This past season was historic for the UCI Women’s Basketball team (23-9, 16-4), securing the Big West Championship along with an appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995. Junior guard Déja Lee led the way, becoming the first player in program history to be named Big West Player of the Year.
Entering the 2023-2024 season, the ‘Eaters were the second leading favorites to claim the title, with all eyes on the Hawai’i Rainbow Wahine to three-peat.The Anteaters had been at the doorstep of postseason success, reaching the Big West Championship game in two of the last three seasons.
However, UCI was unable to reach their ultimate goal, suffering defeats to UC Davis (2021) and Hawai’i (2022) and an early tournament exit last season against CSU Bakersfield, after an injury riddled year.
The Anteater program endured several growing pains along the way, making their coronation as the 2023-24 Big West champions even more satisfying.
In an interview with New University, Head Coach Tamara Inoue discussed what made this past season special for her as a coach.
“Doing it together,” Inoue said. “A majority of this team has come in since their freshman year [and] building relationships [with them] has been fun.”
Lee also noted the difficulty in being without their two redshirt junior guards, Hunter Hernandez and Olivia Williams this season. Both guards were sidelined with knee injuries from the 2022-2023 season.
“After they went down, the rest of the season we said was for them and we carried that mentality of selflessness into [this] season,” Lee said in an interview with New University.
Hernandez averaged 12 PPG, while Williams added 8.2 PPG before their injuries.
“Redshirting Olivia Williams and Hunter Hernandez was a big risk, but you have to look out for your student-athletes first,” Inoue said.
Missing two vital pieces was a huge blow to the team, yet they never faltered.
In an interview with New University, when asked to sum up this season in one word, junior guard Nikki Tom replied, “Courage, last year we went through adversity and coming back this year, we knew what we could do. We pushed through and used [last season] as energy to win the championship.”
Last season and its aftermath effects played a pivotal role in motivating the team off the court. However, on the court, the ascendance of Lee was massive for the ‘Eaters deep postseason run. Lee averaged 13.9 PPG, leading her team and finishing sixth in the Big West conference.
“Those types of players only come around once in a generation,” Inoue said while discussing the leap Lee made in her junior season. “There is no surprise of the accolades she received, it is the matter of everyone else seeing what she can do.”
Lee’s dominance carried into the postseason, scoring 21 points with six rebounds in the championship game against UC Davis, securing the title and UCI’s automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament. Her stellar play earned her spot on the Big West Women’s Basketball All-Tournament Team and tournament MVP honors.
“It was confidence,” Lee said when explaining how she improved this season. “I’ve always had a competitive edge.”
She highlighted the difficulties of transitioning to the collegiate level while moving to America during her first two seasons at UCI.
“Being in college it’s such a new field and coming from a different country was a big jump for me,” Lee said. “It was the courage to know that what I can do at home, I can still do here.”
While Lee’s growth was a massive catalyst for success this season, UCI’s role players contributed in important moments throughout.
Big West Newcomer of the Year, graduate guard Moulayna Johnson Sidi Baba, was crucial to the team’s success. She spent the first half of the season adjusting to the system before finding success off the bench. Sidi Baba’s scoring and rebounding prowess translated into Coach Inoue moving her into the starting lineup.
Averaging 12 PPG, she finished as the second leading scorer on the team and was pivotal in the Big West tournament. In the semi-finals matchup against Long Beach State, Sidi Baba notched a double double — 22 points and 10 rebounds — followed by 13 points and nine rebounds in the championship game. Her consistent play also earned her a spot on the All-Tournament team.
Tom was another instrumental competitor, serving as the glue player for the Anteaters. Despite her good three point shooting, she finished as the fifth leading scorer on the team —yet her impact was felt every game on both ends of the floor.
Coach Inoue spoke about the importance of having players like Tom.
“It is critical,” she said. “Players like Nikki don’t get the credit from the outside but there’s no question that the team knows [her significance].”
Tom’s stats were not flashy, but her effort on the defensive end and timely made shots allowed the ‘Eaters to make history.
Senior guard Diaba Konate was an integral piece, winning the Big West Best Defensive Player award this season. Her excellence on the defensive end was essential in boosting the Anteaters 14th ranked scoring defense (55.7 PPG) in the nation. Konate also contributed massively on the offensive side, facilitating the offense and knocking down timely shots.
The significance of the ‘Eaters’ success this season stems also from this perhaps being Konate’s last time playing basketball. When she returns to France, she will be unable to play because of a religious belief.
Coach Inoue shared how the ‘Eater fanbase could show support for Konate.
“Reaching out to her and letting [Konate] know the Anteater fanbase is in support,” Inoue said. “The fanbase being constantly behind her, means the world to her.”
The 2023-2024 season represented the Anteater program getting over the hump. History was made on several fronts and could play a central role in building longevity into the program.
Coach Inoue discussed how the Anteaters’ recent success can translate into long term success.
“The culture piece of it [is important] with the fast-changing NCAA rules, NIL collective and buyouts,” she said. “It’s going to be harder as a coach to keep up and being able to add major resources is a challenge, but I believe in my staff and [their] ability to find players as well as our [current] players.”
Coach Inoue recognized the difficulties of this new era of women’s college basketball, but remained confident in establishing the program.
“In previous years you were able to build [but] I still believe that [philosophy] is still around [and] it’s a matter of finding the right kids.”
Donnell Fuller is a Sports Staff Writer. He can be reached at ddfuller@uci.edu.
Edited by James Huston, Annabelle Aguirre and Jacob Ramos
