The BYU women's basketball team made a resounding statement Wednesday night at the Marriott Center with a dominant win against the Chanticleers from South Carolina in the Cougars' season-opener.
BYU is looking to create a new identity quickly with a team that looks significantly different from last year's squad.
A coaching change for the Cougars in the offseason led to the hiring of Lee Cummard, a former men's basketball player for BYU.
During his playing career at BYU, Cummard earned the honor of Mountain West player of the Year in 2008 and is currently ranked 16th on the All-Time scoring list for the Cougars.
Cummard's experience with the women's team landed him the head coach position after serving as an assistant coach from 2019-2025.
Being with the program through some tough periods, Cummard does not take this win for granted.
"We always celebrate the wins," Cummard said. "We know that they are not easy to come by."
PUT IT IN THE “W” COLUMN pic.twitter.com/YoconGtk9F
— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) November 6, 2025
One of the main emphases for the coaching staff this year was finding who would stand out as a player in the paint for the Cougars.
Lara Rohkhol, a senior transfer from Charleston, proved that she might be that player for BYU this season.
Rohkhol ended the night with a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double. She also added four blocks and two steals to what was a dominant performance on both sides of the court.
She has also been named to the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year watchlist for the 2025-26 season.
The Cougars have landed a star transfer who will have a huge impact in games to come.
Another standout from the win against Coastal Carolina was freshman Guard Sidney Benally.
Benally dished out 11 assists to go with her eight points on the night. Her ability to make good decisions on the break was a difference-maker in what was a very back-and-forth game.
Both teams turned the ball plenty of times, but BYU was effective in taking advantage of them, scoring 36 of their 91 points off of Coastal Carolina turnovers.
Cummard was encouraged but was not entirely satisfied with the team's performance.
"We gotta settle in," he said. "We had a lot of good shots early that we barely missed."
BYU women's basketball will look to build on what has the promise of being a turnaround season. The Cougars play again at the Marriott Center on Saturday against the Spartans of San Jose State.