Looking to take the next step, Wagner returns four experienced starters to go along with a pair of newcomers who are already proven talents at the Division I level.
Forward Sha'Ron Harrison, who sat out last season after transferring from Delaware, will be in uniform when the Seahawks open the season at Army while Fordham transfer Megan Mahoney must wait until the fall semester concludes.
Mahoney transferred from the Bronx-based Atlantic 10 school back to her native borough of Staten Island midway through the 2008-09 academic year. As a freshman she scored a team-high 15.1 points per game and earned A-10 All-Rookie honors.
"Megan just has the will to score," said head coach Gela Mikalauskas. "We're very happy to have her at Wagner and her value to the team has already been seen with the work ethic she brings. She's a really hard-working kid and we feel that the impact she's made on our practices has already made us a better team."
Junior forward Ashley Olsen (8.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg), who like Mahoney played her high school ball on Staten Island, was one of two Seahawks to average more than 30 minutes per game last season. The other was point guard Andrea Reed. The 5-foot-4 senior led the team in scoring (13.0 ppg) and the Northeast Conference in assists (5.1 apg). The two upperclassmen comprise a core that has Mikalauskas excited for the season ahead.
"We've definitely been a work in progress, but we think that our core kids and proven players are going to be able to step up for us and we're excited about it," the veteran head coach said.
The Seahawks' bench boasts two experienced sophomores who saw significant minutes as rookies. Forward Kelly Clark (7.4 ppg) and guard Kanifa Hicks (5.4 ppg), both New Jersey products, gives Wagner something it has lacked in recent seasons. "We have better depth than we've had in a long time," said Mikalauskas.
Overall Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 7-22
Last Two Years: 14-44
Last Three Years: 17-70
Last Four Years: 19-95
NEC Record (Past Four Years)
Last Year: 3-15
Last Two Years: 8-28
Last Three Years: 9-45
Last Four Years: 11-61
RPI Nat'l Rank/Conf. Standing
2008-09: 312/11th
2007-08: 309/9th
2006-07: 331/11th
Leading Returning Scorers
Andrea Reed: 13.0 ppg
Ashley Olsen: 8.5 ppg
Leading Returning Rebounders
Ashley Olsen: 5.6 rpg
Andrea Reed: 5.2 rpg