VCU came into this offseason with a clear intent on how it desired to grow, hitting the ground running since then to become more balanced on the court.
Rams coach Beth O’Boyle has brought in 10 new players with one primary mission: put the ball in the basket.
“I think one of the things we’ve seen in the last couple of years is we’ve had one of the top defenses in the country,” O’Boyle responded. “We’ve really been able to defend at a high level, but unfortunately, we were struggling to score. What could we do better to get more offensive production? That was a key piece for us going into our recruiting. I think that’s one of the things we’re excited about the most. Now we’ve got to get our defense going a little bit. There’s a really good balance in our offensive game, and obviously Mary-Anna Asare being back for her senior year is a big part of that too.”
Here is a look at the Rams:
Coach- Beth O’Boyle - 12th season
Last year- VCU went 12-19 overall and 6-12 in Atlantic 10 play. O’Boyle missed the final nine regular season games after welcoming her first child. The Rams saw their season end in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Championship, falling to La Salle in the game’s closing seconds.
They’ll miss- Mykel Parham (4.4 ppg/10.5 rpg/44 blks/37 stls), Zoli Khalil (8.5 ppg/43.5% FG), Valentina Ojeda (7.9 ppg/49.7% FG)
Impact returners- Mary-Anna Asare (16 ppg/4.2 rpg/42.1% FG/52 stls), Cyriah Griffin (3.5 ppg/31 games)
Newcomers of note- Hawa Doumbouya (Virginia), Katarina Knezevic (Arizona), Tanya Tkachenko (Ukraine)
This trio was mentioned by O’Boyle as being ready to make an impact, each bringing a smile to her face as she described her excitement.
“The scoring game is a big part for us and Hawa (Doumbouya) is 6-7 coming from UVA,” she said. "She definitely has a strong presence, Katarina (Knezevic) coming from Arizona, very talented player from Serbia and then one that just got here, our player from Ukraine, Tanya (Tkachenko), she’s definitely another high-level face-up player that can score in a variety of ways."
Another newcomer to the Rams, but certainly not the A-10, is Makennah White who was part of a Massachusetts team that won a conference championship and twice made the WNIT in her three years with the program.
“She brings in the championship mindset,” mentioned O’Boyle. “She had a great career at UMass, and we do joke because we have Taya Robinson on our staff now and they battled against each other in that A-10 tournament run and it’s great to see. We needed to score more on the inside and have a stronger presence, and Makennah is one that we know has a variety of ways that she can score and can rebound. She's been a great addition.”
Reasons to be optimistic: Yearly growth is pivotal with any player, and that starts at the top with Mary-Anna Asare, who earned an Atlantic 10 Preseason All-Conference First Team nod.
Asare made VCU go last year as a consistent player opposing teams always needed to defend tactifully. Her growth throughout each season has been noticed across the conference and now as a leader of this team, she feels she will achieve her next step this season.
“I would say I went through a lot of confidence struggles throughout the year, but the main thing I took from it is staying true to my game, knowing I put in a lot of work for those moments,” Asare explained. “I put in a lot of work during the offseason, and it showed throughout the season that I work hard, and I think I deserve where I am today. I think going into this season, my confidence has only gotten better. I have confidence in my teammates and most importantly I have confidence in myself that I’ll put them in the best position to succeed.”
Despite going through a challenging season, Asare appreciated the relationships that were built off the court and those have carried over.
This season, her development of personal relationships and understanding how everyone desires to be communicated while building a genuine connection has been a top priority. Asare understands that she will be counted on and it is important to her that in the biggest moments, the unseen hard work will pay off.
“I feel like last year was definitely a learning experience being in tight-game situations, being so close yet so far,” provided Asare. “It is stepping into it and knowing the work will show.”
X Factor- Cyriah Griffin returns and does so as a point guard who is expected to contribute this season. Her role allows Asare to be more explosive within the offense and Griffin has had a year in VCU’s system. Griffin battled injuries early in the summer but O’Boyle is excited with how she has been shooting the ball. Growth as a sophomore includes understanding what it takes to play at that level, the expectation with lifting, nutrition and answering the call from a competitive standpoint.
Circle the date- VCU is thrown into the fire almost immediately, facing a Villanova team in Canada which made the WBIT semifinals a season ago on Nov. 9. VCU will host Howard eight days later on Nov. 17, a Bison side which made the second round of the WNIT last year. VCU travels to Hawaii from Nov. 22-25 to play Colorado, Texas A&M and UT Arlington. Colorado made the second round of the WBIT, and UT Arlington reached the same point in the WNIT. he Rams will travel to James Madson on Dec. 7, and in doing so face a 30-win program from a year ago that advanced into the WBIT quarterfinals.
Bottom line: VCU feels it has improved as a side and is eager to see how that plays on the court.
“Our question won’t be talent; it will be getting us to gel and connect and how quickly it takes to play at a high level together,” O’Boyle concluded.