The Nome-Beltz girls basketball team is set to open its 2025-26 season with a tight roster, a veteran core, and a focus on steady improvement. While fewer players are suiting up than in years past, Head Coach Tracy Gregg said the team’s athleticism and basketball IQ will keep the Lady Nanooks competitive.
“We’re definitely not going to have the numbers like we did last year,” Gregg said, “But I feel like the level of athleticism and knowledge of the game, we definitely can still be competitive this year, even with small numbers.”
The varsity team is expected to travel with just seven or eight players, just enough for some rest and rotation.
Four seniors return for the Lady Nanooks with Alora Stasenko and BrookLynn Crowe leading the team in varsity minutes from last season. Gregg said Stasenko brings strong court vision and a reliable mid-range game, while Crowe has developed into a physical presence in the paint and has taken a step forward in her shooting this year.
Seniors Kaya Kent and Sara James are also back and expected to step into bigger roles following the graduation of AwaŁuk "Wookie" Nichols and Kamylee Walters from last year’s starting rotation.
Now in her third season at the helm, Gregg said the program’s core philosophy remains the same: improve every day.
“You always want to see improvement from the first day you start to the last day you finish,” she said.
Highlights of the schedule this season include the Subway Showdown — Nome’s home tournament that draws a raucous local crowd — and road games in Cordova, Kotzebue, Valdez, Barrow, Sitka and Bethel.
Gregg said the team’s motto for this season is “Determined and Together.” Gregg said the words reflect the mindset she wants her players to carry, both on and off the court.
“Determination can be a lot of things, competitiveness, working through things that are hard,” she said. “Together is obviously we can’t play a game with just one person.”
The Lady Nanooks begin their season next week against Mt. Edgecumbe at the 27th Annual Grace Grizzly Classic tournament in Anchorage. They’re also set to face Point Hope’s Tikigaq High School and defending state champions Grace Christian at the season-opening tournament.
