The Gators women's basketball team this season is sporting a new look: a more transition game led with team chemistry.

Chemistry is now the team's main focus. With a large group of freshman coming in and seniors finishing, the divide is strong.

"It's about team chemistry and age shouldn't be a difference," said team captain Andrea Ohlssen, 22.

Split down the middle, Head Coach Joaquin Wallace's goals is putting everything and everyone together.

"We have aspirations of winning a conference," Wallace said. "We have to play hard in order to prove ourselves; I want other teams to say: 'Oh we're playing San Francisco State University.'"

Last season was one where the women faced a lack of team chemistry and bad vibes. Hoping to exercise these demons, the team plans to transform their past reputation into a tougher group of players by being more unified as a family. Two-hour practices are held five days a week where the girls are taught discipline and encouraged to have fun.

"Chemistry's gotten better, because we started early and got to know each other's personalities," added senior Donisha Tate, 21.

"We have very high expectations this year, because we have a boat load of seniors and I think it's really good, because the freshman will have a lot of people to look up to," first-year captain Dominique Hunter, 19 said.

This season's team is comprised of new individuals: eight freshman, seven seniors and recently hired top assistant coach, Blair Hardiek, former point guard and captain for the University of Missouri.

With a résumé of honored credentials, Hardiek can contribute to getting the team to the California Collegiate Athletic Association Conference championship.

"We're striving to make it further this year, hopefully making it to the championships," Tate said.

Coach Wallace is working on building his team to be more fundamentally sound.
"With bigger and older competition, our obstacles are understanding size, speed, and keeping up with the tempo; it's a huge adjustment."

The team will be traveling to Anaheim to compete in a three-day Disney Division II West Coast Tip-Off Classic. The Gators kick off the tourney Oct. 30 against Fort Lewis College at 2:30 p.m. The next two days, the women face the University of Southern Indiana and Western Oregon University.

Though the Gators tip off their season this Friday, the women are already focused on hosting their major rival Cal Poly Pomona on Jan. 22, in what may turn out to be their game of the year.

"We must match the intensity to other teams and compete every game," fifth-year coach Wallace said. "Every night is a rival for us."