With key players returning and the addition of new members to the team, the Fresno State women’s basketball team has geared up for an exciting 2024-25 season, and it showed after their 72-46 win against cross-town rivals Fresno Pacific on Monday night at the Save Mart Center.

Fresno State Head Coach Jaime White said she believes continuity is crucial for success and team culture, which was obvious as six of the seven returning players played heavy minutes in the win against the Sunbirds.

“I always believe in an older team. A team that’s more seasoned and a team that’s had players be here over time is going to be more successful,” White said. “It’s important we build a culture where people want to be around, and they feel the pride of being at Fresno State.”

Who are the key players?

One of the returning players was Taija Sta Maria. The sophomore guard was named to the Mountain West All-Freshman team and started in all 33 games last season. She was a vital part of Fresno State’s game plan, orchestrating the offense and making the right plays.

Sta. Maria led the team in assists, with 3.7 assists per game, ranking fourth in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). She also had 14 games where she led the team in assists and had nine games with more than five assists.

With the addition of eight new players, Sta. Maria made it a point to connect with them off the court in order to build team chemistry.

“I think the big thing comes off the court, just in how I carry myself and being an example of a leader off the court,” Sta. Maria told reporters after the game. “If they see the discipline that I come in with I think that just gains mutual respect.”

Along with leading the team in assists, Sta. Maria also led the team in minutes, with 32.6 minutes per game, which was fifth in the MWC.

Sta. Maria credits playing at a low elevation for helping her play so many minutes and emphasizes the importance of working hard in practice.

“I think playing at [a lower] elevation brings a different level of fitness that you have to be in,” Sta. Maria said. “Just making sure that in practice I’m going hard every day. Our team is going hard every day and it kind of just comes with it. Being a point guard, you’re running everywhere.”

Another player who returned was junior forward Mia Jacobs, who had an 18 point and 10 rebound double-double in the win against the Sunbirds.

Jacobs led the team in points last season, averaging 14 points per game, seventh most in the MWC. She also led the team in rebounds, with 7 rebounds per game, which was fifth most in the conference.

Jacobs was another integral part of the offense last season, producing six games with more than 20 points and 21 games where she scored in the double digits. With a tweaked offensive scheme, Jacobs is looking forward to having her teammates also contribute on offense.

“Not only me, but other girls on the team are going to be able to step up and bring different things to different games,” Jacobs said.

Among the teammates looking to contribute is transfer Mariah Elohim, who also had a strong game against the Sunbirds, scoring 16 points and two 3-pointers. Elohim, a junior guard from Long Island State University, was also an important piece to the offense.

Last season, Elohim averaged 12 points per game, the second most on her team, and she led the team in three pointers with two per game. Fresno State ranked third in three pointers made a year ago in the MWC, averaging 6.8 per game. With the addition of Elohim, Fresno State’s three ball has become even more dangerous as they drained six 3-pointers against the Sunbirds.

Jacobs is looking forward to playing with Elohim and is excited to see how she contributes on offense.

“Having [her shooting] is really nice to be able to spread the court more, get drives, get to the mid-range. Her three-point shot is really good.” Jacobs said.

Additional help on the bench

White also has a new addition to her coaching staff. White added Alan Nakamura, who has over 20 years of coaching experience at Biola University with their women’s basketball team.

One of the things White was looking for was someone with head coaching experience and knowledge of the game.

“There’s something about somebody that has eight years of head coaching experience, really understands and knows all the facets of the game and coaching, so that’s really been helpful as he’s hit the ground running,” White said.

The Bulldogs continue their season at home on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. as they host Santa Clara University at the Save Mart Center.