Grenfell is a sophomore public relations and management double major and can be contacted at [email protected]

There is no doubt that one of the best parts about college athletics is the team itself.  What better way to spend your college experience than with people working toward  a common goal? In my mind it doesn’t get much better.

Taking exaggeration into account, we probably spend over half our waking lives together. It’s only logical to think we get sick of each other, but this actually isn’t the case. We are with each other just as much off the court. With the relationships that we’ve built, it’s always acceptable to poke a little fun. Let’s meet the newest editions to this year’s team.

Liza “Poppy” Heap
Liza is known for her ability to speak in a British accent. It’s so good in fact, that we gave this alter ego a name — Poppy. If you ever aspire to meet Poppy, just ask. She will happily rap Nicki Minaj’s verse in “Super Bass” just for you. Aside from this, Liza has impressed many with her forte in napping. Give her three seconds and a hard wood floor, and she is out like a light. Liza brings a lot to the table on the basketball end; her smarts and scrappiness on defense are a few of those things. Her ability to anticipate passes for the steal is one ability that not many players carry.

Symone “Mayor of Drake” Daniels
Do I even need to tell you who this is? I think Symone knows at least half the people at Drake. It’s almost to the point where I can hardly handle walking through campus with her. She waves, has a conversation or acknowledges countless people along the way while I awkwardly smile and wave.  We like to refer to her as the “Mayor of Drake” for these reasons. Symone will play the post for us this year. Her shot-blocking and defensive savvy is what sets her game apart along with some range from behind the arc.

Kyndal “Make It Rain” Clark
The first word I think of when it comes to Kyndal is automatic. She is an extremely smart, aggressive player specializing in 3-pointers. There’s no doubt Kyndal will make an impact this year on both the offensive and defensive ends. As much as she loves shooting the three, team assists are bound to skyrocket. Off the court, Kyndal has a strong love for both HuHot and haunted houses. I’ve turned down several offers to HuHot since she asks me to go nearly every other day. We know you love HuHot, Kyndal, but asking us to eat there more than a child asks their mom “but why?” is a bit excessive.

Cara “Fruit Chunk” Lutes
I don’t think I’ve met someone as happy-go-lucky as Cara Lutes. If your go-to phrase is “fruit chunk,” you must be pretty harmless. She is an absolute workhorse. Her presence in the post is one that will contribute positively to our team. Her competitive spirit is something that can’t be replaced. My favorite story about Cara happened last week in practice. We were doing a drill that involved the “bags,” which is something the coaches break out to create a more physical environment. She was cutting across the lane and literally managed to toss one of our coaches at least 10 feet away from her. I couldn’t help but laugh at how awesome it was.

So there you have it, our freshmen in a nutshell. These young women have been a joy to be around, and I’m sure the rest of my teammates would agree. It’s always an adjustment in the beginning, figuring out what they are like and how they will fit in. The team dynamics have changed, but it’s definitely a change for the better.