Welcome to the Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Tipoff for the 2020-21 Season. Today, we feature the Richmond Spiders. To revisit all of the season previews throughout the week, click here.
Richmond
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Richmond won 15 games in Aaron Roussell’s first season at the helm, eight of them on the road, seven games better than the previous season.
The Spiders will look to build on that in year two for Roussell, who could not be more upbeat about a veteran team that took the initiative to improve during the offseason despite the uncertainty of the pandemic.
“They came back in phenomenal shape,” Roussell said. “I think every single one of our players is a better basketball player. We still have some things to work on. We're not exactly where we want to be as far as long term, but I'm actually pretty happy with what I'm seeing from our group right now.”
Senior Alex Parson has started the last 62 games; don’t expect that to change despite a recent ankle tweak that is expected to heal prior to the season opener.
“There’s a calmness to her,” Roussell said. “She feels more comfortable with me and our staff and just the idea of making this her team.”
Spiders leading scorer Claire Holt returns with a work ethic that impresses Roussell so much that he’s unsure if he’s ever coached a stronger one in 17 years. As a freshman, Holt averaged just over five points a game and drained 21 three-pointers. She followed that up with a sophomore season that saw her start 24 consecutive games, average 10.9 points and drain 46 from downtown.
“She was one of the most improved players in the conference last year,” Roussell said. “She’s a smarter player in our system now.”
Another strong scorer from the perimeter, 6-foot guard Kate Klimkiewicz, whose 51 treys led the Spiders, rounds out a solid returning core.
The highly touted Elaina Chapman returns after a promising offseason, too. “She felt the weight of expectations last year,” Roussell said. “There was a lot of getting used to with our staff and our system. She’s a unique and quiet kid. I think you’re going to see a different player this year.”
The 6-3 Richmonder scored more than 2,000 points at nearby Trinity Episcopal School and was listed as 94th in ESPN’s 2019 rankings.
Five freshmen give the Spiders length, especially in the 2, 3 and 4 spots. Cracking the rotation will be challenging given the talent in front of them, but Roussell is impressed by what he sees in the early practices. Siobhan Ryan comes in behind a decorated resume from Buffalo’s Sacred Heart Academy, where she scored 1,954 points, including a senior season when she recorded 12 double-doubles and two triple-doubles. The 6-foot guard is the all-time points leader at the school and also holds the program’s single game scoring record with 46.
Roussell used summertime Zoom sessions to focus on bonding beyond basketball. One favorite assignment was picking a favorite motivational quote to share. Each of the Spiders shared theirs.
Roussell offered this one from Boston Celtics Coach Brad Stevens: “You’ve got a choice. You can either come in and let your circumstances control your attitude or you let your attitude control your circumstances.”
We have a feeling the Spiders will choose option B.
A look at Richmond:
Coach: Aaron Roussell, 342-156 in 17 seasons overall, 15-17 after one season at Richmond
Last year: 15-17, 7-9 Atlantic 10, lost at top-seeded Dayton in the Atlantic 10 Championship quarterfinals
They'll miss: Jaide Hinds-Clarke (team highs of 11.8 ppg and 6.0 rpg 3rd team All-Atlantic 10, 1,130 career points, 10th on the school's all-time rebounding list (696))
Impact returners: Claire Holt, 5-8 junior G (10.9 ppg); Kate Klimkiewicz, 6-0 junior G (10.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg); Emma Squires, 6-2 junior G (7.2 ppg); Alex Parson, 5-6 senior G (6.3 ppg, team high 79 assists); Elaina Chapman, 6-3 sophomore F (4.4 ppg, 4.6 rpg)
Newbies of note: Siobhan Ryan, 6-foot G; Grace Townsend, 5-5 G played at nearby James River High in Midlothian
Reasons for optimism: Roussell inherited last year’s team, which showed remarkable improvement in his first season there. Led by Parson, Holt and KK, the trajectory will keep climbing for a program on the rise.
Bottom line: This battle-tested group weathered a rigorous nonconference slate a year ago under a new coach and showed a six-game improvement from the previous season. Expect Richmond to pull out some of the close games that escaped the Spiders a year ago and be a nuisance for every Atlantic 10 foe it faces.
Vicki Friedman is a freelance writer who has covered women's basketball for major newspapers for over two decades, and she has written for Atlantic10.com since 2012. Her blog, LadySwish, can be found at ladyswishwbb.com and on Twitter.