Behind new coach Arthur Moreira, Idaho women’s basketball looks to create mismatches with size, speed

In a new season, Idaho is looking forward to a fresh start. Arthur Moreira, an assistant coach last year, takes over for Carrie Eighmey, who led the Vandals to a 15-16 record in her lone campaign as UI coach.

Only three players return from that group, and Moreira has built a new Vandals team with an international flair – with five of the 11 new Vandals hailing from Australia, Brazil, Serbia and Portugal. So far, Moreira is delighted with what he has seen: size in the frontcourt to battle the Big Sky Conference’s most imposing lineups and both size and speed in the backcourt to create matchup nightmares for league opponents.

“We built the roster to adjust to different matchups,” he says. Vitoria Carvalho, a 6-foot-3 native of Brazil who previously played at Tarleton State, will anchor the Vandals up front.

“Our guards are huge,” adds Moreira. “People might struggle matching up against us.”

Freshmen Ana Pinheiro, 6-0, from Braga, Portugal, and 5-11 Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, are a couple of examples of Idaho’s backcourt size.

Playing against teammates in preseason practice may make it difficult to judge a team’s relative speed. In a scrimmage against North Idaho College, Moreira says, “as soon as we played somebody else, we saw it. We are not out of control. But we are fast.”

And, apparently, deep.

“I might play more players than at any time in my career,” he says.

Moreira seeks to introduce a consistent urgency to the Vandals, beginning with practices. “Every single person has bought into that culture,” he says.

Idaho can also expect veteran leadership from 5-6 guard Olivia Nelson, a graduate transfer from the University of Central Missouri.

“She has played close to 100 college games,” Moreira says.

Another grad transfer, 6-1 forward Jennifer Aadland from Augustana University, “is a great athlete” and sets a tone for aggressive play.

Key returners for the Vandals are 5-6 senior guard Ashlyn Wallace and 6-2 junior forward Sarah Brans.

Moreira anticipates Eastern Washington, Montana, Montana State, Weber State and Idaho State to be among the Big Sky’s toughest teams this year – and Idaho.

“I expect us to compete at the top,” he says. “We want to win multiple Big Sky championships here.”