Following a season in which Colorado overcame multiple cancelations amid issues with COVID-19 to win multiple postseason games in the WNIT, coach JR Payne and the Buffs are back on the court and ready for the 2021-22 season.

Payne has several players returning this season, including preseason All-Pac-12 selection Mya Hollingshed, as CU kicks off the regular season on Wednesday on the road against Oklahoma State.

“We have a very veteran ball club, although we have some people coming off injury and things like that,” Payne said at the team’s media day last month. “We feel really good about who we have back and what we were able to accomplish last year. We definitely felt like, although we had a good season, it was pretty tumultuous with COVID-19 with testing. Although [we had] some cancellations and things like that, we felt like we laid a solid foundation for what we’re capable of this year. We’re excited for the season.”

Hollingshed was the team’s leading scorer last season, averaging 15.4 points per game. The Texas native was the only player to start all 23 games for the Buffs last season and will be counted on every night.

“I told Mya that she had a really great year last year and she’s having a really great year in practice so far this year,” Payne said. “We’ve seen more vocal presence from Mya, which we’ve been asking her to do since maybe her junior year. As a fifth-year senior, and someone that has played all four years and been very impactful — we need her to coach and be help to our young players and new players and she’s doing a really good job of that. I can always see her talking to someone on the sideline.”

The Pac-12 will be tough once again this season and the Buffs are projected to be in the middle of the pack in a conference that features a perennial powerhouse in Stanford and a very good Oregon team.

“Each night can be a totally different look,” Payne said. “You could be at Arizona State where they’re going to grind it out and be really physical and slow the game down. Really just try to grind it out in the half court. Two nights later, you could be at Arizona where they’re going to fly in transition and be really aggressive defensively. They’re different looks every night and you have to have an elevated IQ to make those adjustments from one night to the next night.”

But the Buffs know that no one in the conference in the league is unbeatable. The highlight of last season for CU was undoubtedly the upset over No. 1 Stanford in overtime on Jan. 17 at the CU Events Center. 

Colorado does have one of the bigger teams in the Pac-12 and that’s exactly how Payne wants it. The Buffs have lots of flexibility with lineups and Payne will utilize multiple different looks as the season goes on.

“Bigger is always better for us,” Payne said. “We like to play long. We also have some really talented players that aren’t super long and it’d be crazy not to have them on the floor. Yes, we’ve had some players that are playing different positions. Kylee Blacksten is playing multiple positions on the floor right now and is looking really good – maybe at the 4 a little bit more than the 3 like she did last year. We’re continuing to work to figure out what the best lineup is for us.”

One of the intriguing younger players for CU is freshman guard Kindyll Wetta out of Valor Christian. The Colorado 5A Player of the Year last season, Wetta led Valor to a 17-0 campaign and a state championship.

“We always want to recruit the best players in the state of Colorado to stay home,” Payne said. “Players that can help us win a championship need to come to Colorado and be Buffs. She certainly is that player. Kindyll [Wetta] just as a young woman embodies everything we value. As a coaching staff, we want players that are hardworking, tough, resilient. They excel in the classroom. They excel in their community. They work as hard as possible and that is Kindyll in a nutshell. She is also a really talented basketball player so the combination of the two is really great.”