March 20, 2024
Postseason WNIT | 3/20/2024 11:01:38 PM
Fred Chmiel, safe to say, has settled in on the tasks required as head coach of the Bowling Green women’s basketball program.
But Chmiel is in no way ready to settle down.
Eager to build an identity with the Falcons as his debut season reaches its climax, Chmiel will take his swings in the 2024 Postseason WNIT as Bowling Green (16-14) travels to Butler (14-16) for a Round 1 contest on Thursday. Some teams might be ready to power down after a season like the one BGSU has faced, with multiple injuries altering lineups and plans, but the Falcons sense the value of pressing on and pushing against any mental or physical fatigue.
Bowling Green reached the semifinals of the WNIT last season, but it’s a major reboot this time with Chmiel calling the shots (he was an assistant for eight years with the powerhouse South Carolina program) with a roster that isn’t terribly deep, did not enter the year with much gametime experience, and has had major churn while dealing with player injuries. But with time in the professional coaching ranks and stints at Temple, San Diego State, Penn State and Minnesota as well, Chmiel felt prepared for whatever came down the pike.
“You want to make sure your family is adjusted, and you start to cultivate the relationship with players and staff, and get ready for a long arduous season,” he said. “You’re dropped in the middle of a jungle, and you have to find your way out. The community has wrapped their arms around us, embraced us win or lose, and it’s been an easy transition. You get better each day and need to learn every time out, win or lose.
“It’s never easy to leave a staff that’s the caliber of South Carolina and of course, Dawn Staley. She helped me get the job, for sure – when you’re an athletic director and Dawn Staley calls, you pick up the phone. It gave me a boost of confidence, but I’ve always had the itch to be in the first seat and direct the program into success. Hopefully, I’ve learned enough from each stop.”
The first unexpected off-ramp for the Falcons came 10 games into the season when senior Lexi Fleming, a dynamic 5-4 guard, was shelved with the second major knee injury of her career. BGSU had to proceed without a multi-category talent, one whose offensive capacity surely affected the game plan – it’s easy to wonder about how Fleming may have stepped in during some mid-season conference setbacks and, especially, close losses that both wrapped up the Mid-American regular season and Round 1 of the MAC Tournament.
“It was definitely a big loss and left a huge void … we had that conversation, how things will not look the same. No one was coming off the bench to be that separator at the end of games,” Chmiel said. “But this is a group you can pull answers from, and who had the ability to step up in their own individual way. A lot of people held on when we could have let go and watched the season turn south – we’ve dealt with adversity but grown from it, and the ladies who are left have grown immensely.
“Making the adjustments and finding the pieces that fit, that’s something the staff has done a fantastic job. This group has persevered, no matter who’s been in or out.”
Leading the way is fifth-year 5-foot-10 guard Morgan Sharps, who played two years at Xavier before coming to BGSU. She’s averaging 15.6 points per game, plays a ton (33 minutes per contest) and shoots it well at 38 percent from 3-point range. Amy Velasco plays a remarkable 35 minutes per game and averages 14.6 points each time out, shooting 39 percent from long range and 88 percent from the free-throw line. Erika Porter leads in rebounds (6.5 rpg) and averages right at 12 points per game.
While the group may go through some turnover after 2023-24, freshman Paige Kohler has been a bright sign for the future, with 30 starts and good output (11.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg).
If Bowling Green hopes to repeat last year’s substantial success in the WNIT, the group will have to display a steady hand and look out for roller-coaster episodes. But it’s not like the Falcons are worried about tough competition, having taken on national behemoths such as Iowa, South Carolina and Indiana this season.
“When you’re not deep and have some inexperience, there’s an inconsistency that happened. Whether or not it’s a good day or bad day, you don’t have a lot of options for substitutions,” Chmiel added. “It’s about the consistency of our best players throughout 40 minutes, and closing the gaps. If we do that and shoot the ball – we’re a perimeter-shooting team, with some interior play, but if we’re not shooting then the interior stuff gets hampered. We’ve got to shoot well and take down the moments we play inconsistently.”
Chmiel on the WNIT – “We’ve had some great practices, the energy has been fantastic, and for me and the players, this is an opportunity for a championship. There’s something to play for. There’s a bit of closure, some finality … when you play your last game and hope for a bid, well this is different. Your last game is it. Any game time you get is a positive, for them to grow and get better and to fortify our culture.”