‘They’re extremely special’: Villanova reflects on a historic season — but knows there’s work to be done

When the final buzzer sounded in Villanova’s Sweet 16 loss to Miami, the team felt there was unfinished business.

The Wildcats had just erased a 21-point deficit to take a fourth-quarter lead over the Hurricanes. It felt like they had the momentum, like they were going to be the ones facing LSU in the Elite Eight. But over the final minute, Miami regained the lead, and Villanova was unable to recover.

While there was disappointment, head coach Denise Dillon did not hesitate to praise her team.

“This team, any opportunity I get to talk about them, I’ll take because they’re so special,” Dillon said. “They’re extremely special. The end, it’s so quick, and I think that’s just the feeling we all have right now.”

A sting that Dillon attributed to “not finishing the job” will linger with the players for some time. But regardless of the final result in Greenville, S.C., this team will be known as one of the most successful in program history.

En route to a program-best 30 wins and just the second Sweet 16 appearance in program history, Villanova saw a myriad of records broken.

Senior Maddy Siegrist had one of the best individual seasons in women’s college basketball history. The two-time Big East Player of the Year scored 1,081 points, led the country in scoring, set the Villanova and Big East all-time and single-game scoring records, and became the only first-team All-American in Villanova history.

» READ MORE: How God and basketball teamed up to create Maddy Siegrist’s historic career at Villanova

Sophomore Christina Dalce set the program record for blocks in a single season with 86 for a Big East-leading 2.3 per game.

To top it off, in the team’s NCAA Tournament second-round win over Florida Gulf Coast, Dillon picked up her 400th career win in her 20th season as a head coach.

Entering this off season, the biggest question facing the Wildcats is how will they replace Siegrist, who is forgoing her final year of eligibility to enter the 2023 WNBA draft? It certainly won’t be easy.

To make up for the 29.2 points per game that Villanova will lose with Siegrist, Dillon and her coaching staff will look to fill the gap by committee. Dillon emphasized the importance of getting the “young core” some minutes throughout the season so they will be ready to play without Siegrist next year.

“I think there is certainly confidence as we’ve got some young ones playing,” Dillon said after a home win over Marquette in February. “They’re figuring out how much potential they have as a collective unit. We just keep trying to get the most out of them. It’s demanding, but they’re responding.”

Arguably the most ready to step into that leading role is sophomore Lucy Olsen. The 5-foot-9 point guard has held a starting role for two years and was the second-leading scorer this year with 12.4 points per game. She had multiple strong games including a career performance in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with 23 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists. The second-team All-Big East selection is not afraid of the moment, and she will be key to the Wildcats’ success moving forward.

“Lucy, I say it all the time, is someone who never cuts corners,” Dillon said. “She doesn’t skip steps. You’re just going to continue to see her grow each time she steps on the floor.”

Sophomores Dalce, Zanai Jones, and Kaitlyn Orihel have proved they are also ready to make an impact. Dalce stepped into a starting position, and her growth was obvious. Jones and Orihel played important minutes, providing a spark off the bench. Throw in the experience of Maddie Burke and Bella Runyan, and the talent of two incoming freshmen, Brynn McCurry and Maddie Webber, and the Wildcats have a well-rounded roster heading into next season.

» READ MORE: Maddy Siegrist has Villanova’s scoring mark, and a special bond with Sister Rose Marie, the old record-holder

At the beginning of this season, Dillon hoped Villanova would be seen nationally as a team that “is consistent in what it does and gets the results because of it.”

This year tested that through a competitive Big East and a tough nonconference schedule. The Wildcats climbed on the national stage, reaching the highest ranking in program history at No. 10.

But, next year will be even more telling.

Without Siegrist, there will be doubters. While the Wildcats can’t prove anything until their first game rolls around in November, it’s clear the group possesses the necessary work ethic and mindset in Dillon’s eyes.

“There’s nothing greater than having an opportunity to work with players that just want to continue to get better and see their teammates get better,” Dillon said last week. “When you have that as a group, you appreciate it, but you also know that great things can happen.”