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Roussell has some work to do

Spiders have picked up JMU grad transfer Steph Ouderkirk. She started the first 26 games of this season, but got moved to the bench in mid-February. Only averaged 18 minutes and 3.3 points, in the same range as her previous three seasons.


 
Spiders have picked up JMU grad transfer Steph Ouderkirk. She started the first 26 games of this season, but got moved to the bench in mid-February. Only averaged 18 minutes and 3.3 points, in the same range as her previous three seasons.


She's going to enjoy being at a real university,
 
Biophysical chemistry major...not for the faint of heart even at JMU I imagine. (Though I'm biased as a chem/biochem major myself.)
 
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I want to be excited about a Spider pickup, but I can't say I am. I was expecting better than a low scoring bench player from jmu coming off a 29-6 Spider season.
 
Budnik does have another year if she wants it. No word yet on whether she's going to use it.

This was March 31, but she still hasn't entered the portal and nothing has been announced about her coming back to UR:

With the season wrapped up, Budnik is sorting out her future. She’ll graduate in June with a business degree and has one year of eligibility remaining because of the COVID exemption, which the NCAA offers to college players who competed during the COVID-impacted seasons.

Remaining at Richmond is a possibility and so is going elsewhere.

“Academics is the main priority,” she said.

Navigating the new world of college athletics can be a bit disorienting.

“I haven’t made any decisions yet,” Budnik said. “It’s definitely a weird time seeing the (players with extra) COVID years and the transfer portal, going on social media and seeing someone new has entered the portal every hour every day.”

She doesn’t expect the process to take long.

“I’m hoping to figure this out in the next couple weeks,” Budnik said. “I’m doing research.”

And she’s savoring the memories of a season for the ages.

 
So all of our women entering the portal already have a new home. Just scrolling through the list that seems to be fairly remarkable. There's still no news on Budniik as far as I know - hasn't gone the portal route and hasn't committed to playing a fifth year.
 
WBB Twitter account posted "Big News Dropping Today." My best guess is Budnik back for a fifth year but reserve the right to be 100% wrong.
 
By my count, we still have a couple spots left…7 returning, 3 frosh, and 3 transfers. That does not include Budnik.
 
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Says she’s from Centerville, which I presume if spelled that way is the one in this area. A homecoming if so. Even if it’s spelled the other way, that version is only two hours away. Good choice for her. Welcome!
 
I think Anna Camden is also back. She was a grad transfer from Penn State (3 yr starter) but tore her ACL on the first day of practice and never played. She has indicated she will return next year! She is our kinda big in that she can shoot it and runt he floor some.
 
Yes, Camden was included in my 7 returning. That also included Green who was out for the season.

The only 5 returnees who played are Sweeney, Ullstrom, Swider, Hill, and Doogan, so a solid core but a lot of new pieces to fit in. Getting Budnik would be absolutely huge toward maintaining momentum. She had indicated it would be a pretty quick decision about what direction to go, so I'm a little surprised nothing has been announced.
 
Coach Roussell is doing a solid job of reloading talent for a chance at contending for an A10 title next year. Losing Townsend & Ryan hurt, but Addie coming back is huge. Also, picked up a transfer in Faith Alston from App St. who average 16 ppg and has 1 year eligibility left. I assume she will take over PG duties. 2 other transfers from JMU and Illinois could add some depth at the 4 and 5 position. I believe we have another scholarship available. If we can get someone who can come close to replace Ryan's output then we will be in good shape again. A10 is a very strong conference and I expect Davidson and St. Joes to be near the top. Davidson looked to be a top 25 team last year before injuries. St. Joe's did not lose anyone to the portal this year. GMU, VCU, Rhode Island, & Duquesne will likely remain solid too.

Here's my expected starting lineup

G - Faith Alston
G - Rachel Ullstrom
G - Katie Hill
F - Addie Budnik
F - Maggie Doogan
 
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Coach Roussell is doing a solid job of reloading talent for a chance at contending for an A10 title next year. Losing Townsend & Ryan hurt, but Addie coming back is huge. Also, picked up a transfer in Faith Alston from App St. who average 16 ppg and has 1 year eligibility left. I assume she will take over PG duties. 2 other transfers from JMU and Illinois could add some depth at the 4 and 5 position. I believe we have another scholarship available. If we can get someone who can come close to replace Ryan's output then we will be in good shape again. A10 is a very strong conference and I expect Davidson and St. Joes to be near the top. Davidson looked to be a top 25 team last year before injuries. St. Joe's did not lose anyone to the portal this year. GMU, VCU, Rhode Island, & Duquesne will likely remain solid too.

Here's my expected starting lineup

G - Faith Alston
G - Rachel Ullstrom
G - Katie Hill
F - Addie Budnik
F - Maggie Doogan
How much time will Camden get?
 
How much time will Camden get?
Like urfan1 said, it’ll be interesting to see. By the end of the season, it looked like Coach Roussell played a tighter rotation of 7-8 players. I’m sure he will try out different types of rotations at the beginning of the season. I imagine Budnik and Doogan will get the majority of minutes at the 4 and 5 spot. I’ll be curious to see if we try and have a bigger lineup at times and move Budnik to the 3 and have Camden at the 4 and Doogan at the 5. We have a lot of depth this year at the forward position, which is good. That’s why I’m hoping to get a guard from the portal with our one remaining scholarship left. To add additional depth at that position as well.
 
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Roussell has made an offer to 2025 post Grace McDonough out of Mooney's first coaching stop, Lansdale Catholic. Other offers from St. Joe's, La Salle, Bona, Northwestern, DePaul, Bucknell, Drexel, JMU, Vermont, Colgate, etc.

 


Roster is finalized for the 2024-2025 year. Expected starters:

G - Faith Alston
G - Rachel Ullstrom
G - Katie Hill
F - Addie Budnik
F - Maggie Doogan.

A10 is improving a lot as a WBB conference. Roussell has done a great job building this program. Let’s run it back!
 
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Jimenez only played the first 4 games last season...must have had a season-ending injury that gave her a sixth season, but I couldn't find any details.

She only played 3 games in 2020–21 with Nevada due to an ACL injury too. But she led Nevada in scoring in 2022–23, so definitely some potential if she's healthy and can stay heathy. Not a deep threat (career 25.7% from three), but seems like she can do a bit of everything else.
 
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Offer out to 2026 5'11" guard Ava Yoon out of Sidwell Friends. She was offered very early by Mason and Yale, seems to have picked up a Dayton offer recently. Has taken unofficial visits to Michigan, BC, and Harvard.

 
Another 2026 offer out to Julia Scott from the Hudson Valley.



And one to Erica Gribble out of Pittsburgh.

 


Kind of old news, but glad to see we’re doing international trips again. If I’m not mistaken, it’s permissible by NCAA to do one every 4 years. Will be great experience and will help with building team chemistry. I wonder if the men’s team has a trip planned too.
 
Yep, permitted once every four years. Always thought they were great for team chemistry, especially when you've got a lot of new faces, which the women definitely do but obviously the men as well. Believe the last men's trip was in 2016. Pretty sure one was planned for 2020, but COVID obviously nixed that. Surprised and disappointed we haven't scheduled one since.
 
Yes, I have brought up in regards to mens teams in past years. It seems like a great opportunity to get extra bonding time, early practice time, and then play in a competitive setting. Seems like the opposition can be suspect in some of these settings. But still lets you get a jump on meshing so many new players. Not sure reasoning for not doing this on mens side? Logistics, budget (they would rather go to NIL), or other?
 
Refresh my memory on what is now allowed in terms of summer practice time vs. what extra practice is allowed if you take one of these trips? I'm not opposed to the trip but I don't view it as a big missed opportunity either if we don't go. It feels like we are constantly seeing social media posts all summer with the guys practicing together anyway.
 
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Refresh my memory on what is now allowed in terms of summer practice time vs. what extra practice is allowed if you take one of these trips? I'm not opposed to the trip but I don't view it as a big missed opportunity either if we don't go. It feels like we are constantly seeing social media posts all summer with the guys practicing together anyway.
Yeah, curious if the benefits of the trip have been mitigated by changes in practice rules because our guys do seem to be practicing now throughout the summer.

Not that they shouldn't take a trip like this either way because it is a fantastic life experience.
 
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I believe everyone is allowed eight weeks of eight hours per week of organized instruction and development during summer. Of course, the guys undoubtedly play pickup outside of that.

If you're going on a summer trip, you get an additional 10 days of workouts leading up to the trip.
 
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