With the 2024-25 collegiate season underway for the Elon University women’s basketball team, senior forward Iycez Adams represents the only senior on the team. Adams is in her second year with the Phoenix having transferred from East Carolina University at the end of her sophomore year.
Last year, Adams started in all 27 games played. She made an immediate impact leading the Phoenix in points per game with 10.3 and rebounds per game with 7.
Adams enters her senior year with five first-year players on the roster, which is three more first-years compared to last season.
Adams said she embraces the opportunity to provide veteran experience to the team.
“It’s cool being the only senior on the team,” Adams said. “You get to bring that experience and maturity to the team. I use my leadership role to keep us moving forward.”
She described herself as someone that’s vocal, especially when it comes to carrying over the standards set by head coach Charlotte Smith.
“I just do what the coaches say whether it’s keeping the standard high, the character of the team, or the whole culture,” Adams said.
Smith said Adams plays a big role during games. She said Adams helps get other players in a position to excel.
“She’s done a great job stepping up and being vocal,” Smith said. “She’s trying to help get everyone organized on the court.”
Smith said it’s very beneficial to have someone of Adams’ caliber take on the role of helping the team’s younger players.
“They have someone who can show them the ropes,” Smith said. “She has done it for the last four years in collegiate basketball with student athlete experience, as well as success while doing it.”
Adams said the younger players have embraced the influence that she brings and feels as though her experience and energy has spread throughout the roster.
“They’ve been very receptive,” Adams said. “The energy is very contagious and it’s showing on the team.”
Adams added that players are willing to help one another if something doesn’t go their way.
“When one gets their head down, it’s pretty much natural for all of us to say ‘You’re good, next play,’” Adams said.
She also said that most of the team’s standards have already been enforced so far on offense and defense. Adams said the team aims to keep the mindset they have from practice intact during games.
“The culture is the same,” Adams said. “Coach especially emphasizes defense and rebounding, and I think it just spreads throughout the entire game.”
Adams’ influence on the team has continued off the court as well. She is involved with the team’s Big Sister program where she is assigned to mentor one of the freshmen and do team building events, Smith said.
“She’s done dinners at her house for some of the younger players while trying to teach them the Elon way,” Smith said.
Adams said she believes her leadership has also allowed her to flourish individually. She has averaged 7.7 points but is recently coming off her first game in double figures with 10 points against Marshall University on Nov. 13.
“I can trust myself to know how the game goes with my experience and the things I learned from the coaches,” Adams said. “I’m just trying to implement that into how I help lead the team.”
Adams wants to continue being a vocal leader for the Phoenix. She said while everyone wants to play well, she hopes to maintain the team’s confidence during those stretches when they might struggle.
“We’re all extremely hard on ourselves,” Adams said. “We want to do our best so I just want to ensure that we still have confidence in everything that everyone brings to the team.”
Smith praised Adams for her ability to leave everything on the line for the Phoenix. She admired Adams’ desire to win and her mentality toward achieving those goals.
“Last year she played through injury,” Smith said. “When you’re injured, you could go check yourself out and she never checked out because she wants to win and she’s a warrior.”