After a delayed start to the season, the 2020-21 Concordia women's basketball team is set to officially begin play on Jan. 20 on the road against Hope College. 

The Cougars return their top two scorers from last season in sophomore guards Tara Hastings (New Lenox, Ill.) and Bailey Steinkamp (Cary, Ill.). The duo averaged 13.6 and 8.0 PPG, respectively, as freshmen. On top of scoring the ball on the offensive end, they are also the top returning rebounders for CUC. Last season was significant for Hastings, who's 56 made 3-pointers were the most by any Cougar since at least the 2011-2012 season. 

As they prepare to start the season, the Cougars will look to bolster their rim protection with the addition of freshmen Kelly Saleh (River Forest, Ill.), Lauren Saleh (River Forest, Ill.) and Kate Johnson (Lincoln, Neb.). These three centers are accompanied by five fellow freshmen. 

The team also added transfer newcomers Katie Jensen (Downers Grove, Ill.) and Mikalah Ellis (Chicago, Ill.) during the off-season. Jensen, a junior, was a part of the team at Lakeland University the last two seasons, while the sophomore Ellis spent her freshman year at Kentucky State. 

There will be plenty of minutes for new players to pick up with three starters from a season ago no longer on the roster. Annika Rae and Michaela Thorton have each graduated and Charisma Robinson transferred, opening the door for both experienced and inexperienced players to step up. 

The expected starting lineup for the 2020-21 season will feature Hastings and Steinkamp alongside sophomore guard Chloe Schaafsma (Lockport, Ill.), freshman guard Emily Balaban (Manitowoc, Wis.) and freshman forward Janie Ternes (Oak Lawn, Ill.). Last season, Schaafsma appeared in 10 games and averaged 2.7 minutes per. Her progression throughout the long off season impressed the coaching staff and they have confidence in her moving into a starting role. Both Ternes and Balaban were multi-sport athletes while in high school and are eager for the opportunity to showcase their skills early on. 

Coach Lauren Martin is entering her third season at the helm and looking to build off of the eight conference wins she picked up in each of her first two seasons. It will be the second time in as many seasons that Coach Martin will place two freshmen in the starting lineup as she seeks the best possible balance between her young players and her veterans. Last season's roster featured nine freshmen, many of whom saw significant playing time either in a starting role or off the bench, and the expectation is much the same for the eight freshmen on this year's squad. 

The Cougars will have plenty of options coming off the bench this season, including sophomore guard Jaylene Wade (Lansing, Ill.), who started three games a season ago and notched double-digit scoring efforts on three separate occasions. Wade played the most minutes on the team outside of the starters and will look again to be the top option for CUC off the bench. 

Another key contribution outside of the starting lineup is expected to come from freshman Kate Johnson. As mentioned, the Cougars will be looking for players who can bolster their rim protection, and Johnson can fill that role as a 6-foot-1 post player. At this height, Johnson is the tallest player that Coach Martin has at her disposal since arriving at CUC, and the tallest player to take the floor for the Cougars since Ariel Duell-Duran in 2013. Sophomore guard Macy Klein (Fort Collins, Colo.) is also going to be called upon for her skills as a ball handler as well as her ability to shoot beyond the arc. Contributions are also expected from sophomore guard Madelyn McGrath (Oak Lawn, Ill.), junior forward Jada Dixon (Gary, Ind.) and senior forward Marie Baumgartner (Addison, Ill.). 

This year, the Cougars are currently slated to play 10 games in 2021, with their home opener coming against Greenville University on Jan. 23 and their conference opener at Benedictine on Jan. 29. No fans are allowed in Geiseman Gymnasium to start the season, but live streams will be available for each contest.