When asked to describe the mindset of 2024–25 Boston College women’s basketball’s mission in one word, graduate guard Dontavia Waggoner didn’t hesitate.
“Win,” she said.
Such a thing is easier said than done.
The Eagles haven’t qualified for the NCAA Tournament since 2006 and have been bottom-dwellers in the ACC for a large part of the past 15 years. The perception of this year’s team from outsiders is no different: BC is slotted at No. 15 in the ACC Preseason Predicted Order of Finish.
But this season could be different. The Eagles are three years removed from their last winning season, and while the 2023–24 campaign was underwhelming—they finished with a 14–19 record—this season has the potential to be special, according to BC head coach Joanna Bernabei-McNamee.
“Our goals this year are to finish in the top half of the ACC and go to the NCAA Tournament,” the seventh-year head coach said.
BC returns all five members of its starting lineup from last season. The Eagles will stick to their defense-first identity—their 11.6 steals per game ranked first in the ACC. But BC will actively seek improvement in some of their shortcomings, like perimeter shooting.
Bernabei-McNamee added some complementary pieces in the transfer portal and a promising freshmen class to an already experienced roster. The Eagles boast roster continuity that they’ve not had in years past, and that might be what pushes them to the next level.
“I think [the continuity] gives us that opportunity to kind of look like a more mature team out on the floor, which—we haven’t really had that in a while here,” Bernabei-McNamee said.
A Greater Emphasis on Conditioning
One of the Eagles’ biggest struggles last season was maintaining their play in the fourth quarter.
BC lost seven games in which it led or was tied at the start of the fourth quarter. The Eagles had a negative 77-point differential in the final frame against conference opponents.
“I feel like at times [last season] you can kind of tell we kind of burnt out a little bit in games,” senior guard Andrea Daley said.
Daley averaged 13.2 points per game last season.
“We talked a lot as a team about how we lost close games, and we really want to change that this year,” Bernabei-McNamee said.
A lot of the Eagles’ fourth-quarter troubles last season stemmed from subpar conditioning and fitness, according to Bernabei-McNamee. As a result, BC has upped the pace of its practices this year and introduced more complex schemes earlier in the season.
“We’ve really taken to heart that we want to be the most in-shape team, so when the fourth quarter rolls around, we can really put our best foot—mentally and physically—forward,” Bernabei-McNamee said.
The conditioning regimen is largely the same as in years past under Bernabei-McNamee, according to Waggoner, but the Eagles are working on it more consistently. Kennedi Jackson, a Charleston Southern transfer, who is expected to slot in as BC’s starting center, has already noticed a difference in her fitness level.
“The pace from where I came from [compared to] here is just so much faster, but I am getting adjusted,” Jackson said. “I do think this is the best shape that I’ve ever been in.”
Sharper From Three
Last season, BC was the worst 3-point shooting team in the ACC, finishing the year shooting 27.7 percent from behind the arc. Junior T’yana Todd was the Eagles’ most intense threat from deep last season and the only player who shot the ball at a clip greater than 30 percent.
“We were bad last year at shooting threes, but we weren’t necessarily bad in practice shooting threes,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “So I’m hoping that that maturity comes with them now, where there’s no difference in feel from a practice to a game.”
The Eagles spent much more time this summer putting up shots from the perimeter, and Bernabei-McNamee expects big improvements in this area, but she remains adamant that the Eagles will not settle for threes.
“I think that our 3-point percentage should definitely go up, just from the time these players have put into it,” Bernabei-McNamee said. “Kaylah Ivey right now has really been a solid 3-point shooter that we can rely on. T’yana Todd has picked up her 3-point shooting. So all of our guards have picked it up.”
BC anticipates that improved 3-point shooting will open up the rest of the floor for the offense. With improvement from deep, Teya Sidberry—who led the Eagles with 13.6 points per game a year ago—will have much more room to operate down low in the paint.
“We’re all shooting after practice—like everybody has put way more time on the shooting machine,” Daley said. “It’s definitely going to improve a lot this year.”
A Focused, Tight-Knit Group
BC’s freshmen class consists of guards Athena Tomlinson and Tatum Greene and center Déborah Mukeba. The Eagles also added guard Savannah Samuel, who transferred into the program a year ago but was forced to sit out due to transfer rules.
The Eagles have worked to build strong chemistry on and off the court throughout the summer and fall. They held watch parties for all five games of the recent WNBA Finals, and Bernabei-McNamee held a pumpkin carving contest for the team at her house a few weeks ago.
“We do a lot of stuff together,” point guard Ivey said. “We literally hang out with each other all the time.”
BC’s camaraderie has helped the Eagles boost their intensity everyday. According to Ivey, the group is on a mission.
“This year, the thing that separates from all the other years—I’ve been here the past four years—I think everyone is more focused,” Ivey said. “The past few years we were here, but we weren’t always mentally here. I think every day we come into practice, every day we come to film, everyone is more locked in than they’ve ever been.”
Outlook
The Eagles have options when it comes to assembling their starting lineup, but it will be some combination of Jackson, Daley, Ivey, Todd, Sidberry, and Waggoner.
“[Daley] had a good year last year but I think she’s gonna have an even better year,” Ivey said. “She’s constantly been in the gym, and her confidence right now is at an all-time high.”
Sophomores Nene Ndiaye, Lili Krasovec, and JaKayla Thompson are all expected to be key contributors off the bench. The 6-foot-3 Krasovec showed promise as a shot blocker last season, but is nursing an injury as the season begins.
BC faces a softer non-conference schedule this year compared to past seasons but has a loaded ACC slate, as usual, with big-time home matchups against Louisville on Dec. 29, Duke on Jan. 2, and conference-favorite Notre Dame on Jan. 23.
With sights set on an NCAA Tournament berth, the Eagles certainly have high expectations for themselves.
“We got to do something we’ve never done to get to where we’ve never been,” Ivey said.
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