ALBANY >> Imani Tate called her, “a different player.” Erin Coughlin said she was, “a beast no matter what she’s doing.”

To the rest of the league, she’s the two-time defending America East Player of the Year.

There are more ways to refer to Shereesha Richards and her greatness for the University at Albany women’s basketball the past three years, but to do so would be exhausting.

Richards is one of several key returners to a Great Danes squad that will aim for its fifth-straight America East Championship, all under the guidance of sixth-year coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.

Although Richards averaged 21 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and shot 58.3 percent from the field last season she returned to the gym hungrier than ever to improve her game. That includes expanding her shooting rage beyond the 3-point arc and becoming tougher for opponents to double team.

“When I was on the block it’s easy for them to triple team and double team me and I was still making (post) moves,” Richardson said. “Imagine me on the perimeter, moving cutting and doing all different things.”

Tate, a junior who was second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per-game last, is looking forward to benefitting from Richards’ presence again.

“Everybody would love to have her on their team,” Tate said. “Having her on our team opens everyone else up. When we knock down shots they have to play her fair.”

Of UAlbany’s top five scorers from a year ago, only point guard Sarah Royals departed because of graduation. The four remaining players on that list — Richards, Tate, Zakiya Saunders and Tiana-Jo Carter — averaged a combined 49.5 points per game.

That’s a number that should make the Great Danes the favorites to repeat as regular season and conference champs, but they still have to go out and play up to those expectations. Continued…

“Every year the slate is clean,” coach Abrahamson-Henderson said. “I don’t want them to think it’s ever going to be easy because life isn’t easy. Basketball changes all the time. We just start all over. They know it’s all a journey and we’re only going to think about our first game.”

That first game is Nov. 15 in a 1 p.m. home game against Pepperdine.

The last time UAlbany was on the court in an official game was an NCAA Tournament first round contest in which they took No. 1 seeded Duke to the brink. Coughlin had a 3-point attempt to win that game that didn’t drop in the 54-52 defeat. That moment has been a source of motivation for the now senior captain.

“I had the ball in the last second and it just hit the rim,” Coughlin said. “I use that every day to continue working hard thinking, ‘I don’t want that to happen again.’ It makes me hungrier.”

Coughlin will also have to pick up some of the playmaking duties from Royals, who left as the program’s career assists leader.

The Great Danes welcome six new names to the roster this season, including Troy-native Aubrey Hernandez and junior college transfer Bailey Hixson. Hixson shot 44 percent from 3-point distance at Monroe Community College last season. If she get anywhere close that number for UAlbany, it could make Abrahamson-Henderson’s playing time decisions even tougher.

“I’m going to have to take Imani out or somebody out to put her in,” the three-time America East coach of the year said. “She better be ready because I’m not going to keep Imani or Zakiya or Erin out long. We’re blending them right now.”

If she finds the right mixture, this talented Great Danes roster could be headed back to the big dance with their best chance in recent memory at a tournament win.

“Every year we say this is the year,” Richards said of winning an NCAA tourney game. “Maybe we’re waiting for my senior year to win one.”

ALBANY >> Imani Tate called her, “a different player.” Erin Coughlin said she was, “a beast no matter what she’s doing.”

To the rest of the league, she’s the two-time defending America East Player of the Year.

There are more ways to refer to Shereesha Richards and her greatness for the University at Albany women’s basketball the past three years, but to do so would be exhausting.

Richards is one of several key returners to a Great Danes squad that will aim for its fifth-straight America East Championship, all under the guidance of sixth-year coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.

Although Richards averaged 21 points and 8.8 rebounds per game and shot 58.3 percent from the field last season she returned to the gym hungrier than ever to improve her game. That includes expanding her shooting rage beyond the 3-point arc and becoming tougher for opponents to double team.

“When I was on the block it’s easy for them to triple team and double team me and I was still making (post) moves,” Richardson said. “Imagine me on the perimeter, moving cutting and doing all different things.”

Tate, a junior who was second on the team in scoring at 14.2 points per-game last, is looking forward to benefitting from Richards’ presence again.

“Everybody would love to have her on their team,” Tate said. “Having her on our team opens everyone else up. When we knock down shots they have to play her fair.”

Of UAlbany’s top five scorers from a year ago, only point guard Sarah Royals departed because of graduation. The four remaining players on that list — Richards, Tate, Zakiya Saunders and Tiana-Jo Carter — averaged a combined 49.5 points per game.

That’s a number that should make the Great Danes the favorites to repeat as regular season and conference champs, but they still have to go out and play up to those expectations.

“Every year the slate is clean,” coach Abrahamson-Henderson said. “I don’t want them to think it’s ever going to be easy because life isn’t easy. Basketball changes all the time. We just start all over. They know it’s all a journey and we’re only going to think about our first game.”

That first game is Nov. 15 in a 1 p.m. home game against Pepperdine.

The last time UAlbany was on the court in an official game was an NCAA Tournament first round contest in which they took No. 1 seeded Duke to the brink. Coughlin had a 3-point attempt to win that game that didn’t drop in the 54-52 defeat. That moment has been a source of motivation for the now senior captain.

“I had the ball in the last second and it just hit the rim,” Coughlin said. “I use that every day to continue working hard thinking, ‘I don’t want that to happen again.’ It makes me hungrier.”

Coughlin will also have to pick up some of the playmaking duties from Royals, who left as the program’s career assists leader.

The Great Danes welcome six new names to the roster this season, including Troy-native Aubrey Hernandez and junior college transfer Bailey Hixson. Hixson shot 44 percent from 3-point distance at Monroe Community College last season. If she get anywhere close that number for UAlbany, it could make Abrahamson-Henderson’s playing time decisions even tougher.

“I’m going to have to take Imani out or somebody out to put her in,” the three-time America East coach of the year said. “She better be ready because I’m not going to keep Imani or Zakiya or Erin out long. We’re blending them right now.”

If she finds the right mixture, this talented Great Danes roster could be headed back to the big dance with their best chance in recent memory at a tournament win.

“Every year we say this is the year,” Richards said of winning an NCAA tourney game. “Maybe we’re waiting for my senior year to win one.”