WBB: California Baptist Lancers 2024-2025 Team Preview
Lancers make history in 2023-24 and look to follow it up despite losing their big three to graduation...
Any time California Baptist women’s basketball head coach Jarrod Olson walks into a room in his home, one song seems to blare from the ceiling.
“All I do is win, win, win no matter what!”
You know, the famous DJ Khaled catchy song they play after WAC tournament title games when the confetti falls from the ceiling.
Well, Olson’s kiddos have become so accustomed to dad winning titles, or winning A LOT of games, that they play that song in the Olson household on a daily basis.
Now, after winning a second WAC regular season and tournament title, Olson and the Lancers have to replace a trio of superstars in Chloe Webb (Player of the Year), Nae Nae Calhoun, and Kinsley Barrington.
However, with Grace Schmidt returning from injury, and Khloe Lemon and Filipa Barros getting healthy, the Lancers should be among the contenders for another regular season title.
“The transition from one season to another has gotten so blurred that you have a little less time to enjoy things,” Lancers coach Jarrod Olson said on a recent episode of the Straight Outta WAC Podcast. “I tried to do a good job of enjoying the moment and appreciating the people we had on last year’s team but it’s never the same once you leave that locker room and that’s what makes it so special.”
Let’s take a look at the team that Olson will take the floor with next Monday as the 2024 season dawns.
Head Coach:
Jarrod Olson (13th season, 284-97 overall, 76-28 WAC)
2023-24:
WAC regular season and tournament champions, lost to UCLA in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Key Losses:
Kinsley Barrington (portal-grad transfer to Clemson)
Nae Nae Calhoun (Completed Eligibility)
Chloe Webb (Completed Eligibility-Playing Professionally in Portugal)
Key Returners:
Filipa Barros
Nhug Bosch Duran
Grace Schmidt (‘22-’23 2nd team all-WAC selection, ‘23-’24 Preseason all-WAC selection)
Khloe Lemon (‘23-’24 all-WAC Freshman Team selection)
Anaiyah Tu’ua
CBU loses WAC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP Chloe Webb after a stellar run at CBU. Courtesy Western Athletic Conference.
Portal Signings:
Emma Johansson (transfer-South Florida)
Although CBU takes a hit with the losses of Webb, Barrington, and Calhoun, expectations will still be high in Riverside with Filipa Barros, Nhug Bosch Duran, Grace Schmidt, Khloe Lemon and Anaiyah Tu’ua leading Jarrod Olson’s returners.
The Lancers also add Emma Johansson, a 6’3” post who comes to CBU via the portal with Swedish national team experience along with 52 appearances at South Florida (an American Athletic Conference program).
“It’s been really fun to see Emma and Grace go against each other in practice,” Olson said. “She’s really scratching the surface of just how good she can be.”
With regards to the freshmen, Olson pointed to Shawnee Nordstrom and Cece Legaspi as a pair of freshman to watch.
“I probably worked harder to get Shawnee here than any kid in my 13 years here and Cece doesn’t realize just how good a player she will be but I hope she does by Christmas,” Olson added.
Scheduling Tidbits:
This schedule is the toughest CBU has assembled in its Division I era.
It starts with trips to Oregon and Liberty in a five-day span.
After that trip, the Lancers are home for three out of four games including Pepperdine, San Diego State, and first-time opponent Saint Louis. Sandwiched in there is a return trip to Portland.
CBU hits the road over Thanksgiving, participating in an MTE with FGCU and Penn.
December highlights include a trip to USC to start the month along with a trip to Cal State Northridge to visit former assistant Angie Ned, who took over the Matadors program this past offseason.
CBU will finish non-conference play with Middle Tennessee State and Texas Southern at home.
“It’s definitely a lot harder to find games when you do well,” Olson said. “The only thing that makes me nervous is the travel piece. We want to play the best teams we can play, within reason, and challenge ourselves for WAC play.”
In WAC play, the Lancers get two 3-game homestands…hosting Utah Valley, Tarleton, and ACU in a seven-day span in mid-January along with GCU, Seattle U, and Utah Tech in a nine-day span to end February.
That series against ACU actually finishes 12 days later at Moody Coliseum. They’ll also play GCU twice in 14 days and Southern Utah twice in 13 days.
CBU will finish the regular season at UT Arlington in a game that could very well have regular season championship implications.
Outlook:
The Lancers return a lot but lost a lot for 2024-25.
CBU lost a combined 92 starts and 132 made 3-pointers to graduation but still returns a lot of experience from a team looking to defend their championships of a season ago.
With three players who made 35 or more shots behind the arc and two of their top three players in assists, the ingredients are there for another successful year in Riverside.
The big question is who will step into the leadership void that Nae Nae Calhoun, Kinsley Barrington and Chloe Webb left behind?
Jarrod Olson knows how to win. In five years in the WAC, the Lancers are 58-24 in WAC play, with two WAC regular season titles, two WAC tournament titles, and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Not to mention a WBI title brought back to Riverside in 2022-23.
So, with five key players returning, a team that can shoot from the perimeter, and plays at one of the fastest paces on the West Coast, the Lancers will be in the mix for another title in 2024-25.