New-look FAMU women's basketball embracing underdog role while establishing new culture

Hoops are on the horizon.

And the Florida A&M Rattlers women’s basketball team is looking towards making progress this season, which tips off on Nov. 7 at Tennessee.

The Rattlers are led by first-year head coach Bridgette Gordon, who was hired on July 28 to replace the resigned Shalon Pillow.

Gordon officially began her tenure as head coach on Aug. 14. Her first Rattlers team was chosen tenth (of 12) in the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s predicted order of finish last week.

FAMU finished 6-23 last season and has yet to record a winning season since 2015-2016 under head coach LeDawn Gibson.

So, an extra element of motivation lives within the former Tennessee Volunteers basketball star and WNBA player to improve the Rattlers' women’s basketball program.

"I’m up for the pressure and the challenge,” the Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Gordon said at Tuesday's FAMU women's basketball media day.

“When you look at a lot of great players that tried to be coaches, it did not work. I’m cut different. I'm that rare person who loves the game and knows how to coach the game because I realized that you’re not going to find student-athletes like me. You got to teach them.

“Fundamental basketball has not been here for a long time now,” Gordon said as she pointed towards the rafters at the Al Lawson Center. “And that’s what I’m implementing.”

The Rattlers began practicing on Sept. 26. The roster consists of 16 players, including five returners. FAMU's assistant coaches are Zenzele Vital and former Godby boys' basketball coach AnDonte Gennie.

Since Gordon missed the NCAA Transfer Portal window, she held a tryout for traditional FAMU students and rewarded four walk-on spots to fill the roster.

Sophomore walk-on guard Morgan Cyiark quit her job to join the team. Senior walk-on guard Nya Bostic, who formerly played basketball at Tallahassee Community College, relinquished her spot in the ‘Incomparable' Marching '100’ to join Gordon’s inaugural team.

Gordon says their commitment and sacrifice is a testament to the culture she’s trying to build on Wahnish Way.

“That speaks volumes about what I have established in a short time," Gordon said.

"I’ve shown that I care and have gone above what my duties call. Everything is always accessible to them, and they know it.

“This is my family. They’re not my stepchildren. They’re my children."

FAMU guard Ahriahna Grizzle enters final season as leader and player's coach

Guard Ahriahna Grizzle headlines the Rattlers’ returners for the upcoming season.

Grizzle, a graduate student, transferred from Alabama a season ago and averaged 10.9 points per game alongside 3.6 rebounds and assists apiece. The Toronto native got voted to the Preseason All-SWAC Second Team.

“We’re coming in fresh and ready to work and learn,” Grizzle said. “This year is going to be interesting because we have to adapt to many things with a new coach, and it’s been going well for us."

As a returning player, Grizzle has observed her new coach, Gordon, and her staff’s way of operating and has assisted the first-time head coach.

“We have very candid conversations with all of our coaching staff. Coach Gordon has so much knowledge to give, which helps in my progress," Grizzle reflected.

“I think just being able to have that relationship with our coaching staff has allowed for a very authentic version of FAMU.”

FAMU's Bridgette Gordon eyeing progress in first head coaching opportunity

Four of FAMU’s first 11 games are against teams from Power 5 conferences ― Tennessee (SEC/Nov. 7), Florida (SEC/Nov. 13), California (Pac-12/Nov. 20), and Michigan (Big 10/Dec. 22).

FAMU’s game against California will be one half of a doubleheader at the Al Lawson Center. The Rattlers’ men's team will host Oregon that night.

The games are a part of the Pac-12/SWAC Legacy Series that began in 2022.

Gordon feels that playing a challenging out-of-conference schedule will bode well for her team, which begins its SWAC schedule at Bethune-Cookman on Jan. 6.

“We have a tough task ahead of us, and it surely is going to prepare us for the SWAC,” Gordon said.“The SWAC is very talented. We’re at the bottom; the only way we can go is to the top. I have to demand them to be the best version of themselves.”

FAMU has that underdog mindset as it looks for a turnaround season.

So, it will push the Rattlers to play with a chip on their shoulder to emerge as a surprise team to reach their first conference tournament since 2018-2019 as members of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

“The mindset of this team is that we can be that 'Cinderella’ team no matter what anyone else might say or think,” Gordon said of this season’s outlook.

“That's the FAMULY. That’s the culture. That’s the mindset.”

Gerald Thomas, III covers Florida A&M University Athletics for the Tallahassee Democrat. Contact him via email at gdthomas@gannett.com or on Twitter @3peatgee.

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This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU WBB: Rattlers eye improvement under new-coach, new-look team