Dan Ninham
Special to ICT
LAWRENCE, Kansas — Coach Adam Strom gathered with his team in a circle at the Coffin Sports Center on the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin Court.
It was one of the team’s final practices before heading to Georgia to defend its conference title, and the Haskell Indian Nations University women’s basketball team waited for his discussion. Strom stayed in the circle, rather than moving to the middle, a cultural decision that came naturally.
The playoffs have arrived once again for Haskell’s Fightin’ Indians, the defending champions of the Continental Athletic Conference. They will hit the court on Saturday, Feb. 28, to begin what they hope will be a chance to repeat last year’s win in the championship game on Sunday, March 1.
“Our team understands the magnitude of the moment,” said Strom, the head women’s basketball coach at Haskell and a Yakama citizen.
“In practice, we have emphasized valuing every possession, executing our defensive assignments with discipline, and winning the rebounding battle — particularly by limiting second-chance opportunities,” he said.
It’s an intertribal team,with a roster that includes tribal affiliations with Arapaho, Blackfoot, MHA, Dakota, Apache, Makah, Yakama, Navajo, Nez Perce, Choctaw, Comanche, Tlingit, Muscogee, Cherokee, and Lakota.
“As head women’s basketball coach at Haskell Indian Nations University, it is my responsibility to ensure that our team is mentally, physically, emotionally, and strategically prepared for postseason basketball,” Strom told ICT.
“Postseason basketball demands attention to detail, and our preparation reflects that standard,” he said.
The Haskell Indian Nations University women’s basketball team practices on Feb. 23, 2026, just days before heading to Georgia to defend their Continental Athletics Conference title. Credit: Dan Ninham/Special to ICT
The Haskell team is the #2 seed this year, which earned them a first-round bye. They will play #3 seeded Florida National University during the second game of the conference tournament on Saturday, Feb. 28. Florida National University defeated #6 seeded Morris College 77-69 on Feb. 26.
The tournament is hosted by #1 seed Georgia Gwinnett College, which also earned a bye.
The Georgia Gwinnett Grizzlies will play #4 seeded Washington Adventist in the first game on Saturday. Washington Adventist defeated #5 seeded Carolina University 80-61 on Feb. 26.
The winner of the championship game will represent the Continental Athletic Conference at the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics’ National Women’s Basketball Tournament on March 19-24 at Tyson Events Center in Sioux City, Iowa.
‘Win or go home’
A drive through the Haskell campus reflects the school’s long history in Kansas, with streets named after Pawnee, Choctaw and Oneida nations and a block of streets named for former Haskell runner Billy Mills, who won gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics in the 10,000-meter race.
Campus buildings are named after tribal leaders Hiawatha, Tecumseh, Minoka, Pocahontas, Curtis, Parker, Seattle, Navarre, Sequoyah, Ross, and Jim Thorpe.
Haskell Indian Nations University campus in Lawrence, Kansas, is seen in this undated photo. Credit: Haskell Indian Nations University
The Coffin Sports Center is where the women’s and men’s basketball teams play and practice, and it sits on the southeast part of campus past the expansive Haskell Memorial Stadium, and softball and practice fields.
The Haskell women’s team (12-16) played Georgia Gwinnett at the last game of the regular season, losing 75-58 on the road, after winning six consecutive games prior to the loss. Before that, however, they also lost to The Grizzlies in a showcase at Temple Terrace, Florida, by a score of 61-44. At the beginning of the winter break, the Indians had lopsided losses at regional NCAA Division 1 University of Kansas and University of Missouri Kansas City.
During the recent six-game winning streak, however, the Indians averaged 93.8 points per game and hope to keep the momentum going forward.
According to the Continental Athletic Conference website, Georgia Gwinnett College (19-6) has won its last 12 games and won all eight games against conference opponents this season. The Grizzlies are second nationally in scoring defense, allowing 50.2 points per game.
“There is a heightened awareness that we are now in a ‘win or go home’ situation,” Strom said. “Our senior leadership, in particular, has become increasingly evident over the past several weeks. Their maturity, urgency, and commitment have set the tone for our program at the right time of the year.”
“This season has been a journey of growth as we have worked to reach our full potential,” Strom said. “We are a team with size, talent, and depth, but our early-season schedule tested us.”
Strom said the team was tested against multiple NCAA Division 1 and Division II programs early in the season, including several nationally ranked NAIA top-10 teams.
“That adversity strengthened us,” he said. “During conference play in the Continental Athletic Conference, we applied those lessons and earned the No. 2 seed heading into the tournament.”
Building confidence
The team is ready for the challenge, players told ICT.
Ona Dauphinais is a 5’8″ senior shooting/point guard for the team. She’s a Dakota citizen from Fort Totten, North Dakota.
“As a team we need to execute defensively and focus on rebounding and running the floor,” Dauphinais told ICT. “Individually I need to be aggressive and be a good floor leader.”
Adam Strom, head coach of the Haskell Indian Nations University’s women’s basketball team, talks with team members during a practice on Feb. 23, 2026. Credit: Dan Ninham/Special to ICT
The team has been focused on execution, she said…
“The team is working hard to do the little things and emphasize on execution in practice,” Dauphinais said. “The team has done well with sharing the ball and getting out in transition. We need to work on executing half court and be able to slow it down and play that way at times.”
Tierzah Penn is a 5’6″ senior shooting guard on the team. She is a Navajo citizen from Albuquerque, New Mexico.
“Coming into the tournament, we need to be locked in from the start and bring intensity right away,” Penn told ICT. “When we’re playing at our best, we control the pace of the game and create the shots and opportunities we want.”
She continued, “Individually, I plan to lead by example. Bringing energy, staying composed, and setting the tone, especially when we face adversity.”
They know what they need to do, she said.
“We’ve been preparing physically and mentally at practice by taking it one day at a time, and giving our full focus to every drill,” Penn said. “For us, that means sharpening our defense, communicating with each other, and being in the right spots at the right times. Offensively, we’re working on executing our plays and understanding our roles in order to create scoring opportunities for each other.”
They’re looking forward, and not back, she said.
“Our season was very tough for us at the beginning, but I believe it’s what made us stronger going into our conference games,” Penn said. “This forced us to focus on how to stay together during tough moments.”
“When conference play came, we trusted each other, communicated through ups and downs, and knew we could do it,” said Penn. “It wasn’t a perfect season, but it made us a stronger team and built our confidence coming into the tournament.”
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