New Lady Bears head coach Beth Cunningham is getting used to a new team this summer.
With still a few months until the season starts, the Lady Bears are taking full advantage of the summer months with new coaches, new players, and a new system.
“I think it’s just been a good summer to start building that cohesiveness on and off the court,” Cunningham said.
The Lady Bears have a lot to build on this summer, including the beginning of the Beth Cunningham era.
“Honestly, everyone’s new at this point. We have a new coaching staff so it’s kind of all new to everybody,” said Missouri State senior Sydney Wilson.
That means the team faces some challenges heading into the upcoming season.
“You just have to be adaptable, and I think that’s what we are doing,” Cunningham said.
With the transfer portal booming this offseason Cunningham was able to keep a core group of players.
“She brings so much to the basketball court and even off the basketball court, she lets us get engaged with the community,” added Wilson.
Half of the Lady Bears are returning from last year’s team, led by senior Sydney Wilson.
“I’m like the grandma of the team and the returner, so kind of helping the young kids of the team adjust,” Wilson said.
“Helping us adjust as coaches and figuring out where things are but then also helping the new players as they acclimate to campus,” said Cunningham.
The longtime college coach was also able to keep key recruits committed to MSU. Like Republic standout Kaemyn Bekemeier.
“Coach Cunningham got hired, she actually called me that night like 10 minutes after it was announced and she was like ‘hey, it’s me.’ We didn’t talk for very long. She was busy obviously, but I was just really glad that MSU reached out.,” Bekemeier said.
“Recruiting is the lifeblood of our program and it’s certainly something that we’ve spent a lot of time with. Relationships are really important, and we tried to start establishing that,” Cunningham added.
It will be another year before Bekemaier suits up for the Lady Bears. In the meantime, Cunningham is focused on her first season in Springfield.
” I think it’ll be here before we know it. You always want more time; I wish we could always have more time but we’re just going to continue to work hard and keep plugging away,” said Cunningham.
