GVSU Women's Basketball hopes to reload for title repeat

“I don’t wish it was easy. There’s no getting better if it’s easy.”

The voice of GVSU Women's Basketball Head Coach Mike Williams interjects itself into the team's one-on-one post drills. Within the context of the drill, Williams is talking about playing defense without fouling. But for a team coming off a Division II National Championship, its second overall, getting better through adversity is key to making another run.

“We try, every year, to put them in tough spots so they do grow and do learn,” said Williams, who is entering his 11th year at the helm. “So far, they've done a great job handling it and focusing on the right things.”

Developing through adversity will be critical for a Lakers team that is significantly less experienced than the squad that won a championship in the 2024-25 season. Williams said that most of the players who did not receive much collegiate experience, whether they are first-year students, redshirts or returning from injury.

Williams is relying on the experienced veteran players who are returning to play a crucial role in bringing the whole team up to their standards.

“We’ve got a really good nucleus of players returning. They’ve done a great job of being leaders and involving and coaching young players,” he said.

Nicole Kamin, a redshirt senior, is one of those returning veterans.

“Our big thing right now is not so much coach-led, but player-led,” said Kamin. “We worked so hard to get [to the championship]. We know what it takes now. We have a young team. Some of them weren't there, so [we have to] give them that experience and that feel.”

Redshirt senior Paige VanStee said the faster pace of the college game is important for less experienced players to get used to.

“You need to play with a lot of urgency, and you need to be ready all the time,” VanStee said. “Basics are a huge part of what our program is about. It’s a huge contributor to those bigger games, and it has a snowball effect.”

Connection off the court fuels the chemistry on it

Both Kamin and VanStee said it was important for the veterans to build chemistry with the less experienced players on the roster. Embracing camaraderie outside of practice has been a key component of that.

The Lakers spend time together, watching shows together in each other's apartments and going to sporting events. The team spent Grand Valley's Fall Break carving pumpkins, bobbing for apples and visiting an apple orchard.

“It improves our culture a lot,” said VanStee. “Trust, communication, connection, all of that going into our program is developed outside of basketball, too.”

Gearing up for another playoff run

Building that connection early is important, especially as the Lakers, who rank No. 1 in the Midwest Region look to get off to a strong start to the regular season.

“There's a lot of learning in the beginning, so if we come out attacking and being aggressive, I think that’ll be a big step in helping us get after these first couple games,” said Kamin.

The women's basketball team opens the season against Missouri Western State on October 31 as part of the Midwest Classic. Including the game against Missouri Western State, the Lakers' first five games of the season will be on the road.

The team's home opener is against Northwood on November 30.

“We want to play fast,” VanStee said about how the team hopes to come out early in the season. “We're looking for a certain pace of play that we want to get to. Being tenacious on both ends of the floor is what we’re trying to do.”

Williams emphasized the importance of taking things one game at a time and always asking 'What is next?' He said the transition from losing veterans to graduation and bringing up a younger team has gone well so far, but that the players will not know for sure until they get on the court.

“This is a completely different year, a completely different team,” Williams said. “We talk about that all the time. Just go and do your best. If we can focus on that, I think we’ll be in good shape.”

For full coverage of GVSU women’s basketball, including broadcast info, news, features, highlights, press conferences and more, follow the team this season on the athletics website , Instagram , Facebook and X .