The former Tall Fern became head coach in late 2015, after previously being involved with the team.
"To do what we did last year people don't quite understand it's incredible that we only lost some games by 12 or 13 [points] when we're playing against guys that were fulltime basketballers," she said.
Previous players had juggled the team with work, however the "brand new team" this year was made of professional basketballers who were able to devote their days to training.
"This year we've moved toward a semi-professional model thanks to Taylor Corp Hawks."
However, former franchise owner Jeremy Bayliss said problems were not isolated to the past couple of seasons.
"It's actually been four or five years of perhaps being on the wrong track in terms of management and philosophy and community engagement."
Mr Bayliss - who was involved with the team for 10 years - said he thought it had been a combination of factors "that led to the perceived failure".
While he said there needed to be a great organisation behind the Hawks "on court and off court", the team needed to be funded correctly.
"Sometimes success isn't measured in wins or losses because there can be other reasons, like financial resources, that mean being fifth or sixth place could be a really good result."
This was echoed by the team's new general manager, Kevin Wagg, who said he thought a lack of funding could have contributed to the losses.
"The Hawke's Bay basketball foundation that owns the Hawks didn't have any money in the kitty to pay these players so we couldn't buy good players," he said.
"This year it's different, all the sponsors are back on board, and we've got a lot more money in the kitty to pay for players so we've increased it tenfold."
This year the team has "upped the ante" on personnel with higher level players Jarrod Kenny and Everard Bartlett. They also have two US imports - Amir Williams and Lamar Roberson.
While these new additions would benefit the team, the players also needed to be on the same page, he said.
"I saw the Friday night game, and I think we had a couple of little teething issues but going forward I think we'll beat the [Taranaki Mountainairs] on Sunday," he said.
Ms Daly-Taylor said their main goal this year was to make playoffs, and to make the final four.
"The focus at the moment is chemistry and setting down systems, laying down the systems that work for us once we decide what are our strengths with the particular personnel we have," she said.
When asked if she was optimistic about this season, she said "very".
"They're a great bunch of men, but so was last year's group."
With the team working to up the ante, it was also about boosting crowd numbers, and getting greater fan support.
"When you're a player and you're on the court, and you've got a full stadium that does help," Mr Wags said.
However, filling the home Pettigrew Green Arena has been difficult with the continued losing streak.
Last year new sponsor Taylor Corporation announced they would be sponsoring entry so the public could watch the Hawks' home games for only a gold coin donation.
When this was trialled in 2015, it had drawn larger crowds.
In the only home game this season so far, Hawks chairman Keith Price said through the gold coin donation they had made watching the games "as cheap as possible" to motivate more people to turn out.
Last week the crowd had loved the close game against the Rams, he said, although its size was "a little bit disappointing".
"I'd love to fill it every week and I know people will enjoy it," he said. "No matter what sport people love winners and breaking the losing streak that would make me so happy, and Kirstin [Daly-Taylor] so happy."
They were hoping to build a following behind the team, however to do this they needed more consistency in the team from season to season.
"I want our home patch to be our kingdom, and the crowd getting behind that is part of that ... the crowd behind you is quite important."
"We've got to break that losing streak which the crowd will like," he said. "That's going to get broken this week this Sunday, that losing streak is going to be broken."
Mr Price was not the only one confident this season would be the end of the teams losing streak.
General manager Mr Wagg said there was "absolutely no doubt" the team would make the playoffs this year.
This was echoed by Mr Bayliss, who said the team was "heading on the right track this year".
"They've got much better players, they've got a better management structure, but it'll take time.
"For the first two or three years we were second to bottom. People sort of forget we started at the bottom and built up but with Jarrod Kenny and Everard Bartlett and Kirstin [Daly-Taylor] you've got some people who really understand culture and they'll get it right."