INDIANAPOLIS - Last season, the IUPUI women's basketball team knew it was close to their goal of capturing a tournament championship. The team and some of its players are familiar with that feeling, as the Jaguars won the Horizon League Championship in 2022 and made their first-ever NCAA tournament appearance in the program's history.

Eager to recapture that feeling entering her second season as head coach, Kate Bruce, fresh off of a 17-13 season with a conference record of 13-7, hopes to build on the experiences of her first year with the Jaguars and help guide the team to another championship run.

"We brought in 10 new players, and that's going to bring some challenges," Bruce said. "Now I will say, the four players that returned, I think they're great players, but more importantly, they've been great leaders."

Bruce also mentioned the importance of having returning veterans, such as Jazmyn Turner and Logan Lewis, to help assist the newer players in learning the Jaguars' offense and their style of play.

"As coaches, it's made our job a little easier having people who understand our offense and our defense and being on the floor with these 10 players, and I think they've done a great job of stepping up," Bruce said.

Even with 10 new players coming in, Bruce has utmost confidence in herself and the rest of the coaching staff to help continue to build the right culture and mindset needed to reach the team's ultimate goal.

"Culture has been a big priority for us as a staff and as a team this year," Bruce said. "We really spent time building that culture and working on that culture. The message to the team is, 'we're plenty talented enough to win the Horizon League Championship, but we've got to be willing to play together and get this talent to play together and buy into what we're coaching and possibly give up personal accolades for team goals.'

"Although 10 new players is not ideal, it's been helpful having those returners who have a great understanding of what we're trying to accomplish," Bruce continued.

Of the many things that have stood out for Bruce this offseason, the veteran leadership is one that she spoke highly of. Most importantly, Bruce believes it's been extremely helpful to have those returning players back in the lineup for another season.

"That's been huge for us," Bruce said. "The exciting part, to us, was that the four that decided to stay is because they believed in what we were coaching and what we were doing. That alone said a lot to us as a staff, but they have just been tremendous in mentoring the new players."

Team chemistry is going to be something that IUPUI looks forward to building on, especially with so many new faces. While that will come in time, Bruce understands building chemistry starts at practice and will continue as the team gets further along in their season.

"For us, we are looking to get better every single practice and every single game," Bruce said. "Our non-conference schedule is a very challenging schedule, and we are planning to compete. But we also need to know that we're preparing to win the Horizon League."

In total, the Jaguars will play nine non-conference games this season, which include matchups against UIC (Nov. 7), Louisville (Nov. 10), Butler (Nov. 13), Southern Illinois (Nov. 16), Ohio (Nov. 20), Eastern Michigan (Nov. 23), Ball State (Dec. 8), Bowling Green (Dec. 15) and Northern Illinois (Dec. 21).

Each of these matchups will certainly be challenging in their own ways, and Bruce spoke candidly about the importance of positively progressing throughout every game, stating that, "We don't have to be perfect on Nov. 6 when we open up against Eastern Illinois. But we do need to continue to get better every single game so once we start Horizon League Play, we're ready to win a championship."

Of the returning players, there have been several that have caught Bruce's attention through the offseason. Bruce expressed how impressive they've been in preparing for the season ahead, as well as the kind of leadership they have brought to the team.

"I know I already mentioned Jazmyn Turner. She's always been skilled, but it's been really nice to see her grow as a leader. It's been really exciting to watch her this preseason," Bruce said. "I definitely want to mention Logan Lewis. She's really stepped up. She's put so much work in this summer on her shot and her offensive moves, and she's playing great defense. We're looking forward to watching her this year."

Bruce also mentioned Jaci Jones and Abby Wolterman as additional leaders that have stepped up in a big way for the Jaguars.

"I can't say enough good things about our returning players," Bruce said.

Having those veteran voices around, especially those who have the tastes of playoff experience, will be significant as the season unfolds for the Jaguars. New players or not, Bruce, who said she could have easily mentioned each new player by name, has been impressed by a few new faces, in particular, regarding the talent and experience they bring to the team.

"I would love to mention Tahlia Walton," Bruce said. "She and Jaela Johnson, who transferred from Bellarmine, are both sixth-year seniors. They're very talented and they've played college basketball for a long time. I think they have a great understanding of what it takes and the grind it takes. They've just been great from a maturity standpoint in being older players that can help the young players transition."

You can see the passion that Bruce has for her team, who spoke glowingly of her coaching staff and the players in place. Given their previous experience in the playoffs last season, newly acquired faces to the roster and Bruce's comments, it's clear the IUPUI women's team fully believes they have what it takes to capture another championship.

IUPUI will kick off their season on November 6 as they welcome the Eastern Illinois Panthers to the Jungle for a 7:00 p.m. tip off. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+.