For the second season in a row, women’s basketball is seeing turnover at the point guard position.

Redshirt sophomore guard Tori Hyduke, junior center Kayla Mokwuah and 2020-graduate forward Alexandra Maund are no longer on the squad’s roster. The trio accounted for 47.1 percent of the team’s total offense, 33 percent of total rebounds and 34.9 percent of the squad’s assists.

Head coach Jennifer Rizzotti said facing turnover is not new – the squad has needed to close personnel gaps for the past three seasons. She added that the open spots provide an opportunity for new players to earn time on the court.

“We will look a little bit different, but that’s been the last three years,” Rizzotti said. “We’ve had some key guys graduate, and we’ve had to find different players step up. It’s an opportunity for some of our new guys.”

Hyduke filled 2019-graduate point guard Mei-Lyn Bautista’s shoes last season. But after she transferred to Drexel in the offseason, the Colonials were sent back to the drawing board for a main ball handler. Hyduke started a team-leading 28 games, playing 29.4 minutes per game as the team’s primary floor general. Of Colonials with more than 10 attempts, she shot at a team-high .400 clip from deep.

Mokwuah, a mainstay on the block, transferred to TCU, while leading scorer Maund used her final year of eligibility last season. Mokwuah averaged 4.5 rebounds and notched a team-leading 28 blocks, while Maund averaged a team-high 11.1 points. Of Colonials with more than 15 attempts, Maund led the squad with a 50.4 field goal percentage.

This season, Rizzotti said graduate student guard Jasmine Whitney can provide relief at the point position. She added that the return of redshirt junior forward Neila Luma, coupled with freshmen forward Caranda Perea and center Ali Brigham, could also bolster the squad’s post play.

“Fortunately, we had players sitting out on the bench last year that we’ll be able to easily fill those spots in Neila and Jasmine,” Rizzotti said. “But even when someone graduates, whether they graduate or they transfer, you don’t want anyone else to feel like they have to fill shoes. You want them to be themselves.”

Whitney arrived at GW for the spring semester after graduating from Pittsburgh. She ranks No. 9 in career assists at Pittsburgh, recording more than 100 assists in her freshman, sophomore and junior seasons. Whitney increased her offensive production each season, finishing her career as a Panther netting 7.8 points per game.

Rizzotti said Whitney was a “natural fit” for the starting point guard role. But Whitney said the coaching staff has focused primarily on the team’s game plan rather than if she would be a score-first or pass-first point guard.

“We’ve been talking about just how we want to play, not specifically if I’m going to pass or score,” Whitney said.

Luma said she is looking to carry on success from her freshman and sophomore seasons into this year. She averaged 7.1 and 10.4 points per game, respectively. Luma added that she wants to add a perimeter shot to her toolkit this season.

“I just see myself continuing to do some of the things that I did my freshman and sophomore year, but now I’m kind of extending my range and getting out more on the outside of the perimeter,” Luma said. “I would just say I’ve been brushing up on some of the things that I’ve already been doing but really expanding everything that I can do.”

Luma will join redshirt sophomore forward Mayowa Taiwo, who is the only returning member of last year’s post rotation, down low. Taiwo led the team in rebounds, averaging 6.1 boards per game and firing at a .483 clip from the field.

As added depth, the Colonials welcomed four freshmen to the squad this season – Perea, Brigham and guards Aurea Gingras and Piper Macke. Rizzotti said any one of the four freshmen have the ability to make a difference this season, and Gingras could see time as a secondary point guard.

“There are some good options to choose from, and I love so far that our freshmen have come in and proven that they’ll be able to really contribute off the bench for us,” Rizzotti said.

The squad returns six players who started in at least five games last season. The six returners accounted for 40.5 percent of point production, 44.1 percent of the team’s rebounds and 51.2 percent of the team’s assists last year. Rizzotti said her returning core have a solid level of experience to be successful on the hardwood.

“We have a really good nucleus of experienced players that I’m excited about putting together on the floor,” Rizzotti said.