Colorado State University Athletics
Rams Look Forward to Building Stage
9/22/2026 1:12:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Williams and crew trust a plan which has worked
So much is different. Even some of what is familiar is new.
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Take Kloe Froebe. Already established as a leader, she's also more mature, a better player and leader. She's also wearing a new number, switching to No. 5.
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"I'm excited. I've worn 5 just all my life and it's just a family number," Froebe said. "My brother wore 5 in college, my sister, my dad, and so it's just family number. I've just been waiting my turn."
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Jaydn Fiffe had the jersey when Froebe arrived two seasons ago, but with her exit, Froebe slide right in to take it back.
Â
Coach Ryun Williams added eight players to the roster, five transfers and a trio of freshman. This is college athletics at the moment, and his program has found success opening its doors to others. The Rams are on a run of having transfers making an immediate impact, highlighted by the number of newcomer of the year awards in the trophy case.
Â
While practice for the upcoming season officially started this week, the group came together for part of the summer and began the process of becoming a team. Those who returned wanted to further cement their spots or show increased value. They also wanted to be accommodating to the new kids and build a comradery, and a clear personality developed.
Â
"It's a team that really likes each other, and it's a team that needs to grow their orneriness, to be honest with you," Williams said. "But they've got a team-first personality. They really do buy into the team, the team, the team. They'll be an unselfish group.
Â
"There's no doubt about that. And they're fun. My gosh, they are."
Â
Froebe put a word to it: Goofy. Particularly off the court. When they are hanging out and bonding. The personalities just seemed to mesh through the common denominator, which they see as a definite positive.
Â
Getting along away from the court will eventually help during play. When they're communicating on defense. When sending secret eye signals to each other offensively. When adversity hits in a game and they need to address the situation.
Â
"The last couple of years I've been here, I think our team meshes very well. But I think this year, it kind of is just on a whole different level," McKenna Murphy said. "I think we're hanging out as a team a lot more, and like Kloe said, we are really goofy when it comes to off the court. I think that's just going to help when we get on the court. We all kind of mesh together pretty well.
Â
"Obviously, to have good offense and defense, like Coach says, we just need to mesh together and kind of know what everyone else is thinking and doing. So I think it's going to help a lot."
Â
Williams trusts the systems he has in place. The one for offense, the one for defense. Particularly the one which determines which players become Rams.
Â
A non-negotiable, he said, is a team-first in mentality. There are ways to uncover those truths.
Â
Offensively, there can be more flexibility. Defensively, no.
Â
"You've got to be a little more flexible. You can be more creative," he said. ""Again, it's what are their strengths, and it's our job to put them in the best position to utilize those. The other end is kind of non-negotiable, like defensively. That's where we don't let them be as creative.
Â
"We've got a certain way we like to do things and maybe don't give them as much freedom on that end of the floor. But offensively, that's why they came here was to get into their game, to play with a little more freedom, perhaps, and to utilize their strengths."
Â
It's the idea of taking what a Froebe and Murphy has proven they can do already and working with it. It's merging the talents of a Camryn Runner and a Sophie Sene into the mix. It also means watching the growth of Caitlin Kramer and expanding minutes she's earned.
Â
Summer gave them a glimpse of what is possible. This next month before the Rams play an exhibition on Oct. 28 gives them time to put theory into practice and see what develops, what gets kept, what is scraped.
Â
The non-conference schedule was built to prepare the Rams for what promises to be a formidable Pac-12 Conference.
Â
"I'm super excited. I mean there's gonna be no days off," Froebe said. "It's gonna be battles every night and so it'll be so fun to see you like who comes out on top and what some upsets are. It's going to push us every single night so that when it comes tournament time, we're ready."
Â
If the Rams believe anything, different can be good. It has been for them.
Â
Â
Take Kloe Froebe. Already established as a leader, she's also more mature, a better player and leader. She's also wearing a new number, switching to No. 5.
Â
"I'm excited. I've worn 5 just all my life and it's just a family number," Froebe said. "My brother wore 5 in college, my sister, my dad, and so it's just family number. I've just been waiting my turn."
Â
Jaydn Fiffe had the jersey when Froebe arrived two seasons ago, but with her exit, Froebe slide right in to take it back.
Â
Coach Ryun Williams added eight players to the roster, five transfers and a trio of freshman. This is college athletics at the moment, and his program has found success opening its doors to others. The Rams are on a run of having transfers making an immediate impact, highlighted by the number of newcomer of the year awards in the trophy case.
Â
While practice for the upcoming season officially started this week, the group came together for part of the summer and began the process of becoming a team. Those who returned wanted to further cement their spots or show increased value. They also wanted to be accommodating to the new kids and build a comradery, and a clear personality developed.
Â
"It's a team that really likes each other, and it's a team that needs to grow their orneriness, to be honest with you," Williams said. "But they've got a team-first personality. They really do buy into the team, the team, the team. They'll be an unselfish group.
Â
"There's no doubt about that. And they're fun. My gosh, they are."
Â
Froebe put a word to it: Goofy. Particularly off the court. When they are hanging out and bonding. The personalities just seemed to mesh through the common denominator, which they see as a definite positive.
Â
Getting along away from the court will eventually help during play. When they're communicating on defense. When sending secret eye signals to each other offensively. When adversity hits in a game and they need to address the situation.
Â
"The last couple of years I've been here, I think our team meshes very well. But I think this year, it kind of is just on a whole different level," McKenna Murphy said. "I think we're hanging out as a team a lot more, and like Kloe said, we are really goofy when it comes to off the court. I think that's just going to help when we get on the court. We all kind of mesh together pretty well.
Â
"Obviously, to have good offense and defense, like Coach says, we just need to mesh together and kind of know what everyone else is thinking and doing. So I think it's going to help a lot."
Â
Williams trusts the systems he has in place. The one for offense, the one for defense. Particularly the one which determines which players become Rams.
Â
A non-negotiable, he said, is a team-first in mentality. There are ways to uncover those truths.
Â
Offensively, there can be more flexibility. Defensively, no.
Â
"You've got to be a little more flexible. You can be more creative," he said. ""Again, it's what are their strengths, and it's our job to put them in the best position to utilize those. The other end is kind of non-negotiable, like defensively. That's where we don't let them be as creative.
Â
"We've got a certain way we like to do things and maybe don't give them as much freedom on that end of the floor. But offensively, that's why they came here was to get into their game, to play with a little more freedom, perhaps, and to utilize their strengths."
Â
It's the idea of taking what a Froebe and Murphy has proven they can do already and working with it. It's merging the talents of a Camryn Runner and a Sophie Sene into the mix. It also means watching the growth of Caitlin Kramer and expanding minutes she's earned.
Â
Summer gave them a glimpse of what is possible. This next month before the Rams play an exhibition on Oct. 28 gives them time to put theory into practice and see what develops, what gets kept, what is scraped.
Â
The non-conference schedule was built to prepare the Rams for what promises to be a formidable Pac-12 Conference.
Â
"I'm super excited. I mean there's gonna be no days off," Froebe said. "It's gonna be battles every night and so it'll be so fun to see you like who comes out on top and what some upsets are. It's going to push us every single night so that when it comes tournament time, we're ready."
Â
If the Rams believe anything, different can be good. It has been for them.
Â
Players Mentioned
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