'Always near and dear': Joni Taylor returns to Athens with Texas A&M for SEC opener
Joni Taylor spent 11 years on the Georgia women's basketball coaching staff. Returning to Stegeman Coliseum on Thursday night was bittersweet.
Texas A&M, the program Taylor took over in 2022, made a stop in Athens to open the Aggies' SEC conference schedule against the Lady Bulldogs and Taylor reminisced on what it was like to be back.
"There's a lot of people in Athens that I love tremendously, and Athens is always near and dear to my heart," Taylor said. "In terms of the game, it was the next one on the schedule. We approach it in that way. We were trying to figure out what we can do to put our team in a position to be successful and so once you get out there, all you're thinking about is the game."
Georgia won, 54-50, in a hard-fought battle, ending the Aggies 10-game winning streak. The Lady Bulldogs were led by a pair of fifth-year forwards, Javyn Nicholson with 20 points and 10 rebounds and Destiny Thomas added 11 boards while junior guard Asia Avinger recorded five assists.
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Taylor was welcomed back warmly. She said that when they landed at the airport Wednesday people were waiting with signs. Same scene when they arrived at their hotel and at shoot-around today.
"As coaches, you want to have an impact on players. You get to see that a lot of times because your former players are still in your lives, you're connected to them, you talk to them, you get to see their families and you get to follow them in their career," Taylor said. "You have a feel for the impact you have on your players.
"But you don't often get to see or know if that holds true with the fans and the people who you have relationships with that are in the community. So, what I can say about that experience, I just had a heart of gratitude and humility to see people receive us (the way they did) when we got into town."
She said it warms her heart to see former players continuing to succeed. Nicholson, for example, played under her for three years, and was recruited by her. It's against NCAA rules for them to keep in touch.
"At the end of the day, I just knew I had to be locked in for my team (tonight)," Nicholson said. "I think Joni loves it over there and I hope she's successful, I hope they have a successful season."
Last season, the Aggies went 9-20 overall and finished last in the SEC. This season, they've already surpassed victory tally with a 12-2 record. Taylor gives credit to the returners. They were challenged at the end of last season, forced to search deep and figure out if this was what they wanted to do and where they wanted to do it because last season would be the only year that would be tolerated to end that way, Taylor said.
Georgia faces its next opponent Sunday at Arkansas. Tipoff at Bud Walton in Fayetteville, Ark., is set for 2 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Joni Taylor reminisces on time with Georgia women's basketball
