Now in her 28th season on the Clark sidelines, women's basketball head coach Pat Glispin has had her share of veteran teams. The 2011-12 version of Cougar women's hoops is not one of those squads. She only has four upperclassmen – two seniors, two juniors – on her 12-man roster. That being said, this team could be one of the most exciting Clark squads in recent memory.
The Cougars return all five starters from a season ago and five of their top seven scorers from a team that advanced to the NEWMAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
Headlining the group of returners is the backcourt combination of Ashleigh Condon (Hull, Mass.) and Emily Reilly (Marlborough, Mass.). That duo started every game a season ago as the Cougars nearly doubled their win total from 2009-10.
Condon took the reigns as the floor leader, averaging 9.6 points per game and handing out three assists per game (fifth-best in the NEWMAC). Her ability to attack the paint of the dribble and make mid-range shots keyed a Clark offense that finished third in the NEWMAC in scoring a season ago.
Reilly, meanwhile, was an instant contributor from the opening tip of the season. She led the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game and reached double figures in 20 of 26 games, while playing a team-best 30.3 minutes a night. Fearless at 5-foot-7, Reilly proved to be unafraid of sticking her nose in on the glass, corralling 4.5 boards a night and had 12 occasions where she grabbed five or more.
The duo was also excellent from the charity stripe – something that helped them during crunch time of the eight games that they played in that was decided by five points or less. Condon was second in the league at 80.9 percent, while Reilly, who attempted the fifth-most free-throws in the conference a season ago, was third at 79 percent.
Also in the sophomore class are excellent reserves Annmarie Fransen (Belmont, Mass.) and Breeann Redman (Bristol, Conn.). Each saw significant time in 2010-11, with Fransen seeing action in all 26 games and Redman getting court time in 19. That valuable experience will pay dividends for the Cougars in the long run as both can step in when needed.
Senior Maggie Croft (East Aurora, N.Y.) and junior Theresa Pickens (Worcester, Mass.) are both veterans that could see extended floor time. Croft, a two-year captain, can handle the ball and is at her best in transition attacking the basket. Pickens, meanwhile, can provide instant offense off the bench with her shooting capabilities.
In addition to the backcourt, Clark returns a bevy of letterwinners on the frontline. Senior tri-captain Kate Minister (Manchester, England), already a three-year starter is one of the all-time best three-point shooters in program history. At 6-foot-2 with excellent ballhandling skills, she can play all five positions on the court and can create matchup advantages at almost everyone. Entering 2011-12, she ranks fifth on the school's all-time three-pointers made list (144) and could become just the fourth player in school history to connect on over 200 trifectas. She had a pair of double-doubles last season and had eight games where she made three or more three-pointers.
Patrolling the paint for Clark will be junior Kelsey Giedymin (Shrewsbury, Mass.) and sophomore Megan Grondin (Cumberland, Maine). Giedymin has started 46 of the 51 games during her career and last year averaged 4.7 points and 4.1 rebounds. Always an excellent shooter from the charity stripe, she made two free throws in the waning seconds to secure a victory over WPI last year.
Grondin, meanwhile, started 23 games a season ago and finished third on the team in scoring (8.9 point per game) while shooting nearly 44 percent from the field. She had 12 double figure scoring performances as a freshman including a 17-point showing against Mount Holyoke and a 11-point, 11-rebound effort against MIT.
In addition to those three, the frontline also has sophomore Esther Cohn (Chapel Hill, N.C.), the team's leading rebounder a season ago despite playing under 16 minutes a game and making just one start. She had four double figure rebounding games, including a career-high 15 boards in just 25 minutes in a loss to Salem State. Cohn developed into an excellent interior passer as well, handing out 22 assists on the season – the only player on the roster who had more assists than turnovers.
The Cougars also added depth with freshmen Victoria Russo (Arlington, Mass.) and Worcester-area product Jackie O'Connor (Spencer, Mass.). A 6-foot post player who is ultra-athletic, Russo should help Clark on the defensive end and on the glass, while O'Connor can help at the small forward spot.
There is no escaping the fact that the Cougars are young but that lone fact shouldn't preclude them from making things exciting in the NEWMAC. All of the underclassmen have extended playing experience and when you mix that with the savvy veteran leaders that Clark has, a deeper run in the conference tournament is a realistic possibility.