The men’s basketball team is Bradley’s premier sport. The team receives the most love from the community, funding from NIL and donors and coverage from local and national media, and rightfully so.
Head coach Brian Wardle has built a perennial conference title contender, and this season the Braves had their most wins in a season in 38 years.
However, another team, hidden inside the Renaissance Coliseum, away from local and national media coverage, did some incredible things this winter.
Its year should not and will not go unnoticed, at least from this publication.
After finishing 6-26 in 2023-2024, the Bradley women’s basketball team was tasked with replacing 69% of its scoring production and 61% of the team minutes.
Heading into the 2024 offseason, head coach Kate Popovec-Goss had a message for Braves fans.
“First, I want to thank them for their support all year,” Popovec-Goss said in an interview with The Bradley Scout. “It was a challenging year; there’s no secret about that. We have tremendous fans and community support that we anticipate growing in the future.”
“Secondly, I am committed as a head coach to rebuilding this,” Popovec-Goss continued. “I’ve got a team full of players who are committed to the same thing. I’m excited for us to get healthy, and next year, we’re going to have a lot of great things to talk about.”
Popovec-Goss delivered on her promise, and she was correct; there are some great things to talk about.
In the face of adversity, the Braves retooled and drastically improved, winning eight more games than last year and leaving the conference tournament with a victory for the first time in three years.
The improvement did not stop there.
Since the day Popovec-Goss made her first trek up the Hilltop, she’s emphasized the need for Bradley to become a defense-oriented team, a mindset that stems from her time as a player and coach at Northwestern.
“The biggest thing we need to improve [on] is our defense,” Popovec-Goss said after the 2023-2024 season. “We have to get a lot better at it. As a coach, I must be slightly more demanding and hold them to a different standard. I’ve already challenged our returners. They understand that it will be a challenging off-season, but in the best way.”
Popovec-Goss took accountability, and it showed.
Bradley’s defense went from the 11th-ranked defense (75.3 points per game allowed) in the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) to the first-ranked defense (60.3 points per game allowed).
Individually, multiple Braves saw jumps in their production from previous seasons. Senior guard Soleil Barnes went from playing 12 minutes per game at Toledo to starting every game for Bradley, averaging 15.5 points and winning MVC Newcomer of the Year.
Senior wing Tamia Perryman moved from NAIA to Division I and became one of the Braves’ best players, averaging eight points per game and shooting nearly 35% from three.
Most importantly, the players who look to be a part of the future showed signs of improvement. Freshman forward Ellie McDermid averaged 6.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and one block per game and was named to the All-MVC freshman team.
Sophomore wing Claire McDougall and junior forward Amy O’Hara also made strides. McDougall built on a promising freshman year with Bradley, averaging 7.2 points and shooting 47% from the field. O’Hara transferred from George Mason and increased her points, rebounds, blocks, steals and field goal percentage.
The Braves improved in several other statistics, but the story of their season goes beyond numbers. Popovec-Goss has built a strong culture at Bradley that is based on accountability, relationship-building and growth.
Peoria has become a home for players to rewrite their stories and find a second family.
“I was looking for a family atmosphere,” Barnes said when asked about her decision to transfer to Bradley. “Being somewhere where I know I can be comfortable and around people who care about me and want to support me in my dreams.”
The players and coaches seem to care about the program’s success, but when will fans and the media do their part? The Braves took a huge step forward, so why were there so many empty seats in the Renaissance Coliseum?
The short answer is that people don’t care nearly as much about women’s sports as they should, even when the teams are successful.
Finding a detailed article or news segment about a game this season is strenuous, and the attendance numbers are no better. To put the issue into perspective, Popovec-Goss attends a few men’s basketball games every season and promotes upcoming women’s games.
The lack of attendance may be due to the team’s lack of success in recent years. That could be the case, but it is much easier for a team to play well with fans’ support. In fact, the Braves won their top three most-attended home games this season. The argument loses its legs because the last time the team won 20 games, 80% of seats were empty on average.
According to Bradley’s athletics website, 10,821 people attended home games this season, averaging 773 per game, a near 40% increase from the previous year. However, despite the increase in fan support, on average, 82% of the seats inside the Renaissance Coliseum are empty.
Support for the team seems to be heading in the right direction, and Popovec-Goss has repeatedly said how grateful she is for the fan support. Still, it’s one step in a million-mile journey towards appreciating Bradley women’s basketball and women’s sports across the board.
