Completed Event: Women's Basketball at Eastern Kentucky on March 19, 2026 , Loss , 58, to, 72
Final Score
Women's Basketball
58
at Eastern Kentucky
72
The University of Utah Athletics
Utah Women's Basketball Season Preview
10/28/2003 12:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Oct. 28, 2003
SALT LAKE CITY - Coming off of an extremely successful 24-7 season, Head Coach Elaine Elliott and the Utes have nothing but good thoughts and high expectations for 2003-04. Utah has been picked as high as No. 9 nationally in the preseason polls and the MWC coaches unanimously picked the Utes to win the conference title.
The 2002-03 team exceeded all expectations. With just one starter returning from the previous year's squad and no seniors, Utah was picked to finish fourth in the Mountain West Conference. The Utes, however, had other plans. Utah clinched the regular season title with two games remaining and posted three more conference wins than the second-place team. The Utes also advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, where they fell to then No. 1 Duke in a hard-fought, closely played game.
"We were an unknown entity, and in the previous two years had graduated the core of players who had taken us to the Sweet 16 in 2001," Elliott explains. "With little expectation, last year's team grew into a very formidable team and simply ran away with the conference championship. The poise they showed in a successful opening round of the NCAAs was no less impressive than what they showcased against Duke in the second round. I was very proud of the efforts of the entire team."
The Utes return all five starters from last year's squad, led by sophomore forward Kim Smith, the reigning MWC Player and Newcomer of the Year. Smith is one of 35 players and just three sophomores nationally to be named as a preseason candidate for the Wade Trophy, given to the nation's top player.
"Last year Kim did what no one has ever done before - prove herself to be not only the best newcomer but the MVP of the league as well," Elliott says. "She is the perfect example of a team's best player also being its hardest worker."
Sophomore Shona Thorburn, a second-team all-MWC pick last year that led the team in assists and ranked second in scoring, also returns. Thorburn and Smith spent the majority of the summer and part of this fall training and competing with the Canadian National Team at the Pan American Games and the FIBA Olympic Qualification Tournament.
"Both Kim and Shona have personal basketball goals that include representing their country in international competition and it is exciting to see those dreams come to fruition," Elliott says. "In the long run, that experience makes a big difference in their basketball abilities."
The other three returning starters are seniors Carley Marshall, Kelsy Stireman and Mandie Little. A three-year letterwinner and an honorable mention all-conference pick last year, Marshall was one of three players to start all 31 games. She led the team in blocks and ranked second in rebounds.
The point guard Stireman is a three-year starter and last year was the team's top defensive player after leading the team in steals.
Little, who played her first season last year, made an immediate impact. She moved into the starting lineup one-third of the way through the season and led the team in offensive rebounds.
"The good news is we have all five starters back from last year, and they were good," Elliott says. "The bad news is we have all five starters back from last year, and people start thinking you can mail in the results."
The Utes also return junior Lana Sitterud, a captain last year, and sophomore Julie Wood, who led the team in free throw percentage and ranked second in three-point percentage.
"The greatest difference heading in to this season is expectations, though we will still be led by a couple of underclassmen," Elliott notes. "Our seniors must take the burden of that role off our young players and provide an unshakeable stability in our chemistry and toughness."
"It's nothing new for our program to be seen as the frontrunner, but it may be new to individual players," she continues. "Our seniors have been there before and need to provide balance. We will work and prepare this team at the highest level possible. In doing that, we expect good things to happen."
Utah has added a veteran point guard and three freshmen this season. Senior Kim Hemenway, who transferred from Southern Utah and played on the scout team last year, joins the team.
The freshman class includes two post players - Camie Allen and Shauna Brouillard - who will add much-needed size. "I can't believe we survived with only two 'bigs' last year, so the realization that most situations warrant more flexibility with your power game gives us reason to believe that both Camie and Shauna's progress could most affect us in our class of newcomers," Elliott says.
Rounding out the newcomers is freshman Heidi Carlsen, a point guard from St. George, Utah. "Heidi will have time to develop with good competition around her," Elliott states.
Utah also has new faces in the coaching staff this season. Joining Elliott and 11-year assistant Shelley Jarrard are Carolyn DeHoff and Matt Legerski. DeHoff spent the last five seasons at Weber State, while Legerski, a one-time team manager, comes to Utah after serving as an assistant for the men's team at Utah Valley State College.
"This coaching staff change brings us new ideas and new ways to look at things," Elliott says. "That challenge makes us grow and continue to move forward."
All in all, Elliott is excited about the balance of her team and its prospects for the year. "We have the greatest offensive production from our wings, the most collegiate experience from our point guard position, and two successful senior posts bolstered by the addition of some much-needed depth," she says. "In comparing the strength of our team by position, I like the balance."
Below is a position-by-position breakdown of the 2003-04 Utes.
Point Guard
Utah has good depth at the point guard position with Stireman, a three-year starter, Hemenway, a transfer, and Carlsen. The Utes also have the ability to swing Thorburn over.
"Having a senior point guard who has started throughout her career is a plus, and having a senior transfer come in at that position adds some great leadership to our group," Elliott says. "We have six years of starting with Kelsy and Kim at the point position. That greatly adds to what has already been a solid position for us."
Wings
"The experience, ability, and success that our wings have will continue to make us a considerably stronger team," Elliott says. Anchoring the group will be Smith and Thorburn. Added to the mix are Sitterud and Wood.
"Shona and Kim (Smith) give us the best wing combination not just in our league, but comparative to any program in the country," Elliott said. "Lana and Julie provide us with scoring, a physical defensive presence, and depth enough to keep our attack fresh and mobile."
Posts
The post, weak in numbers last season, has added much-needed depth. Marshall and Little, Utah's only power players last year, will head the position.
"Our lack of depth in the power positions was our biggest concern during last season, and though we survived that issue, we will be better prepared this year with the addition of two more strong freshmen to augment the great job both Carley and Mandie did for us last season," Elliott notes.
Joining the mix are Allen and Brouillard, both of whom put up phenomenal numbers in high school. "We will be deeper with the addition of Camie and Shauna, giving us greater latitude in physical games and when facing certain game issues," Elliott says.
Schedule
The Utes will face 10 teams - Western Kentucky, Oklahoma, Weber State, Brigham Young, New Mexico, UNLV, Colorado State, Wyoming, Fresno State and Oregon State - that participated in the 2003 postseason (five in the NCAAs and five in the WNIT).
Utah opens the season at home with a first-round Preseason WNIT game against Southeast Missouri State at 7 p.m. on Nov. 14. If the Utes win that game, they will play in the second-round against either UC Santa Barbara, which advanced to the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament, or San Diego. Other possible Preseason WNIT opponents include '03 NCAA participants Texas Tech, Rutgers, Liberty and Cincinnati.
"Our schedule reflects the need to challenge this team coming off the success we had last year and their desire to continue to make a name for themselves," Elliott says. "Our conference gives us a legitimate claim to national prominence, as its growth and improvement have created as competitive a situation as you could want. With the competition we'll face in the preseason WNIT, and non-conference games against Oklahoma, Western Kentucky, Oregon State, Montana, Northern Arizona and Fresno State, all on the road, a 20-win season this year will definitely have been earned."
Also included in the schedule this season are five televised games, the most ever in school and conference history. The Jan. 25 home game against New Mexico will air on ESPN2. Fox Sports Net will regionally televise three regular-season contests, including Utah at Colorado State (Jan. 17), Utah at UNLV (Feb. 8) and BYU at Utah (Feb. 28). Additionally, when Utah plays at New Mexico on Feb. 19, the game will be televised to a national audience on College Sports Television (CSTV).
Players Mentioned
C
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballUtah: 66, Cincinnati: 73 | Big 12 Tournament | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 11
Utah: 75, Baylor: 101 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
Utah: 78, Colorado: 92 | Utah Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Wednesday, March 04
Utah: 81, Colorado: 67 | Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference
Sunday, March 01