ITHACA, N.Y. -- With a brand new staff assembled from various backgrounds and programs, Cornell women's basketball is primed to jump into a new season, which lies right around the corner. Cornell is coming off of a 7-19 season where the Big Red played tough competition, including a team that made the 2024 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament and three other opponents who each made a national postseason tournament. With the loss of leadership from three seniors last season and a 2024-25 schedule that will test the Big Red once again, there is one message that Emily Garner, the Rebecca Quinn Morgan Head Coach of Women's Basketball, is looking to hone in on; Process and Progress.

"As we transition in as a coaching staff, one thing you look for on a team is what they're rooted in," Garner told Lance Medow on the 2024 Ivy League Women's Basketball Media Day call. "What we found is this group really loves each other, they care about each other, and they work hard every day. So for us [coaches], were really focused on two things and that's process and progress. Every single day we are looking to build into our system and build into each other to take steps forward."

Despite being new to the program, Garner has a solid foundation in the Cornell women's basketball program in which to build upon. The Big Red is returning five of its top-six scorers, the top six rebounders and seven of the top-eight assisters. Highlighting the group of returners is junior Emily Pape, who posted the second-most points in 2023-24 with 260. She also led the Big Red in rebounds with 166 boards. Pape was also a part of the Ivy League media day call and spoke to Medow about her game development.

"Heading into this year, I want to continue to focus on threes, but also expand my game in other ways too, especially on the defensive end," said Pape. "I think that getting momentum from the defense will push us to get offensive opportunities."

Alongside Pape is another big in sophomore Rachel Kaus, who was the team's most accurate shooter last season, converting 47.3 percent of her shots. Other returners include point guard Azareya Kilgoe, who was the team's second-best assister, tallied 69 assists and had a 34.1 shooting percent from the field, Summer Parker-Hall who is back for her senior season after leading the Big Red in blocks last season and racking up the second-most defensive rebounds, sophomore Clarke Jackson, the most accurate guard on the squad, who makes her return after shooting 42.3 percent from the field in 2023-24 and junior Vivienne Knee is back to the court this fall after becoming a major spark for the Big Red late in the season, earning a starting spot in three of the last four games of the 2023-24 season.

In addition to all of the returners, Cornell added four freshmen to help fill the gap left by the loss of seniors Mia Beam, Kaya Ingram, and Val Garcia Martinez. Of the group, Kelsey Langston, who was a 2024 Illinois State Champion at Loyola Academy, has already shown big steps in preseason practices and exhibition games. She may be a name to watch for the Big Red in her young career.

With grounds to build off of and a young and exciting group, the Big Red takes to the court on Monday, November 4, when the team travels to West Point, N.Y., to take on Army at 5 p.m. The season opener will be streamed live on ESPN+.