The Auburn women‘s basketball program is facing something going into this season that it had become unfamiliar with: expectations.
The Tigers made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2019 last season and caught the eye of the college basketball public with an upset win over defending national champions LSU.
“We had a taste of it last year, but we want to go even further this year,” Auburn forward Taylen Collins said when asked about the NCAA Tournament.
DeYona Gaston, a transfer forward from Texas, took it a step further.
“We’re trying to get a natty,” she said.
Despite being picked to finish 12th in the SEC preseason media poll, expectations are high internally.
The goal of a national championship is obviously a lofty one, but it speaks to growing confidence and momentum within the program. At SEC Basketball Media Day in Birmingham, Harris embraced that confidence, along with the higher expectations that the team carries into the season.
“Absolutely,” Harris said when asked about whether she wants players to have that level of confidence. “We don‘t talk about goals as much as we talk about standards, and that standard needs to be the best that you can be every day. There’s no limit to what you can do.”
The offseason additions were that of a team looking to contend.
Auburn added two players from the transfer portal this offseason, both with high-profile backgrounds. Gaston comes to the plains from Texas after playing four seasons in Austin.
She was named the Big 12 Sixth Player of the Year last season, averaging 8.4 points and 4.2 rebounds off the bench. Gaston and Harris briefly overlapped while Harris was an assistant coach at Texas, and that familiarity helped get her acquainted at Auburn.
“I knew the staff, so it wasn’t a hard adjustment,” Gaston said. “I didn’t have to meet a whole lot of new people.”
Harris spoke with excitement when asked what Gaston brings to the team this season.
“She’s a post player that can shoot the three. She can shoot the pull up jumper. She can get to the rim. She has back to the basket post moves, she can face up in the post,” Harris said. “When you talk about a player that I’m really excited about, I think I can create a lot of mismatches with her.”
The other transfer portal player Auburn signed is former Arkansas guard Taliah Scott.
Scott was one of the most exciting players in the SEC last season, averaging 22.1 points per game and scoring 33 against Auburn. She only played 20 games, though, making her ineligible for the SEC scoring title.
She brings an immediate jolt of offense to Auburn this season, helping to replace Honesty Scott-Grayson’s production last year. When asked about Scott, though, Harris said she brings more than just scoring.
“Everybody knows Taliah as a scorer, but she‘s a pretty good defender,” Harris said. “I don’t know that she has had a practice where she hasn’t stepped in and taken a charge.”
Defense is key part of Auburn’s identity and is something Harris has always emphasized.
“It’s ingrained in me,” Harris said. “That’s about heart. It’s about toughness. That’s something that we preach every day. So, if you’re not a very good score, you can impact our team if you get out there and you give me everything you have on defense.”
It’s a trait that Gaston said sets this team apart, calling the group “scrappy,” especially on defense.
Auburn finished third in the SEC in points per game allowed last season, and fourth in field goal percentage allowed. While the team added high-profile scoring during the offseason, the overall mentality and identity hasn’t changed.
“Our players are very competitive on the defensive end, they have embraced the defensive end. Yeah, that’s what we do,” Harris said.
The Tigers are just over two weeks away from showcasing their continued growth inside Neville Arena. Auburn will be in action for the first time this season in an exhibition game scheduled against LaGrange College on Oct. 31.
Peter Rauterkus covers Auburn sports for AL.com. You can follow him on X at @peter_rauterkus or email him at [email protected]m
