Maren Walseth is entering her fourth season in charge of the women’s basketball program. The team improved last year by making an appearance in the Summit League tournament. This season, they’ll look to improve on that accomplishment by implementing a new style of Bison basketball.
You can listen to an interview with Walseth on the Bison Illustrated Podcast. The interview begins at the 37-minute mark.
Bringing a new style to the court
Coach Walseth: “You’ve heard from me since Day One here wanting to play an up-tempo game and that takes the right people and the right skillsets and the right amount of experience, so it’s been a work in progress since I got here. With that in mind and being able to recruit different players, we were able to change from more of a set-oriented group to a more motion. There are five different motions that all look a little bit different, but the theme with all of them is to be a willing decoy, to be a willing shooter and be a willing passer. So there are things that we see in practice that I don’t know what’s going to happen every single time down the floor, and I’m okay with that because we’re putting them in 3-on-3 and 4-on-4 situations where they’re using their high basketball IQ. They’re being instinctual.”
Finding this team’s identity
Coach Walseth: “Whether it’s an extra pass or picking up somebody off the ground or a high five, and being willing to do what’s best for the team rather than what’s best for ourselves. I think we see that more and more every day in practice and that starts with the leadership of Sarah (Jacobson) and her sophomore teammates, and it starts with Taylor (Thunstedt) as well, being willing to pass up a good shot for somebody to get a great shot. We’re never going to arrive there. We’re always going to be a work in progress. But I like the direction we’re going, the chemistry that we have and the selflessness that we’re demonstrating.”
Senior guard Taylor Thunstedt on the new style
“It’s allowing us a lot more freedom, a lot more versatility with the players that we have and getting us to do what we’re good at more. It allows us to have more freedom and do what we’re capable of. I really like it so far.”
Watch the Bison
November
Friday, 10 – Mayville State – 5 p.m.
Sunday, 12 – NJIT – 1 p.m.
Friday, 17 – UMass – 7 p.m.
Sunday, 19 – Valley City State – 2 p.m.
