Senior forward Paige Gross looks to pass during a game against Carnegie Mellon University (Pa.) in January. (Natalie Sandlow/Staff Photographer)
Emory University’s women’s basketball team has their sights set on a national championship heading into the 2023-24 season. Last season, the team finished with a winning record for the seventh consecutive season at 17-8. They made the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 2019, but they lost in the first round to Millikin University (Ill.). The Eagles also finished fourth in the University Athletic Association (UAA) standings with a conference record of 8-6.
Despite their success last year, the team still isn’t satisfied and has set the bar high for this season. Misha Jackson (13C), who is entering her sixth full season as the women’s basketball head coach, said that her team is aiming to make a deeper run in the postseason this year.
“It was great to make the tournament, but we definitely don’t want to just be an attendee,” Jackson said. “We definitely want to advance in the tournament. Emory athletics and Emory University are known for its success and its excellence, and we need to take those next steps to being better.”
Senior forward Paige Gross said the team has focused on off-court bonding to prepare for this season, which included a retreat to Knoxville, Tenn. On the retreat, the team practiced, watched a football game at the University of Tennessee and stayed at a teammate’s house. Jackson added that the trip provided the squad with a different way of connecting.
“When you’re in high school, you do sleepovers, you go hang out at your friend’s house,” Jackson said. “All of our players are from out of state except for one player, so you can’t do that as much. For them to be able to hang out in one of their teammates’ homes and bond and get some great practices … it was a great trip for sure — definitely the highlight of our preseason.”
The Eagles have also grown as a unit this year, adding seven freshmen to a group of 10 returning players. Gross said that the new additions have already had a positive impact on the team’s dynamic.
“We have an incredibly great freshman class that came in this year, and it’s facilitated the energy on our team,” Gross said. “This team has just a different type of energy and love for the sport that makes us play way better all together because we all just love it and enjoy it and want to work hard. It’s gonna be what makes our season so successful.”
Although they remain optimistic, the team recognizes the challenging road ahead. Their opening game was against last season’s national runner-up Christopher Newport University (Va.) on Nov. 11, which they lost 57-47. Junior guard Daniella Aronsky, who earned an All-UAA Second Team honor last year along with graduate guard Claire Brock, said the early competition will allow the team to see how they measure up compared to other teams.
“We play a really really tough schedule this year, so I think that’ll be really good for us,” Aronsky said. “It will help prepare us for conference, where every night we’re playing a top [team in the] country, and then for the tournament after that.”
While the Eagles are aiming to top the UAA conference, the team is focusing more on their upcoming non-conference opponents at this stage in the season. Emory beat North Carolina Wesleyan University 81-44 on Nov. 12 and LaGrange College (Ga.) 85-64 on Nov. 14. Jackson said that working on their execution now will help prepare them for when they face strong conference teams in 2o24.
“January and February, nobody’s changing too much of what they’re doing,” Jackson said. “It’s ‘who’s the one that’s running their stuff the best,’ and that’s especially the case in March. Right now, we aren’t worried about UAAs just yet — we’re preparing for it every day, but we’ve got a big slate of [non-conference] games.”
The team has high expectations to build off their success from last season, and Gross is confident her team can perform on a national level.
“I wholeheartedly believe that this is the team that’s gonna be able to [win the NCAA championship], and I know we’re gonna get there,” Gross said.
Will Peck (25Ox) is from Chesterton, Indiana and currently an undecided student. In his free time, he enjoys going on bike rides, watching Chicago sports, and listening to music.
