After four conference games, the women’s basketball team has posted a margin of victory that may tell one tale. The defending WAC champions lay claim to a 4-0 mark and have won those games by an average of 26.5 points per game. The tightest victory, an 11-point home win against Texas-Pan American.
These Vandals are every bit as good as the ones that triumphed in the 2013 WAC Tournament — probably better.
They’ll hardly be challenged by the Chicago States and New Mexico States of the conference, and will still be glaring favorites when Seattle U and Grand Canyon come to town.
Yet with a season-ending injury to freshman point guard Karlee Wilson, depth on the Vandal bench may be a point of concern for Idaho and quite possibly the only major concern the team has going forward.
The team boasts a starting five that rivals any in the WAC. And barring injury to any of those five, the Vandals should be poised to chalk up 10-12 more conference wins before tournament play starts.
However, the early blow to Wilson is indicative of the fact that no team is invincible to injury.
Idaho shouldn’t worry as much about its frontcourt depth. Six-footers Brooke Reilly and Maren Austgulen average a pedestrian seven points and seven rebounds per game — statistics that aren’t very concerning considering the productivity of starter Ali Forde.
But it’s Idaho’s backcourt that may need to be a bit more cautious. Connie Ballestero bolsters the point guard spot and fellow guards Stacey Barr and Christina Salvatore average 26 points together.
Wilson relieved Ballestero at the point and Addie Schivo, a senior guard, comes in for almost 22 minutes a game. Without Wilson, the only other option at the guard spot appears to be Agueda Trujillo Fernandez, a freshman from Spain who has just 20 points on the season.
A year ago, the team relied heavily on the duties of Krissy Karr, a sophomore who played 24 minutes per game and most recognized for a game-winning jumper in the first round of the 2013 conference tournament.
Karr, quintessential to the team’s championship run, is no longer with the program.
Leading the WAC in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio, Ballestero is of high value to Newlee, not to mention the two Vandals averaging north of 15 points per game.
The injury factor is one concern and the fatigue factor is another. The team’s remaining conference schedule will see the Vandals play five more games on the road and 11 total before the regular season concludes on March 6.
For a team that doesn’t appear to have many wrinkles on the surface, the depth is a hidden flaw and one that could emerge down the road.
Theo Lawson can be reached at [email protected]