Cal guns for the Top 10

Last season Cal had a great 25-10 record, 13-5 in league play. The Bears won 2 Pac 12 Tournament games before losing to Stanford then beat Iowa in the NCAA before losing to Notre Dame.

Lindsay Gottlieb returns for her 2nd season, and of course she spent several years at Cal as the top Assistant. Lindsay was 56-39 in her 3 years as the Head Coach at UCSB. Stanford grad and former player, double grad with a Masters actually, Charmin Smith is the Associate Head Coach. This will be Charmin’s 6th season. Kai Felton returns for her 2nd year after having spent several years at Oregon and 5 at USC. Stanford grad Katy Steding jumps from USF to Cal for her first season. Steding was Head Coach at Warner Pacific for 7 years and has a Gold Medal.


THE SCHEDULE: St Mary’s, a good team I believe, Georgetown, Duke, Northwestern, Kansas, George Washington. Really not tough and should be the favorites in all but the Duke game which is at Duke. Cal does not play in Arizona or host the Washington schools.


THE LOSSES: Erica Johnson played just 43 minutes last season before transferring to North Carolina at the December break.

Lindsay Sherbert transferred to Gonzaga after the season. She averaged 5 points and 3 rebounds per game. She also led the team in threes with 38 at 34% (2nd on the team).


THE RETURNEES: Brittany Boyd returns as the staring Point Guard, she’s a 5-9 Soph. Last season Boyd was 3rd on the team in scoring, at 10 points per game. She only made 9 threes at 13% but showed this summer that she is much better. She was the team leader by a large margin in steals, 2.5, assists, 4.8 and turnovers 3.9 per game. Boyd was the
# 38 player out of High School.

Layshia Clarendon was the leading scorer last season at 13 points per game. Layshia is 5-9 Sr. She made 36 threes, 2nd on the team to Sherbert, at 33%. She ranks # 11 all time scorer at Cal with 1,230 points. Ranked as high as # 25 out of High School. All Pac 12.

Talia Caldwell is the returning Center and is a 6-3 Sr. She averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds per game and shot at 51%. Caldwell is the # 11 rebounder all time at Cal with 744. Ranked as high as # 42 out of High School.

Gennifer Brandon is a 6-2 Redshirt Jr who started the most at the 4 last season. Brandon averaged 9 points and a team leading 10 rebounds per game. All Pac 12, she was ranked as high as # 14 out of High School and was a McDonald’s All American.

Reshanda Gray is 6-3 Soph who was 2nd on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game. Gray started 14 games last season and Brandon the other 21 games. And they both played some in the Post. All Pac 12 Frosh last season, ranked # 22 out of High School and a McDonald’s All American.

Afure Jemerigbe is a 6-0 Jr who started the 14 games at the 3 that Sherbert did not. Afure averaged 5 points per game and made 19 threes at 38%. She was a McDonald’s All American.

Eliza Pierre is the back up Point Guard and also played the 2 last season. She’s a 5-7 Sr. She averaged 4 points per game and shot 40%. Pierre is very quick and a defensive specialist. A McDonald’s All American she was ranked # 22 out of High School.

Justine Hartman is a 6-2 Soph Post who was the back up here although mentioned about Gray also played the Post. Hartman averaged 3 points and 2 rebounds in 12 minutes per game. Another McDonald’s All American ranked # 7 out of High School. Bothered by a knee injury suffered in High School this past season.

Mikayla Lyles is a 5-8 Jr Guard. Lyles averaged 2 points in 8 minutes per game. Ranked the # 4 shooter out of High School.

Avigiel Cohen is a 6-0 Jr Guard. Cohen only played 27 minutes last season. Played on the Israeli National 16U and 18U teams.


THE NEWCOMERS: There are none who can play this season although Brittany Shine transferred in from Florida. Shine is a 5-10 Jr Guard from Sacramento. Last season at Florida she played in every game. High in points with 28 as a frosh and 14 last season.

This leaves the roster for the season at 10 players.


OUTLOOK: Five McDonald’s All Americans, lots of experience and only 10 on the roster. If healthy Cal could be a Top 10 team.