The University of Richmond women’s basketball team claimed two major awards and two first-team selections in Atlantic 10 postseason awards on March 4.
Junior forward Maggie Doogan claimed the title of Player of the Year— the first Spider to do so in the A-10. Head Coach Aaron Roussell was awarded the title of A-10 Coach of the Year for the second consecutive year.
Following a successful season, Doogan was also announced as part of the All-Conference First Team and All-Academic Team. She has played a vital role on the court for the Spiders this season, leading the team with 16.8 points and 3.6 assists per game.
“It feels great,” Doogan said. “I think I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates. Yes, that award was given to me, but it wouldn’t have happened without them around me.”
She is a reliable scorer for Richmond, recording points in the double digits for 24 games straight. As a junior, she reached 1,000 career points and 500 rebounds, becoming the fourth Spider in program history to reach that mark in only three seasons.
“We’ve worked with her on being more of a power player, and I think she’s embraced it,” Roussell said. “She’s really turned into the full package.”
She’s not only a top player for Richmond, but also makes a mark on the conference, where she is second in field goal percentage, third in scoring, and fourth in free throw percentage. She has consistently proved herself to be a threat on the court, and was named A-10 player of the week three times in the season.
“I think a lot of work goes into what we do throughout the season,” Doogan said. “For me, it was a lot of getting quicker on the court, a lot of ball handling. I watched a lot of film.”
Despite this season’s success, Doogan remains determined for the future.
“I’ve been saying this for a while now, but I want three [championships] in a row,” Doogan said. “So, after we win this one, I want another one next year.”
In another achievement for Richmond, Head Coach Aaron Roussell was named Coach of the Year. In his six seasons at UR, Roussell has led the Spiders on several successful campaigns, but none as pronounced at the back-to-back conference championships he tallied the past two seasons.
“I think the award is really a team award,” Roussell said. “It rewards the team’s success, I’m happy for the staff. When you say coach of the year, I really think it’s coaching staff of the year.”
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The Spiders managed a 25-6 overall record and a 17-1 conference record under Roussell’s lead. He not only instructs the team on plays, but builds connections with the student-athletes he mentors.
“He always supports us on and off the court, and he’s done a really good job at just building the program from the ground up,” junior guard Rachel Ullstrom said.
Ullstrom, along with graduate forward Addie Budnik, also picked up A-10 honors. Joining Doogan, Ullstrom was named All-Conference First Team. She became a full-time starter this year, delivering strong performances throughout the season, averaging 15.7 points per game. Ullstrom has also made a name for herself in the conference, ranking third in the league in field-goal percentage at 53.9 percent.
During her last year at Richmond, Budnik claimed All-Conference Second Team and All-Academic Team. She has been an asset for the Spiders on both sides of the court. She ranks fourth among all active NCAA Division I players with 317 career blocks while also averaging 10.5 points per game.
“It’s always nice to see hard work pay off,” Budnik said. “I mean, everyone spends a ton of time in the gym. Everyone contributes to what we’re doing.”
The No. 1 Richmond will start its A-10 Championship campaign on March 7, playing the winner of No. 8 Fordham and No. 9 Duquesne. After topping the conference two years in a row, the Spiders are the team to beat.
“I don’t think there is any indication that we’re going to lay down or not play well or play hard, but I think there is a lot of respect for the other teams in our league too.”
If Fordham defeats Duquesne, the Spiders will be facing the only conference team to beat them this season. The Rams upset Richmond in a narrow 80-78 victory on Jan. 2, the last game before the Spiders’ historic 16 game win streak that the team finished its regular season with.
Contact sports editor Abigail Finney at abigail.finney@richmond.edu
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