{"id":2225,"date":"2019-04-24T21:18:57","date_gmt":"2019-04-25T02:18:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/com.bradley.edu\/newslab\/?p=2225"},"modified":"2019-04-25T12:56:14","modified_gmt":"2019-04-25T17:56:14","slug":"undeterred-by-bittersweet-tournament-loss-braves-are-motivated-for-a-hard-working-offseason","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/com.bradley.edu\/newslab\/2019\/04\/24\/undeterred-by-bittersweet-tournament-loss-braves-are-motivated-for-a-hard-working-offseason\/","title":{"rendered":"Undeterred by bittersweet tournament loss, Braves motivated for a hard-working offseason"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By: Danny Karmin, Brian Goldman, and Josh Hansen <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Bradley Braves Women\u2019s basketball team<\/a> ended this past season with a loss in the conference championship, against Illinois State<\/a>.  It was surely a tough loss after a record-breaking season of 20 wins. They gave it their all but came up short in the end.
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The team has a long summer break ahead and must keep their training at an intense level, in order to maintain success down the road. Braves Head Coach Andrea Gorski<\/a> had season-ending evaluations for each Braves player and had goals for all of them.
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\u201cWe sit down with every player and go over specifics for them to work on whether it be strength or conditioning, it\u2019s different for each player. Right now it\u2019s all about working on player deficiencies and improving their strengths,\u201d Gorski said.
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Despite, the tough loss Gorski doesn\u2019t believe her team needs any extra motivation than they already have. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAs a whole, they put an exceptional amount of push into everything, therefore, they\u2019re highly motivated to achieve their goals.  Every player knows that the ultimate goal is to win a MVC championship next year and we will do everything possible to do that,\u201d Gorski said.
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The players seem especially excited to work and advance their game this summer. The team is aware of how competent they are, collectively. This is a major confidence booster for them going into the 2019-2020 season.  
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Certain players have differing goals than others.  Some players undergo intense dribbling exercises, for the betterment of their ball-handling skills.  Others might be shooting for hours on end to improve their range from the field. There is a plethora of other aspects to the game that the Braves need to improve on, but generally, the main tactics are well exemplified.  
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Chelsea Brackmann<\/a>, forward, has been an exceptional part of the team for many years now. As her senior year approaches, it is her last chance to leave her legacy at Bradley and show the Missouri Valley Conference what she is made of. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

She is very motivated to advance her game this summer and has a growing agenda for the changes she plans to make. \u00a0
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\u201cI want to work more on my strength so I can go up against some of the bigger players in our conference. I think lifting weights more this summer will also help with my endurance so I plan on doing both,\u201d Brackmann said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lasha Petree<\/a>, guard, is quickly making a name for herself on the court. After taking home numerous awards this year in which included: MVC Freshman of the Year and MVC sixth player of the year, there is no question that the sky\u2019s the limit for her.
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As good as Lasha was this year, she will look for ways this offseason to be even better than she was. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m trying to improve my strength for next year and get my weight up because I\u2019m kinda skinny. I would also like to improve my skill-work and my IQ on the floor,\u201d Petree said.
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The Braves will look to use their offseason efficiently and be ready to roll when the 2019-2020 season gets underway in the fall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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