By Robert McKinney, Assistant Athletics Director, Communications
SALEM, Ore. -- The six seniors on the Willamette University women's basketball team have overcome many obstacles on their way to battling for the 2023-24 Northwest Conference Championship. From cancelation of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19, to dealing with numerous injuries, to developing skills, to accepting new teammates, it has been a frustrating time at many points over the past few years. After 10 of 16 games on this year's NWC schedule, the Bearcats are tied for first place at 9-1. The Bearcats will play four of their six remaining regular season games at Cone Field House.
For most of Willamette's seniors, their journey with the Bearcats began in 2020-21, when the team practiced but did not play any games due to COVID-19. Several team members sat out the entire year or attended classes remotely. When the team returned to play in 2021-22, it was like everyone was a first-year player. The teamwork and chemistry that would have typically been developed the year before was missing. The team had to build back to where it was when COVID struck.
The Bearcats and their coaches refused to give in to disappointment and desperation. Instead, they committed to each other and to the process of improving. Willamette finished the 2021-22 season with a 12-13 record and then registered a 14-12 record in 2022-23 while qualifying for the NWC Tournament with a 9-7 mark.
This year, Willamette is off to a 12-7 record, including 9-1 in the NWC. The Bearcats are tied with Pacific University for first place in the NWC standings. The top four teams at the end of the regular season will qualify for the NWC Tournament. The NWC Tournament champion receives an automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Tournament.
Seniors for the Bearcats this season are Ashley Collins (Sr., P, Chino Hills, CA/Chino Hills HS), Carolyn Ho (Sr., G, Parker, CO/Ponderosa HS), Ava Kitchin (Sr., P, Redmond, OR/Redmond HS), Danielle Morgan (Sr., F, Lompoc, CA/Lompoc HS/California Lutheran Univ.), Megan River (Sr., G, Tumwater, WA/A.G. West Black Hills HS), and Jasmine Shigeno (Sr., G, Brush Prairie, WA/Hockinson HS).
Everything for the Willamette team and other college basketball programs took a turn when COVID-19 arrived shortly after the 2019-20 regular season. The impact of the pandemic on college athletics can still be felt today. It was a key aspect of what this year's Willamette women's basketball players faced when they joined the Bearcats.
"Not being able to play competitive basketball was disappointing, but it served as a reminder of the privilege of being on a team," Ho said. "We understood the ability to practice exceeded what many others had access to during that time. The separation brought by the pandemic made us appreciate the game even more when we returned to the court."
"I am super proud of all of the hard work this team has put in and how hard we are continuing to work," River commented. "We have all been through a lot, starting out with the majority of our class coming into Willamette during peak COVID and not being allowed a season that first year."
"Our first two years playing collegiate sports were heavily impacted by COVID, taking away the normal life of being a student-athlete," Collins added. "We had limited practices and had to socially distance on the court, which was a weird experience only having three people per basket."
Kitchin and Morgan had different experiences than their current teammates during COVID-19. Kitchin, who started playing at Willamette in 2019-20, took a gap year during the canceled season of 2020-21. Morgan was a basketball player at California Lutheran University during the 2020-21 season.
"I was able to grow as a person outside of basketball," Kitchin said regarding her gap year. "I was able to start a business (a Greek food truck in Redmond, Ore.), travel the world, and pick up new hobbies like snowboarding. However, it did make things odd coming back for 2021-22 because I was older than my class."
A year later, Kitchin missed another season due to an injury. "Missing the 2022-23 season was really difficult," she said. "It was hard to see the girls I had come in with as first-year players -- Claire Bonnet, Ashlyn Ascuena-Mercil, and Sami Riggs -- play their last season without me. Having a fellow injured teammate, Maggie Sawyer (So., UT, Boise, ID/Borah HS), helped me get through the year. Together we always brought energy and support for each other and our team."
Morgan played two seasons of junior college basketball before the pandemic. Then she attended California Lutheran. "It was a journey to say the least. We were required to practice with masks ... and we had quite a few games and tournaments canceled due to positive cases of COVID-19."
"I decided to transfer to Willamette," Morgan continued. "After my visit here and meeting Head Coach Peg Swadener, I knew becoming a Bearcat was in my best interest. I fully bought into Peg's philosophy as a coach. She genuinely wants the best for each of her athletes and treats us like family.
Gradually, basketball season returned to normal in 2021-22 and 2022-23. The Bearcats were able to play games again and to practice together full court on a regular basis.
"Coming back to play in subsequent seasons, particularly as a rookie, meant adapting to a whole new level of competition," Ho said. "It brought us closer as a team and instilled the belief that we were capable of doing difficult things. This season has been a culmination of our collective growth over the years."
"Those were big learning years for all of us, after we missed out on a year. It takes time to learn how to play with each other and to play at this level," Shigeno affirmed.
The Bearcats have put all of their combined experiences, talent, and skill into the current season. After playing a challenging non-conference schedule, they were ready for NWC action as the team moved closer to being fully healthy.
For the season, Willamette has averaged 65.3 points per game while limiting opponents to 62.6 points per contest. The team has held 13 of 19 opponents to 66 or fewer points, including seven opponents scoring under 60. On offense, the Bearcats have shot 43.5% on field goals (23rd in NCAA Division III) and connected on 130 three-pointers. Willamette has earned 288 assists (15.2 avg.) and 156 steals (8.2 avg.). On defense, WU has given up just 37.7% on field goals and 25.6% on 3-pointers. The Bearcats have blocked 38 shots (2.0 avg.).
Top scorers are Elyse Waldal (Jr., F, Snohomish, WA/Glacier Peak HS/Linfield University) with 12.8 points per game, Ho with 10.7 points per contest, and Kaitlin Imai (So., G, Santa Cruz, CA/Scotts Valley HS) with 10.5 points per game. Kitchin is averaging 5.9 rebounds and is followed by Ho with 5.2 boards per night. Ho is first with 3.7 assists and 2.8 steals per game.
"For me, I am exceptionally proud of this team for getting to where we are, taking into consideration the difficult journey it took to get here," Collins noted. "I think watching the team evolve into where we are today ... just shows how much as a team we have grown and continually improved."
"Our approach has centered around a game-by-game mindset," Ho said. "This strategy involves studying opponents' play styles, developing situational game plans, and implementing more nuanced offensive and defensive schemes tailored to the strengths of our roster. The coaching staff has been crucial in steering us through this strategic development and fostering a culture of continuous improvement."
"The team brings a lot of competitiveness to practice," said Kitchin. "We don't take it easy on each other and I think the carryover to games is apparent. When one person succeeds, it's a success for the team. We all have the goal of winning a championship. We remind ourselves of this goal before every practice and every game. I feel like that helps us a lot."
"I have an extreme amount of respect for each of them, having persevered through all of the challenges, physically and mentally, and to be able to accomplish what we have as a team through hardships," Coach Swadener said about the seniors. "They have grown and matured to show more and more strength every year. From a coaching perspective both Sarah Hedgepeth (post coach) and Grace Barry (guard coach) have been instrumental in providing guidance, mentorship, and support to the players."
Each senior brings special abilities and skills to the team. Combining those skills has helped during games and has inspired all of the Bearcats.
Kitchin is a strong scoring presence near the basket in addition to being a key rebounder. She is a vocal player for the Bearcats as well.
"Being able to use my voice has allowed me to develop into a team leader to hype the team up before games," Kitchin said, adding that "Communication in the game, especially on defense, is very important to make sure we're all on the same page." According to Kitchin, recovering from injuries "has made me significantly stronger physically and mentally."
Collins also plays in the paint. "I think my greatest strengths are my court IQ, elbow shot (10-14 feet from the basket and beyond), along with my ability to set screens."
Shigeno with 22 three-pointers and Ho with 13 are among WU's top 3-point threats, trailing only Kaitlin Imai (So., G, Santa Cruz, CA/Scotts Valley HS), who has made 23 three-pointers. Ho contributes in many ways in every game on both ends of the court.
"I consider reliability to be my strength," Ho explained. "Whether that's contributing to defensive stops, securing rebounds, or making free throws." Even so, "the responsibility of making meaningful contributions during games is shared by all of us."
"I have spent a lot of time during the offseason becoming a more well-rounded player, whether it's conditioning or lifting, getting shots up in the gym, playing pick-up games, or working at home with a trainer," Shigeno said. "While I would describe myself as a shooter, where I have the most fun is making the hustle plays. I love getting an extra rebound, diving on the floor for a steal, or getting big stops on defense."
River is a guard who has a strong shot from the middle of the lane and can hit 3-pointers. She missed the first six games of 2023-24 with an injury. WU is 10-3 since her return. "My injury has been with me since high school. I have learned so much about mental toughness. It has allowed me to learn the game from a different perspective," River noted.
Morgan has the skills to play inside and battle for rebounds or to play on the perimeter and contribute outside defense plus mid-range shots on offense. "I have become a smarter player because of my injuries, leaning more on my basketball IQ," she commented.
Now, with six games remaining in the regular season, the Willamette women's basketball seniors are preparing to keep their momentum going, as they battle for the NWC regular season title and work toward qualifying for the NWC Tournament for the second consecutive year and the third time since 2017-18.
"I think this year we have a senior class that has gone through so much at Willamette, starting with COVID-19, then the smoke from fires (in nearby rural areas), to an ice storm (in early 2021), and more," Collins affirmed. "Everyone wants to win a conference championship, and we are all dedicated to putting in the work needed to make that happen."
"Getting to play college basketball at all was something that felt out of reach after I tore my ACL twice in high school," Shigeno commented. "Being able to be a part of this program is something for which I'm very grateful. And to be this competitive, finishing out my career is a dream, and there's no better way I'd want to go out than winning a championship."
"It means so much to be battling for first place," Morgan noted. "We bring lots of diversity and depth, and have worked hard every single day to get to where we stand at this point."
"We're going to keep working hard to stay at the top because this team is trying to put our year up on the basketball championships banner in Cone Field House," Kitchin said.
It has been a long journey for the Bearcats from the limits of not playing a game in 2020-21 to the high limits set by the team for 2023-24. "They have truly earned every bit of success they achieve this season," Swadener said.
