The excitement and determination of TU women’s basketball.
The Golden Hurricane women’s basketball team is preparing for their Tuesday home opener against Incarnate Word University, and head coach Angie Nelp and the players have put in the work to make their run for the postseason this year. After just barely falling short in the American Conference Tournament quarterfinals last year to the University of North Texas Mean Green, in a 76-73 loss, the team comes with a different intensity this season, with Nelp saying, “There is a little bit of unfinished business that we feel,” when speaking of the nine returning players on this team. The Golden Hurricane returned four of the seven rotated starters, including Mady Cartwright, who led the team in points scored, 3-point field goal made, free throw percentage and free throws made. Cartwright also received Second Team All-Conference and now sophomore Dora Toman received an All-Newcomer Team distinction along with seven American Conference Freshman of the Week awards. Though Nelp is not bitter about the way their previous season ended, she did emphasize she and her athletes have an “internal drive that feels a little bit stronger,” as their season was cut shorter than they anticipated. She said, “We are in a cycle of competitiveness where we are ready to compete against an opponent.”
Since Nelp has taken over this program in 2021, they have had winning records which she attributes to her teams always competing, not just to be better but to be the best. Training at the University of Tulsa beginning in June for some players, Nelp is seeing their competitive nature rise and more of them wanting to face competitors other than themselves in team practice. They have truly dedicated themselves to Nelp’s process: “These young women, the way they’re committed to their training, the way they’re committed to each other, they’re also committed to the process.”. She expressed excitement for the beginning of their season, but a deeper excitement and determination for March — the postseason — which they always have in mind. As they begin their season, Nelp explains that “we always have the vision of competing for championships and where we want to be. … There’s this understanding of who we are, now it’s fun to flip on the lights, and get to go on the stage, and kind of showcase all those things that we’ve been working on.”
Though Nelp returned the bulk of this team, she described “gaps” she had to fill as they lost a key contributor to their team, Canada native Hannah Riddick. Riddick graduated and went to the BCF Elfic Fribourg Basket in the Swiss Basketball League for the 2026–27 season. Though she did not start at TU, she led the team last year in multiple leaderboards, including field goals made, field goal percentage and points per game. “Our players have worked incredibly hard to be able to fill some of those areas and those needs with our team,” Nelp explained. Not only did they return the majority of their roster, they welcomed three freshmen and two transfers, totaling fourteen players for Nelp. Though she acknowledges every team she coaches is different and that “we’re really grateful what all of our seniors did for us last year and kind of that footprint, and that legacy that they left has filtered into a lot of leadership components,” she is confident with the skill, ability and versatility in their new roster.
The women’s basketball season is quickly approaching with the home opener on Tuesday, Nov. 3, and four home games in the following weeks. They will begin their conference season on Thursday, Dec. 31, against Memphis followed by East Carolina on Sunday, Jan. 3, both at home. Nelp has expressed great excitement for this season and a great belief in this team, confident that they can make it farther than they previously have.
