Stony Brook women's basketball vows to get even better 

It is not solely about the cold, hard numbers.

It is also about the experience. The ability to reinforce messages. Being able to explain the big picture.

All of which is why Stony Brook women’s basketball coach Ashley Langford holds Gigi Gonzalez, Sherese Pittman and Shamarla King in such high regard. Because the veteran trio provide the tangibles and intangibles to a Seawolves squad entering its second season in the Colonial Athletic Association.

“They know me, right?” Langford told Newsday. “They know what we’re doing in our culture. They know the identity on the court. So it’s nice for them to meet with the newcomers and younger players and say, ‘Hey, this is how we do this,’ right? Or ‘Hey, we get out 10 minutes before practice starts and we shoot. We don’t just sit.’ Little things that I don’t even have to say anymore because it’s part of our culture.”

It’s a culture that has led to success. Stony Brook is entering its 2023-24 season having six straight winning campaigns, including going 18-13 overall and 11-7 in CAA play last year. 

And it has drawn the attention of conference coaches, who picked Stony Brook to finish second in the CAA in the preseason poll. The coaches also named Pittman and Gonzales to the conference’s preseason first and second teams, respectively.

Certainly, the appreciation rival coaches have for the Seawolves is flattering. But it is not a guarantee as to how their season will unfold. Especially for a team that has seven newcomers, four of which are  transfers and three freshmen.

So it is imperative that the foundation be laid now.  

“We’re definitely putting in the work,” Gonzalez said. “I feel like in the beginning obviously you want it to go a certain way and sometimes it doesn’t go that way. Because there’s more work that needs to be put in. There’s more chemistry to build. So I feel like we’re just on the up from here.”

Still, it is going to take time. And in the interim, Pittman, Gonzalez and King are going to have to carry the load. It is not an unfamiliar role for the trio. Pittman finished 2022-23 averaging 13.7 points per game and 8.2 rebounds. Gonzalez recorded 12.5 points and 4.3 assists, and King contributed 8.2 points and 6.2 rebounds.