Monti led the Ivies in assists last year with 5.4 average per league game. A Second Team All-Ivy selection her sophomore year, she proved herself capable of hitting clutch shots as a rookie when she drained back-to-back buzzer-beaters to down Yale and Brown on the final weekend.

Gates has also been a Crimson hero since her freshman year, when she connected on a three-point shot from halfcourt to beat Dartmouth. After an injury-plagued sophomore campaign, she came back last season to lead Harvard in three-pointers and steals. Through two games this season, she was among the Crimson’s most consistent players on both ends of the floor.

“[Gates] is playing like I think she should play,” Delaney-Smith said. “She’s a senior, she’s a veteran and she’s had a lot of game time in an important role for most of her career, so I expect nothing less from her.”

Gates will be even more valuable to the team as one of its top defensive players. With all of its regular starters —besides Monti—well over six-feet tall, the Crimson will be employing more zone defenses in the early going.

“We’re going to our zones much sooner than we did in the past, because we want to use our height and not worry about matchups,” Delaney-Smith said.

Even with the strong personnel on its roster, Harvard would not have a significant advantage over its Ivy opposition if it did not use offensive schemes that maximized its potential. But that is not a concern now that the team has switched from the triangle offense of the past two years to the flex offense.

Delaney-Smith made the switch mainly because she felt it was too easy for the opposition to take away the team’s inside game by double-teaming its post players. With the flex offense, there is considerably more quick ball movement from side-to-side, so players can avoid double teams. The increased amount of motion in the flex makes the game more exciting for players and fans alike.

The offense is loved not just by the main inside threats who end up with more space, but also by the guards who relish the ball movement.

“I don’t think the triangle suited our strengths,” Monti said. “The main point is that everyone is going to get a touch. There is more movement than we had with the triangle.”

Delaney-Smith praised Monti’s court vision and her ability to attack the weak side of defenses, and thinks she could be even better.

“I think she’s gotten to the point where she loves making the big pass,” Delaney-Smith said. “And now she’s holding on to the ball trying to make the big pass too soon. I’d love to see her move defenses, make teams play a little defense on us and then make the big pass.”

The benefits of the flex go beyond the obvious. Because the flex focuses more on players positions’ on the floor than their position on paper, the offense is suited more to players like Tubridy who can play guard or forward. It also dramatically increases the combinations of players that Delaney-Smith can play. That gives the Harvard bench a new and exciting role this season.

Through two games this season, sophomore guard Dirkje Dunham had already scored more points and received more playing time than she did all of last season. Because Delaney-Smith now has the option of putting two point guards on court on once, Dunham’s potential playing time was skyrocketed. The high quality of her play in the preseason didn’t hurt, either.

“Dirkje’s had tremendously consistent, fabulous practices right from the beginning, so we’re very pleased with her,” Delaney-Smith said. “And I’m still learning about [how Dirkje will perform in game situations.”

With Dunham making strides at point guard, sophomore Jennifer Lee has now been playing more shooting guard. Lee got hot towards the end of last season and was relied upon to take some of Harvard’s most crucial shots of the season down the stretch.