Although the weather is cooling down, basketball season is starting to heat up as your West Florida Argonauts begin their 2021-2022 basketball season. Last season, the Lady Argos finished with a 9-10 record overall and 9-9 in conference play. This season, they have loftier expectations.

Head coach Stephanie Yelton, who is entering her tenth season with the Argonauts, has experienced ups and downs throughout her years as both a player and coach for basketball, but says, “none have been tougher than the past season due to the coronavirus.” Between the mandates from both the state and university, sports teams had their fair share of restrictions on what they could and could not do. 

The one thing that Coach Yelton is most excited about this season is getting a return to normalcy. 

“I can coach and be myself again, the normalcy is what I have missed most,” she said. 

This past season wasn’t all bad for Coach Yelton, as she achieved her 200th career win as head coach.

The team is returning eight of their players from last season while bringing in seven new faces. Jaclyn Jarnot, starting center for the Lady Argos, is a transfer from the University of North Dakota whom the team is ecstatic to add to the roster. Along with Jarnot, the team has added another four Division 1 transfer players.

This season, the Lady Argonauts begin with an exhibition against the Florida State Seminoles. The last time these two teams faced off in a preseason exhibition game West Florida made it to the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament.

The first win for West Florida this season will be Coach Yelton’s 150th with the team. There will be 13 home games throughout the season, taking the team to Feb. 23 and the Gulf South Conference playoffs.

This season, fans will be welcomed back into the stands with no restrictions, so be sure to check the schedule and come out to support your Lady Argonauts basketball team.