Looking for revenge, women’s basketball reload for new-look season

Tammi Reiss and the University of Rhode Island women’s basketball team will gear up for the upcoming season with a blend of returning talent, fresh recruits and a revenge mindset which suggests that this could be a transformative year on the court.

The Rams ended their 23-24 season with a record of 21-14, going on a postseason run to reach the Atlantic 10 Championship. The Rams fell short to the University of Richmond 51-65 to end their season. This season URI will look to go on a revenge tour with fourth-year guard Sophie Phillips.

Phillips ended last season averaging 10.7 points per game, leading the Rams in three-point percentage of 33%. The three-point game for the Rams lacked against last year’s competition, as opponents outshot URI in the three-point range 33% to 29.7%. Phillips three point range will be crucial if the team has hopes of reaching the A-10 finals for the second-straight year.

Also returning to the Rams is third-year Ines Debroise, who was a captain as a second-year and led the Rams in assists last season with 102. Debroise won gold with Team France at the 2023 International Basketball Federation Women’s World Championship. Her experience and young leadership capabilities will be pivotal if the Rams have hopes of making a playoff run.

One of the most crucial pieces to the Rams’ game is their ability to out rebound their opponents, using only their height, but also their athleticism. Despite having lost one of their centers, Tenin Magassa, to the transfer portal, the Rams gained arguably one of the most underrated centers coming into the A-10.

Kaur “Honey” Harsimran is a 6-foot-4-inch fourth-year transfer from The University of San Diego. Harsimran became the first female NBA Academy prospect from outside of Australia to train at the NBA Global Academy. Not only was she a participant, but she was also named Named MVP of the third NBA Academy Women’s Program India Camp in Mumbai. She averaged five rebounds and 8.6 points per game last season with the Torros. Harsimran’s height and rebounding abilities will fit perfectly into the Rams game alongside her lengthy first-year teammate Alaina Syla standing at 6-foot-5. This tall dynamic duo should clean up on the offensive and defensive boards. Anaelle Dutat, who was the second-highest rebounder for the Rams last season, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, is also returning for her third season with the Rams in hopes of making a significant impact on the team .

Despite some significant gains, the Rams took some tough losses on the offensive. Leading scorer Mayè Tourè, who averaged 12.5 points per game, graduated in the spring. Tourè elected not to return for her graduate year at URI and instead is completing her education at the University of Utah. Along with Tourè, the Rams also graduated Teisha Hyman and Dee Dee Davis, who were the second and third-leading scorers from last season.

Outside of Phillips and Dutat, the Rhody lineup is going to be nearly completely different with both transfer additions predicted to have a significant impact. However, players like Debroise and a rising second-year group of Katie Ledden and Sophia Vital will have to help fill in some of the gaps lost in the transfer portal, along with improving the production of the team.

The Rams will have their season opener this Monday night at 5:30 p.m. against Stonehill College at home. Fans can watch from home on ESPN+ and radio broadcasts are available on RIU2.org and the Varsity Network.