Summer Q&A with Head Coach Ginny Boggess

In her first season at Toledo, Ginny Boggess will coach a roster of seven newcomers and eight returners from last season, including four returning graduate students.

Photo by: Jacob Tracy

7/29/2024 3:57:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Rockets' new leader talks about 2024-25 team as summer concludes

Head Coach Ginny Boggess enters her first season as the head coach of the Toledo's Women's Basketball team following a successful stint as the head coach at Monmouth University and stops at Penn State and Marquette as an assistant.

Toledo enters the 2024-25 season as the three-time defending Mid-American Conference champions. The Rockets return eight players, including three starters, from last year's roster, from a team that went 28-6 and 17-1 in conference play, reaching the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) quarterfinals.

As the program wraps up its first summer under Boggess' leadership, she shared her views on the state of her program.

NOTE: Toledo will hold an open practice on Tuesday, July 30 at 5:00-6:15 at Savage Arena. Fans hoping to get their first glimpse of the 2024-25 Rockets can attend for free and can park in Lot 5 (located between Savage Arena and Paul Hotmer Field). The first 100 fans in attendance will receive a free Rocket Combo – a hot dog or brat, chips and a drink.

As we get close to end of the summer, can you give some insight as to how the roster has progressed and your expectations for your team for this season?

Boggess: We're super excited about the roster; the collection of talent here is incredible. What's fun for them is continuing to grow in their relationships with one another. Summer is about getting stronger, getting in shape and getting ahead in the classroom, but also about building those bonds and forging relationships to create a sisterhood. We have such a great tradition and culture here, and it's been fun to see everyone lean into what it means to be a Rocket. I'm very excited about our talent level, our competitiveness and how we're all coming together.

You had a lot of upperclassmen last year at Monmouth. With a roster featuring a lot of underclassmen on your roster this season, what has that transition been like?

Boggess: People look at Monmouth's roster last year and don't realize there were eight new players. So, although there was a lot of experience, they hadn't been together for very long. That made me a better coach because I learned not to skip steps, and we're making sure we focus on our attention to detail so we can get everything installed into every player this summer. Part of that is building confidence, and confidence comes with reps, and our seven newcomers are responding very well to the coaching staff here.

Speaking of the newcomers, what has this new wave of student-athletes brought to Toledo?

Boggess: First of all, we're big – Courtney and Heidi Smith are 6'1" and Evalyse Cole is 6'2" so we have some size and some depth at our 4- and 5-positions. Our two freshmen guards and transfer Kendall Carruthers are very talented and are fun to watch play with pace and attack in space. All of our newcomers are giving us a ton of energy, a ton of excitement and are shooting the ball well. They're fun and the Rocket fans are really going to love them.

You're returning four graduate students, including Sammi Mikonowicz, a Third-Team All-MAC selection from last year. What impact have they had on the newcomers?

Boggess: They've had an incredible influence. They stayed because they love the University of Toledo and love each other. That's a contagious energy we want to continue to build upon. Toledo is a special place, and these graduate students treat UT and their teammates as special people. They're teaching the newcomers how to compete and letting them know every day what it means to be a Rocket, that there's a bullseye on our back and a tradition to uphold here. I'm proud of our leadership and I'm proud of the investment they're making in their teammates.

Talk about your assistant coaches – Geoff Lanier, Jackie Alexander and Takima Keane -- and what they will bring to the program?

Boggess: They bring incredible energy, and the love and passion that they have for our student-athletes and the student-athlete experience is unparalleled. I'm fortunate to have a staff that believes in what I believe, and most importantly that gives tremendous energy to our student-athletes every day.

We're in a stretch where we're on the court Tuesday through Thursday and out recruiting Friday through Monday, so I'm asking a lot from our coaching staff, but it's nothing more than I'm willing to give. We're all-in, and they're bringing an elite level of confidence to the team, along with attention to detail, position coaching, building those relationships and building that trust with our student-athletes.

You have a set of twins on the roster in Heidi and Courtney Smith. Have they brought a chemistry that maybe you haven't seen before?

Boggess: 'Iron Sharpens Iron' is one of our core values, and Heidi and Courtney certainly exemplify that. One of our administrators pointed out any time you hear the ball bouncing, they are the ones on the court. They're constantly in the gym and they thrive in the work. They love to be in the gym playing basketball with their teammates. There's some competition between those two, even a little chirping and trash-talking to each other. I'm smiling as I say this because I love their competitive spirit, I love their motors and they've been really fun to coach.

Has there been anyone you've seen grow exponentially, and how have they done it outside of their play on the court?

Boggess: I've seen considerable grow from Cadence Dykstra. Her confidence is something that's blossomed. She has a really high basketball IQ. The position-less freedom in the motion offense is giving her a ton of room to go make plays and I think she's having a lot of fun with it.

We've also seen a lot of growth from Khera Goss. She's stepped into that leadership role as a vocal leader. She's always been a very consistent contributor over her four years. She's continued to improve her three-point range along with her aggressiveness and finishing through contact. But I've seen her step into that leadership role, and I'm really excited about how she's poured into the younger players and players that have been her teammates for four years.

One player who brings a few accolades with her to Toledo is Kendall Carruthers, local player from Holland, Ohio. What is she looking to improve on this season?

Boggess: I love to brag on Kendall because a lot of the things that sometimes come with freshmen – learning to communicate at a high level, learning the pace and understanding how hard you have to play – those are already in the package. She communicates at a high level, she commands the game when she has the ball in her hands, whether she's playing at the 1- or the 2-position, which is really exciting. She has a competitiveness and a juice about her that I really, really like. One thing I'd say she's adding is a consistent three-ball. She's able to get by anybody and hit that mid-range or get to the rim, which is incredible, but she's gaining confidence and consistency from three. She's learning the system, she's a quick learner and has the basketball 'feel.' We're excited about what Kendall will bring to our depth and she's going to be an impact player this year for us.

You have four local players on your roster. How important is it to keep Northwest Ohio talent in Toledo?

Boggess: It's very important because I want our fans to be able to support great local talent along with some of the best talent in the country and in the world. The two players I get asked about the most are Kendall Carruthers and Kendall Braden. Hopefully fans come out in droves to see those two young women. They're big impact players and I'm excited for everyone to see them in a Rockets' jersey. The fans love that there are local kids and have watched them come up and play through high school.

Is there anything that has surprised or challenged you as a coach coming from Monmouth to Toledo?

Boggess: The players go at each other and there is a competitiveness that isn't necessarily in every locker room. It didn't surprise me because I know the success and the culture here. Hannah [Noveroske] and Jessica Cook will go after each other in practice, and then will be shooting free throws and laughing and giggling 20 minutes later. They're roommates and close friends, but they really understand the importance of making one another better.

I've been a part of some great teams, and I've wanted them to compete more and make each other better, and not settle into an 'I'm a senior so I'll get more playing time' mentality. We have an elite level of competitiveness and I'm really proud of the culture and what's been built, and am excited to build on it.

What have you enjoyed the most about Toledo so far – in both the University and the city?

Boggess: For UT, I've enjoyed the camaraderie and the "all-in" mentality. Everyone here wants everyone else to be successful. The collaboration, the camaraderie and the contagiousness of lifting one another up is so impressive. From Tod Kowalcyzk, Coach [Jason] Candle, to Bryan Blair to the assistant coaches and even their spouses, everyone is checking in to make sure women's basketball is getting everything that is needed to be successful.

As far as the City of Toledo and the area as a whole – I'm a low-key, small-town girl, so I'm enjoying the vibe and it feels like home. I've fit in well with the community, I love the accessibility to the city and the convenience of everything. I've found some restaurants that I really like, and I'm enjoying our new home. Kristin and I and our dogs are living in Sylvania and have settled in very nicely. Couldn't be happier to be a part of the Greater Toledo community.

What has the team done in terms of team bonding to get to know each other of the summer?

Boggess: We started a 'big sister, little sister' program, as we have eight returners and seven newcomers, so everyone is paired up between big sister and little sister. We try to pair up everyone with someone who understands our culture at Toledo and the expectations. They've gone to get smoothies and coffee together as big and little sisters, for example.

We actually had "Go. Follow. Lead." in on Wednesday to do a leadership team-building exercise for an hour, and we also have Blue/Gold week coming up as well. It's been a bunch of little stuff, nothing monumental quite yet, but a lot of little organic touches, including meals and small-group shooting. This shows again what I like about this team the most. I don't feel the pressure to organize team bonding because they're always together, doing things from concerts to going to Maumee Bay State Park to the pool to bowling and much more. They do it together organically, which is a testament to their togetherness and camaraderie.