Ken McDonald came into his first season as Western’s head coach insisting that the players compete with a chip on their shoulders.
A year later, after a second consecutive Sun Belt Conference Championship and trip to the NCAA tournament, the message has changed.
Now, the Toppers will play with a target on their backs.
“There’s going to be [...]

Head Coach Ken McDonald said this year’s Western basketball team has the potential to go places.
Without playing a regular-season game, it already has.
The Toppers’ 12-man roster represents nine different states as well as Canada and Montenegro. Junior forward Sergio Kerusch said those vastly different backgrounds haven’t stopped the team from becoming a tightly-knit bunch heading [...]

Senior Dominique Duck looks for a pass during Sunday’s exhibition game. Western defeated Brescia 105-48. MORGAN WALKER/HERALD

Senior forward Dominique Duck never expected to spend most of last season watching the Lady Toppers from the sideline.
But that’s exactly what happened when she took a medical redshirt nine games into the season after realizing that her knee [...]

Head Coach Mary Taylor Cowles didn’t hesitate to describe the offseason after being ousted in the first round of last season’s Sun Belt Conference Tournament.
“Miserable,” Cowles said. “I’ve never experienced that.”
Last season marked the first time the Lady Toppers have missed postseason play during Cowles’ 10-year tenure.
The current squad is ready to leave last season’s [...]