By TOMMY REZAC
St. Joseph Post
KANSAS CITY - The Missouri Western women's basketball program is still riding the high from a Central Region Championship and an Elite 8 appearance in the 2021-22 season.
The Griffons went 24-10 and made the Elite Eight for the first time since 1995 and just the third time in program history.
Fourth-year head coach Candi Whitaker says the memories and excitement that run created will last for many years to come, and could ignite a spark going into this season.
"I was in every moment and definitely enjoyed it," Whitaker said at the MIAA Basketball Media Day Tuesday at the College Basketball Experience in downtown Kansas City.
"I didn't make it bigger than what it was, but I appreciate all of those players who took us on that run, and they'll have memories forever. Hopefully for the returners, it planted a seed and some excitement."
Missouri Western returns 11 players from last season - seven of whom saw action in 30 or more games. Four of those seven started in at least 26 games.
The Griffons' lead returning scorer is Connie Clarke - a second-team all-MIAA guard/forward and all-MIAA Defensive Team member who averaged 12.3 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. She also led the team with nine double-doubles.
Having transferred into the program from Shelton State Community College last year, Clarke believes her team made a statement in a year where the Griffons were picked to finish 8th in the MIAA.
"We were the underdog in the season last year," Clarke said. "So, I think we proved to a lot of people that we are good and we are who we are."
Along with adding three freshmen and two transfers, Missouri Western also made a couple of additions to its coaching staff in the offseason.
The Griffons hired Jeff Wiedie as a full-time assistant. Wiedie has 19 years of head coaching experience, including 10 years at Division I Indiana State and the last nine at the University of Findlay in Ohio.
He's the winningest head coach in the history of both of those programs.
"Really excited he's here," Whitaker said of her second full-time assistant. "Again, blessed that our administration supported our program the way that they did and allowed that addition."
The Griffons also brought on, or brought back, Jaelyn Haggard - a St. Joseph native who played for Western last season and joined the staff early this fall as a graduate assistant.
Whitaker and her players say it's been natural to have Haggard back around the team.
"We were going to recruit her to be on the scout team any way," Whitaker said of Haggard. "Love that she's still a part of our program and that we get to be around her every day and that she gets to continue to mentor other players."
"We all love Jaelyn," said junior Brionna Budgets, who averaged 12.2 points per game last season. "She brings a lot of excitement to the team. She motivates us every day. She's always there for us on and off the court. She's always been a great teammate and will always be family to us."
Haggard used her final year of eligibility at Missouri Western last season, making a team-high 60 three-pointers. She was also named to the All-Central Region team.
Before Haggard joined the fold, Missouri Western went 6-16 in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season - the lowest win total for the team since 2008-09.
Nine players from that 6-16 team came back in 2021-22. Six of those players are still on the roster this year.
Whitaker says she saw her team improve immensely toward the end of 2020-21 - a growth that she says was necessary for the Griffons to take a massive step forward the following season.
"We had fun at practice, even though we weren't winning and that's awful," Whitaker recalled. "But, they made it so fun. By the end of that year, I could see their talent and I could see how good they were. Had they been anything else, they never would have gotten (to the Elite Eight) and never would have had the season they had last year."
Missouri Western finished 5th in the MIAA last season, but still qualified for the NCAA tournament and made it all the way to the Elite Eight. Again, a stage the Griffons hadn't been on for 27 years.
Whitaker says the MIAA will be competitive each and every year, which gives any of the top teams a chance to qualify for the postseason and make a deep run.
"If you're competing in the top 4-5 of this league, you could be competing for a national championship," said Whitaker, as her Griffons were picked to finish to finish fourth in the MIAA by the coaches and fifth by the media.
"That's how good our league is, and there's no difference this year. It may be even better this year."
The Griffons get things started this season with an exhibition at Division I Creighton in Omaha on October 26. Tip-off from D.J. Sokol Arena is set for 6 p.m.
It'll be a nice test for Missouri Western. Just like the Griffons, the Bluejays are coming off of an Elite Eight run themselves this past season. Creighton went 23-10 and lost to eventual national champion South Carolina in the national quarterfinals this past March.
"I'm really excited," said junior guard/forward Jordan Cunningham, a two-year starter for the Griffons. "I think it's a great opportunity for us to get started with the year and have such a high level of competition and knowing that we're going to have to battle every day in our conference. So, this game is no different than any other game. We have to battle and work together and see what we can do."
The Griffons' first official game is Saturday, November 5 against Minnesota-Duluth at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. Their first of two games in the D2CCA Women's Basketball Tip-off Classic.
There's a lot of familiar faces back for Missouri Western. Some new ones, too. Five new players and a new full-time assistant.
Combine that with 11 returning players, three returning coaches and a former player returning as a coach, Missouri Western is hopeful that this combination can once again take them to the biggest stage at the end of the season.
"Every year, you're starting a new journey," Whitaker said. "I think it's important that players understand that, and it's what you do today to prepare yourselves for tomorrow. Our group has understood that and has been fantastic."
Audio from Media Day
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