the nation use the summer to recover from the season and improve overall conditioning to, in turn, increase the team’s depth. This summer — after a 13-17 debut season under Kelly Graves — the Ducks posted their best summer in the weight room according to fourth-year strength and conditioning coach Mark Davis.
“Proud of this team &work put in this summer. Best we’ve looked in the time I’ve been here,” Davis said, which Graves posted on Twitter.
Graves said the summer headway his team has made sets them up for continued success in 2015-2016.
“I saw a new attitude,” said Graves, who is entering his second season in Eugene. “Instead of nursing injuries, which I think have been a part of summer and spring workouts, I think the fact that people were healthy and able to work on their bodies, I thought they just seemed to be getting into that.”
Graves said he thought his returners and newcomers “really bonded,” which will be important with seven new faces on the roster. He also saw a shared leadership this summer, including among Jillian Alleyne, Lexi Petersen, Lexi Bando and Jordan Loera.
In June, junior college transfer guard Megan Trinder joined the program.
She is “a real positive influence on the others,” Graves said. “She’s such a hard worker with a great attitude.”
In addition, the Ducks officially added Boston College fifth-year transfer Kat Cooper and Oregon multi-sport standout Liz Brenner announced her decision to rejoin the program after playing as an underclassman.
Graves said Jacinta Vandenberg, who completed her undergraduate degree this summer, has been “terrific.” He also praised Cooper and Katie Gruys for their weight room work.
Freshman Oti Gildon of Spokane, Wash., one of three signed freshmen, arrived in late July. Junior college transfer Mar’Shay Moore landed in Eugene last week.
The program’s two other freshmen, 6-foot-3 forward Lauren Yearwood and 5-foot-10 guard Maite Cazorla, both competed for their countries this summer in the FIBA U19 Championships in Russia. Yearwood had several breakout games for Canada, who finished eighth overall. She finished the tournament averaging 8.3 points a game with 7.6 rebounds and 1.9 assists.
Spain and Cazorla finished fourth overall. She had six points, two rebounds and two assists in the final game against Australia. Cazorla teamed up, also representing Spain in the FIBA U18 European Championships, taking first place overall. She averaged 4.8 points in 28.9 minutes a game.
In a recent interview with La Provincia, Cazorla said, “To go to the United States and live another experience is a dream.”
Graves said both Cazorla and Yearwood will arrive on campus in mid-September.
“We’re going to have depth at every position,” Graves said.
This summer, Graves’ family completed their transition by moving out of their Spokane home. The moving truck arrived in Eugene yesterday, and Graves is looking forward to having his family by his side for the upcoming season.
“[My attitude] already has changed to some degree,” Graves said. “I think I was more at ease, and happier around the team (this summer). I think they noticed that and appreciated that.”
In addition, the program announced its nonconference schedule in July, which features 10 home games during November and December.
Follow Jonathan Hawthorne on Twitter @Jon_Hawthorne