Women’s basketball update: Offseason roster moves

University of Richmond women’s basketball Head Coach Aaron Roussell said it best this Spring in the postgame press conference following a game against Duquesne University on March 9 – that the Spiders’ success this season was something that had been building over the last four years.

The Spiders had just defeated the Dukes in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament, clinching a berth in the championship game they would go on to win a day later against the University of Rhode Island. 

“Maybe not the time to say this, but look across the country, man,” Roussell said. “Six of our eight players today are home-grown talent. I don’t think there’s a whole lot of teams that have started every single game with home-grown talent and had the success that we had.”

The Spiders’ starting lineup was made up of five players who were recruited by and committed to UR, which, with a current college basketball landscape dominated by the transfer portal, is something becoming more and more unheard of. 

Well, flashback to a couple months ago and the dominoes officially fell with regard to the Spiders’ roster. It was only a matter of time before the core of UR’s team would inevitably shake up after the season it just had. 

Following four years with UR, two of the Spiders’ starters — Siobhan Ryan and Grace Townsend— made the decision to transfer to different programs for their fifth season of collegiate eligibility. Ryan will play for Georgetown University and Townsend will play for the University of North Carolina. 

Over four years, Ryan and Townsend played a large part in leading the way for the program, taking the Spiders from a 13-9 team to a 29-6 team. This past season, it all came full circle when UR won its first-ever A-10 Championship and made the program’s first NCAA appearance since 2005.

“They came to campus during a global pandemic, right?” Roussell said, speaking about his group of seniors. “We weren’t allowed to do all the things that we wanted to do to build this. And these guys have grinded this thing, they’ve been incredibly loyal.” 

In 119 games with the Spiders, Ryan scored 939 points, grabbed 349 rebounds and made 172 3-pointers. She averaged 7.9 points per game across four seasons with UR. 

“New threads #earnednevergiven,” Ryan posted on Instagram on April 8, alongside a picture of her in a Georgetown jersey. 

In 118 games with the Spiders, Townsend scored 1,244 points, picked up 558 rebounds and had 559 assists. This past season, she made the A-10 All-Conference First Team, as well as the A-10 All Championship Team. 

“Richmond, thank you for your unconditional love and support,” Townsend posted on Instagram on April 8. “You will always be family and I’m proud to be an alum. Next Chapter, Best Chapter! Tarheel Nation, let’s get it.”

Also transferring from the Spiders were senior guard Kylee Lewandowski, sophomore guard Torin Rogers and first-year guard Melissa Mwanza, who also all committed to play elsewhere for their remaining years of eligibility. Lewnadowski will head to Samford University, Rogers will head to the University of North Carolina Wilmington and Mwanza will head to Louisiana Tech University.  

During their respective seasons at UR, Lewandowski averaged 1.8 points per game, Rogers 1.1 points per game and Mwanza 1.2 points per game. 

On a positive note for the program, however, forward Addie Budnik is returning for her fifth and final year of eligibility. In a collegiate sports landscape defined by jumping ship, Addie Budnik remains an exception. 

Over the last four years, Budnik has scored 1,523 points, grabbed 602 rebounds and tallied 270 assists. This past season, she won the A-10 Defensive Player of the Year, garnered A-10 All-Conference Second Team honors and was the Most Outstanding Player of the A-10 Tournament. 

During her sophomore and junior seasons, Budnik also garnered All-Conference Second Team honors and during her first season, she won A-10 Rookie of the Year, as well as made the A-10 All-Rookie Team. 

“I couldn’t be more thrilled to announce that I’m coming back for my fifth year with Richmond!” Budnik said in a statement per the team’s social media accounts. “It’s been an incredible journey these past four years, filled with unforgettable moments on and off the court. I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to continue representing this amazing university and wearing my Spiders jersey with pride.” 

Graduate student Anna Camden is also returning for another year, as she was out with an ACL tear all of last season. After four years at Penn State University, she transferred to UR for her fifth season of eligibility. Now, she will suit up for her sixth collegiate season and finally take to Dick Tarrant Court in the Robins Center. 

“My love for the game has only grown from the sidelines this year,” Camden said in a statement also per the team’s social media accounts. “I can’t wait to finally play in a Richmond jersey for the first time. See y’all in November.” 

The program has also added four transfers – Stephanie Ouderkirk from James Madison University, Sam Dewey from the University of Illinois, Faith Alston from Appalachian State University and most recently, Alyssa Jimenez from Florida Gulf Coast University. 

Ouderkirk spent four seasons with the Dukes, playing in 122 games. The forward averaged 3.3 points per game during her career. In two years with the Fighting Illini, Dewey, also a forward, averaged 1.6 points per game. She only suited up for 17 games in her time with the program. 

Alston, a guard, played 112 games for the Mountaineers and averaged 11.0 points per game. This past season, she averaged 18.3 points per game. 

Jimenez, another guard, played in just four games for the Eagles, but had a chance to play against the likes of now-WNBA rookie, Caitlin Clark, and Iowa University, and was a part of an Atlantic Sun Conference Championship-winning program that also qualified for the NCAA Tournament. 

Jimenez averaged 1.8 points per game in those four games with FGCU. Prior to that, she averaged 6.5 points per game in 97 games with the University of Nevada. 

With three new transfers and returning players like forward Maggie Doogan – an A-10 All-Conference First Team and All-Championship First Team member – and guard Rachel Ullstrom – A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year winner – the Spiders will have a strong combination of returners and newcomers to make another splash in the conference come November.

Contact sports editor Jimmy James at jimmy.james@richmond.edu.