ITHACA, N.Y. - While every member of a team is a leader in their own way, successful leadership across a squad starts from the top-down. A team's captains set the tone for the rest of the team to follow, having a huge impact on the culture that is fostered. This season, seniors Samantha Widmann and Laura Bagwell-Katalinich will captain the Big Red women's basketball team and lead Cornell in battle.

The role of team captain is nothing new for Widmann, who will captain the Big Red squad for the third-consecutive season. She is only the second student-athlete in program history to be elected as a three-time team captain, joining Karen Force '04, who captained the squad during the 2001-02, 2002-03, and 2003-04 seasons. Widmann has grown tremendously as a leader and a person over her Big Red career, but her work ethic set her apart from day one in a Cornell uniform.

"Sam has always been our absolute hardest worker," said Dayna Smith, the Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball. "She would literally dive through a wall for any of her teammates. She has always been somebody that our players can look at in the weight room, at individual workouts, and in practice and say, 'Wow, I've got to follow that.' She brings the energy day in and day out."

With as much of a positive impact as Widmann makes on the court, she has an even greater ability to positively impact her teammates off of the court.

"What a lot of people will probably never see is Sam's behind the scenes approach – how she's rallied our team during team meetings, when she's challenged us to be better off of the court, or when she's been there for a teammate when she's having a rough day," said Smith. "That is something that when she came in as a freshman probably was not even in her personality, and to see her mature as a person and understand the value of that has been really fun to watch."

As she enters her senior season with the Big Red, Widmann's leadership will be relied upon by her teammates more than ever, and they are eager to follow her because of what she brings to the table on a daily basis.

"Sam is definitely the heart and soul of our program and our team," said Smith. "Every single person not only follows her, but enjoys following her, because of who she is as a person."

As for Widmann herself, the faith that she has in her team is the epitome of a true leader, and she is ready to take the Big Red to new heights this season.

 "Being a part of this amazing team and watching us grow into the program we are now has been incredible," said Widmann. "From losing five seniors after my freshman year, to going to the Ivy League Tournament last year, it has been a ride I wouldn't trade for the world. These girls are my family and I am confident in every single player, from the starters to the reserves. I believe that we can bring home a championship if we play the way we are capable of playing." 

Widmann will team up with Bagwell-Katalinich, who captains the Big Red squad for the first time of her career. After transferring from Penn and having to sit out the 2017-18 season due to NCAA regulations, Bagwell-Katalinich was a game changer for the Big Red in her first season playing for Cornell in 2018-19, becoming just the 11th player in program history to be named First-Team All-Ivy League.

Bagwell-Katalinich's skills on the court stuck out from the moment she arrived in Ithaca, quickly grabbing the attention of her teammates and showing them that she could be relied upon.

"Laura is somebody that the team respected and trusted last season based upon her abilities and commitment to her own craft," said Smith. "She is extremely focused in what she needs to do and how she needs to compete."

Bagwell-Katalinich has always been focused on taking her own personal game to the next level, but being a team captain requires an interest in everybody else's development as well. Bagwell-Katalinich remained devoted to this in the offseason, showing her teammates a different side and proving to them that she is worthy of leading them both on and off the court.

"To be a captain in our program, you need to care about everybody else's game along with your own, and to see Laura morph into this role has been great," said Smith. "She really showed in the offseason the type of leader that she wanted to be, extending her leadership beyond the basketball court."

For Bagwell-Katalinich, being elected as a team captain is a testament to who she is as a person, in addition to her game. She has traditionally been an extremely talented athlete on the court, but the reverence she has built with her teammates outside of basketball is what earned her the role of team captain.

"I thought that it was a great accomplishment and honor for Laura to be named captain," said Smith. "It showed us that she is doing things beyond the gym, things that you don't just see on the court."

Bagwell-Katalinich recognizes the growth that she has made in getting to this point, and has gained a true understanding during her time at Cornell of what being a team captain is all about.

"On our team, the role of captain is to mainly serve as the link between the coaches and players," said Bagwell-Katalinich. "It takes a lot of communication and understanding of what each individual needs to be successful, and I can honestly say that I didn't have those skills when I first got here. I think the fact that I was named captain this season is really telling of how this program pushes you to grow as both a basketball player and a person."

Similar to Widmann, Bagwell-Katalinich has seen the tremendous growth that the Big Red women's basketball team has made in the past several years, and feels fortunate to be able to leave her mark on the program.

"Nothing would make me happier than to leave Cornell with an Ivy League title, and I do hope to help our team get there," said Bagwell-Katalinich. "That being said, given where the program was two or three years ago, seeing how the culture has transformed and how bought in this team is has been incredible. I think I'm going to be able to walk away knowing that the senior class left this program better than they found it."

The Big Red is in good hands this season with Widmann and Bagwell-Katalinich leading the team. With one season remaining for each of them, the pair already has, and continues to, contribute to the legacy that is the Cornell women's basketball program.

Women's Basketball Outlook Schedule
Thursday, Oct. 31 – Part One, 2018-19 Round Up and a Look Ahead
Friday, Nov. 1 – Part Two, Leadership
Monday, Nov. 4 – Part Three, Guards
Tuesday, Nov. 5 – Part Four, Forwards