Colorado University Athletics
Buffs Hold First Practice
October 01, 2019 | Women's Basketball
Tuesday marked the official start to the 2019-20 season
BOULDER – Head coach JR Payne and the Colorado women's basketball team officially opened the 2019-20 season with the first practice of the season on Tuesday. Payne will lead another youthful squad in her fourth season at the helm of the Buffaloes.
"It's very exciting," Payne commented. "We have new everything. New practice gear, new point guards, new everything. We are really excited for this season. We have a tremendous group of young women that are excited to work hard. We are definitely ready to get after it."
Colorado's makeup consists of just three upperclassmen this season. Quinessa Caylao-Do is the team's top returning scorer and the only senior on the team. The Tacoma, Wash., native, finished last season with career-highs in points (11.1 PPG), assists (1.7 apg) and minutes (32.6).
Mya Hollingshed and Annika Jank both return as juniors to help lead the Buffs. Hollingshed and Caylao-Do are the only two players that started all 30 games for Colorado last season. Hollingshed had career-highs in points (10.8 ppg) and minutes (26.9 mpg). She also led the team with a .439 field goal percentage. Jank played a key role for the Buffs off the bench last season, averaging 22.6 minutes 7.5 points per game.
CU's sophomore class got invaluable experience last season. Peanut Tuitele and Lesila Finau each spent time in and out of the starting lineup last season. Tuitele started 19 games last season, averaging 7.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game and earned honorable mention Pac-12 All-Freshman honors. Finau helped fill the hole at point guard last season after Kennedy Leonard was sidelined. She averaged 3.0 points and 1.3 assists in 28 games. Emma Clarke and Kai Volcy both got starts late in the season for the Buffs. Clarke played in all 30 games last year, averaging 4.6 points per game. Volcy played in 24 games last season.
Two redshirts will be on the floor this season for the Buffs. Sophomore Aubrey Knight will look to make an impact after playing just three games last season. She suffered a shoulder injury that forced her to redshirt. Freshman Charlotte Whittaker joined CU midway through the season last year. She was able to practice with the team and get a jump start on the 2019-20 season.
True freshmen Zuzanna Kulinska (Gydina, Poland), Jaylyn Sherrod (Birmingham, Ala.) and Raanee Smith (Philadelphia, Pa.) will look to make an early impact. Maura Singer (Littleton, Colo.) will continue to work her way back from a knee injury she suffered during her senior year at Columbine H.S.
"We are really young," Payne noted. "But sometimes youth isn't a bad thing. Sometimes you come in with this youthful effervescent attitude and excitement. That's kind of where we are right now."
The Buffs open the season with an exhibition game against Regis on Nov. 4. Colorado will officially start the season on Nov. 10, hosting the New Jersey Institute of Technology.
