Latest news with #WinstonGandy
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grand Canyon women's basketball coach Winston Gandy begins rebuild
Grand Canyon's women's basketball team set school records in Molly Miller's last season as coach of the program. But with so many departures, including Miller going to Arizona State, and the start of the Mountain West era, new coach Winston Gandy went into the transfer portal to reconstruct his first team following the program's 32-3 season and first trip to the NCAA Tournament. What the former South Carolina assistant coach wants to see in March is a team that has developed into a conference contender, one that improved in all areas of the game to the point where it could get to March Madness for a second straight year. "I don't want to put a number on wins and losses," Gandy said. "How we start the season, I don't want to recognize our team at the end of the season." The schedule has yet to come out, but GCU is building a strong non-conference schedule to go with its first Mountain West Conference season. To contend, Gandy will need to see a roster full of newcomers come together, as they prepare under a coach who has never led a Division I program until now. Point guard Chloe Mann, a sophomore point guard who played in all 28 games as a freshman at Cincinnati, can't wait to play for Gandy. "He's going to make us better," said Mann, who helped Duncanville win the Texas state championship during her high school career. Indiana-transfer guard Julianna LaMendola appreciates that Gandy is "brutally honest." "This is his first group of kids," LaMendola said. "It's been fun. He really does believe in you. We call come different schools. We all need that boost in confidence." LaMendola, a 6-foot-1 junior, appeared in 30 games, making five starts last season at Indiana, averaging 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes. A new start has been good for everybody as they mesh during six weeks of practice together under Gandy and his staff. The roster includes three graduate players — Ale'jah Douglas (Oklahoma State), Casey Valenti-Paea (Virginia) and Favor Ayodele (Tennessee) — along with four freshmen, three sophomores and four juniors. "It's been great," said Mann, whose father played football at Kansas State and mother ran track and field there. "I feel like it's shaping up to have a good season this year. The coaching staff is amazing. The players are amazing. I'm looking forward to this season." Gandy left South Carolina with a strong reputation for relating to the players, helping the guards develop. He learned under Hall of Fame coach Dawn Staley, who led the Gamecocks to the national title two seasons ago and to the national championship game last season. Gandy was part of both of those teams. He has brought South Carolina assistant Chloe Rice with him to GCU. She was on three Final Four teams under Staley. "I was blessed to be with Dawn for as many years as I was," Gandy said. "There are some areas of overlap. Part of what makes South Carolina is that's who they are. Every team is going to have their own identity. You may have some similar principles and elements but there's only one South Carolina and there's only one GCU. I do hope there is some overlap, but we'll have our own brand of basketball." Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GCU women's basketball coach Winston Gandy starts rebuild
Reuters
03-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
2024 WNBA draft pick Celeste Taylor joins Grand Canyon staff
June 3 - Celeste Taylor, the No. 15 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, is joining the coaching staff at Grand Canyon for the 2025-26 season. Taylor played collegiately at Texas and then Duke, where Grand Canyon head coach Winston Gandy was an assistant on the staff. She was a defensive standout for the Blue Devils, named Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 among her accolades. She played her final college season at Ohio State. A 5-foot-11 guard, she was drafted in the second round by the Indiana Fever and also spent part of the season with the Connecticut Sun and Phoenix Mercury. Her biggest contribution came in 15 games with the Mercury, where she averaged 3.5 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists over 20.1 minutes per game. Taylor, who turns 24 this month, said she was grateful to Gandy for the opportunity. "This is his first time as a head coach and it's at a program like GCU that's definitely up-and-coming and growing and a beautiful university, but I'm definitely grateful for him giving me the opportunity," Taylor told ESPN. "He wants to put the best people around him, so for him to look to me and believe in me, to be able to help him is a blessing." Whether this is a long-term job remains to be seen. She is recovering from a foot injury she suffered playing over the winter in Australia and wants to return to the WNBA in 2026. "There have been teams who wanted me to come back this season, and I think for me, it's trying to get healthy and trying to maintain in the space of being fit and looking at what's right for my body, listening to my body," she told ESPN. --Field Level Media
Washington Post
25-03-2025
- Sport
- Washington Post
Grand Canyon hires South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy to take over after Molly Miller's exit
PHOENIX — Grand Canyon has hired South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy to take over its program after Molly Miller departed for Arizona State. Gandy had his introductory press conference at Grand Canyon on Monday before returning to South Carolina to help the Gamecocks in their national title defense. He is stepping in for Miller, who went 117-38 in five seasons at Grand Canyon and led the Lopes to an NCAA Tournament berth this year before she was hired by Arizona State.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grand Canyon hires South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy to take over after Molly Miller's exit
PHOENIX (AP) — Grand Canyon has hired South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy to take over its program after Molly Miller departed for Arizona State. Gandy had his introductory press conference at Grand Canyon on Monday before returning to South Carolina to help the Gamecocks in their national title defense. He is stepping in for Miller, who went 117-38 in five seasons at Grand Canyon and led the Lopes to an NCAA Tournament berth this year before she was hired by Arizona State. 'I'm beyond honored and absolutely thrilled to be the head coach at Grand Canyon University,' Gandy said in a statement released by the university. 'Grand Canyon is a truly special place, and we will continue to show the world exactly what we're about.' Gandy is in his second season at South Carolina after spending three seasons as Duke's associate head coach. He also was Maryland's director of recruiting operations in 2013-14, and later worked in player development with the Washington Wizards and had a three-season run as an assistant at Rice. 'Over the past two seasons with our program at South Carolina, I've seen first-hand his incredible work ethic, recruiting talent and passion for the game,' South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. 'Winston is one of the hardest workers and best recruiters in our sport, and he's a true student of the game. More importantly, he genuinely cares about our players and builds real relationships on and off the court.' Gandy takes over a Grand Canyon program that just finished a 32-3 season. The Lopes had won 30 consecutive games before their 73-60 loss to Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tourney. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here.
Associated Press
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Associated Press
Grand Canyon hires South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy to take over after Molly Miller's exit
PHOENIX (AP) — Grand Canyon has hired South Carolina assistant Winston Gandy to take over its program after Molly Miller departed for Arizona State. Gandy had his introductory press conference at Grand Canyon on Monday before returning to South Carolina to help the Gamecocks in their national title defense. He is stepping in for Miller, who went 117-38 in five seasons at Grand Canyon and led the Lopes to an NCAA Tournament berth this year before she was hired by Arizona State. 'I'm beyond honored and absolutely thrilled to be the head coach at Grand Canyon University,' Gandy said in a statement released by the university. 'Grand Canyon is a truly special place, and we will continue to show the world exactly what we're about.' Gandy is in his second season at South Carolina after spending three seasons as Duke's associate head coach. He also was Maryland's director of recruiting operations in 2013-14, and later worked in player development with the Washington Wizards and had a three-season run as an assistant at Rice. 'Over the past two seasons with our program at South Carolina, I've seen first-hand his incredible work ethic, recruiting talent and passion for the game,' South Carolina coach Dawn Staley said in a statement. 'Winston is one of the hardest workers and best recruiters in our sport, and he's a true student of the game. More importantly, he genuinely cares about our players and builds real relationships on and off the court.' Gandy takes over a Grand Canyon program that just finished a 32-3 season. The Lopes had won 30 consecutive games before their 73-60 loss to Baylor in the first round of the NCAA tourney. ___
