With the Ferris women’s basketball team’s record-breaking 2023-24 season at an end, the Bulldogs begin to look ahead to the new year with a similar mindset and mentality.
Junior guard Kadyn Blanchard answered some questions about her expectations, pressure and expanded role as a senior and leader.
Q: You have been a starter since you came here as a freshman. Do you feel any more pressure now that you’re a senior and seen as a mentor to the younger players?
A: I wouldn’t say it’s pressure, I feel a larger sense of responsibility. I welcome that and want to be the leader. I want to show the younger girls how things should be done and instill our culture. It may seem like pressure from an outside perspective, but I like being a leader and someone for everyone to look up to.
Q: What is the biggest thing you’ve learned from the leaders before you to prepare you for this role?
A: It’s easy to become somewhat of a dictator when you’re in a leadership role. They taught me to be more positive. A big thing we talked about is that we all want to hang out with each other and want to be with each other. We never go to practice and games, then it’s done, and we always ask everyone to hang out and include everybody. They taught me that to connect and be a team, we have to be friends off the court as well.
Q: You guys are losing some key rotational pieces, but you are also returning a lot. How big is continuity, and what will the transition be like?
A: We have seen what we can do, we want to go above and beyond that and be better. We know what it takes now, and we know all of the challenges that we have to overcome and the work we have to put in the offseason. We have pretty high expectations, and we are all ready and excited for next season.
Q: Where are your expectations going into next season, and what’s the next step for the team?
A: We have seen what we can do, we want to go above and beyond that and be better. We know what it takes now, and we know all of the challenges that we have to overcome and the work we have to put in the offseason. We have pretty high expectations, and we are all ready and excited for next season.
Q: Do you feel like winning is the new standard here now? Is it less of a desire and more of an expectation?
A: Yes even this past year, we felt like we were expected to win. We have what it takes to win, and we know what it takes to win. Especially dating back to our first game against Grand Valley, it was a whole new feeling for me because we all felt like we knew we were going to win that game. When we played them before, it was more “Oh, they’re our rival.” It’s going to be a good game, but this year we knew we were the top dog and we could win that game. It made us all feel super connected as a team being on the same page.
Q: What is one thing you plan on adding to your game or expanding on for this upcoming season?
A: I’ve been working a lot on shooting off the dribble and expanding my range. I have a lot in my bag, and it’s nice this off-season I get to work on new things. Last season, I was unable to do anything new because it was all rehab coming off of my injury. I want to be more efficient and take more, great high-percentage shots.
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