Within the last two weeks, two Georgetown basketball seasons have ended. They couldn’t have ended more differently. While the men’s team stumbled in the first round yet again, the women bowed out in a more bittersweet (and respectable) fashion. The Hoyas’ single-digit loss to UConn in the Sweet Sixteen was disappointing, but the fact that they nearly won is just the latest step forward for a program on the rise.
Georgetown’s women’s program has emerged quickly. The team has taken incremental steps in each of the last three seasons, with a deep run in the WNIT in 2009, a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2010, and the Sweet Sixteen this year. Not bad for a program that previously hadn’t had any postseason success since 1993.
These recent triumphs have been in the works for a while now. It all began seven seasons ago when Georgetown hired Terri Williams-Flournoy as head coach. That was when the face of the program was unveiled. But the program-changing moment really came before the 2009 WNIT Tournament, when the team changed their style of play to one based on tough defense and controlling the pace of play.
“This is who we are. This is how we’re going to play. So now you kind of put a stamp on who the Georgetown women’s basketball team is,” Williams-Flournoy said. “We know exactly what we’re going to do—we’re going to press for 40 minutes and run the transition.”
That is when the Hoyas got the identity they have today—the same identity that created havoc for the greatest dynasty in women’s college basketball history and came within five points of upsetting them. It was no accident that the team got that close, or that they have been steadily improving in the last few years. Williams-Flournoy’s relentless style of play is a strong foundation because it’s based on hard work, toughness, and speed—traits that don’t falter unless players become complacent and lazy. And unlike offense, which can go cold on any night, defense never takes a night off if the commitment is there.
This constant commitment has allowed the team to stay in the top-25 for most of the last two seasons. And although that is a great feat, the Hoyas still aren’t satisfied.
“I thought we dropped a little too far late in the season,” Williams-Flournoy said. “Not only do you want to begin strong, but you want to end strong as well.”
With the team’s identity set, consistency is the next step for the program. While you can count on a tough defense every night, opponents could adjust to such a style. However, teams have known what the team features every night and the program has continued to grow stronger, showing that it’s difficult to adjust to Georgetown’s constant intensity.
Can the team rely on their current makeup to make the step into the ranks of elite teams? It may take a little more than that. The team has relied heavily on Sugar Rogers the past two seasons, and while Williams-Flournoy is more than happy to have her for another two years, she will eventually have to replace the star.
“You always need players—it’s no secret,” Williams-Flournoy said. “Your recruits coming in have to be recruits that can continue to help you be better.”
Of course, recruiting becomes easier as your team wins more and your national exposure increases. The better you do, the easier it is to succeed. Williams-Flournoy must make sure she takes advantage of the opportunity she has created. If she does that, the conversation about the program’s rise could soon turn into talk about the program’s dominance.
