As the Lady Eagles prepare for their first game Nov, 3, Oklahoma Christian University women’s head basketball coach Stephanie Findley looks to begin her 34th season leading the team. Coming off a sixth place conference finish in the 2017-18 season, Findley recently shared the work her team has been putting in to prepare for the upcoming year.
Q: What core values do you try to promote within your basketball program?
“Go to class. Work hard. Probably hard work would be the main thing and always giving good effort—whether it’s in the classroom or on the court. I want kids who are going to put that effort in no matter what they’re doing.”
Q: With seven new players on the roster, will being young change the team’s dynamic?
“It’s different at first because it’s a different level for those kids who are new. It’s a different level now for the sophomores, so they should be ready for it. It’s way more physical than what they’re used to. We’ve had a pretty good strength and conditioning training this year, so I’m anxious to see if that helps a little bit. I’m anxious to see if we’re better on defense holding our position and rebounding because of the weightlifting we did this summer and in the off-season.”
Q: What is your goal for the team this season?
“My goal is always to win every game. Last year, we started off rough. We had a lot of road games—it’s no different this year. I just want to make sure we’re always better at the end than we are at the beginning. This year, I’m trying to simplify the offense I’m running and it’s killing me, because I like that offense and I wanted to keep doing it, but it’s a lot to remember.”
Q: Now being a coach, what do you wish you could go back and tell yourself when you were a collegiate player.
“You’re not working hard enough. Work harder play harder. Be a better teammate. I had my moments where I wanted to play and I was on the bench, and I probably wasn’t a very good teammate because I thought I should be playing. I would tell myself to straighten up the attitude and work a little harder. “
Q: What will be your biggest challenge this season as a team?
“Defending somebody with a good, big, strong inside player, which was kind of the case last year, too. I think that will be one of the biggest problems for us at first.”
Q: Who are you looking to step up this season in an offensive and leadership role?
“We all know what Addy [Clift] does for us, but we need other people to really step up and be scorers so they can’t double and triple team her. I expect Carolyne [Lawley] to. She’s got a good personality for leadership. She’s kind of quiet, but she can lead. She can score inside. She can rebound and play pretty physical. I expect more from Katie Mayo and Maddison Collyer with all the minutes they got last year. I look for Megan Shelton to provide some scoring and some leadership. Megan’s one of our smartest players. Other players I expect to have break-out years would be Ali Christie and Tyra Peck. Tyra’s our best defender by a long shot and we need her to take open shots. We’re going to need her to score and play defense. Those are the people who can score and contribute off the bench and make it a little easier on Addy.”
Q: How have you seen the style of basketball change since you’ve played to what it is now?
“Obviously, the three pointer has made a lot of difference. The style now, in our league, is a lot more dribble than it used to be, people trying to get to the rim for a layup or pitch it out for a three—not as many two-point jumpers any more. I have also seen passing and feeding the post is a lost art. You take your layups and your threes and your post player, if they want it, they can go get a rebound. That’s a disappearing art—the pass and the accurate pass.”
Q: Why do you love coaching?
“I’m competitive. I love sports in general, so it keeps me involved in sports. I like building relationships with players and other coaches. The comradery in coaching and the relationships you develop with your kids.”
Coach Findley and the Lady Eagles will open their season Nov. 3 at home against York College in Oklahoma Christian’s homecoming game.
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