Jacie Hoyt Previews Upcoming Cowgirls Basketball Season

Media Availability Opening Statement

First of all, thank you for being here. It's awesome to see so many faces. I will say this is the most that I've had in attendance since I've been here and I appreciate your guys' time and you know, if you look across the country, there's no sport that is trending higher and faster than women's basketball right now. So, I hope that this is not just a today thing and we can continue to keep this going. Big day for us, so starting our first official practice, of course, we've been per practicing all summer and all preseasons, so sometimes the first practice doesn't feel quite like everyone makes it out to be, but I would say that in starting year three, I feel better today than I've ever felt on a first practice in terms of just having continuity first and foremost with our staff, having a core nucleus of kids coming back and returning that we're really excited about, and then, of course, the additions from the portal and from our freshmen, that were really excited about. So, we've got a group that loves to practice. That's not the case for every team, but this team really loves to practice, so I've got really high expectations for today and for this season already moving forward. 

What are you what are you looking for on the first official day of practice?

You know, at this point, it's really just about us kind of getting things in that we want to do, whether it's offensively or defensively. The first practice is really easy for people to be fired up about. It's really the second, third week that you find out kind of what you're made of. I know our kids, they're just anxious to get out there and play a little more five on five. In the preseason, you do a lot more individual work. So, I think that they're excited to play against each other or practice guys. I'm just excited to see how quickly they learn and pick things up with us adding the new things that we're going to add.

The popularity of this game growing this like you said, this sport kind of growing. Does that change anything for you, just how you all conduct things or how maybe the players or the recruits sort of talk about things?

Well, I think, you are inspired. I mean, when you turn on the TV and you see sellout crowds, whether that's at the collegiate level, whether it's in the WNBA, which we've been watching all summer. They, I think, more than ever feel valued, but it doesn't change. I mean, women's basketball has been this for a really long time. We've all been conducting ourselves the exact same way. It's just feels great to have other people recognize that and really jump on board with it.

At this point in your career are you continuing to learn things about yourself and also about this job?

I never want to stop learning. I don't care what year I'm in, but certainly here at Oklahoma State, I do feel more comfortable than I ever have, just understanding the ropes. Something as simple as knowing where things are, right? This is the first time I've been here. So, next time I'll know. You don't know what you don't know, by having gone through it, having gone through the Big 12. Having a really successful first season, an average second season, in my opinion. I know what I want to do, I know what works for me. I know what doesn't work for me. I feel more confident going into this season than ever.

Based on the timing of nature, I guess there's a chance you are going to miss some time. Have you started planning for how the staff will handle that and what those things are gonna look like? ?

Yes, I have. I feel so confident in their ability to step in and help lead while I'm out. You mentioned nature. I don't know what that is going to look like. I've got a due date, but if things stay according to that, I really shouldn't have to miss that much, because the baby would be here around Christmas time. So in my mind, I'm only missing a couple games. They are not going to let me fly, I tried to convince the doctor to get on the plane. I tried everything. They won't let me fly at the end of November for a tournament that we have in Florida, which stinks because we play too really great teams out there. Our team will be fine. And then I think I would just miss one game right before Christmas break and then have Christmas to kind of settle in and then get back at it. But our staff is prepared. We started talking about it literally from the time that we knew the baby was coming and what that would look like. I've worked really hard to give them as much confidence as I can in themselves and put them in positions where they can prepare to lead in my absence and our team is a player-lead team. That is something we have talked about all preseason and all summer was just that there was going to be a time when you all have to step up as a team and players and take that load off of even your coaches. So, I feel really confident in everyone's ability at this point