“She is contributing all the right things. [She] has stepped up her defense,” Delaney-Smith said.

A 5’9 freshman out of Tucson, Arizona, Kyle Dalton will take her time to get adjusted to college basketball. It will be hard to get playing time for Dalton because of sheer numbers, according to Delaney-Smith.

“Kyle is a great shooter,” Delaney-Smith said. “I think she can impact the rebounding part of the game from the perimeter.”

The only guard missing from last year’s squad is senior Dirkje Dunham. As a junior, she averaged 3.7 ppg, but was better known for her defensive ability.

“I wanted to take advantage of academic and other extracurricular opportunities during my final year here that wouldn’t be possible with the huge time commitment of basketball,” Dunham said.

She says she is happy with her choice, and Delaney-Smith agrees.

“I think it was a great decision for Dirkje to do that,” Delaney-Smith said. “Her strongest element was that she was a tremendous defensive player for us, but with a lot of factors concerned, I think it’s a great decision for her and we’re deep enough that it’s okay.”

After a summer trip to France, the players have had plenty of opportunity to prepare for the journey ahead.

“The guards played amazingly in Europe this summer and we all really meshed as a team,” Bell said. “I hope to see us continue that fluid basketball and really see more offensive production from the guard spots this season.”

With no question marks remaining, the back court hopes to make a real statement this season.