For a squad plagued with injuries the last three seasons, the women’s basketball team are finally healthy. Head coach Doug Bruno will be the first to admit how crucial it is to be healthy.

“We’ve lost our best player (to injuries) three out of the last four years,” Bruno said. “In the year we didn’t lose that player and we didn’t have injuries, we went to the Sweet Sixteen.”

Getting healthy couldn’t come at a better time. With a new Big East and powerhouses such as Notre Dame and UConn departing, the Blue Demons are poised to make a move to the top. In a preseason poll conducted by fellow Big East coaches, DePaul was selected as the number one team in the conference.

Of course, Bruno and his team were dismissive of that news. Bruno said that the team would rather earn achievement, not “be celebrities.”

However, what the Blue Demons are looking forward to this upcoming season is one area that will help with success on the court: their depth.

“We’re much deeper and that’s important,” Bruno said. “We haven’t had depth like this in three or four years.”

The focus of that depth is the Blue Demons’ backcourt. The team is loaded at the guard positions, starting with Chanise Jenkins and Brittany Hrynko. The team also has reliable bench players such as Megan Rogowski and Megan Podkowa. Each player fits into Bruno’s system, which focuses on having a fast-paced offense.

“I’m looking at ten players that can play the guard position,” Bruno said. “That’s a lot, and they’re all good players that can play. They all bring different talents. Everywhere you turn there is a good player.”

Hrynko, who was voted the Big East’s top preseason player, said that the backcourt’s chemistry is what made it so effective.

“I think it’s going to be much better this year since we had time in the summer to play with each other,” Hrynko said. “I think it’s going to be very fun to watch.”

Also making an impact is the freshman class, made up of Jessica January, Brooke Schulte, Maddie Crowell, ShaKeya Graves and Brandi Harvey-Carr. Jasmine Penny, the team’s best forward and senior leader, said that the new players are picking up the game fast.

“So far, it’s been good,” Penny said. “There’s so much when you come in as a freshman, there’s so much to learn and take in. I feel like now they are all taking it in and coming across pretty well.”

The Blue Demons’ depth only helps their overall goal of finishing first in the Big East and taking the conference championship. This year is also different due to the realignment of the conference.

“It’s a huge year because we have a chance to make a statement,” Bruno said. “Those opportunities of a first year experience only happen once. When people say, there’s only one chance to make a first impression, you only have one chance to have an inaugural year.”