If you walked into any Lafayette women's basketball practice, you could not tell if it was the preseason, midseason or on the eve of the postseason.

The points of emphasis are the same: energy, effort and focus.

The approach and expectations of the Leopards coaching staff are the same.

The length of the practices is the same.

That is head coach Kia Damon-Olson's way.

The one thing that is not the same is the results.

Three years into Damon-Olson's tenure, Lafayette posted its most league wins (11) since 1991-92.

For perspective, the 43-year-old Damon-Olson was in high school in 1992.

Lafayette's 15 overall wins are the most since 1997-98, which also was the last time the Leopards had a winning overall record. The 15 wins included the program's first win over rival Lehigh in four years and earned the Leopards their highest Patriot League Tournament seed since 2013-14.
 

"Kia is a very intense coach and she doesn't accept anything else than us matching her intensity," sophomore guard Nicole Johnson said. "She emphasizes that. We have proven that when we practice intensely and when we are competitive with each other. She has created a culture of competitiveness."

Damon-Olson's approach has not wavered since she was introduced as Lafayette's latest head coach on May 31, 2017.

Many of the players and assistant coaches believe that was key to having any chance of reversing the losing culture on College Hill.

"You find out later about a player saying, 'I wasn't even buying into you at first,'" assistant coach Tom Lochner said. "I think then the consistency and genuineness and actions that backed up, the words were like, 'OK, I've got this.

"There is always a little push back, but what we told them, 'You've been doing things this way for a while. How's that worked out for you? Trust me.'
 

"Kia worked very hard to establish individual trust, relationships off the court with the players and I think that helped with the buy-in."

In 2017-18, it was not easy for the existing players who were not recruited by Damon-Olson to accept such radical changes, but history said something significant needed to be altered to redirect the program's course.

Lafayette won a total of 10 games in the two seasons prior to Damon-Olson's arrival on campus, and the two-plus decade gap between winning seasons would have spoken volumes to whoever took over the program.

Damon-Olson's personality has been molded during her five previous stops totaling 19 years as an assistant coach at successful programs.

In her eyes, if the Leopards were going to a reversal of direction it was going to be her way.

"I'm a big advocate of being yourself," Lochner said. "If you try to be somebody that you're not, people, players, students will all read through that.

"You've got to be genuine. We all can grow and adapt and modify based on who we are dealing with, but you have to be yourself. If you are warm and fuzzy, then be that. If you are energetic, be that."

Two of Damon-Olson's strongest attributes are intensity and loyalty. She brings them to every practice, every meeting, every game.

She doesn't care if you're the star player or the 15th woman on the roster. She will be hard, but fair and honest. Players and assistant coaches always know where she stands and can count on her consistency in everything she does involving everyone in the program.
 

"Kia always holds us up to a standard and that standard doesn't vary based on the day, the opponent or where we are at during the season," junior forward Natalie Kucowski said. "It's a standard that we are always measured against and making sure that we are not necessarily perfect, but that we are progressing and improving through the season to make sure we are playing our best throughout the season and at the most critical point of the season.

"She also brings a level of intensity every day that makes it a competitive atmosphere, so that we can get better from the previous day."

The Leopards' breakthrough 2019-20 season did not end the way anyone involved wanted it to. Lafayette lost its regular-season finale at home to Patriot League champion Bucknell, then fell at Holy Cross in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals.

However, there is proof that Damon-Olson's philosophies are working. After going 19-42 in her first two seasons, Lafayette took significant steps forward thanks to the players buying in and progressing in every aspect of its collective game.

Practices are better. On-court chemistry is better. The players' bodies and minds are better prepared for what is expected and what the challenges are.

And, the coaching staff and players' relationships are entrenched in a belief in one another.
 

"Kia really cares about us," Johnson said. "She's not warm and fuzzy. But she shows that she cares by making sure we have the recovery we need, making sure we are eating well and getting enough sleep.

"She's not asking about our love life; but she's asking about how our bodies feel. She gives us little check-ins, little meetings."

Lochner said Damon-Olson's approach also helped create a connected atmosphere.

"She had everyone thinking we are just one big Lafayette family," the assistant coach said. "No one is a senior, no one is a junior. I think the buy-in was there is no separation. There is no preferential treatment.

"She's like, 'I'm going to love you all and challenge you to be the best version of yourself.' Once a program is accustomed to losing, you almost develop the expectation. She raised the bar and emphasized that.

"We are going to challenge, motivate. We talked about how they would be a little bit uncomfortable but we will push them outside their comfort zone. It's all about them as a young person. She cares about them every day. I've been around a long time. Some people talk the talk, but she backs it up. She cares about the kids. She invests a lot of time and energy into them as young women with the idea that they will leave here as strong, confident, equipped leaders."

Lochner is experienced enough to know that there will be peaks and valleys in every program, even the most successful ones.

But the recent numbers show that Damon-Olson has Lafayette trending in the right direction.

It's been a long time coming, so there is reason to celebrate. But another aspect of Damon-Olson's approach is the '24-hour rule.'

"After every win and every loss," Johnson said, "you don't feel too high or too low. You have 24 hours, then you have to focus on the next battle, the next thing."