WAC favorites try out new label for Preview Day

The Grand Canyon women's basketball team had not done much more than sleep on being named the WAC preseason favorite Sunday night before they were speaking Monday morning as the team to watch on the WAC Women's Basketball Preview Day.

GCU fourth-year head coach Molly Miller and Preseason All-WAC Team honorees Tiarra Brown and Trinity San Antonio represented the Lopes on the conference show three weeks before their regular season starts.

"It's a great testament to our progress and right now on paper it looks nice, but you've got to do work between the lines and that's what we're doing right now," Miller said of being favored.

"We've got a target on our back, and I think right now for us to think that it's going to be easy is a false statement. Everybody has big goals in this conference. I guess our theme throughout the year is going to be 'Prove it.' "

Picked narrowly over defending champion Southern Utah, the Lopes are seeking their first set of WAC championship rings with Brown heading a strong returning core and San Antonio leading eight Division I transfers.

The faces change, but the style does not after three consecutives seasons with Miller's high-pressure defense putting GCU in the top four nationally for steals per game. Last season's 21-10 team averaged 12.6 thefts per game with Brown averaging 2.0.

Tiarra Brown

"I think it keeps us going," Brown said of the perpetual defensive intensity. "It's a risk that brings us a lot of success. You have to bring your all every time because you know that it brings us success every time."

Because most of the roster is new, Miller said she intentionally delayed installing the defense this summer because of how difficult it can be to run offense against it.

"Our offense is so far ahead of the game right now that we still have to do 'Camp Lockdown' a lot every day for that defensive mentality," Miller said.

The increased roster depth feeds into the uptempo desire even more with the belief they can wear out opponents in waves of talent. That also means established players sacrificing minutes at times for the greater good.

"It will give back to you 10-fold," Miller said. "I think this team is mature in that aspect, but role definition is crucial. Opportunity is going to be there with the style we play. It's not 'Will your opportunity come?' It's 'Are you ready when your opportunity comes?'

"We just have to have that focus and mentality that any given night, it could be my night. Otherwise, we're going to win with whoever is the star that night and be each other's biggest cheerleaders."

San Antonio led California Baptist with 14.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.3 steals per game last season, but the junior guard came to GCU wanting more than the stat line.

"Mainly the quality of life stirred my way towards Grand Canyon," San Antonio said. "I feel like I can be a person and a player. Sometimes, that's overlooked in the game of basketball when you talk about mental health and things like that. Finding who I am outside of basketball helps me become who I am inside of basketball."

With Brown and San Antonio teaming up as the only Preseason All-WAC Team duo, Miller joked that she can forget to coach when she is entertained by watching them play together in practices. Brown was Miller's original GCU recruit, bringing 69 career starts into her fourth season out of Spanaway, Washington.

"She's so consistent," Miller said of Brown. "She is our motor. You never question how hard she's going to play. She's going to leave it out there and empty the tank. She just understands the system, and she's a great fit for the system. She can play anywhere on the court, any position and guard any position."

Miller said this is her most talented team and her deepest roster but also called it her "most connected" team. That instant chemistry has been on display in the offseason, including in the mayhem of a full GCU Arena for many of the players' first "Midnight Madness" earlier this month.

"The energy is amazing," San Antonio said. "I've never seen so many students come out and it be just a collective unit for everybody to come and celebrate each other. It was really fun getting to interact with the men's team and getting to see all the Havocs and all the crazies and being on the good side this time. Coming here is one of the hardest gyms to play in because of the environment. Knowing that the environment has my back is a new profound feeling that I like."

Grand Canyon University Athletics

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Tiarra Brown

Trinity San Antonio

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