By Dave Johnson

W&M Athletics

Erin Dickerson Davis isn't going to lie — she's "overwhelmed with emotions" heading into her first game as a head coach. She's always felt nervous before games, both as a player and an assistant coach, but this time is different.

This time, Davis is in charge of her own program at William & Mary. She inherits a roster that returns four starters and is hoping to turn things around heading into Monday's game against Navy at Kaplan Arena.

"You want the girls to do well because they've worked so hard," Davis said. "They've put in so much work. They are ready, and I think they want to see how all their hard work has paid off. And I can't wait to get started."

Davis' debut as W&M's sixth head coach of the Division I era is scheduled to tip off at 5 p.m. with the men's game against the Mids to follow at 7:30. It will be the first doubleheader at Kaplan since Nov. 26, 2019.

Davis, whose hiring was announced on April 12, says her new team has made things fairly easy for her during the transition period.

"It's been a lot smoother than I thought it would be," she said. "The girls really opened up to me and my staff very quickly. You could tell this was something they were hungry for.

"Getting to know them was one of the easier parts of the transition. They just wanted this, and there was no pushback."

Leading the returning players from last season are guards Sydney Wagner and Riley Casey, who combined for 51% of the team's scoring in 21-22. Both were named to the preseason All-CAA first team. Also back are starting forwards Bre Bellamy and Dani McTeer.

And, Davis is happy to report, guard Chaniqwa Gilliam has recovered from a knee injury that ended her 2021-22 season after six games. She was cleared for full practice a week ago.

"She's already showing some of the great things she brings to the table," Davis said. "We're so excited, and I know she can't wait to finally get back on the floor."

Although Davis wasn't here for last season's loss at Navy, all but two of her 14 players were. They remember far too well what happened. The Tribe led 39-27 at halftime but was outscored 27-4 in a brutal third quarter.  

The Mids no longer have guard Jennifer Coleman, the nation's seventh-leading scorer last season who torched the Tribe for 26 points. In fact, Navy is essentially a new team with eight freshmen on the roster.

The coaching staff has a familiar face, however: Marlena Tremba, who played for the Tribe from 2014-17 and is the program's third all-time scoring leader with 1,595 points.

With all his program has gone through, including heavy roster changes and the pandemic, Dane Fischer half-jokes that this is his fourth first season as the men's head coach. His roster includes 10 newcomers — five transfers and five freshmen.

In getting everyone acclimated, Fischer included team-bonding experiences like a visit to Busch Gardens and attending home games of the fall sports teams.

"We've spent a lot of time together off the court," Fischer said, "starting in the summer and continuing through the fall."

On the court, Fischer likes what he's seeing. The addition of grad transfers Chris Mullins and Anders Nelson provides backcourt support for returning starter Tyler Rice. Turnovers were a huge issue for the Tribe last season.

In the frontcourt, the big addition is Pittsburgh transfer Noah Collier, who, at 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, brings size and athleticism. And, as much as anything, inside help for returning starter Ben Wight.

"We've got guys up front who we think can score around the basket and who we can run the offense through," Fischer said. "We've got some guys who can shoot the ball from outside and we've got some guys who can handle the ball on the perimeter."

Like the women's team, the men had a frustrating time at Navy last season. It was a six-point game at the break, but the Mids began the second half with a 12-0 run and won 75-56.
Navy returns two starters from last season's 21-11 team.

"We know they'll play really hard and be really disciplined on the defensive end," Fischer said. "They make you work for everything there."