A terrific last month has the Boise State Broncos women's basketball team sitting in prime position in the Mountain West Conference.
The young, deep roster of the Boise State Broncos women's basketball team is playing like the squads of yesteryear in recent weeks.
It's been a couple of years of rebuilding for a program that won four straight Mountain West titles from 2017-2020. Struggles, and inconsistent play to open 2022-23 made it appear the Broncos were about to embark on another season in the middle of the Mountain West pack.
Winners in six of their last seven games, including a 89-41 victory over Utah State on Saturday, Boise State is playing their best basketball at the perfect time. The team hasn't reached their peak yet, and the best is yet to come.
Building to a bright future
Through the non-conference slate, and into the early part of conference play, the Boise State Broncos found difficulty in playing consistent basketball. Boise State was in a delicate balance between playing really well, starting 2-0 in conference, and displaying inexperience. They were on the cusp of excelling, followed by extended stretches of turning the ball over and going scoreless.
Only one senior (Mandy Simpson, who later had to medically retire) and a handful of juniors were present among a slew of freshmen and sophomores getting playing time. Understandably, struggles were bound to happen. But even the more experienced players of the bunch had moments of not playing up to their capabilities.
Expectations were high for the upperclassmen, especially as they'd been starters for a few seasons now.
Slowly but surely in conference play, the pieces fell into place. Three-pointers started to fall at a more frequent rate. Defense and rebounding intensified, all hallmarks of what head coach Gordy Presnell has built this program on.
First, it was two quarters at a time. Then three. Soon, complete games were being had and the victories accumulated. And with them, a growing confidence (and playing loose and fun) for this team.
Boise State Broncos prepping for final weeks
Down to their final two games, the Boise State Broncos (15-14, 10-6) are guaranteed a winning record in conference play. The Broncos have climbed to the fifth-spot in the Mountain West. While there is no shot at catching 23rd-ranked UNLV (25-2, 15-0), Boise State can still finish as high as second place.
Two games remain on the schedule, both on the road. The first is against the San Jose State Spartans (3-23, 1-14) and the Broncos close out the regular season with a huge game and seeding implications, against the Colorado State Rams (18-9, 11-5) on February 28.
The Mountain West tournament is March 5 - 8, and the top five seeds earn 1st-round byes.
Boise State lost 71-50 to the Rams in early January; a game that was fairly close until the Colorado State outscored the Broncos by 14 in the fourth. Dani Bayes had 16 points to lead Boise State that game.
Bayes (8.5 ppg) is one of several freshmen playing heavy minutes on a roster that could easily go 11-12 deep on any given night. It is the play of four juniors, however, that has been a catalyst for the team's recent streak.
Annie Ostlie has knocked down 13 threes in the last seven games. Elodie Lalotte and Abby Muse combine to average 19.5 points and 14.8 rebounds per game. Muse also gets it done on the defensive end. She recently became the school's all-time blocks leader and has 85 this season.
And Mary Kay Naro steers the ship, dishing out 98 assists this season.
The freshman and sophomores are doing their part, too. Tatum Thompson had 19 points in a loss to UNLV and Natalie Pasco dropped a career-high 29 in Saturday's victory over Utah State. Both have contributed heavily this season, along with Mya Hansen. Hansen (9.1 ppg) is third on the team in scoring but is battling her way back from an injury.
This Boise State team is building its way towards a great future. And with Cinderella season fast approaching, that future could easily begin now.
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