This year, the St. Thomas women’s basketball team will use a combination of experience and key-starter center Maggie Weiers’ return from an injury to avenge last year’s NCAA Sweet 16-round loss.
Weiers, who sat out the majority of her junior season because of a season-ending foot injury, contributed 16 points and six rebounds for No. 5-ranked St. Thomas (2-1 overall) as it defeated No. 23-ranked Wisconsin-Stevens Point 48-43 Thursday.
Before the win over the Pointers, St. Thomas opened the season as the No. 15-ranked team in the country after last years’ NCAA tournament run. The Tommies traveled to Spokane, Wash. Nov. 15 and 16 where they split two games, losing 77-76 to Whitman College and defeating Whitworth University 76-61. Weiers averaged 18 points and 11.5 rebounds in the two Spokane games. 
“I feel great. We have a lot of returners coming back; I’m really excited for the season,” Weiers said. “I think we can really do some things this year.”
Coach Ruth Sinn is aiming to improve from last year when the team won 11 of its final 12 games, took the MIAC playoff championship and captured two NCAA tournament victories. Former point guard Kellie Ring was the starter to graduate from last year’s squad.
“Expectations are high. We return a very experienced group,” Sinn said. “We have at least 10 players returning who averaged double digits in minutes.”
All-American senior Taylor Young surpassed 1,000 career points in the Tommies’ victory over Whitworth, becoming only the 10th women’s basketball player to do so in program history.
“We have high expectations for ourselves this year. I think we all just really want to go back to the Final Four,” Young said.
The Tommies opened the year with three consecutive away games against 2013 NCAA playoff teams and wait to kick off MIAC and home play until Dec. 4 against Augsburg.
“This whole preseason, we’ve been trying to get our bodies and minds and everything set that we are going to try to play to our standards, and those standards are high,” Sinn said. “Every time we compete, our goal is to be at our best.”
Sinn said despite such a “deep” roster, the Tommies introduced eight new faces to the program this season. The 2013-2014 team features a freshman class that makes up almost half of the squad.
“We have some really good … freshmen who have been playing on our practice squad,” Weiers said. “I’m sure that they could really contribute in some MIAC games this year.”
With a high number of underclassmen, getting time on the court and a spot in the rotation will be a challenge for new players.
“I think it’s just tough for them coming into this program right now because we have such experience with the team being full of seniors and juniors,” Young said.
Young said the knowledge and experience this year’s team has will make it stronger.
“We feel better (than last year) because we know what we need to do better,” Young said. “Last year, we went through a lot of adversity, and it kind of took a toll on us. This year, hopefully it doesn’t happen to us as much.”
Joey Anderson can be reached at ande9008@stthomas.edu.