The SIU women’s basketball team is returning all five starters from a team that completed the biggest turnaround in school history last season.

SIU won five games in 2013-14 but followed that up with a 17-13 campaign last year. Although all five starters are back, the element of surprise is not.

“Everyone’s expectations this year are pretty high for us,” coach Cindy Stein said. “And that’s OK. Our players expect the same thing. That’s what I really like about this group. Can we do it? That’s going to really depend on our maturity.” 

Senior center Dyana Pierre was named First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference and was a member of the All-Defensive team as a junior last season. Junior point guard Rishonda Napier is also a returning First Team All-MVC player, and sophomore guard/forward Kylie Giebelhausen was named to the All-Freshman team. 

Pierre, who has done the majority of her damage in the paint for the Salukis the last two years, has expanded her game this offseason by working on shooting from beyond the three-point arc. 

“I want to just be more than a posting up, back-to-the-basket player,” Pierre said. “I know I can do that. It’s something I do pretty well. Shooting jumpers will make me harder to guard.” 

Pierre has been suspended indefinitely for breaking team rules. She will miss at least the first exhibition game of the season according to Saluki Athletics.

Senior power forward Azia Washington and senior shooting guard Cartaesha Macklin round out the returning starting five from last season. 

Washington is still recovering from an offseason knee surgery and Stein said her starting spot is not guaranteed. 

“She’s still not quite back yet,” Stein said. “So that’s a position that we are looking for someone to step in. Giebelhausen can play that position. [junior forward] Kim Nebo and [sophomore center] Celina VanHyfte can play that position. All three have been playing really well.”

Napier said the Salukis will not rest on last year’s successes. 

“Even though we did a lot of good things last year, we could do even better,” Napier said. “The leaders on the team and the upperclassmen really have to set the tone to work hard and get better.” 

The MVC is home to four teams that played in the postseason last year. Defending champion Wichita State played in the NCAA Tournament. Drake, Northern Iowa and Missouri State competed in the WNIT.

The Salukis went 2-5 against those teams last year, ending the season with their third loss to Missouri State in the MVC tournament. 

Missouri State was picked to finish first in the Valley in the preseason poll. SIU was picked fourth.

“The team that stands out to me is Missouri State,” Stein said. “They return everybody and have got some talented recruits coming in. I think that they will be very good. I looked at their schedule and it is ridiculously hard. To me, that is their problem but if they can handle that, then look out in conference play. We will have our hands full with them.”

Thomas Donley can be reached at [email protected] or at 618-536-3307