As part of our coverage in these unprecedented times, UIndyAthletics.com will highlight each of our winter sports by posting detailed season recaps of the 2019-20 men's and women's basketball, men's & women's swimming, indoor track & field and wrestling programs. Today we take a look back at women's basketball.

SEASON FLASHBACK
The UIndy women's hoops team had its best season under fourth-year head coach Kristin Wodrich in 2019-20, finishing with a 19-10 overall record and the six-seed in the GLVC Championship Tournament. Their 19 wins is the most for the Greyhounds since the 2013-14 season.
 
Senior Laura Thomas earned the program's first All-GLVC First Team nod since Martha Burse following the 2017-18 campaign, leading the team with 15.9 points per game on 44.7 percent shooting. Newcomer McKenzy Telfair also earned all-league distinction in her first season as a Hound, landing on the All-GLVC Third Team with a 9.6 points and 6.1 rebounds per game effort as a junior.
 
According to Wodrich, this past season was all about growth. "This season we won those close games that we didn't a year ago," she noted.
 
The Hounds picked up three key come-from-behind road wins throughout the course of the season, including clinching the season sweep versus Bellarmine in overtime on Jan. 20. UIndy outscored the Knights in the second half, 36-23, to force OT, where free throws from Mickey Sasson and Telfair proved the lone points of the extra session.
 
SIGNATURE WINS
"Two of them come to mind," Wodrich said when asked about the team's signature win. "Beating Lindenwood, who made the NCAA tournament, and winning at Lewis, who also made the tournament. Those two wins really showed what our program can be, and how far we've come."
 
Trailing by 10 at halftime versus Lindenwood, UIndy caught fire in the third quarter before holding off the back-to-back NCAA regional participants at Nicoson Hall, 61-58. Thomas scored a team-high 18 points, while Paige Barrett recorded 11 of her 13 points in the second half to fuel the comeback.
 
It was a different story just two weeks later at Lewis, as UIndy led wire-to-wire in its 52-46 road victory. The Greyhounds limited the Flyers to just 25 percent shooting from the floor, including 19 percent from 3-point range, while recording seven steals and two blocks as a team. Shira Sasson had arguably the best game of her career, finishing with 11 points, six boards, four assists and two steals.
 

I think @JoySasson and I were really excited! Great team win on the road??#competitivegreatness https://t.co/uovZrxC5Fx

— Coach Kristin Wodrich (@Kristin_Wodrich) January 31, 2020

 
SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Wodrich credits her seniors for the turnaround the team had this season, including a specific moment at Missouri S&T. "Losing at halftime after playing really bad, you just think what you're going to tell your team," Wodrich said. "As I'm walking down the hallway to our locker room, all I heard was Laura Thomas.
 
"She was going at the team, leading our team. I walked into the locker room and there wasn't very much for me to say. They went out in the second half, Laura finished with 38 points and the team played much better and won the game.
 
"I had a few texts after the game asking what I said to them at halftime, and I told them I didn't have to. To me, that means our program turned the page and that's definitely one of my favorite moments to see how much we've grown."
 
Wodrich said how much the program is going to miss the three seniors, with Emma Benoit and Claire Carlton joining Thomas. "Their leadership and work ethic," Wodrich quickly pointed out as a key to the team's success. "The three of them wanted to win."
 
LOOKING AHEAD
UIndy graduates some key contributors, but brings back a plethora of experience in 2020-21. "Having a foundation in place," Wodrich said of what she is most looking forward to next season.
 
"Bringing back a lot of upperclassmen, they saw what our expectations are. And I think that's how you build a program. When you bring in new kids, the foundation is already set because of the returners. We're bringing in some good talent next year, so I'm excited for our veteran kids to be able to teach."