Pima women's basketball coach Greta Naranjo shuns talk about her team's record last season.
The Aztecs went 1-29, earning their only victory, 66-64, against Phoenix College on Jan. 18.
"I try to not even dwell on it," Naranjo said. "It's something we'd like to forget about. We're more motivated with what's going on now and getting better and really getting started to play."
With just three sophomores on last season's team, Pima struggled because of youth and lack of experience.
Naranjo said her team also struggled with spacing on the court because the west campus gym was closed until late October. The Aztecs practiced before the season on a smaller court at a Boys and Girls Club.
"We at least had a place to practice, but it's a different size court and so that affected the spacing and court awareness," Naranjo said. "But I don't want to use those as excuses because they're not. We just didn't execute."
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Now with a good balance of eight freshmen and six sophomores, the Aztecs are feeling positive about the new season.
"I'm excited. I can't wait," said sophomore forward Elizabeth Medina, a Palo Verde High School product. "I see a lot of initiative in our freshmen, and as sophomores we're trying really hard to communicate with them and encourage them."
Leadership could be a bigger strength on the team. Five players return from last season.
"We have good numbers," Naranjo said. "We can separate the sophomores and the freshmen and pair them up and wean them into the drills. That has really helped this group jell and bring the intensity and the cohesiveness. That's why this team is really playing so well right now and believing in itself."
Unlike last season, the Aztecs also will be able to call upon a true point guard in sophomore Jessica Ingraham, a Canyon del Oro graduate, allowing sophomore Tiffany Valenzuela to focus on shooting. Valenzuela, a Flowing Wells graduate, averaged 6.7 points a game.
"We've shown how intense and how hard we can work in practice," Valenzuela said. "We go a lot harder and are a lot more positive than last year."
Other key contributors include freshman forward Jolene Hurd (Cienega), who Naranjo said will provide aggressiveness, and freshman post player Karla Moriel (Palo Verde), who can score inside, but is the team's tallest player at 5 feet, 11 inches.
"We have a lot of speed," Naranjo said, "but not a lot of height."
PIMA schedule
NOVEMBER
7 Tue Southwestern 5:30 p.m.
11 Sat New Mexico JC 2 p.m.
29 Wed Arizona Western* 5:30 p.m.
DECEMBER
2 Sat at Chandler-Gilbert* 5:30 p.m.
6 Wed at Mesa* 5:30 p.m.
9 Sat Glendale* 5:30 p.m.
11 Mon at Southwestern 5 p.m.
13 Wed Central Arizona* 5:30 p.m.
15 Fri at Yavapai* 5:30 p.m.
18 Mon Louisiana State University-Eunice 6 p.m.
JANUARY
8 Mon Howard CC 4 p.m.
10 Wed at Phoenix* 5:30 p.m.
13 Sat Cochise* 5:30 p.m.
17 Wed at South Mountain* 5:30 p.m.
20 Sat Scottsdale* 5:30 p.m.
24 Wed Eastern Arizona* 5:30 p.m.
27 Sat at Arizona Western* 5:30 p.m.
31 Wed Chandler-Gilbert* 5:30 p.m.
FEBRUARY
3 Sat Mesa* 5:30 p.m.
7 Wed at Glendale* 5:30 p.m.
10 Sat at Central Arizona* 5:30 p.m.
14 Wed Yavapai* 5:30 p.m.
17 Sat Phoenix* 5:30 p.m.
21 Wed at Cochise* 5:30 p.m.
24 Sat South Mountain* 5:30 p.m.
27 Tue at Scottsdale* 5:30 p.m.
MARCH
2 Fri at Eastern Arizona* 5:30 p.m.
*ACCAC conference game
