Sports Information
Sophomore guard Dorothy Adomako has always wanted to play basketball at Georgetown.
“My parents were always talking about Georgetown,” said Adomako. “They would come here and say ‘Oh, my kid is going to go to Georgetown.’ So, I mean, it’s kind of weird how things happen, and I’m here.”
But when the Maryland native decided to attend Georgetown, the women’s basketball team was not a source of stability. With the hiring of Head Coach Natasha Adair, the program was about to have its fourth different head coach in four seasons. But Adomako would not let that deter her from pursuing that lifelong dream.
“I always had dreams of playing at Georgetown,” said Adomako. “I had to just continue to trust in what God told me to do.”
Coming off a stellar freshman season in which she was named Big East Freshman of the Year, Adomako returns to the court looking to improve, knowing she represents one of the Hoyas’ best hopes in turning the program around after winning just four games last season.
“I didn’t know what role I was going to be taking,” said Adomako. “But every team that I’ve played on I’ve always had a big role, so I didn’t expect to be not having a big role on the team. I always go in with high expectations, so I think that’s what I did.”
The mature sophomore realizes her strengths, but isn’t getting too far ahead of herself. She wants more for herself and for the program.
“Getting Big East Freshman of the Year was a good accomplishment, but I can’t really look at that and take that to the head. I have bigger goals– being the Big East Player of the Year, and just helping my team win as much as possible.”
Having a winning season for the first time in a long time would be one way to get this done for the Hoyas this season. And while that may be trickier than expected, Adomako and her teammates believe that the program’s newfound consistency, with the same head coach and same core of players returning, will benefit the Hoyas this season.
“I think it’s a great thing because now everyone’s jitters are all gone,” said Adomako. “People can just be relaxed. “
While Adomako may not be the oldest player on the team, or the player with the most experience at Georgetown, she does know how to make big plays when her team needs it most – which is something that will continue to make the Hoyas stronger on the court. Her senior year in high school, Adomako lead her team to a 25-0 season, but unfortunately things did not turn out that way for the Hoyas last season. She has taken the lessons from last year’s struggle to heart and will use it as fuel for this season.
“You can’t really look at last year because if you do, this year the season won’t turn out as well as we want it to,” said Adomako. “We have to just look at it as a new note, and work as hard, and know what we did last year, and just bring it back this year, and just do the things we didn’t do.”
That said, the team has been focusing on two main things in this offseason: preparation and moving on. Adomako says the team is looking at the season on a “new note entirely,” and everyone is focused on working hard.
The Hoyas are also boosted by the number of seniors returning to the court. Last season, the team had no seniors, and there was a dearth of leadership. Now, those six have the chance to step up and be leaders. Adomako feels this will be a huge benefit.
“They know what they’re doing, you ask them any questions and they give you a feedback about where to go,” Adomako says.
Adomako also knows what she’s doing. She recognizes the dream of playing under the esteemed traditions associated with Georgetown basketball. Coming in at a time of instability for the women’s team, Adomako had to adjust to the team. This season, it’s all different – and for the better.
“We know Coach knows us, so it’s awesome. And you know, I mean the seniors have gone through a lot of coaches throughout their years, so it’s just good that they can have two years of one, same coach. I’m really happy about that.”
As for Adomako personally, she has been putting in the work this offseason to make sure she is in tip-top shape to take this team to new heights.
“I’ve worked on my communication; I’ve worked on my jump shot. I just need to improve both on the court and off the court, so I’ve been doing those things.”
Although this season is of course the focus for now, there is of course talk of the near future.
“We just gotta keep working hard. That’s everyone’s goal. Coach said it last year– we’re not going to never go to the NCAA tournament again as long as she’s the coach here. And I mean, that’s true. That’s my goal too – to play in the NCAA tournament. Those are things we’re looking for.”
