Interview with Coach Bonnie Henrickson

2021-2022 Preseason Interview with Women's Gaucho Hoops Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson on October 19, 2021.

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Hi Coach, thanks for taking the interview.  Let's get started with the new players.

Bonnie Henrickson ("BH"):  There's Callie Cooper, a freshman from Richardson, Texas.  She's a good point guard and playmaker.  She's also a good on-ball defender, with speed and quickness, and she applies defensive pressure at the point.

Analillia Cabuena is long and lanky.  She's good on the glass and is a good athlete.  She's a freshman from Stockton, California.

Laurel Rockwood is a freshman from Henderson, Nevada.  She's a big physical 5.  She practices against Ila every day.  She's holding her own, but she needs a bit more confidence from playing against Ila.  She has improved because of her battles inside.

Kennedy Johnson is a freshman from Hayward, California, and right now is ahead of the other freshmen.  She plays the 3/4, is a big guard, and the game is starting to slow down for her.  She has a midrange game and can knock down the 3.  She can block shots, she's aggressive, is long, and springy.  She knows how to rotate on defense, and knows how to defend the passing lanes.  Her defense is good, while the other freshmen are mostly players who are good on offense (in high school, they didn't have to play as much defense).

We also have transfers.  Alexis Tucker transferred in from Texas Tech.  She will play more of a face up game at UCSB.  She had to play in the post with her back to the basket last year due to injuries.  She has a good midrange jumper, a turnaround jumper, and handles the ball on the perimeter.  She's learning to be ready to shoot the 3 without a dribble, learning how to handle the ball on the perimeter against pressure, and spacing the floor on offense (with Ila in the paint).  She can play the 2, 3, 4 positions, she's physical and defends the post.  She's improving her changing of hands against on-ball pressure.  She's originally from southern California.

Tatyana Modawar is a transfer from UTEP.  She's originally from northern California.  She's our back up at the 5.  She's 6'3", is long, rebounds and shoots the 3.  She's made tremendous strides with putting the ball on the floor.  In practice, Ila now has to guard the perimeter because Tatyana is a stretch 5.  And Tatyana has to guard Ila inside.  The match up is good for both players as they help each other improve.

It's a challenge for new players, because they all have to learn a new system.  We run a completely different motion offense.  It's a quick hit offense, with one or two  screens, a 4 out, 1 in offense.  The  continuous screening actions take advantage of mismatches on switches.  We will go through 8-12 seconds of screening action, and then if the shot is not there, we'll run flare screens.  And then everyone is in motion, while keep their eyes inside for Ila.  We'll move Ila around the floor; she'll be facing up more and dribbling this year.  We are a catch and shoot team, a flexible squad which will take advantage of mismatches.

GH:  What about the returning players?

BH:  Danae Miller gets an extra year due to covid.  She's a senior, and is really important for us to be better in early play.  She can shoot, is a playmaker, and has experience.  She understands how to play with Ila.

Johnni Gonzalez  opted out last year.  She's a playmaker, is quick, and pushes the pace.  She is a good onball defender, and understands defensive rotations in our system.  She came back last spring with Ila and Tatyana.

  

Of the 15 players on the roster, 6 were on the floor last year, and 3 the year before.

Kiana Vierra opted out due to injury.  She's a senior.

Lauren Lee will be a senior.  She had to play the post last year  She can play the 3 or 4 this year.  She covers up others' mistakes on defense, sets screens, and passes well.

Megan Anderson played 9 games, but really only 6 games due to injury.  She shoots the deep ball, is quick and athletic, and also rebounds.

Taylor Mole is Australian, made the honorable mention all-league team, and led the league in rebounding.  She has as great step and under move, makes good decisions off the dribble, and knows when to pull up or not.  She played a lot of motion offense over the summer, because it can get crowded underneath with Ila.

Alyssa Marin started at the 2 guard.  She gets to the free throw line, is a capable 3 point shooter, is strong, and pushes the pace.

Anya Choice had a good freshman year during covid.  The first year is tough on freshmen.  She was  dinged up in the fall, but she is back at full strength.  She has a good midrange game, and takes it to the rim.  She's physical, shoots the 3, and can drive and kick out the pass.

Ila Lane has great hands and feet.  She's physical and embraces being a post player.  She's very coachable and humble.  Out in transition, she finishes in traffic, rebounds like crazy, and pursues relentlessly.

GH:  Any comments on the team overall this year?

BH:  Overall, this team has the most depth and most competitive depth we've had since I've been here.  Players can multiple positions.  Laurel and Ila play the 5; everyone else plays 3 positions.  We can play big and long, or quick and fast.  Ila has to figure out:  what's my read?  Do I kick it out?  Others ask where do I space?  Where and when do I pass to Ila?  What happens when she gets double teamed?  This year we can be more aggressive defensively.  Last year we had to play fast and small.  We are bigger this year.  Last year, we didn't post up.

We've made a commitment to defense this year:  to protect the rim and rebound on defense.  Taylor led in defensive rebounding.  Ila led in rebounding the year before.  

GH:  What about the other teams in the Big West?

BH:  UCD is good.  UCI is good.  The Big West conference has a bunch of transfers.  There are also  significant returnees, so the conference is wide open.

GH:  Any other comments?

BH:  We're excited for the team.  We have a good culture, and we celebrate each other.  When we visit schools, the kids love our players.  The team is really good with children.

We only had 8 players last year.  This year we have a full and deep team.

GH:  Awesome, thanks for the interview Coach.  I'd love to get a midseason update, and perhaps even interview some of the players, if that's OK.

BH:  Sure, they enjoy the game, their teammates, the fans, and being Lady Gauchos!

Interview with UCSB Women's Basketball Coach Bonnie Henrickson

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Thanks for taking this interview, Coach Henrickson.  Let's start with a review of the players.

Bonnie Henrickson ("BH"):  OK, I'll start by class.
Seniors
 
Drea Toler has been working on the same things: building up user speed and athleticism.  She's worked hard to become a capable 3 point shooter, can finish at the rim.  She's a good defensive player obviously, but she can drive and penetrate.  She has made good decisions to kick it out and pass to a teammate who can finish.  She has the ability to challenge the defense. She's got good footwork and balance, and  is hawkish on the ball, puts pressure on the ball and is disruptive defensively.

Drew Edelman can catch and finish around the rim.  We like to  rim run her.  We like to get her more touches before the defense can set up.  We like to get her out there.  Her strength and conditioning is much improved from last year.  Her free throw shooting is much improved.  She shot over 75% over the last 8 games last season, so we want her to continue that.  And to get to the free throw line more, and the way to do that is get offensive rebounds. To get catches in transition.  She is still the  focal point of our offense  We'll throw it inside.  She needs to rebound at a higher level, both on the offensive and defensive end.  That's where she can make a significant impact on both ends of the floor.

Mikala Roper plays both the 1 and 2.  We want her to get back to where she shot it well her sophomore year.  We're not asking her to be a ball hawk, but to contain defensively and keep the ball in front of her.  Players have different roles based on their strengths.  Drea pressures the ball, and Mikala applies defensive pressure by keeping her hands up, not providing a cushion, and steering the ball where it needs to be.   We need her to rebound on defense and offense.  She makes good passing decisions, and her ball-handling has improved.  She's in good shape and has really made a commitment from a fitness and conditioning standpoint.  Since the end of last year, she's made some really good decisions and choices, and we're really excited to see how those conditions play themselves out. 


GH:  Can you elaborate on those good decisions Mikala has made?

BH:  She doesn't turn over the ball much.  She can put it down and reverse the ball.  We look at her as an experienced senior guard, and we have a lot of young guards coming in from the freshman class.  I mean they are young--they are talented, there's no doubt about that.  But we feel good about having Rope in there as a senior.  She and Chaya have seen it all.  Those two know more about where we've been and where we're going than anybody else, so we feel good about Rope playing at multiple guard positions.  It will be really beneficial to us.

Chaya Durr is a 4, a good athlete, and good offensive rebounder.  We'll need more of that.  Defensively, she's really good at defending bigger 4's and at times even 5's.  We look for her to rip and drive from the perimeter  We may her play her as an undersized 5, if we have foul trouble in the rotation.  We really only have 3 true bigs in the program.   She has leadership  She understands what we want and our vision.  She's been captain for 2 years and as a senior, that will be really important as well.  She's developed into a really good high / low passer into the bigs. She contributes on both ends.

Juniors

Coco Miller is a capable 3-point shooter.  She's smart defensively and is a good low post passer. She has grown and can put the ball on the floor and can drop a pass, or just put the ball on the floor and reverse it or kick it out.  She's unselfish, and has a high basketball IQ.  I need her to be a more vocal leader, especially magnified because we have so many young players in the program.

Sarah Porter has worked to improved her ball handling and remaining consistent and becoming an even better 3-point shooter off the move, stationary...all the different ways and spots she can get some open 3's.  She needs to get some offensive rebounds to get to the free throw line more.  You know, if you're going to get run off the line, get to the rim and finish, and get an "and-1".  That's how you get to the free throw line more:  get more offensive rebounds.  Put those up and get out in transition more.  We need her to be who she is:  be a good 3-point shooter. but be prepared for people to run her off that line.

A newbie junior is Akilah Jennings.  She's a really long athlete.  We've had two team practices and individual drills, and she can certainly get up on the ball and guard defensively. She's really bouncy and athletic, and had the best vertical jump along with Andrea.  She is a phenomenal athlete and a capable 3-point shooter from Foothill and Northern Colorado. For her, she'll have to rebound defensively at the big guard or small forward spot. She can guard  the perimeter, and has the strength to guard the 4 in the post.  She can stretch the floor, spread the defense, put it on the floor when she's run off the line, and finish at the rim.  She's long and lanky.  Gaining strength for her will be important for her game at this level--the physicality of it.  For this and next year, the more strength she can gain, the more contact she can handle and finish.

GH:  She's eligible this year? 

BH:  Yeah, we don't have anybody sitting out this year.  Everybody competes and plays this year.

Sophomores

Tal Sahar is a sophomore.  She's a transfer from Seattle University and Calabasas.  She's a scorer, shoots the 3, she shoots it deep.  She's long, she's worked on becoming a better passer and a better ball handler.  Defensively, she's  working on containing and keeping people in front of her, using her length to take away shots and taking away passing opportunities inside.  She's working on footwork, so when someone puts it down, force the ball where want it, and working on staying underneath somebody.  Obviously, she brings the ability to score from 3, and she's got a pull up midrange game.  She watched games and practiced last year and saw when people run you off the line, you have to have an answer if you can't get to the rim, and can't kick it out.  She probably has the best pull up now. 


GH:  Yes, I saw her practice last year.  She's got a deadly outside shot.  Sounds like she's not 1-dimensional. 

BH:  No, her midrange game is good.  She finishes at the rim, and she has good size and length.  She can handle it.  All of our players have to handle the ball better.

GH:  Sounds like your squad is deep this year.

BH:  Yes, we have many good players and they're competitive.  They're forced to compete in practice and that's how they can improve at the rate we want them to.  There are tons of minutes to be had, and that's a good thing.  They're in the gym longer, playing pick up longer, and the young players have bought into that, and walked through the program like that.  We knew that about them, that's who  they were, and now they've played more than they ever have in the off season.

GH:  That's part of the culture now. 

BH:  Yeah, during the season, you become a better team, and during the summer you become a better player.

GH:  Good point. 

BH:  Alicia Hernandez is a 3-point shooter, stretches the defense, was hurt and missed 6 weeks last season.  She has to stay healthy and be on the floor.  Playing the whole season will help her.  She has to be able to put it on the floor when she's run off the line, pull up, pass, handle ball pressure, and reverse the ball.  She's a good secondary defender, and needs to get better defending the ball and keeping people in front of her, and challenge shots.  I was impressed with her basketball IQ, rotating on help side, and taking charges...making the extra rotation to prevent drives for a layup.  We trusted her at the end of games to rotate off the ball.  She might get beat on the ball, but she wouldn't give up a cushion 3, and would rotate on penetration.   When she was off the ball, she did a good job of rotating as a secondary defender,

Natalia Bruening is big and we need her to have a better sophomore campaign to play Drew better and less.  Drew needs to play less from a wear and tear standpoint  Natalia needs to produce in a back up role and get more minutes on the floor.  She's gotta rim run and get up and down the floor.

Our bigs run.  We don't have posts times and guards time.  We have times all our players are expected to make.  If we aren't all in transition, we have to wait for somebody to get there.  For her to turn the corner in her sophomore year, she needs to be committed.  "What do I need to do, and what does it take for me to produce and be an effective 5 in our program ?"  We're all excited for her to have a better sophomore campaign than freshman campaign.  "The best thing about freshmen is they become sophomores."  There are minutes to be had for her there.  She's got an opportunity, so she has to grab it, take advantage of it, and own it

GH:  She's one of your two 6'4" forwards, right? 

BH:  Yes, she has upper body strength, strong core, and good touch around rim. She has to learn her defensive assignments.  She's capable, but now we just have to see it.  Be consistent.

Freshmen

We have two freshmen point guards.  Celine Quintino is a dynamic passer and playmaker, no doubt about that.  She can thread a needle, and posts have to keep their hands up to receive her passes because they're coming.  I asked her the other day if she has hit any post players in the nose yet, and she replied no, because I had told our post players to keep their hands up.  She can thread a needle.  She can see things that other guards don't even know is there.  We were excited when she signed because she is so dynamic.  She likes to get out in transition, and fits that mold for us.  She's a really good athlete, and is bouncier than we originally thought.  She can finish at the rim and can score in traffic. She needs to knock down the 3 to keep defenses honest, so they don't give her too much room because she can put it on the floor, and that will be important for her career.

Danae Miller is from Long Beach Poly.  Both can play and play together.  Danae has escapeability, and likes to get out in transition, which is how LB Poly plays.   Both freshmen played with quality post players,  which means they are aware of making the post pass. Some guards have never played with post players, so they don't know to look there.  But our freshmen point guards have a sense of patience to let the post players make a cut.  Because both have played with post players they will understand our conversation during film study, about where we want to throw the ball.  Danae is a really good defender, has good size, is a really strong kid, a really tough kid.  It'll be important for her career to keep defenders honest by making open 3's.  Both are playmakers and can get us out in transition.


GH:  Sounds like you will go 3 deep at point guard.

BH:  Yes, we will be 3 deep at point guard.  Drea, Cece, and Danae.


GH:  So will you be able to play two at the same time sometimes?
 
BH:  Yes, I believe we will.

Nina Radford is a big guard.  Can play the 3 and power forward, is a good 3-point shooter, has a good mid-range game.  She has the physicality to play the true 4  defensively.  We ask our players can you keep someone in front of you, can you make the post pass?  She's really skilled, has a good basketball IQ, can stretch the floor, handles the ball well enough to get by someone, by the secondary defender, and finish at the rim.  That will be the next step for her  in how she plays.

Sarah Bates is from Clovis West.  She's a 2 guard, is a capable 3-point shooter, and can put it on the floor.  They played a similar offense:  4 out 1 in, drive and kick, spread the floor, space the floor.  She's a good on-ball defender, a good secondary defender, started taking a charge the first day in practice.  She's got feel for that end of the floor, she's tough on defense.  She's a good passer and can make plays on both ends of the floor.


GH:  Sounds like your roster is really versatile, with players who can play multiple positions.

BH:  Yes.  we want to quick hit so our shooters can all get touches.  If we can outlet and run up the floor, and if players can make plays then we don't have to run as many plays.

There will be opportunities to run set plays...late game, we'll run some clock, so we need to execute.   A big chunk of what we do is get out in transition. But we need to get back and defend, because it's hard to get in transition if you have to take the ball out of bounds.  We want to be able to rebound and outlet, and get numbers.

There's a good stat with this freshman class.  Combined, their high school senior record was 116 -13.  From a culture standpoint, expecting to be successful, recognizing what it takes to be successful, the chemistry it takes, the work and toughness it takes.  We're excited by those numbers.

Like I said, coming in here, playing pick up every night, taking shots every night,  The upperclass were as excited as the coaching staff when we gave them that nugget.  That's an area of the program where we turned the corner.  The expectation of hard work, extra work, and culture of earning success.  The upper class were excited about all five newcomers having tremendous success last year.  If you are successful, you act differently, you think differently, you expect success, and expect to work to have success.  And to play with other talented players, other high school players and other summer teams, so it's not like they're the only talented players and they don't know how to play with other talented players.  They understand championships and what it takes to be champions.

GH:  They expect success, but they don't feel entitled to it. 

BH:  No,  These guys work.  They all came in and killed the conditioning test, all of them.  Passed it.  First time, all five new incomers.

GH:  So you're getting more athletic players?

BH:  Yep, a better combination of skill and athleticism.  We're not a track team.  We've got to be able to pass and catch, and knock down shots.  And that's what your best players are.

GH:  I'm just reviewing here.  You play a 4 out, 1 in offense.  

BH:  Yep, it's a motion offense.

GH:  Is that a Bobby Knight or a Villanova offense?

BH:  There are concepts to it, I wouldn't say there are any rules to it.  It's kinda evolved since we got here.  We tried quick hits for shooters or bigs, but we really struggled with continuity.

We play a lot of 4 on 4 in practice, 3 out 1 in.  We really struggled to score in Idaho a couple games into our first year, so I called timeout and said, "we play 4 on 4 in practice every day, right?"  OK, we're playing with a big out there, but we're still playing 4 on 4.  Let's stick with the concepts: drive and kick.  Kick out 3's and layups."

We then hit 2 3's, and hit 2 layups.  We're still in motion, and let's build it from there. I'm really proud of that because I wanted to get it right, and not be right.  If I was going to just be right, we would have been in the 30's all year.  We couldn't score.  Starting in Idaho, since then we've carried some of that over, and run motion 70% of the time.  Which gives them freedom to drive the base line and kick, how to rotate around that, straight line drive, mainline drive, rotation movement, floor bounce, paint touch, ball reversal.  There's all kinds of terminology.

GH:  It's not free lance offense, right?  But with a motion offense, the players have to read what the defense gives them? 

BH:  No, it's not free lance, where you try to make a play on the first side with a full shot clock.  We play in a good league, and defenses are too good. We're trying to get uncontested shots and lay ups are uncontested shots, on rotational rebounds, and how does that happen?

We set on ball screens, set flare screens in it.  We run quick hits into it.    We try and move the ball upcourt.  The players enjoy playing it.

GH:  Sounds like your players have to read the defenses, and what the defense gives them. 

BH:  Yep.  They have to keep their head up to see if the paint is open, and try to drive the paint and see what happens.  If it doesn't collapse, score.  If it does collapse, make the right read and decision.  I think that we've improved in a lot of areas, like our athleticism and skills.  I think the one area where we needed to improve a lot was to become a better passing team.  I've never seen a player that could pass, but couldn't handle the ball well.  We didn't handle the ball very well.  We needed to handle the ball at more positions.   If you can handle it, you can pass it, because your head is always up.  Your eyes can tell when you're dribbling, and with your eyes up, you can handle ball pressure.

GH:  Aah, Magic Johnson.  I noticed with Coach Pasternack on board, there seems to be a premium on transition. 

BH:  Kids like to play it and fans like to watch it, so it's on the coach.

GH:  Thanks for the great interview, Coach, and good luck this season.

Interview with UCSB Women's Basketball Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson

Gaucho Hoops ("GH"):  Thanks for taking this interview, Coach Henrickson.  First off, I wanted to mention that I was in attendance for last season's finale, the heart-breaking 71-67 loss to eventual Big West Conference Tournament runner-up, UC-Davis.   It looked like the Gauchos were about to get blown out by the Aggies, but the Lady Gauchos battled back and briefly took the lead before succumbing in the end.  It was one of the scrappiest efforts I've ever seen, and the team appeared so focused, determined, and fundamentally disciplined. 

Coach Bonnie Henrickson ("BH"):  Thanks for that.  Yes, in the beginning of the year, the team was content with close losses.  We turned that complacency around and played not just to compete, but to win games.  The team really thought they could win that game. 


GH:  With most teams, leaders emerge.  Who are the leaders on this team? 

BH:  We have four captains which were voted in by the team:  two seniors and two juniors.  Mi'Chael Wright is a senior forward, Onome Jemerigbe is a senior point guard.  Drew Edelman is a redshirt junior forward, who transferred in from USC, and Chaya Durr is also a junior.  All four are very positive, and it's their responsibility to make sure each teammate is accountable.  They make sure we all check ourselves.  The captains are pretty vocal, and they also lead by example. 


GH:  At Kansas, your recruiting base was nationwide.  How is recruiting different at UCSB? 

BH:  Fortunately, the west coast has a deep talent pool, especially in California.  At KU, half of the time, we were recruiting in California, so our staff had previously established relationships with high school and club coaches.  That was a tremendous advantage.  UCSB has high academics, so we recruit smart players both on and off the court.  And yes, the location is nice and an easy sell, but the players who want to come to UCSB are also very competitive student-athletes.  That's why they come here. 


GH:  I noticed that in the several players' bio's.  Several won academic honors in addition to their athletic achievements. 

BH:  Yes, California is a #1 recruiting priority.  Even our out-of-state transfers are from California. 


GH:  Let's cover the roster. 

BH:  Onome has started at point guard for three years.  She is being pushed by Drea Toler, who redshirted last season after transferring from Oregon.  Onome is a real good on-ball defender, and can drive and kick it out.  She is working on her shot to keep opposing defenders honest.

Drea is a capable 3-point shooter,  and is very fast.  Her challenge is trying to slow things down.  She's a good on-ball defender, is good in transition, and incredibly unselfish. 


GH:  That's an interesting point.  Coach Williams [men's basketball head coach] said the same thing about his incoming players.  They try to do too much too quickly, resulting in turnovers.  Slowing things down lets their athleticism take over. 

BH:  Makala Roper, was an honorable mention all-Big West performer last season.  She shoots a high percentage from the the floor, and is our biggest 3-point threat.  She's often a catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter.  She is working on putting the ball on the floor, so she can get to the free throw line more often.

Coco Miller was consistent last year, which is remarkable for a freshman.  Sometimes, it's not about making a brilliant play, but more about not making bad plays.  She's smart, and plays within herself. She works hard, is a good defender, and understands positioning within our team defense.

Sarah Porter is a big  guard, who shoots the 3-point shot well.  We need her size on the glass.  She's the best kid in the weight room,  We're also working with her on putting the ball on the floor.

Aliceah Hernandez' ability to shoot the 3 point shot allows us to stretch the defense.  We also ask her to put the ball on the floor.  She's a smart kid.  We need her to defend and handle the ball better.

Tal Sahar will redshirt this season and will become eligible in 2017 after transferring in from Seattle.  She is a big guard with great length.  She can shoot it from deep, also.

Chaya Durr started all last year at the 4 position.  She is the most competitive player on the court, and gets the 50/50 balls.  She's a great defender and takes great shots--she shot 45% from the floor.  She's really athletic and finishes well.

Taylor Farris will only play the 4 this year.  She is a capable 3-point shooter.  She's long and lanky, and can dunk a tennis ball.  She can be a good defender, and has good foot work and good bounce.

Drew Edelman is physical and finishes well.  She's a great communicator, and was voted team captain in August, which shows you her leadership abilities.  She runs the floor well.

Je Zhe Newton is a former juco player who keeps getting better  She brings size to the position and finishes well around the rim.  She's been out for a week due to injury.

Natalia Bruening is a freshman who played both club volleyball and club basketball in high school.  Now that she is only focusing on basketball, she has really improved. She has a high ceiling.

Mi'Chael Wright is injured and may be out for the year.

Melissa Maragnes is coming back from an ACL and should return after the first of the year. 


GH:  Overall, how would you characterize this year's team? 

BH:  We're bigger inside this year.  We're playing well in practice.  Our depth has improved, so we are more competitive in practice this year.  


GH:  Let's cover some questions from Gaucho Soul, a fan..

1) How was the transition from a bigger women's basketball program like Kansas to UCSB?  What was the most difficult and the best part of the move? 

BH: Historically, UCSB women's basketball has been a successful program. It's a priority here. So it matters to me that they care about winning. We had to build trust in the players. As I said, while at KU, we were already recruiting California players, so that helped the transition.  With the storied history, and high academics at UCSB, we've been able to attract competitors on the court and in the classroom. 


GH:

2)  What is the ultimate goal for UCSB and how high can this program go nationally? 

BH:   Our goal is to win the Big West Conference regular season and Tournament championships.  Once in the NCAA playoffs, it's about match ups.  Our nonconference schedule is good preparation for league play.  The league is good.  Our goal is to go to the NCAA's and advance. 


GH:

3)  UCSB's WBB program was once a dominant program under HC Mark French but struggled after his retirement.  How difficult was it to change the mentality of the players and how did you go about changing a program that went 2-27 before you were hired? 

BH:  It's about winning, not just competing.  I got livid after we lost by a couple possessions earlier in the season because some players were satisfied that it was a close game even though we lost.  The players' mentality was that it was an improvement over the season before.  I had to instill the mentality that competing was not enough.  We were able to establish a winning culture.  We had to embrace playing the right way. 


GH:

4)  How talented is the 2016-2017 team and will they contend for the BW title and possibly more? 

BH:   We need to get better and stay healthy.  We have to rebound better, and play better defense, and score more in transition.  We need to shoot the 3-point shot better.  We are hungrier this year, and the conversation is different, as expectations are higher.  Practices are much more competitive.


GH:

5)  More and more the WBB programs from the bigger conference are dominating the games and during March Madness with less and less upsets.  Do you feel that SB and other smaller program can catch up and what is the best path to accomplish that goal? 

BH:  The power conferences have bigger, stronger, faster athletes.  The advent of the 3-point shot can neutralize size, athleticism, and speed. UCSB has a history of a Sweet 16 under Coach Mark French. 


GH:  Thanks for sharing your team, Coach Henrickson.  Good luck this year, and see you at the games. 

BH:  Sure.  Come on down.  It should be an exciting year.

UCSB Selects Bonnie Henrickson as Women's Basketball Head Coach

https://youtu.be/p7PDSc8AbU8

UCSB Selects Bonnie Henrickson as Women’s Basketball Coach

http://www.ucsbgauchos.com/sports/w-baskbl/2014-15/releases/20150423hj68ox