Missouri Tigers women’s basketball coach, players share optimism at SEC Media Days
Missouri women’s basketball coach Robin Pingeton took the podium Wednesday at SEC Media Days, speaking highly of the Tigers’ roster ahead of the upcoming 2024-25 season at the Grand Bohemian Hotel in Birmingham, Alabama.
Pingeton, who was joined in Birmingham by junior guard Ashton Judd and sophomore guard Grace Slaughter, discussed responding to last season’s 11-19 campaign and commended the perseverance of the Tigers’ nine returning players.
“Sometimes, when you go through hard times, those are where you really grow the most,” Pingeton said. “I’m so proud of the resiliency and resolve of these young ladies and the fact that they believe in our program and our culture.”
Judd and Slaughter both spoke on “The Paul Finebaum Show” about the importance of playing for Mizzou at a time when women’s basketball is surging in popularity.
“I think representing the sport is great itself, but also representing the state,” Judd said. “Being able to wear ‘Missouri’ across my chest is a big deal for me.”
“It’s a great time to be involved in women’s basketball,” Slaughter added. “It’s exciting to finally see that support from other individuals and from people on a national scale - and even (on a) global scale.”
With support for the sport continuing to grow, the SEC appears poised to continue its success with a pair of new teams in the fold.
Seven teams from the league were ranked in the preseason Associated Press Top 25 poll, including defending national champion South Carolina at No. 1, No. 4 Texas, No. 7 LSU, No. 10 Oklahoma, No. 20 Ole Miss, No. 22 Kentucky and No. 24 Alabama.
With the Longhorns’ and Sooners’ SEC debut on the horizon, Pingeton said that she finds joy in the heightened competition.
“A tough league, if possible, just got tougher, but that’s what makes it so fun,” Pingeton said. “We all want the end result, which is a championship; we all want a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.
“We’re willing to come back and stay committed to what our hopes and dreams have been as we continue to elevate our program back up in a tough league.”
The SEC preseason media poll released Monday predicted the Tigers to finish 15th in the 16-team league, and it did not include any MU players on the three All-SEC teams.
Pingeton’s perspective on new-look roster
Pingeton — who is entering her 15th season at Mizzou — also praised the program’s offseason recruiting, stating the Tigers have been blessed with the players they’ve added from the transfer portal.
“I think a lot of times in recruiting, especially in the portal, it’s almost like speed dating,” Pingeton said. “You can do all the research you want and make as many phone calls as you can (to) try to really understand who these young ladies are ... and you never really know for sure what you’re going to get, because that window is so small.”
So far, the Tigers seem pleased with who they ended up with.
Pingeton offered insight on a couple of those transfers — sophomore center Tionna Herron and senior guard Nyah Wilson.
Herron, a former four-star recruit out of DeSoto, Texas, joined the Tigers after spending a season with both Kentucky and Texas. The 6-foot-4 center played 11 games for a Longhorns squad that reached the Elite Eight last season.
Pingeton praised her size and athleticism.
“One of our big focuses was trying to get her in better physical shape, and she’s worked really hard at that,” Pingeton said. “She’s got really good touch around the rim. I think she can make a difference on the defensive end and alter shots defensively. I’ve been impressed with her footwork, and I’m excited about the growth that I’ve seen in three or four short months.”
Pingeton had a similarly glowing assessment of Wilson, who played two seasons at Syracuse before transferring to New Mexico last season.
“She can push the ball in transition, has the ability to guard 90 feet from the basket and can play both the point and off-guard position,” Pingeton said. “We’re really looking for her to play a big role for us this upcoming season.”
Judd started all 30 of the Tigers’ games last season. She was the second-leading scorer at 13.4 points per game, and her 6.4 rebounds per game were tied for the team lead with leading scorer Hayley Frank.
But Pingeton has been most impressed by her mentality and leadership in welcoming six new players to the roster in the offseason.
“She’s just got that ‘it’ factor,” Pingeton said. “She’s a little bit of an alpha on the court. She plays really, really hard. She’s gritty, she’s tough, (and) she’s really resilient.”
Slaughter was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team in early March after ranking third among first-year conference players in scoring at 11.5 points per game. She had only eight steals and two blocks in 29 games, numbers Pingeton expects to rise this season.
“A point of emphasis for her was to really get better on the defensive end,” Pingeton said. “She’s always been pretty strong with her offensive skill set, but (she’s) really wanting to grow in her game defensively. I’ve seen her really put that work in, and I think she’s going to have another really special year for us.”
The Tigers will play host to Truman State in an exhibition at 6:30 p.m. Central Time on Oct. 29 before opening the regular season on the road against Vermont at 5 p.m. Central on Nov. 4.
Copyright 2024 Columbia Missourian
This story was originally published October 17, 2024 at 1:53 PM with the headline "Missouri Tigers women’s basketball coach, players share optimism at SEC Media Days."