DePaul women’s basketball enters the 2024 campaign off the heels of another losing season, something head coach Doug Bruno is not used to. He also is not used to taking a day off, which, according to graduate forward Jorie Allen, he probably has not done for the past 35 years. 

It was announced on Oct. 7 that Bruno experienced a medical incident in September. He is currently recovering at home and will be back with the team as soon as possible. 

“He bleeds DePaul women’s basketball,” interim head coach Jill Pizzotti said. “He has always had such a large presence, and he means a lot to this basketball program and to the university and the city. We’re just looking forward to him coming back.”

Pizzotti has been by Bruno’s side since 2014 as assistant head coach. She will be assuming the interim role for the first time in her tenure with the program. Pizzotti has learned plenty from Bruno, so the players have stayed the course, not letting this setback define their season.

“We haven’t missed a beat since we’ve been here,” junior guard Maeve McErlane said. “We’re getting work done, waiting for Coach Bruno to come back, but I think the team as a whole is handling it very well.” 

Although McErlane sustained an injury and has no timetable yet for a return to practice, she has been a leader off the court. 

“I just want to make sure that this team knows what the expectations are,” McErlane said. “We’re trying to win, but I’m just most excited to see this team come together, because we’re coming together each and every day, both on and off the court. So I’m excited to see us win.”

With this roster as young as it is — four true freshman and sophomores apiece and 16 players deep, balancing the development of its newcomers with upperclassmen like McErlane, Haley Walker, Kate Clarke and Jorie Allen has been the main focus at practices.

During practices, Pizzotti says that they work on “individual skill development,” especially for the younger players. They also play lots of five-on-five to make sure everyone is on the same page on what to do offensively and defensively.

“It’s a day-to-day process,” Pizzotti said. “You come in, you’ve got to prove yourself every day. And you build trust with your teammates by just coming in and playing hard every day and working to get better.”

Collectively, the team will have to replace two important statistics: points and steals. Last year Katlyn Gilbert and Anaya Peoples ranked 31st and 43rd nationally, averaging 2.5 steals per game. They were also two of the top three scorers last year. The second leading scorer and the team’s leader, Allen, is confident in the newcomers’ abilities to contribute on both ends of the floor.

“I’ve been so impressed with their defensive practice and their intensity,” Allen said. “We still have a lot of strategy to learn amongst us and we’re still learning from each other on the court. But I’ve been really impressed with my sophomore and freshman class and what they’ve been able to show.”

Allen is entering her final season with DePaul, determined to make this final year her best. She cannot and will not do it alone, however. Transfers like redshirt junior Meg Newman and fellow junior Taylor Johnson-Matthews have given new life and love to a roster that has been through some adversity only 17 practices into the season.

“We’re proving that we really like each other,” Allen said. “With the amount of time we spend together off the court and the interactions we have in the hallways, we’re always happy to see each other. We deem that as a team goal, always being happy to see each other.”

By the time the Blue Demons take the floor for real against Mercyhurst University on Nov. 6, the team will have a total of 30 practices under their belt to have an idea on a rotation. No starting five has been set.

DePaul ended their 2023-24 campaign on a seven-game skid, bowing out early in the Big East tournament. This group of players — new and familiar — wants one thing above all else: wins. And, of course, getting Bruno back to the “Big Dance.”

Related Stories:

• Big East challenges embraced by Bruno’s Blue Demons
• DePaul women’s basketball starts their season off strong
• Newfound depth and young talent: Women’s basketball preview

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