By Lauren Simpson
Cornell Athletic Communications

With eight new faces on the Cornell women's basketball team this season, the Big Red will have a fresh, new look when it takes the court for the 2021-22 campaign. Even the six returners from the 2019-20 roster will be a part of this newness, with only two having averaged double-digit minutes the last time the Big Red suited up. This makes the possibilities endless as to who will make an impact for the Big Red this season, in both the back court and the front court.

Back Court:

Junior Shannon Mulroy and senior Samantha Will, two of the three team captains for the season, will be integral pieces of the guard core this season. A hard-working guard who has the ability to facilitate the offense or step out and shoot the three, Mulroy returns as the team's top scorer from 2019-20 when she averaged 8.3 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.1 rebounds per game. She appeared in all 26 games and made 23 starts while averaging 25.2 minutes of playing time per game, the most among all returners. Mulroy has the capability to be a sharp-shooter, especially with the attention she's paid to this detail in the offseason, leading the Big Red in 3-point makes (35) and shooting 33.0 percent from behind the arc in her rookie season. She also ranked second on the team in assists and free throw percentage (.750) in 2019-20.

A guard with a calming presence on the floor, Will came into her own at the end of the 2019-20 season when she scored double-digits in back-to-back games for the first time of her career against Yale on Feb. 21, 2020 and Brown on Feb. 22, 2020. She made her first career start in the contest against the Bears, netting 13 points and corralling a career-high five rebounds just one night after scoring a career-high 16 points against Yale on 7-of-11 shooting. Her 3.2 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 17 appearances in 2019-20 is deceiving, as Will is primed to make and impact for the Big Red this year.

Juniors Ania McNicholas and KC Carter also return to the guard core and will be called upon more heavily this season after getting their feet wet in their freshmen campaigns. McNicholas appeared in 17 games in 2019-20, making the most of her 5.5 minutes per game. She scored a career-high seven points in her collegiate debut against UAlbany, also corralling a career-high four rebounds. Carter played in eight contests as a freshman and has worked tirelessly on her craft over the past year. She's constantly in the gym getting up shots, and when you combine Carter's work ethic and smart floor sense with her ability to shoot, good things are bound to happen.

An offensive-minded guard with a knack for putting the ball in the basket, junior transfer Olivia Snyder is a new addition to keep an eye on after scoring over 2,000-career points (2,077) as Southern Lehigh High School's all-time leading scorer (both boys and girls).

"Olivia Snyder definitely has the potential to be very impactful," said Dayna Smith, The Rebecca Quinn Morgan '60 Head Coach of Women's Basketball, who enters her 20th season at the helm of the program. "She has a unique skillset. She has an athleticism about her, and she has a scorer's mentality. She's going to need to be a big piece of what we do offensively."

Prior to spending her freshman season at Georgetown, Snyder was one of the top recruits in Pennsylvania, being named the 2018-19 AP 5A Player of the Year. A four-time all-state selection, Snyder earned AP First-Team All-State and USA Today First-Team All-State honors as a senior. She helped Southern Lehigh to back-to-back PIAA State Semifinal appearances in 2017-18 and 2018-19 and ended her career as the third all-time leading scorer in the history of Lehigh Valley Girls' Basketball.

Sophomore Kaya Ingram's versatility will be a welcome addition to the Big Red, as she has the ability to play both the point and shooting guard. A native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, Ingram was a three-time all-state selection at La Cueva High School, earning first team accolades as a junior and senior. She led La Cueva to the New Mexico Class 5A State semifinals during her senior campaign, being named the 2019-20 District 2-5A Player of the Year and 2020 New Mexico High School Coaches Association 5A Girls All-Metro Player of the Year.

Sophomores Mia Beam and Val Garcia-Martinez and freshman Lexi Green complete the Big Red guard core. A two-time second team all-region selection, Beam helped the Christian Academy of Louisville to back-to-back Kentucky 2A Championships in 2018-19 and 2019-20. Hailing from McAllen, Texas, Garcia-Martinez was a two-time all-region and four-time all-district selection for McAllen Memorial High School, being named The Monitor's 2019-20 All-Area Girls Basketball Player of the Year.

Green knows what it takes to win, as the Pittsford, N.Y. native helped Pittsford Mendon High School to a 111-7 record over her five seasons on the team. Green is constantly learning and growing, an attribute that will allow her to transition nicely to the college game after excelling at the high school level where she was a first team all-state selection. She amassed 1,458 career points and helped Pittsford Mendon to the program's first state title in school history in 2019.

Front Court:

While the 2021-22 Cornell roster might be back-court laden with nine guards, the five Big Red forwards, led by senior tri-captain Theresa Grace Mbanefo, are poised to leave their marks.

Mbanefo, along with junior Anna Hovis, are the only two forwards that return from the 2019-20 season. An extremely athletic post player with length and strong rebounding and blocking abilities, Mbanefo played in all 26 games as a sophomore, making four starts and averaging 18.2 minutes per contest. She led Cornell in blocks (18) and ranked third on the team in rebounding, averaging 5.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per contest. Her agile play and ability to run the floor will fit in well with Cornell's systems once again this season. Hovis appeared in four contests as a freshman, but the insight she brings as a returner is crucial with the Big Red's inexperience.

Freshman Summer Parker-Hall also brings athleticism, along with the ability to stay true to her game, effectively read matchups, and consistently improve, to the Big Red, all of which are invaluable.

"She's small, but she understands how to utilize her mismatches," Smith said. "She's in the right places at the right times. She's not necessarily going to wow you, but she just gets things. She's very coachable, high energy, and she progresses. She's gotten better every day."

Freshmen Jada Davis and Arianna Linoxilakis further strengthen Cornell's attack in the paint. Hailing from San Diego, Calif., Davis was a two-time team captain at the Bishop's School and competed on the AAU circuit for the Elite Basketball Organization (EBO), where she helped her team to a top-five finish in the Adidas Gauntlet in 2020. Linoxilakis was recognized among the top-15 players to be considered for the Greek National Team in the summer of 2019. She played high school ball at Weston High School in Weston, Mass. where she was awarded the Peter Condakes Memorial Award and Scholarship, which is given to a senior who has a passion for both basketball and academics and is determined on the court and in the classroom.

The Cornell women's basketball team will open the 2021-22 season against Colgate on Tuesday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. at Newman Arena in Ithaca, N.Y.