2021-2022 Valpo Women's Basketball

[IndyValpo]

Congratulations to our three seniors on a fine career and a great home finish!

[IndyValpo]

Open with UNI. We beat them by 2 at home, lost by 30 on the road.

[vu72]

Congrats to our award winners!

https://www.valpoathletics.com/wbasketball/news/2021-22/21153/frederick-brown-white-earn-mvc-postseason-honors/

[DuneHwx]

Shay was a beast this season despite what some people suggested. Grace as 6th person is silly since the award infers that it's the best player who isn't good enough to start. For many coaches who "starts" doesn't mean a whole lot, it's all a rotation and not necessarily the five best players. Clearly that was the case here. It appears that Coach Evans tends to move people out of the starting lineup when they get hurt and then she sticks with that lineup until injury forces the next lineup change.

[valpotx]

Haha.  Saying that she was not the same player this year as she was last season, is not saying she was not good.  The fact is that she was unconscious last year, and was not this year.  You cannot deny that she played better last season.

[IndyValpo]

Unfortunately the season ends as expected. This off season is big. We lose three who played a ton of minutes with no one really ready to take their place. One recruit to date, a guard.

[vu72]

Unfortunately the season ends as expected. This off season is big. We lose three who played a ton of minutes with no one really ready to take their place. One recruit to date, a guard.

Of course!  Ya wouldn't want to recruit any size!  We lose 54 blocked shots between Grace and Caitlin. Leah Ernest will be our top returning rebounder.  Let's hope the transfer portal helps, otherwise it could be another disappointing year for the women.

[valpotx]

I don't view this year as disappointing, other than the non-conference record.  Within conference, which is a very difficult conference, we did pretty well in our 5th season.  We would have done better, had Weinman not gotten hurt for several games in MVC play.  However, I do agree that next year will be rough, short of any surprises in the transfer portal.

[Piledriver]

In addition to the 3 seniors, I know there are at least 4 returning players who all played significant minutes who are seriously considering transferring. There was definitely a big divide between the coach and the players.

To say the coach and her methods are not popular among the players would be an understatement.

The final weekend was apparently quite a circus ... The coach kicked all the players out of the final practice of the year in Moline. The players and coach were fighting during halftime, then the seniors decided on their own to start playing zone in the second half and all got pulled and benched. None of the 3 departing seniors got back in the game for a final departing moment (curtain call)... The end of the season was all bad.

Mary Evans has a lot of work to do.

[valpo64]

I wonder what would happen if this same scenario happened with the men's program.

[NativeCheesehead]

New AD showing up to work in June:

[crusader05]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1503455943689875458



per paul's twitter feed we have one women's player in the transfer. Our starting forward from this year.

[Valpo89]

"With that being said ..." is the phrase that pays when kids enter the transfer portal.
Every time I see an announcement like that on Twitter, that's the phrase that precedes the inevitable "I'm leaving."
Here's the format:
1. Thank you to everyone at my current school. I love you all and it's been great
2. "With that being said ..."
3. I'm leaving.

Watch for it.

[IndyValpo]

"With that being said ..." is the phrase that pays when kids enter the transfer portal.
Every time I see an announcement like that on Twitter, that's the phrase that precedes the inevitable "I'm leaving."
Here's the format:
1. Thank you to everyone at my current school. I love you all and it's been great
2. "With that being said ..."
3. I'm leaving.

Watch for it.

True indeed, likewise there is a canned response when someone receives an offer.

[DuneHwx]

I know you have said you are close to a player, but it sounds like a lot of blame is being placed on the coaches and none on the players. What behavior would it take for a coach to kick their players out of the last practice of the year? What kind of senior leaders would go rouge and start free styling a defense in the conference tournament?


Here's hoping next year's program can all get on the same page and that there is good leadership both from coaches and players.

[vu72]

I just rewatched the fourth quarter and if was about 30 seconds into the zone that she did a line change.  What I don't understand is why these kids are now upset when they have been playing for the same coach for a few years.  VanKempen was not very good.  Good size but couldn't rebound.  It will be very interesting to see if Shay leaves.  If she does then there really is something very wrong on the women's side.

[IndyValpo]

I just rewatched the fourth quarter and if was about 30 seconds into the zone that she did a line change.  What I don't understand is why these kids are now upset when they have been playing for the same coach for a few years.  VanKempen was not very good.  Good size but couldn't rebound.  It will be very interesting to see if Shay leaves.  If he does then there really is something very wrong on the women's side.

They may have been upset for years, we will never know. Van Kampen is a wing forced to play inside on defense because she is 6-0. I am sure she looked around and saw she'd be asked to guard centers next year. I am also worried about Earnest who is also playing out of position.

[valpotx]

Yes, all thanks to Cara on her time at Valpo, but she couldn't shoot anymore, and was slow to get her shot up, which is part of the reason that her shot count was so low for a starter.  I had thought that there was hope at times in the last few seasons, but the numbers don't lie.  She seems to indicate that she will be trying a level below D-1, which would make sense for her.

[valpo64]

While I have no knowledge of this situation, it is interesting to see this forum's reaction to the women's team situation/problems...no problems with the coach but it is the player(s) who have a problem(s).  Did I miss something here?

[IndyValpo]

In addition to the 3 seniors, I know there are at least 4 returning players who all played significant minutes who are seriously considering transferring. There was definitely a big divide between the coach and the players.

To say the coach and her methods are not popular among the players would be an understatement.

The final weekend was apparently quite a circus ... The coach kicked all the players out of the final practice of the year in Moline. The players and coach were fighting during halftime, then the seniors decided on their own to start playing zone in the second half and all got pulled and benched. None of the 3 departing seniors got back in the game for a final departing moment (curtain call)... The end of the season was all bad.

Mary Evans has a lot of work to do.

I have been on this board since the RLH days and this may be the most fascinating post I have ever read.

[justducky]

While I have no knowledge of this situation, it is interesting to see this forum's reaction to the women's team situation/problems...no problems with the coach but it is the player(s) who have a problem(s).  Did I miss something here?

Don't jump to conclusions! I think most of us are anxiously waiting to hear more and I don't know where that might take. I will also guess that about 70% of the men's basketball posters do not closely follow the girl's side thus explaining some of the silence.

Obviously something is wrong and I'd welcome any details.

[Piledriver]

Shay Frederick announced today she is transferring.

I don't think she'll be the last one to go.

[IndyValpo]

Shay Frederick announced today she is transferring.

I don't think she'll be the last one to go.

I always want our players to stay but she has already played for 4 years, 3.5 as a starter. Hopefully she can find a program that is tournament bound. I think she could be a valuable backup on a good team because she can make free throws. I completely understand this one.

[vu72]

https://twitter.com/NWIOren/status/1503455943689875458



per paul's twitter feed we have one women's player in the transfer. Our starting forward from this year.

Could this be possibly correct? Cara was a starting forward, played an average of 14.9 minutes per game, averaged 2.0 ppg and 1.0 rebounds per game.  Amazingly, she made ALL of her free throws!  She took a total of ONE!!!! Throw in 15 assists and 23 turnovers and we've got a player who won't be terribly missed.  I wish her success at a lower level.

[valpotx]

Yes, Cara was a starter, but Coach Evans went with a strategy in bringing Weinman and sometimes White off the bench, so I wouldn't view Cara as a top 5 starter.  She could probably play at a low mid-major program, D-2, or NAIA, but is not MVC caliber. 

Shay's transfer makes sense for her.  She is probably graduating, has played for 4 years, and still has 1 season left to try her hand at a P5 program (Wisconsin?).  She can definitely make the move up, and maybe she will recapture her playing form from last year, in not having to be the go-to player.