Dani Wright is set for her first season as the Lady Cats’ head basketball coach.
Much of the offseason and summer was about learning. Wright, along with husband and assistant coach David, have been getting to know the players and their personalities on and off the court. Ahead of the start of official practices in October, the Cats focused on the basics along with strength training and conditioning.
“There was a lot of teaching with the kids, learning my lingo and what we teach. It was about learning about the kids and getting to know who they are and seeing what they’re capable of,” Wright said. “It was a fun summer and a good bonding summer and good for them to earn my trust so we can accomplish these things now. We were working a lot of shooting and a lot of speed and agility training.
“They’re a hardworking group who have been giving me everything they’ve got. They’ve been emptying their tanks. As a coach, I can’t ask for anything more. There’s been a learning curve with what has been taught recently compared to what we’re doing now, but they’re very coachable getting down that new muscle memory.”
There are 22 players in the program, which includes 12 on varsity. Since convening for in-season practice last month, much of the focus has been on defense. That is where Wright wants to see the Lady Cats excel.
“The past couple weeks, it’s been a lot of defense so far,” Wright said. “We’ve been working offense, too, and working on strategy. With the intrasquad scrimmage, we’re already starting to tweak stuff a little bit because they are catching on so well. A lot of what we’ve been doing is full court, running , transition and defense.”
With defense at the forefront of the Cats’ mission, Wright plans to be adaptive and flexible based on each opponent. They will alter their strategy and try to neutralize what opposing teams do best.
“I love scouting, and all the coaches I played for and worked for, really schemed,” Wright said. “It’s fun; who are you going to zone in on and limit? I really like that part about basketball, running different schemes based on what teams have. We run three different full-court presses, and even the other night (in the scrimmage versus Copper Basin), we threw in a new defense we never did, and the girls did really well with that.”
The Cats will be looking for their offense to catch up to their defense in the early weeks of the season. Gilmer will push the pace to try and take advantage of transition baskets.
“Offensively, we do a lot of read and react,” Wright said. “We do have set plays, but I don’t want the girls to be so focused on a set play because then they’re just focused on the play instead of just being a ball player as well. We have installed quite a few offenses, but they’re still learning them, too. I want them to be ball players and understand to keep the gym like a classroom.”
Two days ahead of their first game, Wright noted the starting five was still a work in progress. Some players she mentioned who are likely to see the court are senior guards Anna Waddell and Charley Poteet and sophomore Aliza Chastain. Sophomore Madison Bradshaw and junior Lucy Ray will play in the post.
“I’m expecting them to give me energy and effort every day and to do the dirty work that people really don’t like to do,” Wright said. “Everyone likes to score, and I’m expecting us to do things like rebounding, taking a charge, playing defense and getting on the floor after loose balls.”
This year, a 35-second shot clock will be fully implemented across all games including the regular and postseason. It was used a season ago in region games but not beyond the regular season.
Gilmer had its playoff run snapped last season. GHS will play in a slightly different region after North Hall and Cherokee Bluff were placed in larger classifications. Entering the region are Wesleyan and Pickens. Of course, with defending state champion Lumpkin County in the region as well, Wright and the Cats will have their work cut out for themselves.
“I’ve watched a lot of them play. I watched Lumpkin play quite a few times and have coached against Wesleyan’s head coach,” Wright said. “We got to see White this summer, and I’ve only seen Pickens on film. It’s going to be a bloodbath; it’s a tough region.”
Cats open season with loss
Gilmer’s season opener versus Copper Basin got off to a rough start.
Gilmer struggled offensively last Saturday to begin the game and played from behind all evening. The Cats finally got their offense rolling in the third and fourth quarters, but their rally fell just short in a 49-46 loss.
The Cats’ high-pressure defense was there to force steals in the first half, but they often turned into missed GHS layups. Gilmer only managed three points in the opening period, and a trio of Cougar three pointers gave CBHS the spark it needed in the second.
Gilmer fell behind 28-10 at halftime before its offense caught fire in the third. GHS went on a 15-2 run to begin the quarter as both Poteet and Chastain hit a pair of threes. Amayah Jones and Lucy Ray both contributed four points, and CBHS clung to a 37-33 lead with a quarter remaining.
GHS got as close as two points, down 37-35 with 6:46 to play. However, CBHS was able to push its lead back to 45-38 with 3:50 on the clock.
While Gilmer’s offense cooled in the fourth, Chastain stayed hot. She scored eight of her team leading 14 points in the quarter, but her final shot with only seconds remaining missed, and the Cougars escaped with a rare tipoff tournament win.
Poteet joined Chastain in double figures with 11 points.
The Lady Cats hosted Fannin County at press deadline and wrapped up the tournament Tuesday versus Pickens.