The Oswego State women’s basketball team is gearing up for their upcoming season. 

After a long hiatus they know that they need to relearn how to play with each other, as well as acclimate the new players to the team. This year they have nine freshman players on the roster and three sophomore players. With their roster being composed of a majority of players who have not played at the collegiate level, they know it is important that those players get used to the play style of the team as well as their teammates. 

To help the new players get used to the feel of playing with the team, they can look to veteran and star player Raiven Encarnacion. Encarnacion is a senior and has been a part of the team since the 2017-2018 season. Over the years she has been on the team, Encarnacion has improved her game and cemented herself as a leader for this Lakers team. In the most recent season she played back in 2019-2020, she averaged a career high 10.9 points per game with 3 assists per game in 19 games.

Encarnacion has been a staple of the women’s basketball program for a few years and the team has not had the kind success she or the team has hoped for. So, in what could be her final season with the Lakers, Encarnacion hopes that she can bring a winning culture to the team and turn the program around. 

The Lakers will also have to play without star forward Ramatoulaye Sy. Sy played with the Lakers during the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 seasons. Sy was a great player on both sides of the ball totaling 12.3 points per game, with 41 assists, 10 blocks, 36 steals and 310 rebounds over the course of two seasons. Her most notable games were during the 2019-2020 season when she put up 27 points and grabbed 21 rebounds versus Morrisville State and 29 points and 15 rebounds versus Alfred. Her career high for rebounds in a game is 23. Her dominant playstyle will be missed by the Lakers this season. 

Photos provided by Oswego State Athletics