THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the 2025 ACC Tipoff Q&A. I am happy to have Florida State on the stage with me. We have Head Coach Brooke Wyckoff going into her fourth year with an asterisk as head coach. We have Sydney Bowles, as well as Amaya Bonner. Thank you for being here.
Brooke, give me your overall synopsis so far of these early practices, and what should we expect from the Seminoles this season?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: I am so excited about this team and this season. We have these two are two of our three returners, and we have seven new players, but it is an exciting group that has amazing chemistry on and off the court.
But we're still going to be who we are and who we've been, which is playing fast, scoring a lot of points, and getting after it on the defensive end.
We've been showing that. We got a ways to go still, but that's what preseason is for, but it's going to be an exciting team to watch.
THE MODERATOR: Just in this day and age of the portal it's all about new pieces, but with that, it's that balancing act of our veterans and just how important they are to maintaining culture.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yes.
THE MODERATOR: Can you speak to that?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yes. These two, along with Avery Treadwell, who is another one of our returners, they're our team captains. After the last season, they took it upon themselves to say, Hey, you know, we want to be here, we're committed to Florida State, and we're going to help recruit our teammates. They did that, and they worked their tails off.
What resulted was a group of women that were aligned with what they were looking for culturally as well, personalities. So what we're seeing is the result of these two and Avery Treadwell and their work to do that and to build a great team.
So I'm so proud of them. I hope they're having a lot of fun with their teammates.
SYDNEY BOWLES: We are. Most definitely, yes.
THE MODERATOR: Last season you finished as the highest scoring team in the nation. I'm assuming where you are now and where you are going to be in February are very different, so kind of the building blocks when we're talking about playing fast.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yeah, there's learning curve. We took our team in the recruiting process to make sure that the players we're bringing in fit what we want to do, how we want to play.
That was -- before they even came on a visit, we knew that they were capable of being great scorers, of getting after it on the defensive end. That being said, they have to learn a new system.
So we have experienced players that have power four games under their belts. They're getting it, and they're getting comfortable in it. Like you said, by February we should be rolling and hopefully scoring more and more points.
THE MODERATOR: Sydney, 69 made threes a year ago. We've known you as the long bomb threat throughout your career, but two-part question. One, what led to that consistency a year ago, and how do you build on that coming into this year?
SYDNEY BOWLES: I would say the consistency just comes from my trust that the coaches have in me and that my teammates have in me day in and day out.
Sometimes the ball isn't going in the hoop, but they just tell us, next play, and they'll be more mad if we don't shoot the ball than if we do shoot the ball. That's just your dream as a college athlete.
I'm just super, super happy to have the support system that I have that on my high days I'm celebrated, that on my low days they're picking me up and reminding me this is what you can do and to continue to do that.
THE MODERATOR: Amaya, Brooke said it, team captain. What does that mean to you to be named that?
AMAYA BONNER: It means so much. I feel like just me having to just step out of my comfort zone and actually be one of the leaders and actually just talk and actually just be there for my team, at first it was a lot, but now I'm actually getting comfortable with it.
Like with the team, I love the team. They just make me feel, like, happy and comfortable with what I'm doing. Just actually me having to step up, I mean, it's a great feeling.
Q. This is for the players and Coach. Is there a team or player that you are looking forward to playing against this year? Coach, is there a certain coach in the ACC that, you know, when you see this coach on the court, you know that you've got a game that's going to really drive you crazy?
SYDNEY BOWLES: Competing in the ACC day in and day out, every game is a challenge, so we're looking forward to playing every single team. Like we stated, we have a new team, and we're excited to go out there and compete against anybody because any given day could be anybody's game, but we're preparing for it to be our game every game.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: That's a good answer. I echo that just on the coaching level. One of the best things about the ACC is the caliber of coaching at each program. You've got to bring it every single night as a coach with understanding the game, being able to make adjustments, you know, having multiple plans, reacting to the plans that they're bringing.
That's what makes it fun and challenging and pushes me. I mean, we have Notre Dame first up as our first home game December 7th, first ACC game. And coaching against Coach Ivey, she's the best. She's an amazing coach and leader. I always love just the challenge of playing them and against her. She always looks great too. I love watching her and seeing what she's going to show up in and how she's going to dress.
THE MODERATOR: Because Brooke is slouching on the sideline.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: I can't keep up with her. I can't keep up with her.
THE MODERATOR: You talked about the beginning of ACC play. I want to rewind it for you, sorry. We've got UConn, Indiana, Illinois, Oklahoma, as well as Florida and Georgia. You start off next week in Birmingham against Alabama. I mean, talk about getting thrown into the fire. What's the science behind your scheduling? Ready or not, ladies.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: No, we think we really take a good look. Our goal is to get to the NCAA Tournament, and that's what's so great about playing in the ACC is that our conference gets us ready to get a good seed in the tournament and to compete and go deep.
Nonconference as well, what we're doing this year is getting us ready to compete in the ACC. The power four opponents that we're facing we're really excited about those games. Just, again, we have a lot of them at home, which is nice.
SYDNEY BOWLES: Yes.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: But, again, we have nine kids on our team that have played college basketball. You know, we have one freshman. These young women are ready. They've been in these games before, and they know what it takes. That's what gives me a lot of encouragement going into that schedule.
THE MODERATOR: Amaya, can you talk about what it's like to play for Brooke?
AMAYA BONNER: It's amazing. I feel like just having a coach who is just always supporting you. Like she said, if you don't shoot the ball, you get in trouble. Honestly, it's like being --
THE MODERATOR: That's the best recruiting right there.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Keep talking.
AMAYA BONNER: It's building your confidence, and aside from Coach Brooke, just the whole coaching staff she has behind her, everyone is just supportive and just really there for you.
It means a lot. I love playing for Coach Brooke.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: I love coaching.
THE MODERATOR: Sydney, who is the one player on your team that, new or not, maybe people don't know a lot about, but in another couple of weeks, month, everyone is going to be talking about?
SYDNEY BOWLES: Oh, man, I feel like I could go down the list. We might not have enough time. You know, just, like Coach Brooke said, the pieces that we've gotten, I mean, just to start off the top, we got Allie, who has Sweet 16 experience. We got Tatum, who is a really good wing who transferred in. We've got Emma, who not a lot of people have seen who transferred up from Notre Dame. Super excited to have her.
We have our freshman Mari, and she's growing with us. Just having a lot of vets just on the team. We got Jasmine, who you know has come in, hit the ground running. Who else? We got Sole, who I have played with. Sole and Amari won a state championship together. We have Pania, a top JUCO transfer. I could talk about everybody for hours.
THE MODERATOR: Are there more players?
SYDNEY BOWLES: Then we got the returners. I mean, I think that nobody really knows how we're going to look. We know how we're approaching it, but I think first game out we're going to be playing Florida State basketball, and it's going to be the same exciting, high-scoring, defensive intensity there.
I think it's going to be our coming out party starting next week, and we're going to keep building on that. I think everyone should be excited to see everybody just step into new roles. We're going to be a great team this year.
THE MODERATOR: Brooke, I see you smiling.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: I love it. I love it. It's so well-said.
THE MODERATOR: I can talk about Wes and Jeff and how long they've been in this league, but I think when we really get down to it, you've got the most tenure in the ACC. Is that a fair statement? In some way or fashion, you've been a part of it since 2011?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yes, I came in as an assistant coach at Florida State since 2011 and then played in it. Yeah.
THE MODERATOR: My question is, as much has changed, what's been that nucleus of this league that has made it so great consistently for this extended period of time?
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Yeah, it's full of historic, historically great women's basketball programs. It has been at its core, and then the teams that we've added over the years: Louisville, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Boston College. Like those are great women's basketball programs.
Again, I'll go back to the individual players that come out of this league, just year after year. We have one. Makayla Timpson, who has killed it in the WNBA this summer.
Then just great coaches who can really lead, who can coach basketball, and get their teams deep in the NCAA Tournament.
It's been the standard. It's the standard year over year. I just love -- I loved playing in it. I love coaching in it.
THE MODERATOR: Ladies, last question. This is for all three of you. One-word answer. When I say ACC women's basketball, what's the first word that comes to mind? Amaya, we'll start with you.
AMAYA BONNER: One word. I would say competitive.
SYDNEY BOWLES: Oh, I'm next. I'm going to say fast.
BROOKE WYCKOFF: Greatness.
THE MODERATOR: There you have it. Florida State, thank you so much for your time. Good luck this season.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports