By Navin Krishnan (@NavinKthespear) – Reporter
With a disappointing season in the rear view, the San Jose State Women’s Basketball team made some significant roster shifts in hopes of improving next season.
Former head coach Jaime Craighead Turner was removed from her position and April Phillips was named SJSU’s new head coach on April 6, 2022.
Phillips has experience at Texas, Georgia Tech and New Haven. She has experienced the NCAA tournament. Including a stint with the Lady Longhorns that landed them with a Big 12 Tournament title and an Elite Eight appearance.
During the 2018-19 season at Arizona, Phillips helped guide the Wildcats to the biggest turnaround in school history. Notching 12 more wins than the previous year as an assistant coach.
During the 2019-20 campaign, she was a massive force in making Cal the No. 6 ranked recruiting class in the Pac-12 and led the team to knocking off powerhouses like No. 20 Arkansas, No. 13 Arizona and No. 22 Arizona State during her tenure, also as an assistant coach.
Spartan nation may be skeptical until the season starts, but Phillips can anchor this team far beyond just her expertise. Her toughness, her experience and winning mentality are elements that make this hiring a diamond in the rough.
Phillips will most likely serve as a basketball teacher who has a golden eye for talent. She was the associate head coach at Loyola Marymount and was instrumental in signing the top recruiting classes in the WCC for the Lions twice.
The main challenges for the players will be grinding, putting in the effort and work to learn the game from a brilliant basketball mind. While it may sound redundant to say it takes effort and chemistry, there are no bounds or errors in believing in Phillips’ capability and resume.
Although they may have prepared all summer, the Spartans have a tedious task at hand.
The Spartans were outscored by an average of 17 points per game and out-rebounded by 9.3 rebounds per game.
The Spartans will likely improve on elements such as toughness, unselfishness and hustle.
With a disappointing season behind them, Phillips will likely be the driving force behind their evolution.
Although it takes resilience and fire to bob-and-weave the punches by opponents to this newly forged Spartan team, Phillips is going to take the reins and install a hard-hat mentality in her team this upcoming season.
Phillips can pilot this team to new heights, but it will take whole effort and everyone on board, but surely it will be an exciting ride.