Healthy DSC women have more depth this season

ST. GEORGE - So far this year - keep your fingers crossed - the number of Dixie State wounded does not match or exceed those on the courtThat alone is an improvement from last year.
Sure, minor pains persist for some players, but the Red Storm women's basketball team should be at full strength for its first public action of the year Saturday at 5 p.m., when the current team takes on its alumni.
"It helps a lot with morale and keeping focus in practice," said senior guard Jessie Ingraham. "It helps (boost) our intensity and helps bring new players up to our level."
Ingraham is one of three returning starters who picked up preseason Pacific West accolades; joining her were sophomore guard Shanae Vaifanua and forward Tanya Clark. Coach Angie Kristensen said the returners will face fierce competition for playing time.
That wasn't the case last year. Kristensen needed all hands on deck.
Jessica Carver graduated and opted not to pursue a medical redshirt after sitting out most of last year with an injury. Shayla Martinez (knee) and Brandi Barrett (foot) redshirted because of their ailments. Various nagging injuries cost playing time for several other regulars.
The squad was a M.A.S.H. unit.
"It was like a domino effect," Clark said. "It was really hard, but I think we made a lot of adjustments and came out successful. There were large voids, but collectively everybody filled those voids."
This year depth could carry the Red Storm a long way.
Three newcomers should step in immediately. Kristensen is particularly high on junior college transfer Na'Chelle Catron, a 6-foot forward with great presence around the hoop.
"She's unreal. When she's on, she's on," said DSC coach Angie Kristensen. "She's got a full game. You have to stay on her a little bit because she tends to coast, but when she plays hard she's probably the best player on the floor."
Veronica Siqueiros, a 5-5 point guard from College of Eastern Utah, and freshman forward Johnna Brown are expected to see time in Kristensen's deep rotation, which sometimes includes 11 or 12 players"All our returners are going to get pushed," Kristensen said. "Honestly, our new kids are very talented. The bottom line is every year you recruit better than what you have. If I'm not doing that, I'm not doing my job."The Red Storm figure to be bigger and quicker. Last year Tanya Clark led Dixie State in rebounding at 7.9 per contest - almost out of necessity.
At 5-10, Clark was sometimes the tallest Red Storm player on the floor. Not so any more.
"We're a taller team than we were last year," Clark said. "That is a definite plus."
DSC have five players 6-feet or taller, and they can run - always a prerequisite in Kristensen's attack.
"I think the team this year is very athletic," Ingraham said. "We're quick, fast and all-around good athletes. We're really long, too."
Rebounding, however, has proven to be an issue in the early going.
"We need more kids to sell out and go for the boards," Clark said. "If we have four people crashing the boards, with how big we are we should be getting rebounds, especially on the defensive end."