Women carry great expectations and underdog status

Three straight WNIT tournaments for the Duquesne women's basketball team means the team has reached the point of NCAA tournament or bust.

"That's definitely our goal," said Alex Gensler, the senior forward who averaged 12.6 points per game last season. "We're definitely bitter from last year."

The Dukes are bitter from the late season struggles that kept them from earning their first ever NCAA tournament berth. They lost three of their last five regular season games and then, as the third-seed, were knocked out of the conference tournament by Dayton.

But the late season disappointment was perhaps only so strong because the rest of the season was such a success for the team. The Dukes surpassed the 20-win plateau for the first time in school history, finishing the season 24-9, and receiving AP Top 25 votes for six straight weeks, including a record 50 votes in Week 10.

They don't want to focus on the past, but they know it's necessary to remember last season in order to stay determined.

"They're very focused, and I think it's become contagious from our seniors," coach Suzie McConnell-Serio said. "I just think there's a motivation that they want this to be their best season here by far, and they want to be the team that gets to the NCAA tournament."

Joining Vanessa Abel and Gensler with that fiery passion are returning sophomore starters Wumi Agunbiade and Orsi Szesci, who bring international experience from playing with their national teams (Canada and Hungary respectively) this summer.

The team has made it clear: they are not a secret. They wear a large target on their backs, and that target carries a load of pressure.

"It's something I bring to practice every day," said Abel who averaged 4.75 assists and 2.45 steals per game last season. "We didn't have that pressure on us last year."

The pressure and expectations come with a twist, though. The women enter the season projected to finish third in the conference, bringing both the label of "underdog" and high expectations.

"Coach would like us to be the underdogs so we can surprise people," Agunbiade said. "But … we're no longer a secret."

McConnell-Serio said she expects the A10 to be extremely balanced this season, and knows the team needs a strong finish to reach their ultimate goal. She expects her team will have to finish in the top three in both the regular season standings and the conference tournament in order to make the NCAA tournament.

The depth and scoring options of this year's squad may be what put it over the top. While McConnell-Serio said she expects Agunbiade to step up if there are any last-shot scenarios, but the team has plenty of other players who could also step up.

"Depends on the flow of the game and what we need, there's probably four choices right now as far as taking the shot," she said.

Her starting five of Abel, Gensler, Agunbiade, Szesci and Jocelyn Floyd can distribute the scoring load easily.

"[W]e could have five players in double figures, and for us to be successful, I think that would be our best option," McConnell-Serio said.

The pieces are in place: preparation, experience, determination and focus from last year's team all return this season. With a veteran returning core, and some options off the bench, McConnell-Serio thinks this team looks even better than last season's, but she is quick to not crown anyone.

"I don't think we've done anything yet to deserve [an NCAA berth], or earn it," she said. "I think there's an entire season to be played. I think we have the opportunity to earn it."

The opportunity lies before them. The next four months will determine how the Dukes handle the best chance in school history to reach their ultimate goal.