A year and a half after the COVID-19 pandemic halted play for NCAA athletes in March 2020, the Amherst College women's basketball team will once again take the court, taking on Oglethorpe University in the Gordon Classic to open the season on Friday, Nov. 12.

Yet how does a team build chemistry and momentum after a year break and with seven rookies -- three sophomores and four freshmen -- on a 12-person roster? As head coach G.P. Gromacki explains, "It's in the back of our minds that we have to be grateful that we can play again and make up for some lost time." Courtney Resch, one of the senior captains, added, "we are all excited about achieving…and this excitement has fostered a strong sense of cohesion and commitment."
 
The Mammoths ended the prematurely halted 2019-2020 season with a laudable 24-4 record and an 8-2 NESCAC record, all while outscoring opponents by an average of 17 points per game. Though they exited the NESCAC Tournament early after a disappointing loss to Bowdoin in the semifinals, the team was well on its way to another potential championship run when the season was cut short in the Sweet 16 due to COVID-19.

Gromacki is entering his 14th season with Amherst (not including the completely canceled 2020-21 season) where he has led the program to three national championships (2011, 2017, 2018) including back-to-back perfect 33-0 seasons in 2017 and 2018. He has been awarded the WBCA National Coach of the Year two times, is a five-time D3Hoops.com New England Coach of the Year and a six-time NESCAC Coach of the Year. For Gromacki, the pandemic reinvigorated his passion for coaching and reasserted that it is something he "loves to do" as coaching cannot be taken for granted.

This season the Mammoths will have their fair share of leadership as they are returning five seniors: Jade DuVal, Gabrielle Zaffiro, Courtney Resch, Dani Valdez and Lauren Pelosi. Both Resch and Zaffiro played in all 28 games of the 2019-2020 season. Resch broke the Amherst single-game block record in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and finished the year with 81 blocks. The team will look to maintain its historic defensive efficiency this season while expanding its play style. 

Amherst kicks off the season this Friday at 5pm in the Gordon Classic, opening up with four games in seven days. Gromacki explains that if the team can get through these initial games and "get some enthusiasm, some experience, we will be in good shape." The Mammoths' first home game will be this Monday, Nov. 15, against Rhode Island College at 7 p.m. 

With the asset of strong leadership, the Mammoths will look to succeed one game at a time with the end goal of a NESCAC title and NCAA national championship. Coach Gromacki summed up the feeling on the team, "COVID has opened my eyes that it's not just about winning, but it's about the process and enjoying the people you are around."