A new era of Eastern Washington University women's basketball is right around the corner. Under first year head coach Joddie Gleason, the Eagles unofficially start the 2021-22 season this Friday, Nov. 5, at Reese Court with an exhibition against local foe Whitworth. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. Pacific time.
 
Gleason was officially hired on May 21, 2021 and has hit the ground running by hiring a staff, filling roster spots and implementing a new system and standards in under six months.
 
"The offseason has been a whirlwind, but it's been a lot of fun. I got here at the end of May and was able to hire our staff in the middle of July. There was a while where it was just me, but it was a great opportunity to meet the returning players who were here in the summer. We were able to build relationships late into the school year and into the summer. We also still had roster spots to fill, so we were recruiting hard and added four more players to our roster," said Gleason. "We started later than most teams, and brought our whole team together in August. Our focus has been building team chemistry and a culture. With so many new faces, including freshmen and transfers up down the roster, our main goal has been getting to know each other and learning how to play together. Our motto is to play for each other, and that's what we've been trying to do."
 
The 2021-22 edition of Eagle women's basketball features eight returners and eight newcomers, five of which are true freshmen and three transferred in. Eastern Washington was picked to finish 11^th by the coaches and 10^th by the media in the preseason polls after finishing 6-17 overall and 5-12 in Big Sky Conference play a year ago. Eastern Washington's official opener takes place at home in Cheney, Wash., on Nov. 11 against San Jose State at 6 p.m.
 
Whitworth University is a Division III institution in nearby Spokane, Wash. The Pirates compete in the Northwest Conference and are coached by Joial Griffith in her fourth season.
 
FOLLOW THE EAGS: There will be no live stream for Friday's game, but fans can follow along on EWUStats.com with live stats, and score updates can be found by following @EWUWBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook. All of Eastern Washington's regular season games at home and all road Big Sky Conference games will be streamed on ESPN+. To learn how to watch ESPN+ or to purchase a subscription, click HERE.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO: Admission is free for the exhibition, but season tickets and renewals are still on sale for the upcoming season. Single game tickets open up on Monday, Nov. 8, and more information can be found on GoEags.com/tickets. There is no vaccination requirement for this game, but masks are required anywhere inside Reese Court unless actively eating or drinking.
 
Due to tailgating on Friday night for Eastern Washington's Nov. 6 football game against Montana State, fans are asked to utilize street parking, or park on campus in lots P3 or P16. All lots and meters are free after 5 p.m.
 
WHAT'S BACK: Eight Eagles return to the roster from last year's squad in freshmen Aaliyah Alexander, Nuria Cunill, and Kallie Schaplow, redshirt-freshmen Gabrielle Jung, redshirt-sophomores Tatiana Reese and Milly Knowles, and junior transfers Britt Van Buren and Megan Fossen.
 
"Milly Knowles, Tatiana Reese and Gabrielle Jung have been here before when we had students on campus. Their leadership has really brought our team together and created a culture that we've wanted," said Gleason.
 
Alexander played in and started 21 games for the Eagles last season, averaging 10.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. She led the team in minutes (32.0) and assists (3.0) per game while ranking second with 1.4 steals per contest. Additionally, she was named Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week after averaging a double-double in two games against Weber State. In her Eagle debut, she led the way with a career-high 18 points, scoring in double figures in 11 games during her freshman campaign.
 
Listed as a redshirt-sophomore on the roster due to the COVID year and a medical redshirt, Knowles is back in her fourth season with the Eagles. Last year, she played in 22 games with 10 starts and averaged 16.7 minutes and 2.0 points per game. Cunill played in all 23 games as a true freshman, making nine starts and leading the team with 0.7 blocks per game.
 
NEW EAGS ON THE BLOCK: The 2021-22 roster is filled with eight new faces who look to make immediate impacts for the Eagles after standout prep careers.
 
Eastern Washington has five true freshmen in Jaleesa Lawrence (Meridian, Idaho / Meridian HS), Jaydia Martin (Vancouver, Wash. / Hudson's Bay HS), Alexis Pettis (Gardena, Calif. / Palisades Charter HS), Devynn Warns (Renton, Wash. / Liberty HS) and Andie Zylak (Spokane, Wash. / Lewis and Clark HS).
 
The Eagles also reloaded with three transfers who will use previous collegiate experience to help guide EWU to new heights. Jordyn Boesel is a graduate student from Okanogan, Wash., where she attended Okanogan High School and went on to play at Saint Mary's for four seasons.
 
"We have some graduate transfers that have come in with a significant amount of college experience. Jacinta Buckley came in from UNLV, and Jordyn Boesel brings toughness and a competitive drive every day. She knows how to practice hard at this level and leads by example," said Gleason. "We got Bria Rice eligible late, and those three bring the experience that we need. With six true freshmen, we're young in that regard, so we wanted to make sure we brought in players who could play and help right away."
Jacinta Buckley is a sophomore from Spokane, Wash., where she prepped at Lewis and Clark High School before two years at UNLV. Bria Rice also joins the Eagles as graduate transfer. She hails from Federal Way, Wash., where she prepped at Todd Beamer High School and has had stints at both Arizona and Long Beach State.
 
WHO'S IN CHARGE HERE: Joddie Gleason was officially hired as the eighth head women's basketball coach in Eastern Washington University history on May 21, 2021 after five seasons at Seattle University as the associate head women's basketball coach. Prior to that, she stood at the helm of the Humboldt State women's program for 12 years and was the program's all-time winningest coach (201-137) upon her departure.
 
Not only did Gleason have to hit the recruiting trail once she got on campus, she had to hire a brand-new staff as well. Gleason started with her husband, Skip Gleason, who is EWU's associate head coach. The duo has coached together for 14 years, beginning at Humboldt State and during their time with the Redhawks.
 
"A crucial part to any program is what kind of staff you can bring in, and we are so fortunate to have the staff that we have," said Gleason. "Skip and I have done this together for a long time. He's going to be our recruiting coordinator. We know what we are good at and what we can bring, and we knew exactly what we needed to fill to fill holes. We have all meshed together as a staff very well, and we're excited."
 
The Eagles also welcome assistant coaches Jordan Loera and Brandon Morrison. Loera played collegiately at the University of Oregon, graduating in 2016. Most recently, Loera was the graduate assistant coach at Big Sky foe Southern Utah where she received her Master's degree.
 
"I was able to bring in Jordan Loera who is a great young coach. Since she was at Southern Utah, she helps us with the Big Sky component, and she's a local product too from Moses Lake and is well-connected with club coaches and local people in the area. She brings energy, is a worker, and has a great personality for the players who have built great relationships with her," added Gleason.
 
Morrison has served in several roles at UNLV since 2011, helping coach the 2017 and 2019 Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was also an advanced scout for the WNBA Los Angeles Sparks.
 
"Brandon Morrison was previously at UNLV and has done a lot of scouting and digital work with the LA Sparks. He brings energy every day, no matter what's going on, and he's always ready to work with a smile. He works great with the players on the court as well as his experience," continued Gleason.
 
THE 2021-22 CAMPAIGN: Eastern Washington will play 29 regular season games this season, including 16 at home at Reese Court.
 
The non-conference portion of the schedule consists of nine games, including exciting home matchups against Mountain West Conference members San Jose State and Boise State, along with West Coast Conference member Gonzaga. Eastern Washington then plays every Big Sky Conference opponent twice, splitting between home and the road.
 
"Home or away, we have our conference opener circle on the calendar," said Gleason, who's squad opens Big Sky play on Dec. 2 at Southern Utah. "Our preseason schedule will prepare us very well for Big Sky competition, so starting on the road at Southern Utah will be fun for us and coach Jordan Loera. I know it will be a big game for our team and we will be ready."
 
The Big Sky Conference Tournament is slated for March 7-10 in Boise, Idaho.
To view the complete schedule, click HERE.