Michele Woods-Baxter enjoys role as interim USF women's basketball coach

TAMPA, Fla - The USF women's basketball team is on a roll after winning four straight games in the American Conference. 

"It always helps when you have great kids and a great locker room," USF interim head coach Michele Woods-Baxter said. 

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The backstory:

But, that locker room had a major shakeup before the season. Longtime head coach Jose Fernandez bolted for the WNBA right before the season, leaving longtime assistant and now interim head coach Michele Woods-Baxter in charge.

"We had a scrimmage four days after Jose was gone," Woods-Baxter said. "Trying to pull an emotional team together. I knew we were going to be alright. I truly felt that."

It's certainly taken some getting used to seeing Woods-Baxter standing up as opposed to sitting down on the bench this season, but the players have her back. 

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"She's never been a head coach, and she's doing the damn thing," USF grad student guard Edyn Battle said. "That's my girl right here."

The support echoes throughout the locker room. 

What they're saying:

"She's had to fight through a new position into something she might not be as comfortable with, and she's excelled at it," USF redshirt junior guard Stefanie Ingram said. 

But what's made the new leader in charge the most comfortable are her players.

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"They come in ready to work every day," Woods-Baxter said. "There's no screaming and hollering to get them going. They bring it. They bring it every day."

Every day, the Bulls have Coach B's back. 

"For them to be so bought in and to not worry and be like, 'No coach, we got you,'" Woods-Baxter said. "'We got you. We got this.' It meant a lot. It meant a lot to me."

And, it means a lot to Woods-Baxter, because this job and this team are giving her a season to remember.

"I enjoy it," Woods-Baxter said. "They are great kids. It makes it a lot of fun. They like to have fun and I like to have fun with them."

What's next:

Woods-Baxter and the Bulls battle Wichita State at home on Saturday night.