FGCU Women's Basketball's season has been eventful, to say the least. Heading into the year, the Eagles were projected to soar through the regular season behind the mind of Karl Smesko.
However, after the program's first 0-2 start since 2003, Smesko announced mid-season that he was leaving the nest to take the head coach job with the WNBA's Atlanta Dream.
With Smesko's departure came the beginning of the Chelsea Lyles era. The longtime assistant coach took over as head coach and got the Eagles back on track.
"Coming together as one is really what brought us to get it back right and do better," FGCU forward Skyler Gill said.
After losing their first two games, FGCU only lost one more time all season long. The Eagles finished the regular season 27-3 overall and posted their second straight undefeated conference slate.
"This is a very competitive team," Lyles said. "They want to win. They want to do things right."
That work ethic earned the Eagles their eighth straight Atlantic Sun regular season championship and the top seed in the upcoming conference tournament. With that honor comes home-court advantage all the way through the tournament.
"We’re very excited," FGCU guard Dolly Cairns said. "We’re trying not to get too high, not get too low. We’re trying to stay level-headed."
It is a smart approach since everyone wants to dethrone FGCU.
"People don’t want their season to end," Lyles said. "So they’re going to play harder than they’ve ever played, and a lot of craziness happens in March. That’s why they call it March Madness."
FGCU is ready for that madness and hungry to bring home the program's eighth consecutive ASUN Tournament title.
"It would mean a lot, especially this year," Cairns said, alluding to the challenging start of the year. "We’ve gone through some adversity."
"Go out, compete, play together, and hopefully come home with the [championship]," Gill said.
"It would mean a lot to me to see them celebrate and see them win it," Lyles said.
FGCU will play the winner of West Georgia versus Austin Peay in the ASUN Tournament quarterfinals on Saturday, March 8. If the Eagles advance, the semifinals are scheduled for Tuesday, March 11, and the championship is Saturday, March 15.