Grand Canyon’s women’s basketball team set school records in Molly Miller’s last season as coach of the program.
But with so many departures, including Miller going to Arizona State, and the start of the Mountain West era, new coach Winston Gandy went into the transfer portal to reconstruct his first team following the program’s 32-3 season and first trip to the NCAA Tournament.
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What the former South Carolina assistant coach wants to see in March is a team that has developed into a conference contender, one that improved in all areas of the game to the point where it could get to March Madness for a second straight year.
“I don’t want to put a number on wins and losses,” Gandy said. “How we start the season, I don’t want to recognize our team at the end of the season.”
Grand Canyon University women’s basketball coach Winston Gandy speaks to reporters at the GCU practice courts on July 24, 2025, in Phoenix, Ariz.
The schedule has yet to come out, but GCU is building a strong non-conference schedule to go with its first Mountain West Conference season.
To contend, Gandy will need to see a roster full of newcomers come together, as they prepare under a coach who has never led a Division I program until now.
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Point guard Chloe Mann, a sophomore point guard who played in all 28 games as a freshman at Cincinnati, can’t wait to play for Gandy.
“He’s going to make us better,” said Mann, who helped Duncanville win the Texas state championship during her high school career.
Indiana-transfer guard Julianna LaMendola appreciates that Gandy is “brutally honest.”
“This is his first group of kids,” LaMendola said. “It’s been fun. He really does believe in you. We call come different schools. We all need that boost in confidence.”
LaMendola, a 6-foot-1 junior, appeared in 30 games, making five starts last season at Indiana, averaging 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds in 10.9 minutes.
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A new start has been good for everybody as they mesh during six weeks of practice together under Gandy and his staff.
The roster includes three graduate players — Ale’jah Douglas (Oklahoma State), Casey Valenti-Paea (Virginia) and Favor Ayodele (Tennessee) — along with four freshmen, three sophomores and four juniors.
“It’s been great,” said Mann, whose father played football at Kansas State and mother ran track and field there. “I feel like it’s shaping up to have a good season this year. The coaching staff is amazing. The players are amazing. I’m looking forward to this season.”
Gandy left South Carolina with a strong reputation for relating to the players, helping the guards develop. He learned under Hall of Fame coach Dawn Staley, who led the Gamecocks to the national title two seasons ago and to the national championship game last season. Gandy was part of both of those teams.
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He has brought South Carolina assistant Chloe Rice with him to GCU. She was on three Final Four teams under Staley.
“I was blessed to be with Dawn for as many years as I was,” Gandy said. “There are some areas of overlap. Part of what makes South Carolina is that’s who they are. Every team is going to have their own identity. You may have some similar principles and elements but there’s only one South Carolina and there’s only one GCU. I do hope there is some overlap, but we’ll have our own brand of basketball.”
Richard Obert has been covering high school sports since the 1980s for The Arizona Republic. He also covers Grand Canyon University athletics and the Arizona Rattlers. To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at richard.obert@arizonarepublic.com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter:@azc_obert
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: GCU women’s basketball coach Winston Gandy starts rebuild
