University of Louisiana at Lafayette Athletics
Louisiana UnLimited: Getting Away to Get Closer as a Team
8/25/2023 3:55:00 PM | Women's Basketball, Louisiana UnLimited
How far would you go to gain an edge?
For Garry Brodhead and the Louisiana women's basketball team, they believe that edge is a trip roughly 1,500 miles south to Costa Rica for three games against international competition, but more importantly, the chance to get away and become closer as a team.
The trip was much more about team bonding than basketball being played, which the Cajuns won all three games by a combined score of 255-92. The team got to spend time together ziplining, exploring the rainforest and had a morning on a private catamaran.
"I thought it was pretty big for us to get away," said Brodhead. "We got to go out on the catamaran and go to this island where we could go scuba diving and jump off the boat. It was great to relax and get away from the world."
With the chance to get away from their normal routine, Brodhead noticed a much looser team.
"I think it relaxes them and allows them to be themselves," he said. "I get to see a different version of them, sometimes a completely different version. You get to see student-athletes that are shy and to themselves and they come out of their shell a little. You see that out of everybody."
New experiences and opportunities helped players get out of their comfort zone including senior Brandi Williams.
"One of the coolest experiences was the zipline," she said. "I had never done it before and had to overcome my fear of heights."
The team did more than just relax and play basketball. They helped run a basketball clinic for school children in impoverished areas of Costa Rica.
"We did a clinic at an elementary school and I thought our girls did a great job of being who they were at the clinic," said Brodhead. "That's what they're supposed to do. We are supposed to give back, and I thought they did a good job of it. We not only taught them basketball but they were dancing and celebrating with them, they really got into it. Our kids love to celebrate, I think we're the number one celebrating team in America. It's just the Cajun way."
This wasn't the first overseas trip for the women's basketball team, who went to Cuba in 2019. They followed that trip with a Sun Belt Conference Championship appearance in 2019-20 before going 13-1 to win the SBC regular season title the following season.
"It's a big thing for us to go on a trip like that and it's just us," said Brodhead. "It's just 26 people and the best way to team build. We traveled together and stayed together. It's the ultimate team building experience."
As for on the court, the Cajuns adjusted quickly to playing international rules, which differ slightly from NCAA rules, and had no problem in each of their three games. They won by an average of 54 points per game, including a 97-23 victory in the second game of the trip. While the season is still a ways away, there were a lot of good things to come out of those games.
"It was good to see that we can play different people at different positions," said junior Tamera Johnson. "We learned we don't have to have a set lineup and be successful this season."
The results have Williams, who led the team in scoring during that 2020-21 regular season title year, excited about the upcoming year and the potential of the team.
"The trip helped us build a lot of chemistry," she said. "Everybody is working harder after what we saw we can do on the court and keep getting better."
Brodhead hopes the extra reps on the trip sparks the Cajuns like it did just a few seasons ago or like the men who returned to the NCAA Tournament after a trip last offseason to Puerto Rico.
"You get those 10 days of team practice," he said. "It's hard to do team workouts during the summer. You get more of an idea what your strengths and weaknesses are after those 10 days. The lights, the referees, the clock, playing someone else all make a big difference when evaluating your team."
For Garry Brodhead and the Louisiana women's basketball team, they believe that edge is a trip roughly 1,500 miles south to Costa Rica for three games against international competition, but more importantly, the chance to get away and become closer as a team.
The trip was much more about team bonding than basketball being played, which the Cajuns won all three games by a combined score of 255-92. The team got to spend time together ziplining, exploring the rainforest and had a morning on a private catamaran.
"I thought it was pretty big for us to get away," said Brodhead. "We got to go out on the catamaran and go to this island where we could go scuba diving and jump off the boat. It was great to relax and get away from the world."
With the chance to get away from their normal routine, Brodhead noticed a much looser team.
"I think it relaxes them and allows them to be themselves," he said. "I get to see a different version of them, sometimes a completely different version. You get to see student-athletes that are shy and to themselves and they come out of their shell a little. You see that out of everybody."
New experiences and opportunities helped players get out of their comfort zone including senior Brandi Williams.
"One of the coolest experiences was the zipline," she said. "I had never done it before and had to overcome my fear of heights."
The team did more than just relax and play basketball. They helped run a basketball clinic for school children in impoverished areas of Costa Rica.
"We did a clinic at an elementary school and I thought our girls did a great job of being who they were at the clinic," said Brodhead. "That's what they're supposed to do. We are supposed to give back, and I thought they did a good job of it. We not only taught them basketball but they were dancing and celebrating with them, they really got into it. Our kids love to celebrate, I think we're the number one celebrating team in America. It's just the Cajun way."
This wasn't the first overseas trip for the women's basketball team, who went to Cuba in 2019. They followed that trip with a Sun Belt Conference Championship appearance in 2019-20 before going 13-1 to win the SBC regular season title the following season.
"It's a big thing for us to go on a trip like that and it's just us," said Brodhead. "It's just 26 people and the best way to team build. We traveled together and stayed together. It's the ultimate team building experience."
As for on the court, the Cajuns adjusted quickly to playing international rules, which differ slightly from NCAA rules, and had no problem in each of their three games. They won by an average of 54 points per game, including a 97-23 victory in the second game of the trip. While the season is still a ways away, there were a lot of good things to come out of those games.
"It was good to see that we can play different people at different positions," said junior Tamera Johnson. "We learned we don't have to have a set lineup and be successful this season."
The results have Williams, who led the team in scoring during that 2020-21 regular season title year, excited about the upcoming year and the potential of the team.
"The trip helped us build a lot of chemistry," she said. "Everybody is working harder after what we saw we can do on the court and keep getting better."
Brodhead hopes the extra reps on the trip sparks the Cajuns like it did just a few seasons ago or like the men who returned to the NCAA Tournament after a trip last offseason to Puerto Rico.
"You get those 10 days of team practice," he said. "It's hard to do team workouts during the summer. You get more of an idea what your strengths and weaknesses are after those 10 days. The lights, the referees, the clock, playing someone else all make a big difference when evaluating your team."
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's BasketballBill Davis Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Jalen Clark Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Daniel Beale Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
Michael Desormeaux Media Availability (Sept 6, 2025)
Sunday, September 07
