MOSCOW Idaho, - The University of Idaho Women's Basketball team participated in the 2020 Big Sky Digital Media day Wednesday, airing on Pluto TV. The segment featured an interview with Head Coach Jon Newlee and rising sophomore Beyonce Bea.

Earlier this week the Big Sky announced the preseason poll and the preseason all-conference team.

Gina Marxen and Beyonce Bea were both selected to the preseason all-conference team as voted on by both the coaches and media.

"I think it is great and well deserved for the years they had last season," said Jon Newlee. "You still have to live up to it. It's all talk right now so they have a lot to go out and prove on the floor, but I think they are both up for that challenge."

The Vandals were also picked to finish No. 1 in both the coaches' and media polls, garnering 91 total points in the coaches' poll and 221 in the media poll.

"I think it certainly is a show of respect for our program," said Head Coach Jon Newlee. "These polls I think are always a reflection of how last year went and who you lost. We lost a couple of really great seniors, but I think we have also gained some great new players as well. It's going to be my challenge to put that altogether and have a great year like we had last year."

Last season ended abruptly for the Vandals as the season was cut short just before the Big Sky Conference Championship game due to COVID-19.

"The situation couldn't of been worse," said Newlee. "It was a punch to the gut. We were getting ready to go to the NCAA tournament. We thought we had a pretty good shot at that. To have that taken away was rough. It was hard on everybody. The months have gone by now, we know it's a new season and it's time to focus on what we have in front of us and not what we have behind us."

"You can't take anything granted. You have to play every game like it's your last and give it your all," said Bea. "I think we are going into the season with that mindset and are all really excited to get back on the court."

In addition to Bea and Marxen the Vandals will be looking for other players to step up this season and fill the gaps left from Lizzy Klinker and Isabelle Hadden who graduated in the spring. Senior Natalie Klinker, the Vandals' leading rebounder from a year ago, will step into to a bigger role.

"I think Natalie Klinker is the hardest worker on our team," said Newlee. "I told her 'you have to step up vocally now' and I think she has done a great job of that so far."

Klinker is not the only senior for the Vandals this season. She is joined by Allison Kirby, Nina Carlson and graduate transfer Gabi Harrington, all of whom will assume leadership roles.

"Allison Kirby is feeling as good as she has since she's been here," said Newlee. "I think she will bring that leadership along with Nina Carlson. Our seniors have been in the program all these years now and they understand what it takes leadership wise. They've had great role models with [Isabelle] and Lizzy last year. They all understand what their roles are and what they need to bring to the program."

Newlee and his staff reloaded the Vandals roster in the offseason adding in two transfers and two freshmen. The Vandals brought in graduate transfer Gabi Harrington who spent the last four years at the University of Montana, playing in 89 games, to go along with Rylee Alexander a transfer from Pratt Community College.
 
Along with the transfers Idaho welcomes two highly touted freshmen in Sydney Gandy and Paris Atchley. Gandy, from Orangewood Academy in California, was named the CIF Division 2AA Player of the Year last year. Atchley, from La Jolla Country Day School in California, was part of the No. 1 high school team in the country with a 32-1 record. La Jolla was named the 2019-20 National Champion by Maxpreps.com.
Idaho finished the season 22-9 and 15-5 in the Big Sky while finishing the season on a seven-game win streak.

A big reason for the success in 2019-20 was defense. Idaho finished as the number one defensive team in the Big Sky Conference, allowing just 58.8 points per game last season. In addition, Idaho took care of the ball averaging just 11.4 turnovers per game, a conference best.

"I think we are going to be a really strong team defensively again this year," said Bea. "I think offensively we will be an efficient team, reducing those turnovers and being able to share the ball with everyone. I think we have a lot of players who are capable of being offensive threats for us."

"We are very excited to get things going, get our season back, and gain some sense of normalcy," said Nelwee. "When we are out on the floor, we don't think about COVID, then you go out into the world you see all that is going on. All I know is our team is fired up, ready to go, and I can't wait for the season to start."
 
The Vandals will begin Big Sky Conference play on Dec. 3 as Sacramento State travels to Moscow.

"It's nice to be back and looking more normal," said Bea. "Having that start date set in our minds is nice so we have something to look forward to and work hard for."

Idaho's non-conference schedule is to be announced.

 Ticket information will be available at a later date.

Stay up to date with Idaho Women's Basketball at GoVandals.com or on twitter @vandalswbb 

Head Coach Jon Newlee


Sophomore Beyonce Bea