Adler, Hattix-Covington, Magassa, Squires set to join team in 2022-23
After a historic 2021-22 season, the Rams hope to make more noise in the A-10 with the addition of four new players. PHOTO CREDIT: gorhody.com.
A few familiar faces will return to the Ryan Center next season, this time wearing Keaney Blue.
On Monday, University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Head Coach Tammi Reiss announced that Anete Adler, Madison Hattix-Covington, Tenin Magassa and Emma Squires will be joining the Rams for the 2022-23 season — with the latter three transferring from fellow Atlantic 10 schools.
The four players join fall signee Chantelle Blagrove in an incoming class that currently stands at five.
With four out of the team’s five regular starters from the previous year moving on — Chanell Williams, Dez Elmore, Marie-Paule Foppossi and Emmanuelle Tahane — Reiss needed to fill out the roster while also maintaining depth along the bench. Bringing in the past three Sixth Women of the Year winners in the A-10 helps to accomplish both of those needs.
Squires’s signing was made official after she announced her decision over social media on Friday. The former Richmond Spider was the most recent winner of the conference honor, coming off a season in which she came off the bench in 22 of her 30 appearances and averaged 10.8 points per game while shooting just over 44 percent from three.
“We are thrilled to welcome Emma to our Ram family,” Reiss said in a statement. “Emma is a very offensively skilled post player with the ability to score in a multitude of ways; on the block or on the perimeter.”
Rhody fans likely remember one of the more notable performances of the season for the Kingston, Mass. native. When the Rams visited the Robbins Center on Feb. 19, Squires dropped 27 points while only missing one shot, setting her season-high in field goals (10) and three pointers made (seven). After losing much of their offensive production, Squires figures to play a big role as a shot-maker for the team next season.
Former Dayton Flyer Tenin Magassa was another familiar foe for Reiss’s squad, having started in both of last year’s matchups between the conference’s top two teams. Leading the Flyers with 65 blocks last season, Magassa has three years of eligibility remaining and leaves Dayton as the program’s fifth best all-time shot-blocker with 113 to her name. With no Ram last season recording more than 25, she’ll add a noticeable presence for one of the conference’s top defenses last season.
“We are very excited to welcome Tenin to our Ram family!” Reiss said. “She possesses great size, strength and athleticism. She is a tenacious defender and rebounder!”
Magassa hails from Morsang-Sur-Orge, France, making her one of four French-born players and one of seven international players on the roster for next season.
Formerly with Virginia Commonwealth University, Hattix-Covington was part of the team that defeated URI in the 2021 A-10 quarterfinals, eventually going on to become tournament champions. Having won a title with one Rams program, Reiss hopes that the experienced guard can translate that same success to the Rams that reside in Kingston.
“Madison comes from a championship culture and understands what it takes to win,” Reiss said. “She does all the little things that don’t necessarily always show up on the stat sheet, and is a great teammate that will make an immediate impact on our program.”
Adler is the newest addition to the A-10, coming from overseas as a member of Team G4S Noorteliiga for Estonia-NKML. Entering this season as a true freshman, Adler stands at 6’5” and comes in with a wealth of experience, ranging from the FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship team in 2019 to last year’s NBA Academy Women’s Virtual Program.
“We are very, very excited to have Anete join our program,” Reiss said. “Her commitment to improve every year has been impressive to watch. Anete will be a great addition to our program on and off the court!”
In Estonia, Adler averaged a double-double last season, recording 17 points and 12 rebounds per contest over four games. With the Rams’ top big, Emmanelle Tahane, moving to the big leagues with the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, both Magassa and Adler figure to make up for her production in the paint this upcoming season. With both Yanni Hendley and Rebecca Demeke reportedly in the transfer portal, the Rams could potentially add at least two more newcomers before next season tips off.