Q&A with Lady Bears Head Coach Paula Lee

Tuesday October 28,2025 : Women's Basketball

This week we sat down with Lady Bear's Head Coach Paula Lee to discuss the upcoming 2025-26 season. Coach Lee, begins her sixteenth season at the helm of the Lady Bears program. This will be the 17th season of Lady Bears Basketball at BRCC. Lets see what she had to say about her team and the upcoming season.

• General thoughts about this year's team? It can be both exciting and challenging. The opportunities which lie within this group is that we have a chance to truly define the identity and standards of the program without much resistance from "old habits." So many young ones bring excitement, a buy-in and a willingness to work hard and learn. Also, the experience that the freshmen will gain immediately by playing right away will pay dividends as the season goes on. From the coach's perspective... Teach, Teach, Teach and teach some more must be the mindset along with patience. We must celebrate the small wins: a good practice, a smart possession, a good quarter, etc. Every rep will matter. Repetition and consistency will have to be our best friend. We may be young, but youth doesn't mean we can't compete, it only means we must learn faster and play with and for each other every possession, every practice and every game.

•  Talk a bit about which Freshman do you think can make an impact on this season. I think each freshman can make an impact this season in her own unique way. For example, our freshman post players: Emani Young – aggressive, back to the basket moves as well as a face up game and can take you off the dribble. Jacey Coleman – run the floor, tenacious rebounder and shot blocker. Aniyah David – physical, banger with back to the basket moves. Lyric McIver – size, knowledge of the game, back to the basket moves, take you off the dribble as well as a face-up game and hit the mid-range or 3. Our freshmen point guards: Cambrieion Link, Taelyn Taylor, and Koi Ursin will give us an opportunity to consistently have good ballhandlers on the court as well as the ability to push and score the ball in transition.

•  Talk a bit about your transfers – what impact do you think they will make this season ? The impact that I am hoping that our transfers with make this season comes from an expectation of them bringing maturity and leadership to a young group. My hope is that they help the freshmen adjust to the faster pace of the game and the expectations of college athletics and academics

•  Which return or group of returners are you looking to lean on this season? Without a doubt, I am looking to lean on Shelcie LeBlanc and Chanci Moland to lead this young group through their work ethic as well as their voice of experience

• Role of Sophomore players on the court- Leadership on the court. This is their last opportunity to be a part of a Junior College Basketball program, so they can't have any off days, they can't take in plays off, they must and should bring a work ethic second to none in every drill, practice and game

• Keys to success, keys to returning to the BRCC winning culture? I think BRCC WBB made the step last year in returning the program to its winning culture, now I am expecting this team to return it to its Championship Culture. Without a doubt, the key to success is how quickly 10 freshmen adjust to the college game and when the light goes on for them mentally

•  Strength of team so far ? The strength of the team thus far is the player's mindset. They want to win, they want to play

•  Areas of improvement ? Thinking the game is the area we need to improve in ASAP • Game style- up-tempo/slow? I definitely want to play up-tempo. I think we have the personnel to play up-tempo, but most importantly since we are struggling to think the game, playing up-tempo takes some of the pressure off of such a young group.

•  Addition of Assistant Coaches- What has she/he brought to the program? My Assistant Coach and my Player Development Coach bring a fresh set of eyes to the court as well as the ability to relate extremely well to today's young athletes and understand their language.

• Overall goal of the season? Our goal every single year is to have a winning season — that never changes. But this year, with 10 freshmen, 3 returners, and 2 transfers, our mission goes deeper. This season is about building our foundation — learning to compete every day, to communicate, to trust each other, and to set the standard for what BRCC Women's Basketball will be moving forward. We're young, but that's our strength. energy, hunger, and something to prove. Every rep, every drill, every, possession — we're building habits that will define us not just this year, but for years to come. And while we grow, we're not lowering the bar — we're raising it. We want to win for our sophomores — the ones who have been through it, who've stayed committed, and who deserve to go out on top. We want to compete for a conference championship and earn our spot in the Region 23 Tournament — something this program hasn't done in a few years. That's our challenge. That's our opportunity. Every day we walk in the gym, we must do it with purpose, passion, and pride — because we're not just playing to participate. We're playing to build something special, to win together, and to leave a legacy for those who come after us.