The Georgetown women’s basketball team (4-13, 2-3 Big East) had a tough year in 2014.
During the calendar year, the team suffered two losing streaks of at least seven games, sustained several injuries to star players, and had difficulty competing against a gritty and tenacious Big East Conference.
Dating back to last season, the Hoyas were a combined 7-26 in 2014.
After a promising 2-1 start to their 2014-15 campaign, Georgetown dropped 10 straight contests, including a 76-61 defeat at Creighton in their first Big East game.
However, with 2014 in the past and 2015 in full swing, the program has a unique chance to build upon the trials and tribulations that they faced last year.
Since the start of the new year, the Blue and Gray are 2-2 and are excited to reap the promises 2015 has to offer them. The Hoyas’ two losses came at the hands of DePaul (12-5, 4-1 in Big East) and Villanova (9-7, 4-1 in Big East), who are currently tied atop the conference standings. However, the Hoyas defended home court in resounding fashion against Marquette (4-12, 0-5 in Big East) and Providence (4-13, 1-5 in Big East) and hope to carry some momentum into the rest of season.
The Hoyas have a young core of dynamic players, and Head Coach Natasha Adair—in her first year at the helm of the program—has faith that the team has set the foundation for a bright future.
“Sometimes, experience is the best teacher,” Adair said. “As a coach, you want to see your team grow and take steps forward. That’s what we’re doing. We’re a year older, and that’s been a great reason as to why they’ve been competing and why we’re turning things around.”
Two of the Hoyas’ brightest stars have been freshmen guards Dorothy Adomako and DiDi Burton, who have settled in as solid contributors for the Blue and Gray. Though she has had three head coaches in three years as a member of the Hoyas, junior captain Katie McCormick is the team’s vocal leader and is one of the biggest perimeter threats.
McCormick continues to believe in her team’s ability to compete with the best of the Big East.
“It’s been neat seeing some of the freshmen develop,” McCormick said. “Dorothy [Adomako] is only a freshman and she’s been doing really well. [DiDi Burton} is coming in as a good point guard and Justyce [Swango] will come in and do good things. I think we still have people who we need to step up in order for us to keep going, but I think it’s gonna come, and we’re gonna keep building on the wins.”
In the two months left before the conference tournament, however, the Hoyas still have much to prove. The new year will bring new challenges and adversity, and Coach Adair wants her team to be more resilient in 2015.
In fact, Coach Adair even has a New Year’s Resolution for her team.
“I want us to fight to the finish,” Adair said. “I want to show more grit and toughness because that’s the Big East. No one is gonna give you anything, you’ve gotta come out ready to compete and believe it.”
“We have to be one unit, one focus, one team, one fight to the finish,” Adair said.
The team’s fight for Big East relevance will be tested on Friday when the Hoyas travel to Cincinnati to face Xavier (11-6, 3-3 Big East). After that contest, the women will travel to Indianapolis to face Butler (8-9, 4-2 Big East) on Sunday.
