Start of the post-Gale era

One thousand point club, single season steal record at La Salle, Most Improved Player of the Year in the Atlantic 10, first All-A-10 Defensive team, and first team All-Big 5 are just a few of the accolades that Ashley Gale was able to achieve in her senior year on the women’s basketball team.
Unfortunately for the Explorers, No. 5 will be in different shoes this year as she takes her new role as an alumnus and more importantly, a fan. Gale will root from the stands, but she surely will be missed in the box score. Though it would be great to have Gale on the team for another year, the fact of the matter is, she won’t.
With a newly renovated unit, scoring will come from different members of the team every night. Whether it is last year’s second leading scorer, junior Alexis Scott, or freshman Jada Payne, each player on this team will have to step up. If their number is called, they will have to produce or Coach Jeff Williams will look for a replacement.
As Williams stated, “No position is filled.” Though each player pushing each other and fighting for playing time, the team will improve their skills night in and night out. As the saying goes, you play how you practice.
With that being said, the hunger and determination shown by the team will be vital in their execution this year. Last year, the Explorers had a plethora of slow starts and relied on Gale to bring them back during a time of turmoil. La Salle will not have that this year. As the games progress, the team will begin to learn about each other as much as Williams will about them.
In their 2011-12 campaign, each game must be gritty. From the time those forty minutes begin until the referees signal the conclusion of the game, La Salle can never give up a second. Each breath counts, as a majority of conference teams and opponents will underplay them because of their youth and inexperience. The best resolution for this would be to make the underestimation into a loss for their opponent.
With the number of well-established teams they play out of the A-10 in addition to some of their fellow ranked conference teams, La Salle will be fortunate to turn a few heads sideways with some possible upsets.
Simply said, the La Salle’s women’s basketball team is the master of their fate. As each player finds her formula, the team’s chemistry will build. As the team’s chemistry develops, their confidence will rise. Ultimately, there is nothing worse than a fearless young team.
waltersj1@student.lasalle.edu