2021-22 Chicago State Women's Basketball Preview

The second season of Chicago State women's basketball under the guidance of head coach Tiffany Sardin is nearly here, and Sardin can feel the connected nature of this year's new-look bunch.

"This is a completely new team," Sardin said. "The way they look out for each other is fun to coach and be around. We all know that team chemistry and that connection will help us on the floor."

In addition to two new assistant coaches (Tiffany Conner and Diana Martinez) to join second-year assistant Nan Moore, the Cougars' 2021-22 roster features eight newcomers.

A strong trio remains from last season, however, featuring front court bruiser Christina Britter, floor general Ana Haklicka and sharpshooting Spaniard Laura Segues.

Sardin, a Chicago Public Schools Hall-of-Famer with Marshall Metro High School, has carved out a versatile roster as the Cougars look to start fresh following a difficult 2020-21 season.

Returners

• Christina Britter (6-1, Sr., Dunlap, Illinois)
• Ana Haklicka (5-6, So., Dubrovnik, Croatia)
• Laura Segues (5-10, So., Castellolí, Spain)

Sardin on Britter: "She's a very aggressive player. She's a player who isn't afraid of contact. I believe having Christina's physical dominance in the paint will be a tremendous asset for our team this season. I am proud of the growth she's made in the short time she's been here and the work she continues to put in with her position coach. We are looking forward to her being a consistent rebounder for us on both ends of the court."

Sardin on Haklicka: "She's coming off a summer playing with her national team.  Last season, she was kind of thrown in the fire and did the best she could with what was asked of her. We're expecting Ana to be more of a leader on the floor and help put her teammates in better positions to be successful. She's been working hard on being more consistent from the outside and it's showing daily in practice. I believe she will show growth in her all-around game because of the amount of work she's been putting in."

Sardin on Segues: "She's such a smart player. She knows our system and knows what's expected. She will earn minutes for us as long as she continues to work hard. She's a good three-point shooter, but she's also a really good rebounding guard. Laura is one of those players who does the intangibles that don't always show up on the stat sheet but you need her presence on the floor. We are excited with her development and progress. She will be able to play multiple positions for us this season."

Transfers

• Kyjai Miles (6-1, Jr., Dallas, Texas) Transfer from Jones County Junior College
• Quentarra Mitchell (5-9, Jr., Nashville, Tennessee) Transfer from Walters State Community College
• Nafatoumata Haidara (6-5, Jr., Bamako, Mali) Transfer from Hutchinson Community College
• Janiah Newell (5-5, Jr., Danville, Illinois) Transfer from Kaskaskia College
• Allysah Boothe (5-4, Gr., Evanston, Illinois) Transfer from Longwood University
• Jazmine Covington (5-9, Gr., Phoenix, Arizona) Transfer from Texas A&M International University

Sardin on Miles: "She rebounds the ball extremely well. And she's a great passer from the forward position. That's one of her underrated qualities. She's a hard-nosed player who will cause some match-up problems in the forward position. Kyjai runs the floor extremely well and capable finisher in either side of the floor. She's an athletic forward who is capable of guarding on the perimeter and on the block. I believe Kyjai has the potential to have a special year for us."

Sardin on Mitchell:  She's another versatile player who you will see play wherever the team needs her. I love her attitude to be versatile and adapt to so many different things that come her way. Q is a very selfless player who her teammates know they can count on for anything on and off the court. The grit and work womanlike mentality she brings is contagious. Q's athleticism and ability to be a tenacious rebounder and slasher at the rim will be fun to watch."

Sardin on Haidara: "I'm really excited about Nafa. We got really lucky to have a young woman at her size, 6-foot-5 and with her skillset. Nafa is learning and continuing to adjust the pace and physicality playing at this level. She's doing a tremendous job elevating to the challenge and showing constant improvements. We're looking for her to be a strong rebounder and defensive presence on the floor for us now."

Sardin on Newell: "Janiah is a scoring guard, and she can score at all three levels. She has some natural abilities that we want to utilize and give her the freedom to just play. She can shoot the three, she can get downhill and she can shoot the pull-up. She has a scorer's mentality. Janiah will be a fun player to watch."

Sardin on Boothe: "Cookie's leadership and intelligence on the floor is an huge asset for us this season. She's coming from a successful program. I believe what she's learned there has better prepared her for the role we are leaning on her to be in here. She has a lot of experience at the collegiate level. Cookie's basketball mind and joy for the game is special to be around. She's a really, really good three-point shooter with range. We are expecting her to be a great leader for us on and off the court."

Sardin on Covington: "Jaz is a smooth shooter. Her game is really smooth overall. She's a skilled guard who has the capability to be an offensive threat on all three levels. She can play all guard positions and with her size will be a difficult matchup. Jaz is another experienced player on our roster who we are expecting to be a vocal leader on and off the court for us."

Freshmen

• Aaliyah Collins (5-7, Fr., Smohomish, Washington)
• Taylor Norris (5-10, Fr., Rochester, New York)

Sardin on Collins: "From day one, we saw that Aaliyah brings a different energy and joy to the game. She's always on. We love having her on our team. She's going to be a nightmare for opponents to keep up with. Aaliyah plays the game the right way on both sides of the ball and is very fun to coach. She's an explosive crafty guard who attacks downhill well and a threat from the outside. Once Aaliyah figures out how special she is, I'm not sure there will be many players that will be able to keep up with her for an entire game. That's how hard she works on the floor."

Sardin on Norris: "Taylor has the tools to be an elite rebounder in our program and league. She's strong and has an knack for the ball. Taylor is learning to adjust to being an division 1- student athlete. She has a great amount of potential who can be a special player for us with consistent hard work. We are excited to see how she continues to develop and make progress."

The Cougars open on Tuesday, November 9 at Wichita State, a noon start against the Shockers. In the non-conference schedule, the Cougars will play home games against Alabama-Birmingham (Nov. 13), Indiana State (Dec. 1), St. Thomas (Dec. 4) and Evansville (Dec. 19). Chicago State will also travel to the Sunshine State for a Thanksgiving Tournament hosted by Florida International in Miami. The Cougars also will play road games at Western Illinois (Nov. 17), Loyola-Chicago (Nov. 20), Wisconsin (Nov. 22) and Green Bay (Dec. 16).

The 2021-22 Western Athletic Conference Schedule also features nine home games, while the Cougars will make trips to eight WAC foes. The Cougars open conference play with a New Year's week two-step against Grand Canyon and New Mexico State, both familiar faces, and will face the Aggies on New Year's Day. The full slate also includes home and road matchups with conference newcomers Lamar, Sam Houston State, Abilene Christian and Stephen F. Austin. Fans can purchase 2021-22 tickets at this link.

"I'm excited that our women get to compete against these teams," Sardin said. "We have put together a competitive non-conference schedule as we head into a very competitive conference, with some additions that have elevated it. This schedule is a great test for us.

"If we want to be the best, we have to compete against the best, so I felt it would be best to put our women in these environments that they haven't experienced. Our women will grow up quickly."

Setting aside the loads of variables that come into play once the season kicks off, Sardin knows she has a group of workers.

"We have a 'workwomanlike' mentality," Sardin said. "We're relentless. When we have guests visit campus, they notice how hard our team goes for each other. You see a lot of selflessness."

About Chicago State
Chicago State University Athletics is comprised of 15 intercollegiate teams involving over 150 student-athletes that compete in basketball, cross country, golf, soccer, tennis, indoor and outdoor track and volleyball. CSU held memberships in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) and NCAA Division II before transitioning to NCAA Division I in 1994. Melvin Bland was the first CSU student-athlete to gain NAIA All-American status in 1974 as a wrestler. Fred Evans became the first black swimmer ever to win a national championship in 1975. CSU's women's basketball team earned a spot in the 2011 Women's Basketball Invitational and CSU's men's basketball team won the 2013 Great West Conference Tournament title and made an appearance in the CollegeInside.com Postseason Tournament (CIT).  The Men's Outdoor Track & Field 4x100-Meter Relay team were 2019 Honorable Mention All-Americans and WAC Champions. Their feat marked the first time the Chicago State's men's track & field program was represented at the national meet. 

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