Last year, the Santa Clara Broncos women’s basketball team went 15-17 overall and 6-12 in the West Coast Conference (WCC). The Broncos were able to score points but struggled to defend, giving up 71.2 points per game, which was last in the WCC.
From a disappointing 15- 17 overall and 6- 12 in the WCC last season, the Broncos have made a remarkable leap this season, boasting a 23-7 overall and 11-4 in the WCC, which is good for second place behind Gonzaga.
Defense
The big reason for the turnaround is the Broncos defense.
“The turnaround is due to our willingness to consistently guard people each game,” Broncos head coach Bill Carr said.
Carr is in his eighth season as Broncos head coach; this is his best season as head coach of Santa Clara.
The Broncos are ranked No.1 in the WCC in defense, giving up 58.4 points per game. They also hold opponents to 39% shooting from the field.
“We gained a ton of experience through last season that has helped us this season,” Carr said.
Santa Clara is third in rebounding in the conference, which completes the defensive possession. Holding teams to one shot and out is a big key to defense.
“One and done, making sure we box out and not give second chances,” Broncos assistant coach Michael Floyd said.
The Broncos also can score basketball as well. They average 70.4 points per game. Santa Clara is second in the WCC in three-point percentage 35%, and three-pointers made (230).
Like any college program, player development is critical; any good basketball program knows how to develop players to get the best out of them.
“When COVID ended, we changed what we did in the program in terms of player development,” Floyd said. “We cut down on practice time as a team and spent more time individually. Everything is tailored to the specific athlete. Coach Carr has done an incredible job with player development, and you can see the players getting better in all areas of the game. “
Key Players
Sophomore Tess Heal leads the Broncos, scoring 19.1 points per game on 48% shooting from the field and 36% from beyond the arc.
“Tess brings consistency and her work ethic,” Coach Carr said. “She has improved her leadership this season as well.”
Last year, as a freshman, Heal was named WCC Newcomer of the Year, First Team All-WCC, and Freshman All-WCC, in addition to taking home a conference record of 12 WCC Freshman of the Week nods. It was the program’s first individual conference award in 17 years.
Heal believes team chemistry is a big reason for the turnaround this season.
“We have a new group of girls who are all super close-knit and love being around each other,” Heal said. “I think that is the main difference between this year and last, the team chemistry.”
The sophomore enters every game looking to win and working hard on defense to lead her team to victory.
“My mentality for this year was very much focused around winning, Heal said. “Getting better every day and maximizing this team’s potential are the key things I dialed in on this season.
My approach to every game is simply to work as hard as I possibly can, lock in defensively, and play my game,” Heal added. “I don’t focus on scoring points or never making mistakes because I find that only weighs me down. Instead, I focus on the things I can control and let the game flow.”
Olivia Pollerd is the Broncos’ second-leading scorer, with 14.9 points per game. She shoots 49% from the field and 45% from three-point land. Pollerd has also improved on the defensive end, with 38 blocks and 24 steals.
“I think my game has improved in a few different areas this year.,” Pollerd said. “My confidence has improved dramatically in comparison to last year, which has helped my game hugely. My defense has improved a lot, which has been important as our team’s defense is so important.. Finally, I think I have and am continuing to improve my inside-outside game and not just rely on my shot, which has pushed me to be a more versatile offensive player. All of these improvements have stemmed from me working a lot on these areas over spring and fall with my coaches and getting shots up on my own outside of practice.”
Pollerd also believes that chemistry influenced Santa Clara women’s basketball success this season.
“I think that our connection on the court has dramatically improved as the season has gone on, and because of this, it has allowed us to play together,” Pollerd said.
Pollerd thinks the backbone of the team is their defense.
“Our defense gets better every week,” Pollerd said. “I think that is the backbone of this team in that our energy, offense, and flow of the game all stems from the defensive end. As a team, we’ve done a great job buying into how important defense is and listening/following the principles set by the coaching staff.”
Santa Clara women’s basketball ends the season against Pacific on Saturday before they get ready for the WCC Tournament. If the Broncos continue to defend, they could make a run in the WCC Tournament and hopefully get into the NCAA Tournament.
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