In the middle of the semester, members of the BYU women’s basketball team headed out of town — but this time, not for a game.
They arrived in Irving, Texas, for Big 12 Media Days at T-Mobile Center.
Big 12 Media Days is a two-day event where local, regional and national news outlets get a first look at the 16 men’s and women’s basketball teams in the conference.
The Cougars chose to take sophomore star Delaney Gibb, sophomore guard Brinley Cannon and senior Hattie Ogden to represent the program, alongside first-year coach Lee Cummard.
BYU women’s basketball ended last season with a 13–17 overall record and a 4–14 mark in Big 12 play, leading to the mutual departure of former head coach Amber Whiting and the transfer of starting point guard Amari Whiting to Oklahoma State.
There wasn’t one clear issue to explain why the Cougars struggled last season. However, the transition of Cummard from assistant to head coach could be the answer the team has been looking for.
With all the attention surrounding the program, eyes are on what the women’s team in Provo will look like heading into a new season — and possibly a new era — of BYU women’s basketball as it enters its third season as a member of the Big 12.
On Tuesday, BYU women’s basketball addressed the media, fielding questions about the upcoming season.
“One thing that makes me really optimistic is that we’ve built a foundation, both offensively and defensively,” Cummard said when asked about progress heading into the season. “When you’re implementing certain things — day one, day two, day three — it’s not very good, but we have been able to show progress in different areas, whether it’s ball-screen coverage, transition defense or just certain things we’re trying to implement. With time, things improve. They’re starting to pick up the concepts, the scheme, everything we’re trying to do philosophically on the court.”
The Cougars were picked to finish 10th in the Big 12 preseason coaches poll, but that didn’t dampen sophomore guard Delaney Gibb’s hopes.
“Honestly, it’s just a number, but it’s obviously something that we want to place higher than,” Gibb said. “So that’s for sure something we’re going to keep in the back of our minds. We’re going to play with confidence. And in the Big 12, top to bottom, every team is really good. This gives us an opportunity to really prove ourselves and prove that we can play with the best teams in this conference.”
Sophomore guard Brinley Cannon echoed the optimism of her teammate.
“We’ve talked a lot about it within our team. We want to finish in the top half of the Big 12 and make it to the NCAA Tournament,” she said. “I think we just need to keep leveling up and keep competing in those Big 12 games. Like Delaney said, there’s so much talent in the Big 12, and any game can go any way. It’s just about showing up and competing every game and fighting to win.”
The optimism, despite the program’s previous challenges, appears to stem from the players’ confidence in Cummard’s leadership.
“His competitive edge and his little bit of smack talking — it’s brought a lot of energy and a lot of competitiveness to our program, and I’m super excited,” Ogden said.
“It’s been awesome,” Cannon added. “I think Coach Lee has brought an emphasis on what we talked about this summer: playing right, playing hard and playing to win. I think we’ve implemented that really well this offseason, and I’m excited to see how we can continue to grow on those gains as the season approaches.”
“I think also he just really connects with everyone individually,” Gibb said. “It’s really special when you have a coach who genuinely cares about you, and that’s who Lee Cummard is. He’s done a great job of recruiting great people and forming relationships and having a team that is so connected. We all care about each other, and that’s going to help us so much when there are tougher times during the season.”
Cummard’s love for the program was evident.
“Yeah, I love BYU, guys. It’s no surprise to anybody,” he said. “The place changed my life, and so I love it. I know I am 100 percent biased, but I don’t think there’s a better place to be a student-athlete than at BYU.”
He also shared his goals for the program’s next steps in the Big 12.
“We haven’t done anything in the league in the first two years,” Cummard said. “We’ve been in a lot of close games, we’ve upset a few ranked opponents, but we’ve never won a game in the conference tournament. We’ve never finished in the top half of the league. So there are two goals right there that we want to strive for daily. We want to be playing late into the conference tournament and go to the NCAA Tournament as a member of the Big 12.”
The Cougars will feature a predominantly young roster, with five freshmen and three sophomores expected to receive playing time.
“I honestly think all of our freshmen have come in and made an impact already,” Cannon said. “They’ve come in with a lot of confidence, and I think all of them will play a role in helping us this season. I think Sydney has a very high basketball IQ, can make plays, is very calm, composed and can really guard. I think she’ll make a huge impact for our team this year.”
Heading into the season, Gibb has already earned accolades following a standout freshman campaign and a summer stint with the Canadian National Team. But she’s not the only young returner expected to make waves.
When asked about playing with Cannon, Ogden said, “A couple of words I would use to describe Brynn’s game — she’s a very hungry player. She’s going to go get one, but she’s also one of the most selfless players. She knows when to go get a bucket and when to make a play for her teammate. That’s what makes her so deadly — her step-through finishing game at the rim, her ability to shoot, and her ability to make that read and set her teammates up.”
With many questions still waiting to be answered, the Cougars and Cummard appear optimistic about the future as they prepare for the season following the Big 12 media conference.
BYU women’s basketball will make its season debut Oct. 28, against Western Colorado at 7 p.m. in the Marriott Center.