Welcome to the Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Tipoff for the 2019-20 Season. Today, we feature the George Mason Patriots.
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Last year marked consecutive winning seasons for the first time in 15 years at George Mason.
No reason the streak should stop. The league’s best rebounding team returns all its major pieces, including reigning Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Nicole Cardaño-Hillary, whose 20.4 points per game made her the conference’s top offensive threat.
“Nikki’s really stepped up her game,” said Coach Nyla Milleson. “She’s really playing with a lot of intensity and focus.”
Cardaño-Hilary spent most of July training with the Spanish national team, which “really sparked her,” Milleson said. “She’s playing at a high level on both ends of the floor.”
George Mason summer trip to Italy offered Milleson an early glimpse of what Patriots fans can expect, and the news is good. “Physical’s not the first word someone would use in describing us,” she said. “But those games were very physical. I thought we responded with a lot of grit and toughness and togetherness.”
With nine letter winners back and six freshmen entering, the 10-day trip that included stops in Rome and Venice was a welcome respite.
“In terms of timing, it couldn’t have been better,” Milleson said. “I love watching the interactions of the team and the smiles and laughter. Competing on short preparation was good for us.”
The Patriots struggled with consistency from the 3-point line a year ago, but this season’s depth should help that. With fresher legs, Milleson expects her team to shoot at a higher clip and finish games more effectively. A year ago, the Patriots started conference play 0-3, holding a lead going into the fourth quarter of all of those losses.
“We should be able to take better shots and make the shots that finish games,” Milleson said. “In order to take the next step, we need to put more athleticism, length, and size on the floor.”
A look at the Patriots;
Coach: Nyla Milleson, 7th season at George Mason, 86-100; 20th season overall, 376-223.
Last year: 16-14, 8-8 Atlantic 10, (lost to UMass 86-80 in double overtime in the first round of the A-10 Championship).
They’ll miss: Not much, as all five starters and the top seven scorers return. That said, graduates Jewel Triggs (2.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg) and Casey Davis (1.5, 2.1) provided nice intangibles and leadership.
Impact returners: Cardaño-Hillary, a 5-7 junior guard, Atlantic 10 Player of the Year, led the conference in scoring (20.4 ppg) and steals (2.17). Senior guard/forward Jacy Bolton, 6-foot, finished a close second in the A-10 in rebounding (9.1 rpg; Davidson’s Sarah Donovan had 9.2) and added 10.5 ppg. Had 10 double-doubles. Camarie Gatling, a 6-0 junior forward, averaged 8.7 ppg, and 4.8 rpg, started 25 of 30 games and returns “in the best condition of her life.” Senior guard Sarah Kaminski shot a team-high 56 threes.
Newbies of note: Six freshmen will join this veteran cast (five true, one redshirt, Australia’s 6-0 forward Rosie Schweizer enrolled mid-year. Also from overseas comes 6-3 Vita Stam from the Netherlands, who has extensive international experience on her country’s U16 and U18 teams. Schweizer and Stam give the Patriots five internationals - Cardano-Hillary (Spain), Marika Korpinen (Finland) and Livija Kaktaite (Lithuania). Also new is Jazmyn Doster, a 6-2 center from Norfolk, Va.
Reasons to be optimistic: With loads of returners, extra practices/bonding time from the Italy trip and a legitimate go-to player in Cardaño-Hillary, let’s just say there’s lots to look forward to in Fairfax.
Circle the date: It’s not easy to get an ACC team in your building, particularly an in-state rival, so kudos to Milleson for lining up Virginia Tech at EagleBank Arena on Nov. 10.
Bottom line: It’s not a stretch to picture this team in legitimate title contention.