By Brad Welborn, Northwestern State Assistant Sports Information Director; featured photo by Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services
LINCOLN, Neb. – Northwestern State will waste no time in challenging itself in the 2023-24 season.
For the first time in 40 years the Demons play their first three games of the season on the road and for the first time since the start of the 1988-89 season the first two opponents come from Power 5 conferences.
“I think it’s important for our player to see the highest level and see it early,” fourth-year head coach Anna Nimz said. “It’s going to allow us to critique what we did well, what we need to fix and what’s going to push us into that first more evenly matched opponent.
“But aside from taking on three really good teams to start the season we’re going to get to spend a lot of time together and grow as a family. You do that on the court, but you need that time together off the court to help those connection on it.”
The opening-day game for the Demons against Nebraska, set for a 12 p.m. tip and streaming on B1G+, is the first stop on a week-long trip that will also take the team to Kansas and Tulsa before returning to Natchitoches.
The challenge of the opponent and the trip only adds to the excitement level for Nimz as she begins her fourth season in Natchitoches with a group of player that, for the first time in her career, she’s had the chance to coach for more than two seasons.
“I’m excited to get things going,” Nimz said. “The girls have been working hard since July, not only on the basketball side of things but learning how to come together. Learning how to lead. Learning how to follow. Learning how to get everybody on the same page.”
NSU welcomes eight newcomers to the team this season, but it has been the group of six returners who enter their third year as Demons that have given Nimz, the staff and those newcomers a leg up in preparation to meet the early challenges of the season.
Jiselle Woodson, Sharna Ayres and Jasmin Dixon make up half of the six-player group that are all returning starters from a season ago. Jordan Todd and Karmelah Dean, who have been teammates for the past five years going back to their junior college days at Southern Idaho, are both coming back from injuries that held them out most of last season. Jordan McLemore is the only remaining member of Nimz’ first freshman class and has been a key role player off the bench.
“Our returners know what we want, know what the program wants and know the standard of what it means to be a Lady Demon,” Nimz said. “What’s equally as impressive to how they’ve been leaders is how the incoming players have followed suit and haven’t bucked at all. Collectively I think they are working really well as a unit.”
One of those newcomers will make her first start for NSU on Monday afternoon. Carla Celaya, a transfer from Vermont, has bought into the process, just like the rest of the eight new faces, bringing a level of efficiency that adds to the team game the Demons push for.
“The most impactful thing they have is the seniority and leadership,” Celaya said about what she’s seen from the returning players. “It’s not always in their words but they show it with their actions.”
The Demons will face a pair of preseason Big 10 selections in Nebraska’s Alexis Markowski and Jaz Shelley on Monday afternoon, but with their revamped roster, depth in key positions and blue-collar attitude feel prepared to meet the first challenge of the season.
“I think if we continue to prepare with the intensity that we have the past few days it’s going to help us be more comfortable there,” Celaya said. “If we can I don’t think we will be surprised at the level that Nebraska is probably going to show because we are doing that in practice.”
The addition of Jenny Ntambwe, along with the return of Jordan Todd, give the Demons more size and options around the rim with players Celaya providing more length around the perimeter.
“We have the ability to make this game incredibly competitive,” Nimz said. “Nebraska is going to know they played Northwestern State. That’s something we talk about a lot and something we take pride in. No matter what as long as we keep fighting, play through the adversity of the game then we’re going to walk away proud.”