WASHINGTON -- A season ago, Rhode Island advanced to its first Atlantic 10 Championship game since 2003, a continued sign of growth and excellence under coach Tammi Reiss, who enters her sixth season leading the Rams.
This year’s Rams will look quite different. Sophie Phillips, Anaelle Dutat and Ines Debroise are all back in Kingston, but the team will have a different look, something which excites Reiss.
“Watching them take each role and responsibility and who’s figuring out their niche within the team and then watching our chemistry,” she determined. “When you have so many new faces and you put it together, watching them grow every day. It’s much different than last year’s team, where we had a bunch of returners. (It is a) different environment, highly competitive competing for starting spots and minutes. Highly coachable group of young women.”
Rhode Island went into the transfer portal, landing Harsimran “Honey” Kaur who scored 8.6 points and grabbed five rebounds a season ago at San Diego.
“(We are) pleased with this piece,” explained Reiss. “This is a cornerstone. Obviously, our centers have always been great for us in the league and so Honey is going to roll right in and fit with us from a scoring and rebounding standpoint. The thing I am most impressed by is her ability to shoot the three. It’s something really, we’ve never had at that position.”
Additionally, Cia Ekloff comes to Rhody from Washington State. Reiss compares her to Phillips, likening her to a sniper in that she can shoot the ball and get to the rim, while playing extremely fast.
Reiss also cited a freshman in Ayanna Franks who was named Connecticut’s Gatorade Player of the Year. Franks is the big, strong athlete the Rams desired.
“Those new faces have really upped the ante for us,” Reiss stated. “They came in ready to play and highly competitive. Every position we’re competing for minutes and so it’s made our practices extremely competitive and made my job as a coach very easy. The thing that this team has where I feel we were lacking last year was that competitive fire and are highly coachable. I say run they say how fast, I say jump they say how high? That is the type of team that I want.”
Here’s a look at how the Rams stack up this season:
Coach- Tammi Reiss, 6th season
Last Year- 21-14/10-8 A-10. Rhode Island an encouraging non-conference slate, besting then #25 Princeton and playing North Carolina State tough on the road. In the Atlantic 10 Championship, the Rams were seeded sixth and advanced to the finals for the third time in program history and first since 2003, falling to Richmond.
They’ll Miss- Maye Toure (12.5 ppg/7.6 rebs/42% FG), Dee Dee Davis (11.9 ppg/4.3 rebs/42% FG), Teisha Hyman (11.3 ppg/5.7 rebs)
Impact returners- Sophie Phillips (10.7 ppg/89 3’s), Anaelle Dutat (4.8 ppg/6.5 rebs/47.6% FG), Ines Debroise (4 ppg/102 assts)
Newcomers of note- Harsimran “Honey” Kaur (8.6 ppg/5 rebs/48.9% FG at San Diego), Cia Eklof (Washington State), Ayanna Franks (Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year 2024)
Reason to be optimistic-
Phillips returns, after totaling the most three-point makes in a single season in program history with 89. She sits fourth all time at 168 makes, requiring 30 for the most in program history.
She started all 34 games a season ago, achieving 10.7 points per game. Phillips was named to the Preseason All-Conference Third Team and made the A-10’s All-Academic Team at the end of last season.
Phillips hopes to take another jump this season, but to do so in all facets both on and off the court.
“I definitely took this offseason just to try and reflect on last year,” she explained. “I was a captain last year, but it was my first time getting into that role. It was difficult at times, so I think it definitely helped me moving forward into this year. I think this year being that vocal year is something we need more of, which I need to continue to work on. That’s definitely something I’m focused on bringing. Expanding my game in other ways that can help my team as well, not just being able to shoot but score on all three levels, be better at defense, that’s been my main focus.”
X-Factor-
Dutat made the Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference Third and Defensive Team. Her tenacity on a daily basis was respected by the conference’s coaches.
She shot 47.6% from the field in addition to being a primary defender, making her someone to watch on both ends of the floor at all times.
Additionally, Debroise is a steady player for the Rams who makes the right plays and is determined to take the next step this season.
Circle the dates- Reiss is unafraid to schedule a non-conference slate which prepares her team for A-10 play and this year is no different. After its season opener, Rhode Island has a road contest Nov. 8 an Albany squad which won 25 games which made the WNIT. Nov. 13 Rhody hosts Maine, which made the NCAA Tournament last season and four days later welcomes St. John’s which made the second round of the WNIT. The Rams will head to Mexico for the Cancun Classic Nov. 28 and 29 which starts with a Nov. 28 affair against Iowa. The Hawkeyes won 34 games a year ago, advancing to the NCAA Tournament championship game. Also on the docket are traditional contests against an improving Brown side and Harvard.
Bottom line- These Rams will look different by name but promise to be just as tenacious. There is a clear potential to do good things this season and perhaps take that next step together.
“(What I) had to learn the most was to be able to change and be fluid,” Reiss concluded. “You have to be nowadays. How we assemble our roster will change year to year, but the culture and standard never will.”