Rutgers Women’s Basketball Head Coach Coquese Washington hosted her annual media day press conference to preview the upcoming season before the Scarlet Knights tip off against Wagner on November 3rd.
The first question she was asked during her press conference had to do with all the new faces on the team and on the sidelines, and what the process was like trying to put the whole team together. The team has eight new players and many new coaches as well, including a new Senior Associate Head Coach, Shannon LeBeauf, who was considered one of the best assistants in the nation during her time at UCLA.
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Washington stated that they spent most of the spring trying to solidify the roster by going into the transfer portal and picking up positions of need. A lot of their efforts had to do with getting people on campus and spending time recruiting those talents. The same applied to hiring new staff members. A lot of time was taken to fill their coaching roles as well.
Another question had to do with the Knights’ long run in the WNIT last season and what that meant for the program. Washington emphasized how important it was for Rutgers to get back to postseason play. It was the first time the Knights played postseason basketball since their first-round exit in the NCAA Tournament against BYU in 2021 and their first time playing postseason basketball under Washington. According to Washington, it made the returning players leave the season hungry to be a part of March Madness and to have that atmosphere around them.
When asked about her relationship with the new administration at the university and in the athletic department, Washington talked about President William Tate’s and Athletic Director Keli Zinn’s love for women’s basketball and how both of them are doing what they can to make sure the program is successful. LSU’s Women’s basketball team won a national championship during their shared time at the school.
Washington also added that her optimism regarding both of them being in charge is one that is echoed across all of Rutgers’ head coaches.
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When she got the chance to talk about what she is most excited about for this upcoming season, without hesitation, she said, “We got a point guard.” Washington name-dropped Kaylah Ivy and Lauryn Swann when she was describing how excited she is to have experienced point guards who can provide strong leadership to the rest of the team.
When talking about Antonia Bates, Washington said that she looks the healthiest she has been in a while after she got an offseason surgery on her knee. According to Washington, she had a nagging knee injury that had been around since her days playing high school ball, and they never got to see her play at her best because of it. Now it seems she is playing with much more trust in her knee than before, which is allowing her to practice more freely.
To view Washington’s press conference, click here.
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