After difficult season, Mizzou women’s basketball retooling with new talent
When dozens of college basketball teams saw their seasons abruptly canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Missouri women’s coach Robin Pingeton and the Tigers had already embarked on a long offseason.
Ultimately, the end result wasn’t what they expected, especially when Pingeton stressed the season wasn’t a rebuilding year despite graduating former Mizzou guard Sophie Cunningham. The Tigers finished 9-22 and 5-11 in conference play, and were sent home when they lost in the second round of the SEC Tournament to Tennessee.
As it turned out, replacing Cunningham, the program’s all-time scorer, proved difficult. After making it to the NCAA Tournament in all four of Cunningham’s years, the Tigers fell flat as part of a long season.
“One of the toughest years I’ve had in 31 years in coaching,” Pingeton said in a Zoom call with the media on Thursday. “It was a hard year for us, there’s no doubt about it. But I’m a big believer that diamonds are formed in the fires. Sometimes adversity is what propels you to even greater things.”
Now, the Tigers are hoping for a bounce-back season as they navigate the pandemic. They’ll attempt to do so with a heavy mix of incoming recruits, returners and three transfers who sat out last season because of NCAA rules.
Mizzou announced Thursday it signed Spanish guard Mama Dembele to its 2020 recruiting class. She joins Jayla Kelly (No. 79 overall by ESPNW) and Australian Sara-Rose Smith to round out the trio.
“She’s a piece that we have needed,” Pingeton said of Dembele. “She’s about 5-8, maybe 5-9, but she has a 6-foot wingspan, which is really long. She’s got an unbelievable motor. She’s probably a defensive nightmare. She can defend 90 feet from the basket. She’s the kind of kid that’ll get us some extra possessions.”
Pingeton said she isn’t finished recruiting, noting she was on the phone with a potential addition right before speaking with the media. She said to expect an announcement to come in the near future as the Tigers continue to retool their roster.
When it comes to notable additions, Mizzou had three transfers waiting in the wings last season. Renetha “Shug” Dickson (Tulsa/Texas Tech), LaDazhia Williams (South Carolina) and Shannon Dufficy (Utah State) figure to be significant contributors after sitting out the necessary season.
“All three of them have a chance to make an immediate impact,” Pingeton said. “We feel really good about our incoming freshmen. We’ll add a few more kids before it’s all said and done.”
The influx of available talent will help smooth out after four seniors — Hannah Schuchts, Amber Smith, Jordan Chavis and Jordan Roundtree — all exhausted eligibility.
While there will be new faces next season, the Tigers return some of their most talented players as sophomores. Next season’s roster will include a pair of All-SEC freshman team picks in Aijha Blackwell and Hayley Frank.
“We need everybody to ante up a little bit,” Pingeton said. “That leadership piece. It’s going to be fun to see who rises to the top in regards to being that voice. That was a big thing we talked about. Just that voice in the locker room and that leadership component.”
Pro dreams
The annual WNBA Draft is set for Friday, though it’ll be done remotely because of the pandemic. Cunningham went No. 13 overall to the Phoenix Mercury in the 2019 WNBA Draft.
Smith hopes to follow in Cunningham’s footsteps to the pros in the three-round, 36-pick draft. Smith signed with Shark Sports Management as she hopes to get her pro career up and running. The 5-foot-11 guard averaged 11.9 points and 5.6 rebounds as a senior.
“What magnifies her stock to me is the type of teammate, leader and person that she is,” Pingeton said of Smith. “She brings so much value to the program. We’re certainly going to miss her and appreciate everything she’s done for us over the last four years. I’m excited to see her next stage in her career. There’s no doubt she’s going to be very successful whether that’s in the WNBA or professionally overseas.”