Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus San Diego State on February 4, 2026 , Win , 57, to, 44
W Basketball
vs San Diego State
W 57-44
Grand Canyon University Athletics
Lopes look ahead to not get behind
10/22/2021 9:06:00 AM | Women's Basketball, Paul Coro
NCAA tourney denial fuels fire as GCU focuses on future
It is not that Grand Canyon women's basketball is not willing to look back. The 18-7 record, first WAC Tournament championship game trip and national top-five defensive rankings brought delight.
The Lopes just are not going to stare or linger much on the idea of how a pair of canceled regular-season games cost them a NCAA tournament bid last season.
The returnees will play with that chip in head coach Molly Miller's second season at GCU, where she and her staff have reloaded the Lopes with more talent that accentuates her pressure-defense, uptempo-offense system.
"The motivation is how important every single game is," Miller said at a WAC media day. "You drop one and that could potentially determine your fate. The lesson learned there is you have to come in and take care of business every single day.
"We have a mission. We do believe in this team. I think this can be one of the best teams to come through GCU. We have realistic goals of chasing a championship this year."
That becomes more difficult in the WAC this season, which the Lopes begin with an Oct. 28 exhibition before their Nov. 10 regular-season opener at GCU Arena.
Miller's style made a quick impression last season, putting the Lopes on the cusp of the program's first NCAA Division I tournament appearance.
GCU ranked second in the nation for steals per game (13.4) and turnover margin per game (plus-8.4) and finished fourth for opponent turnovers per game (23.3).
"It's all the kids and their buy-in," Miller said. "Here, a stranger is coming in telling them how to play basketball. I was just really fortunate to inherit a group and then add some additions that really believed in what we could do and the potential.
"Making school history, the first time in the WAC Conference championship, we're looking to build upon that and I think we can. I think we're going to get better even as the season progresses with this group. We're already deeper and a little bit better."
The Lopes return three starters in graduate Ny'dajah Jackson, senior Tiarra Brown and junior Taylor Caldwell and key reserves in seniors Tianna Brown and Kennedi Shorts.
The eye-opening offseason addition was guard Amara Graham, last season's WAC scoring champion for UT Rio Grande Valley. She was part of the "WAC Basketball Preview" for the second consecutive year, but having a much different preseason experience with GCU.
"Just the competitiveness of every single day in practice," Graham said of the difference. "Every drill. You cannot take any plays, any time off in our practices. It's upbeat. It's high intensity at all times."
The Chicago native is a 37% 3-point shooter over her four-year career, capping her UTRGV time by averaging 16.5 points in 38.1 minutes per game last season.
"I just know her leadership is so valuable to us," Miller said of Graham. "She's been there, done that. I've even challenged her. We know you can shoot the ball. We know you can play offense. Let's see if you can level up your game a little bit with the defensive mentality. That's what I love about the competitor in her. She could've probably cruised, but she wants to challenge herself this year."
Graham already felt what GCU does defensively last season, but now she can benefit from being on the other end of it.
The Lopes play off their turnovers with free flow and motion that reacts to how fastbreaks develop. Graham can pair up at the top to create those opportunities with Caldwell, who ranked third in the WAC with 2.56 steals per game last season.
Caldwell missed the 2019-20 season for knee rehabilitation, but she returned last season to start every game and feels more athletic without a knee brace this season.
"Physically, I never thought I would be the same after I tore my ACL, but this year has proven to me that I can be as fast, as quick and as agile as I was before my ACL tear," Caldwell said.
Caldwell was scrolling Twitter recently when she spotted a post about California Baptist receiving its WAC championship rings. The fire she already held got stoked.
"We're really trying to prove something this season," Caldwell said. "Last year was our first year, so this season we should really accomplish some big things."
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The Lopes just are not going to stare or linger much on the idea of how a pair of canceled regular-season games cost them a NCAA tournament bid last season.
The returnees will play with that chip in head coach Molly Miller's second season at GCU, where she and her staff have reloaded the Lopes with more talent that accentuates her pressure-defense, uptempo-offense system.
"The motivation is how important every single game is," Miller said at a WAC media day. "You drop one and that could potentially determine your fate. The lesson learned there is you have to come in and take care of business every single day.
"We have a mission. We do believe in this team. I think this can be one of the best teams to come through GCU. We have realistic goals of chasing a championship this year."
That becomes more difficult in the WAC this season, which the Lopes begin with an Oct. 28 exhibition before their Nov. 10 regular-season opener at GCU Arena.
Miller's style made a quick impression last season, putting the Lopes on the cusp of the program's first NCAA Division I tournament appearance.
GCU ranked second in the nation for steals per game (13.4) and turnover margin per game (plus-8.4) and finished fourth for opponent turnovers per game (23.3).
"It's all the kids and their buy-in," Miller said. "Here, a stranger is coming in telling them how to play basketball. I was just really fortunate to inherit a group and then add some additions that really believed in what we could do and the potential.
"Making school history, the first time in the WAC Conference championship, we're looking to build upon that and I think we can. I think we're going to get better even as the season progresses with this group. We're already deeper and a little bit better."
The Lopes return three starters in graduate Ny'dajah Jackson, senior Tiarra Brown and junior Taylor Caldwell and key reserves in seniors Tianna Brown and Kennedi Shorts.
The eye-opening offseason addition was guard Amara Graham, last season's WAC scoring champion for UT Rio Grande Valley. She was part of the "WAC Basketball Preview" for the second consecutive year, but having a much different preseason experience with GCU."Just the competitiveness of every single day in practice," Graham said of the difference. "Every drill. You cannot take any plays, any time off in our practices. It's upbeat. It's high intensity at all times."
The Chicago native is a 37% 3-point shooter over her four-year career, capping her UTRGV time by averaging 16.5 points in 38.1 minutes per game last season.
"I just know her leadership is so valuable to us," Miller said of Graham. "She's been there, done that. I've even challenged her. We know you can shoot the ball. We know you can play offense. Let's see if you can level up your game a little bit with the defensive mentality. That's what I love about the competitor in her. She could've probably cruised, but she wants to challenge herself this year."
Graham already felt what GCU does defensively last season, but now she can benefit from being on the other end of it.The Lopes play off their turnovers with free flow and motion that reacts to how fastbreaks develop. Graham can pair up at the top to create those opportunities with Caldwell, who ranked third in the WAC with 2.56 steals per game last season.
Caldwell missed the 2019-20 season for knee rehabilitation, but she returned last season to start every game and feels more athletic without a knee brace this season.
"Physically, I never thought I would be the same after I tore my ACL, but this year has proven to me that I can be as fast, as quick and as agile as I was before my ACL tear," Caldwell said.
Caldwell was scrolling Twitter recently when she spotted a post about California Baptist receiving its WAC championship rings. The fire she already held got stoked.
"We're really trying to prove something this season," Caldwell said. "Last year was our first year, so this season we should really accomplish some big things."
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Players Mentioned
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