Ball State women's basketball enters 2022-23 season with MAC Championship aspirations

MUNCIE, Ind. — It's clear what Ball State women's basketball has its eyes set on this season.

After falling four points short to Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament championship a season ago, the Cardinals want to win the tournament and clinch an NCAA Tournament bid for the first time since 2009.

It's a lofty goal but head coach Brady Sallee believes its one this group is capable of achieve. Sallee has had some good teams in his 10 seasons at Ball State. He's guided the Cardinals to seven Women's National Invitation Tournaments and five 20-plus win seasons. He's coached some of the program's best all-time players, including its all-time leaders in scoring, rebounds and assists.

As Sallee looked around the gym at his 12 players just days before Ball State's season opener at Tennessee Tech, he said "we're good enough to win this thing, there's no doubt."

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"I think this team checks all the boxes," Sallee said. "I don't look out here and go, 'Oh man, if we run up against a team that does this.' We have size, we have athleticism, clearly we can shoot the ball. ... I've had some good teams here and this one checks the boxes. We can do this."

During the preseason, Sallee's only issue was making sure Ball State didn't get too far ahead of itself. Sure, by the time March comes around the Cardinals want to be in a position to win the MAC Tournament. But Sallee knows as well as anyone there's a lot of small steps to accomplish before then. There were times he had to remind his players of that, as well.

Ball State was picked to finish second in the MAC behind almost unanimous preseason favorite Toledo in the MAC coaches preseason poll. You could probably guess who the lone coach was to pick the Cardinals to finish first.

There's a reason for Sallee to be confident. The Cardinals return sophomore Ally Becki, a preseason first team All-MAC selection, who averaged 11.1 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season. Redshirt senior Anna Clephane, who was shooting 50% from the field and 45.2% from 3 while averaging 16.2 points per game before tearing her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) early in conference play last year, is back.

Senior Estel Puiggros, a complimentary piece to last year's team, has recently been cleared after sustaining an injury in the MAC Tournament last season. Graduate Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, a 3-point specialist who averaged 10.9 points per game and senior Annie Rauch (6.6 points, 3.6 rebounds) and sophomore Marie Kiefer (6.3 points, 5.5 rebounds) return, as well, in addition to sophomore Madelyn Bischoff.

"We got Anna back now and we’re waiting on Estel, she got cleared a couple days ago, so that’s exciting," Becki said. "I mean, we almost have all our pieces and just, like, Thelma coming back, I mean, the team’s going to be good this year. I’m very confident in us and excited to see what we have for the future.”

There are also a handful of newcomers on this year's roster. Senior Sydney Shafer (Western Michigan) and sophomore Alex Richard (Butler) transferred in while Hana Mühl (Croatia), Ana Barreto (Portugal) and Sydney Bolden (Loganville, Georgia) make up the freshmen class.

At one point in the offseason, Sallee said there was an even split of newcomers and veterans practicing with Clephane and Puiggros sidelined. Finding a way to mesh those new faces, bring them up to speed with some of the returners has been a slower process, but one Sallee expected. He also expects those newcomers to play a significant role this season.

"I've been excited about all five of them in different ways but they are going to make a huge impact for us this year," Sallee said. "They've got the makeup to do it. Luckily, with the returners we have, we don't have to be in a huge hurry.

"... I think by the time we get to January, they'll all be rocking and rolling."

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Playing your best when conference play rolls around is always the goal. While Sallee said he had to pull his team, which is eager to prove what it can do in the MAC Tournament, back a bit this offseason, he's confident they'll respond.

The biggest different this season, Sallee said, has been Ball State's effort defensively. If the Cardinals, who averaged 71.4 points per game, 52nd in the nation, can blend its offensive production with a stronger defense, who knows what this team will be capable of in an always competitive MAC.

But Ball State's season MAC Championship bid ended with a four-point loss in Cleveland last season. The focus, Clephane said, has been on finding ways to get five points better.

"I think we're all looking for a MAC Champ(ionship) this year," Clephane said. "That's where our headspace is at. We know that we can do it, so it's just working every day to make small adjustments to get there. We don't have to be there right now, but I think we're in a good space to progress toward that."

Robby General covers Ball State and East Central Indiana high school sports for The Star Press. Contact him via email at rgeneral@gannett.com or on Twitter @rgeneraljr.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State women's basketball has its eyes set on a MAC Championship