A reason for optimism exists amidst the disappointment of a season that fell short.
The UNI womens basketball team missed out on a few opportunities this past season that wouldve put them in a favorable position for postseason action.
The uninspired performance in the season finale against Indiana State University and the heartbreaking loss against Illinois State University in the first game of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament come to mind.
Crumbling under the pressure of a big game is a signature trait of a young team, and head coach Tanya Warren has said many times that her team is indeed young and inexperienced.
But as the season progressed, it was apparent that this youthful Panther team was growing up. The six-game winning streak that Indiana State eventually snapped is certainly evidence of that.
UNI is in the extremely favorable position of having three sophomores (forwards Jen Keitel and Hannah Schonhardt and guard Stephanie Davison) and two juniors (guards Brittni Donaldson and Brooke Brown) as starters this season, while true-freshman guard Madison Weekly got major minutes as well.
Bringing back five starters is a rare thing in college basketball, and if UNI is able to do so, they get the opportunity to build on the chemistry and experience that was accumulated during this turbulent season.
A major part of overcoming the lows of this year was the Panthers becoming comfortable in Warrens offense and a willingness to share the ball.
The Panthers accrued 415 assists on the season, which was almost 14 per game, earning them fourth overall in the conference for assists.
When the Panthers were at their best, they were passing the ball around the perimeter and always looking for the better shot in an almost San Antonio Spurs-esque manner.
They were getting a lot of open looks at the basket and defenses could never just key in on one player, as there were several capable shooters on the UNI roster.
It also didnt hurt to have a first team All-Conference forward in Keitel, who made teams pay down low for spreading themselves too thin by chasing the ball every which way.
With Keitel leading the way offensively and setting up shooters like Davison, Weekly, Donaldson and forward Amber Sorenson on the outside, the Panthers have the potential to boast a very potent offense next year. Consider the rest of the MVC officially on notice.
