CHICAGO — During a break in a scrimmage in practice, the Loyola University Chicago women’s basketball (8-4) players braced themselves for sprints from the baseline. Holding the line momentarily, third-year head coach Allison Guth was so revved up it seemed like she might run with them.
“Who here has a problem with executing out of timeouts?” Guth asked, frustrated with a lapse in coverage during the scrimmage.
Captain Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr raised her hand.
“Last season, who would help you?” Guth asked.
“Sam,” Hodge-Carr replied instantly.
“Sam would pull you aside and remind you what we’re in,” Guth nodded, highlighting the leadership void left by former point guard Sam Galanopoulos, now playing professionally in Greece.
The question facing this year’s Ramblers is: Who will fill the role of vocal leader?
It’s an adjustment for the current captains, who are used to leading by example.
In addition to Hodge-Carr, the team is looking to fifth-year forward Sitori Tanin, who recently scored her 1,000th career point. Junior Kira Chivers, the soft-spoken but hard-nosed point guard, is also figuring out how to insert her voice.
“It’s hard [when] you have such a vocal leader [in Galanopoulos] the two years before,” assistant coach Simon Harris told The Next of Chivers’ adjustment. “You’re sitting and watching, and that’s the dominant voice of the entire team but also plays your position.”
Chivers adjusts to bigger role
In her first year as a starter, Chivers’ basketball IQ and explosive athleticism have put her at the center of the Ramblers’ offense. She’s averaging 9.4 points and 3.6 assists per game, and her assist average is good for ninth in the Atlantic 10.
Against Northwestern, the Ramblers’ only game against a power conference school so far, Chivers played all 40 minutes.
“At one point, Coach Harris looked at me like, ‘I think Ki needs one.’ I said, ‘I think this team needs Ki,'” Guth told reporters after a 73-64 loss in which Loyola led at the half.
Chivers and Duquesne transfer Naelle Bernard form a dynamic backcourt that combines Chivers’ ability to get in the lane with Bernard’s sharpshooting. Both are tenacious defenders who use their quickness and craftiness to disrupt opposing ball-handlers.
Still, sometimes Chivers gets in her own head. Against conference opponent La Salle, Chivers scored only one point in 28 minutes.
“When Ki gets in her head, she’s not able to lead the way she wants to,” Guth said after the disappointing 55-45 loss.
Fortunately for Chivers, one of her teammates is an antidote to her critical self-talk.
“In a timeout, if [senior Destiny Jackson] sees I’m frustrated, she’s like, ‘You’re amazing at basketball. You’re a playmaker. You’re Division I,'” Chivers told The Next after practice on Dec. 19. “That kind of puts things in perspective.”
How Loyola is building chemistry with many new faces
Now the leader of the scout team, Jackson has witnessed the program’s transformation from a 1-15 conference record in Guth’s first season to an 8-10 finish in the Atlantic 10 last season.
But this season presents a new challenge. Like many Division I college basketball teams, Loyola has been reshaped by the transfer portal.
Four of the Ramblers’ top seven players transferred in this season. In addition, two of the team’s six freshmen have earned spots in the rotation.
So how do you pass on the culture of a program with so many new faces? How do you build chemistry amid change?
“That’s been one of our main questions,” Jackson told The Next.
Recognizing the challenge, Guth emphasizes repetition and communication. Loyola’s five-out motion offense requires players to read each other and make quick decisions.
That’s been a work in progress. Turnovers often stall the offense. But Loyola has shown the necessary willingness to move the ball, and its 16.3 assists per game are an improvement on last year’s mark.
Final nonconference game showcased Loyola’s potential
Loyola’s final nonconference game against Evansville forced the team to adjust once again. With Chivers sidelined with a concussion, Bernard and freshman Alexa Kinas stepped into the point guard role.
The first half showcased the team’s potential. The Ramblers handled Evansville’s press, committing just five turnovers. And the team shared the ball, scoring 36 points on 10 assists.
But in the second half, the turnover bug struck again. Loyola’s 20-point lead dwindled to six. During a tense timeout, Chivers pulled Bernard aside for a point guard pep talk. Even out of uniform, Chivers was exercising her voice.
Then Loyola weathered the storm, thanks in part to Tanin’s dominant performance (20 points, 12 rebounds). But it was balanced scoring that defined the 70-57 victory.
With five Ramblers averaging between 8.5 and 11.0 points per game, Loyola is finding strength in balance. As Chivers, Tanin and Hodge-Carr develop their voices, a distributed leadership model might prove similarly effective. The question isn’t who will replace Galanopoulos as the team’s voice — it’s how the players will evolve together to bridge the gap.
