WASHINGTON – Year one of the Ganiyat Adeduntan era at George Washington led to a historic WNIT Great 8 appearance. With a core group of five returners, including Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference First Team selection Gabby Reynolds, expectations in Foggy Bottom are high once again.
“It’s for sure exciting whenever you can have some continuity,” Adeduntan told Field of 68’s Talia Goodman. “Our five returners understand the things that are important to me and the things that I value. They’ve experienced it, as a coaching staff we harp on habits and things we have to display every single day, so for them to be able to start teaching the newcomers, leading the way is always fun to see as a coach.”
GW looks forward to building off last season and producing a product on the floor that excites fans. Even with her team earning the No. 3 ranking in the A10 preseason poll, Adeduntan continues to keep things in perspective.
“I do feel that we’re talented, but we also understand that’s just talent on paper. It’s all about what we do as a coaching staff to develop that talent, help them create and form a team of connectivity,” noted Adeduntan. “Expectations are really high for us, but we also realize and understand that once you set those expectations it’s all about what you do every single day.”
Here is a look at the Revolutionaries:
Coach – Ganiyat Adeduntan - 2
nd season
Last year- GW went 18-18 with a 7-11 A10 mark. Those 18 victories tied for the most within the program’s past eight seasons. The Buff & Blue earned a signature win during the regular season, besting Richmond in overtime on Feb. 18. Though the Revolutionaries fell short in the Betterment Atlantic 10 Tournament against Dayton, they made a historic run in the WNIT, besting conference opponent Loyola Chicago along the way to the Great 8. GW’s three wins in the WNIT marked the program’s most in a single postseason in 29 years.
They’ll miss- Emma Theodorsson (7.3 ppg), Colleen Phiri (4.7 ppg/85% FT), Mia James (4.1 ppg/83.3% FT)
Impact returners- Gabby Reynolds (14.6 ppg/4.2 rpg/42.4% FG), Sara Lewis (11.2 ppg/6.1 rpg/44.9% FG), Kamari Sims (8.5 ppg)
Newcomers of note- Anne Bair (12 ppg/3.7 apg/44% FG @ Colgate), Amor Harris (10.6 ppg @ Longwood), Alicia Newell (7.2 ppg/42.7% FG @ Richmond)
Reasons to be optimistic- Reynolds has certainly proven her ability to put the ball in the basket, but as an upperclassman, she understands more of the bigger picture now. She absolutely can maintain that aggression when needed, but understands patience and decision-making is paramount to accomplishing the team’s goals.
“I want to win the A10,” Reynolds stated. “We want to make it to postseason as well. In this offseason, I worked on making reads, what I can do to better impact the game and those around me. Coach G did a lot working watching film, see what defenses will bring and how I can do better to execute.”
It should come as no surprise that answer Reynolds has assumed more of a leadership role in addition to becoming more of a facilitator. Leadership has been atop conversations Reynolds had with Adeduntan throughout the offseason, with one of the points of emphasis for George Washington.
“Gabby keeps getting better both on and off the court,” said Adeduntan. “She’s willing and humble, there’s a humility and hunger piece that is competitive with whatever she does. When we pour into her as a coaching staff, the way that she receives and makes changes is awesome. Those intangible things, and then seeing how hard she works on the basketball court, how much she loves the game and wants to win, she’s getting better. To have a player you know is going to bring it every day is what you want.”
Sara Lewis is another key returner. The senior forward enjoyed a breakthrough season last year, posting 11.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game, making the preseason all-conference second team.
Although George Washington has experienced success under pressure, the group is eager for more.
“We are happy about making the postseason,” Reynolds offered. “We didn’t make the postseason we wanted to obviously, but it showed our resilience. We didn’t get what we wanted, but when we got to the WNIT, we made huge strides. Bringing that core five together this year, we have a lot of potential coming into this season. I’m excited to see what we can do.”
X Factor- Adeduntan was very intentional with how she recruited this offseason, identity what she decided was needed to elevate the program. After all, “elevate” is GW’s word for the year, defining it as improving the quality of work and how the team does it.
That process began with players brought in to space the floor. The incoming freshmen also understand what is expected to thrive at this level.
Alicia Newell, a transfer from Richmond adds experience and competitiveness. A quick and athletic guard, she can selflessly attack, rebound, and defend.
Amor Harris comes from Longwood and provides a scoring touch, while Adeduntan also brings in Anne Bair, who she previously coached during her time at Colgate.
Circle the date- A Nov. 5 road test at No. 24 West Virginia marks GW’s second game of the season. A home test against Georgetown awaits on Nov. 11, as well as a short drive on Nov. 20 at Howard, a team which made the NCAA Tournament last season.
Bottom line- Adeduntan has developed a process-driven team, but the squad must have a destination. Upon setting those goals, the Revolutionaries focus on daily behaviors to reach them.
“It is a reminder to not budge on the things important to us and what we value,” Adeduntan concluded. “Sometimes when you’re in it there’s this increased intensity and pressure you might feel. It’s staying the course, trusting the process, knowing if you continue to get better every single day, you will get the outcome that you want as long as you are giving your best effort.”
Zac Weiss is a college athletics beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, primarily reporting on Duquesne Athletics. Across his career, he has covered over 1,000 A10 sporting events.