For the first time in 14 years, the Nebraska women’s basketball team will be coached by someone other than Connie Yori.
Coach Amy Williams, who coached South Dakota the past four seasons, enters the 2016-2017 season with a roster full of young players. Nebraska has only two returning seniors with the addition of a third transfer senior.
Guard Janay Morton comes to Lincoln from Eastern Michigan where she was a 2016 Third-Team All-MAC member, but will sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.
NU also added sophomore guard Bria Stallworth after the departure of former guard Natalie Romeo.
At UMASS, Stallworth led all Atlantic 10 freshmen with 13 points per game. She will also sit out this season due to NCAA transfer rules.
Nebraska turns to sophomore forward Jessica Shepard to lead the team back to an NCAA tournament berth, after NU missed a bid last season.
“I sat down with the coaches, and I know what they expect me to be for this team this season,” Shepard said.
With Romeo’s departure, NU loses its biggest three-point threat. Romeo shot 42 percent from beyond the arc.
In the offseason, Shepard added another skill to her game.
“I spent a good amount of time working on three-point shots and elbow shots,” Shepard said.
Shepard led NU with 19 points and nine rebounds per game last season. She enters this season on the Preseason All-Big Ten team, among other accolades she previously received.
Junior guard Jasmine Cincore expects to also take on more of leadership role, after coming on strong toward the end of last season.
“With age and experience come responsibility,” Cincore said. “It’s been great to be an upperclassman and show the freshmen by example.”
Cincore averaged seven points, three rebounds, two assists and one steal last season for the Huskers’ final 10 games.
She also said she added a lot of pull-up jumpers to her game and worked on maintaining a consistent outside shot. Cincore wanted to focus on coming off of screens and shooting with fluidity.
“As the season went on last year, I went a from zero percent three-point shooter my freshman year to 40 percent last year,” Cincore said.
Nebraska’s starting five has not been announced by Williams yet, and Cincore said the guards will be interchangeable, giving opportunities to eight of the Huskers’ 14 team members.
“The coaches are trying to push the ball any way we can,” Shepard said.
She also said she still has the ability to run the floor in transition, which is something she excelled at last season.
The Huskers return eight players from last season, and have four new freshmen: guard Rylie Cascio Jessen, guard Nicea Eliely, guard/forward Grace Mitchell and guard Hannah Whitish.
Returning Huskers are senior center Allie Havers, senior guard Ester Ramacieri, sophomore forward Rachel Blackburn, sophomore Maddie Simon, junior guard Emily Wood.
NU loses guard Rachel Theriot who averaged 11 points per game and forward Anya Kalenta who averaged four points.
The Huskers went 18-13 overall and 9-9 in the Big Ten last season. NU received a bid to the National Invitation Tournatment, but lost in the first round to Northern Iowa.
Nebraska begins its season on Nov. 6 in an exhibition game against Southwest Baptist at 2 p.m. at Pinnacle Bank Arena.