BERKELEY – Junior Alaysia Styles has averaged just over two shots per game during her first two seasons at Cal. So she finds it a little unsettling that new head coach Charmin Smith has been exhorting her to find her shot more this preseason.

"I was used to doing one thing for two years, and now hearing Charmin tell me to take more shots, I don't know about that," Styles said. "I'll be on the court and she'll say, 'shoot that!' And I'm not too sure about it."

In addition to the obvious excitement that comes along with being a first-time head coach, Smith is enjoying this preseason for other reasons. From her office on down, new roles in the program are commonplace – including the student-athletes on the court.

That means many of Cal's players are hearing from Smith what they want to hear.

"This is the cool thing right now for me – I get to say the things that players always want to hear," said Smith, who was named the 10^th head coach in program history in June after 12 years on Cal's staff as an assistant. "'Shoot the ball,' 'you're going to play' – we're in a good position where they are hearing things that are inspiring and encouraging."

Seniors Jaelyn Brown and CJ West have seen their share of playing time through the years – Brown has appeared in every game of her career and made 34 starts – but gone are the days where they are deferring to generational star Kristine Anigwe, who left Cal after last season as the program's all-time leading scorer, rebounder and shot blocker. The senior class of Brown, West, Sara Anastasieska and Chen Yue all figure to become more focal points in 2019-20.

"Everyone in this program is in a new role, and we all have to step up to the challenge," Smith said. "I'm a first-time head coach and I need to step up and do something I've never done before. I've told Jaelyn and Sara that I need them scoring in double figures. CJ can't just be comfortable playing when Kristine is tired. Kristine is not here anymore. And Chen hasn't gotten much opportunity at all, and she looks great. She has really, really come a long way."

It would have been a new role for Cal's freshmen either way, but like most of the roster, they should be counted on to contribute now. Cailyn Crocker and Leilani McIntosh are both pure point guards, a position in need after the departure of four-year starter Asha Thomas. Jazlen Green is a slasher who potentially could give the Bears' offense a boost and 6-foot-2 forward Evelien Lutje Schipholt can mix it up inside.

"They're all going to play," Smith said. "It's really cool as a coach – I don't have to worry about telling them what their role is going to be. They need to be ready to play this year. They're really receptive to that right now."

There has been a smooth transition so far from former head coach Lindsay Gottlieb – who left Cal to become an assistant coach in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers – to Smith. While Smith has a different style than Gottlieb, the returning players are used to her voice. It's just coming from a different place now.

"Charmin has always had a voice, but now she is the voice," Styles said. "I like hearing her more. She's instilling confidence in me more than I've ever had."

The Bears open the 2019-20 season Nov. 8 at Harvard.