10/26/2026 10:52:00 AM | Women's Basketball
CONWAY — Entering his fifth season at the helm of Coastal Carolina women's basketball, head coach Kevin Pederson believes the Chanticleers have reached a point where the expectations are no longer simply about building a program — they are about taking the next step.
After a 14-18 season a year ago, Coastal returns five players from last season's roster while adding four transfers and three freshmen. With a blend of returning experience and new talent, Pederson believes the Chanticleers have the depth and versatility to make a push in a competitive Sun Belt Conference.
"When we arrived four years ago, this is a program that was coming off a couple low points," Pederson said. "Now you look in the last two years, we finished second and sixth out of 14 in our league in NET ranking."
Coastal has steadily climbed under Pederson, including a 23-9 season that concluded with the program's first WNIT appearance two years ago. That progress has also come against increasingly challenging competition, including a program-record 12 games against teams ranked in the top 100 last season.
Now, Pederson wants to see the Chanticleers continue that upward trajectory.
"Now as we move in that top 20, 25%, can we move into the top 10%?" Pederson said. "That's kind of the goal as we come into this year."
Leading the way is fourth-year veteran Tessa Grady, who emerged as one of Coastal's top offensive threats last season and was named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team entering this year. Grady averaged 13.6 points per game while shooting 36 percent from three-point range and enters the season as the team's captain.
Pederson believes Grady's influence extends beyond her production.
"She's not just a talented player, but she's that player that we give a lot of credit to," Pederson said. "She drove this recruiting class."
Among the newcomers expected to make an immediate impact is Kamryn Kitchen, a former highly touted recruit who spent time at Virginia and Arizona. Pederson sees significant potential in Kitchen, who brings athleticism, scoring ability and a confident personality to the Chanticleers.
"I think she has the talent to be the conference player of the year at some point," Pederson said.
Coastal also added Grace Lesko, a former conference player of the year who averaged 18.4 points and seven rebounds per game at Mercy University last season, along with Caroline Mullins, another experienced addition from UVA Wise who Pederson believes can provide a physical presence around the basket.
The increased depth should complement Coastal's trademark style of play. The Chanticleers ranked among the best nationally in pace of play last season, and Pederson expects that tempo to remain a defining characteristic.
"We play at a sprint pace," Pederson said. "Give us everything you've got for as long as you can."
That approach requires contributions throughout the roster, and Pederson believes this year's team has the pieces to go 10 or 11 deep.
Ultimately, however, the goal goes beyond wins in November and December. Coastal's demanding non-conference schedule is designed to prepare the Chanticleers for the Sun Belt race that awaits in the new year.
"We know where we're going. We know where we want to get to," Pederson said. "It's just a question of how long it takes us to get there."
