Up until a few years ago, there used to be a college basketball offseason. Now not so much. With the transfer portal and unlimited transfers for a college player without having to sit out, the college basketball offseason is more alive than ever. Most rosters aren’t set, especially at the Division II level where players are always moving from one place to the next looking for a better opportunity.
The Fort Lewis women’s basketball team is no different. New head coach Lauren Davis is going into her first season as the women’s basketball head coach and is looking to be competitive right away.
Davis and the Skyhawks announced Darla Hernandez and Livia Knapp as two additions to FLC’s roster next season on May 9.
Hernandez is from Worland, Wyoming and played for Davis at Northwest College where she was an All-American and averaged 16.2 points per game on 50% shooting in the 2022-2023 season as a 5-foot-11-inch center. Hernandez then went to MSU Denver last season where she averaged 15 minutes per game, 3.1 ppg and 3.4 rebounds per game in 22 games played. Hernandez has one year of eligibility remaining.
“She's just a super blue-collared kid, she does the little things the right way,” Davis said about Hernandez. “She's a really good rebounder, super athletic and plays really great defense. For us at Northwest, she was a big key to what we did. She plays the four or five but can stretch the floor … She's a winner. People are going to love her. She's quiet, a little shy, but when you get her in between the lines, it's like her alter ego.”
Knapp spent her freshman season at Central Wyoming College where she averaged 14.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg and 3.3 assists per game in 27 games. The 5-6 guard then moved on to the College of Southern Idaho for the 2022-2023 season where she averaged 26.9 mpg, 9.3 ppg and 3.9 apg.
Last season, Knapp transferred to Division I Utah State where she averaged 18.2 mpg, 2.7 ppg and 1.0 apg. She has one year of eligibility remaining.
Davis said she tried recruiting Knapp to Northwest College but Knapp went to the College of Southern Idaho and she joked with Knapp this offseason that it would be rude to say no to her twice.
“She'll also be a fan favorite,” Davis said about Knapp. “She's really tough. With her motor, she can go. If I asked her to play 40 minutes, no problem. She'd barely break a sweat. She plays point guard but she can score it. She’s a pest on defense.”
Davis will have her hands full trying to replace the production of FLC’s sophomore star Lanae Billy. FLC’s leading scorer last season with 16 ppg, Billy announced her intentions to transfer on April 30 on Instagram after two seasons at Fort Lewis. Billy has taken official visits to Division I schools New Orleans and Weber State.
“I'm super excited for Lanae,” Davis said. “She's a really great basketball player and a really great person and wherever she ends up, she's going to be able to make a difference on that team. So really excited for her in that sense. I was happy that I got to know her in the three weeks that I got to know her, it was wonderful and I can see why everyone in the community loved her so much.”
Davis said she’s looking to replace Billy’s production with a pure shooter who has deep range and can get to the free-throw line.
The Skyhawks did lose Ember Cervantes and Kelsey Sorenson to graduation. Junior guard Sadie Misner also graduated and decided not to use her extra year of eligibility.
But the good news for Skyhawks fans is FLC will return seven players from last year’s team. Forward Sarah Chick, guard Natalie Guanella and Trista Hoobler will return for their sophomore years. Forward Kate Gallery will return for her junior year as will Sydney Bevington for her redshirt junior season. Guard Avery Evans and forward Samantha Wattawa will return for their senior seasons.
“I'm going to give a lot of the credit to Fort Lewis College and Durango,” Davis said. “I would say that's a big piece of why they want to stay. They love Travis, they love the other athletes. So in that sense, was a big reason why they don't want to transfer. Then once we got to know each other, too, I think they realized maybe my style of play and the way that I handle things would fit with what they would be looking for in a program or a coach if they were to leave anyway.”
Davis is excited for the seven returners, who were responsible for 51% of the Skyhawks’ scoring last season, to help set the foundation for the culture and new standard going forward.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
