Charles Poag

Writer

The Mississippi University for Women’s basketball team has new and challenging ways to improve its preseason prep for the upcoming basketball season.

The team has included in the practice plan for this year a set of timed practices to help players. To sustain a good balance of speed and efficiency. This new style prep will be topped off with an early practice time of 5 a.m. to test the resilience of the team.

Kymani Smith, a sophomore guard on the W women’s basketball team welcomed this new challenge for the team’s preseason prep. Smith and the rest of the team have welcomed this new style of practice and have been waking up early in the mornings to a new rigorous practice schedule.

Not only does the team have to deal with this new practice routine of shooting, conditioning and scrimmaging, but Smith explained that the team must have a totally different strategy to simply be ready for these early morning practices.

“The team is going to bed early and not staying up late,” Smith said. “We do these little things to get us ready for these morning practices.” The team not only has gotten their strategy right, but Smith also explained they also have had more attention to detail on the practice court.

“I believe we have had great communication through these hard morning practices,” Smith said. “We have a united voice throughout practice which makes all the difference.”

The W’s 2025-2026 women’s basketball team.
Photo courtesy of Owls Athletics

Smith also said this is a strength to the team because of how fast their practices are running. Smith said she loved how teammates have really stepped up leadership skills and made time to get better as a team. The team practices through everyday struggle is and creates an environment of success.

The team has really pushed a mindset to become more competitive and to strengthen their pace of play for the season.

“The coaches have really been harping on pace which is how fast were going about certain passing, shooting and conditioning drills,” Smith said. “Which creates that competitive or fun side of practice for sure.”

Eric Vaughn, the head women’s basketball coach, said that change in time in practice schedule was to see just how players are going to react to certain situations. Vaughn said he has really pushed a sense of unity and trust in each of his players to get through adverse situations. Vaughn goes on to describe creating a preseason plan that would ultimately create a good team.

“I wanted to put the players through an adverse situation like getting up early for practice at 5:30 a.m. to strengthen them,” Vaughn said.

Vaughn also believes in creating practices that test the players individually and as a team. Vaughn said getting the fundamentals through certain shooting, passing, and conditioning drills can improve this team during the preseason.

“I believe that not only is the preseason a time to strengthen a team through adverse situations, but also going or improving offense and defense,” Vaughn said.

Zoe Cooper, a graduate assistant coach and a new addition to the team ,has created her own impact on this year’s challenging preseason prep. Cooper, who is fresh out of D1 basketball at Jackson State, has some insight into just how the team is creating a joyful sense of energy in these tough morning practices.

“I have really been trying to focus on energy also to show players how to improve themselves through the morning practice and will help us go through this preseason into season itself,” Cooper said.

Cooper said she has also seen a great impact on this team through how they go up and down the court with intent. Cooper has also stressed the team’s defense efficiency and play.

“I believe as we get closer to the season, the things we stress on like defense and how hard we play will make this team have the best chance to succeed,” Cooper said.

As the preseason ended, the team swapped from preseason style practice to season style practice. That means change to three to five days a week of practice. The team has grown so much through this new preseason prep. Team members said they feel confident about their first game at Jackson State University on Nov. 3.