Fourth-year guard and business graduate student, Alex Crain said she is looking to be more aggressive on the court this season, alongside San Diego State’s women’s basketball team.
Crain said she is looking forward to competing in what will be some of the most pivotal games of the season, including games against Ole Miss and Ohio State.
“Those games will lead us into conference plays and that is always the best time of year because that’s when you really start to play for the tournament,” Crain said.
Practices and training have started looking closer to normal this year, according to Crain. Athletes have more access to facilities and are able to fully practice as an entire group. This comes after last year’s limitations from practice hours to practice structures to their season being limited to 13 games. Although this is the case, Crain said the team still needs to “mask up and stay safe” in their training rooms.
“I think right off the bat, it was just better vibes because we have more accessibility to the facilities and there were less restrictions in terms of how our team could interact with each other,” Crain said. “And then overall I think we just came in with a different mentality in terms of what we want for this season and our expectations. A big thing we have been talking about is being unselfish and rebounding. I think overall this year has been a lot more intense but also I think we’re also closer in a way.”
Crain said the athletes were granted a “COVID year” meaning they will have an extra year of eligibility due to the unorthodox 2020 season.
“I love it here so, yeah, I want to come back for next year and you know, keep it rolling,” Crain said.
Due to the additional year of eligibility, Crain described this season as her “pseudo senior year.”
“I’ve worked really hard this summer just to improve my overall game and I think this season I just want to go in with a more aggressive mindset and just really go out there and leave it all out because this is like a pseudo senior year for me so I have all the experience and all the tools I need,” Crain said.
If Crain chooses to stay with SDSU for an additional year, she said she has two options academically.
“I actually graduated in two years with my undergraduate, so right now I am finishing up my masters in business,” Crain said. “So, the plan is to either kind of get another year in my master in business next year or to start another master’s program altogether.”
Crain said personally, her mentality before each game is to “take no prisoners.”
“I think before games the mentality has to be ‘take no prisoners’ like when I go out there I want to leave it all out because at the end of the day if you give 100 then you have no regrets,” Crain said. “I think this year taking those extra steps forward, being more aggressive, and being more assertive on the floor and then when I’m speaking and how I carry myself is key for me and the success of our team overall.”
Crain said her coaches have advised her to focus on her strengths as a defensive player, however, she said she likes all aspects of the game.
“I like both sides of the ball because defense helps you win but you have to put the ball in the basket,” Crain said. “Plus, it is just fun getting those cool plays either an assist or a good ‘and one’ so I like both sides of the ball.”
This year the team is stacked with returning players who have experience on the court and in competitions. Given the effects of COVID-19, the team has also had to be adaptive in the past.
“The COVID year definitely matured us a lot,” Crain said. “So, we had quite a few freshmen come in last year and I’d say all of them have taken so many steps forward in terms of their maturity on the court and off the court. Our leadership of course has always been strong but I think this year we are even more so on the same page in terms of our expectations and our mentality. Overall, I would just say we are just a better team.”
Last year SDSU women’s basketball joined the Jordan family, making them the 9th women’s team to ever be signed by the Jordan brand. Crain said it is an honor to be a part of his legacy
“It [the gear] is so clean, like the shoes and the travel suits, we actually just got our practice jerseys and stuff so it is finally coming together,” Crain said. “Last year, we were having to use the older practice jerseys so now we have the new ones and we just look fresher. You know you look good, you feel good.”
