How good is the Rhode Island women's basketball team? They're the favorites in the Atlantic 10
The University of Rhode Island women are prohibitive favorites to capture an Atlantic 10 regular season championship.
The Rams shared the 2022-23 crown with Massachusetts — a first in program history — and are expected to do it again this winter. URI received 12 of the 15 available first-place votes at Thursday morning’s Media Day, which was held in Virginia at the Henrico Sports & Events Center.
Four different players received individual recognition, including the reigning Most Improved Player in the conference. Mayé Touré was named to the all-conference first team and had plenty of company. Syracuse transfer Teisha Hyman (second team), center Tenin Magassa (third team) and wing forward Anaelle Dutat (all-defensive team) rounded out the list of Rams expected to take home individual hardware.
“I’m telling them I expect to win the league,” URI coach Tammi Reiss said on an ESPN+ webcast. “We’re going to win the championship. We’re going to win the A-10 tournament championship and we’re going to the NCAA [Tournament].
“I put that belief in them.”
Saint Joseph’s, defending tournament champion Saint Louis, Richmond and Duquesne completed the preseason top five. The Billikens received a pair of first-place votes while the Dukes snagged the last one. Saint Louis knocked URI out of last season’s conference tournament semifinals in Delaware.
“We recruit great culture kids who put the we before the me,” Reiss said. “The chemistry is easy to build, and they’re in the process right now. They love each other.”
Touré went from little-used reserve to frontcourt star last season, collecting 13.5 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She hit for 12 double-doubles while making 33 starts and leading the Rams in field goals made, free throws made, defensive rebounds and blocked shots. Touré piled up 27 points in the season opener against Harvard and was off and running.
“I always knew I could do that,” Touré said. “I was very patient. I was glad to have good role models to look up to.
“Two years was long, but I would not change it.”
Hyman left the Orange as a graduate transfer after four seasons. She was initially recruited while Reiss was an assistant coach in upstate New York. Hyman averaged 10.4 points per game last year and should be an immediate backcourt starter.
“You want to improve your roster,” Reiss said. “If we lose two guards, I don’t want to go out and get worse or equal. I needed what Teisha brings.”
Magassa was a transfer from Dayton who didn’t debut until late January last season. She recovered from shoulder and leg injuries to hit for double figures in two of her last five games. Magassa averaged 5.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and blocked 18 shots in just 185 total minutes.
“You know you believe in your players,” Reiss said. “And you instill that in them. That’s what I’m trying to do this year — I'm trying to be a better coach.”
More: Rhode Island women's basketball team opens its season with a Homecoming Hoopfest
Dutat cracked the starting lineup late in her first season and led URI in offensive rebounds. She also topped the Rams in steals while guarding all five positions on the floor. Dutat was named the best defender at the summer FIBA U20 tournament while representing her native France.
“Her rebounding and her defense are incredible,” Reiss said. “She can switch 1 through 5 and she can guard on the perimeter.”
URI closed 26-7 overall and 14-2 in the league last season, as Reiss earned her second Coach of the Year honor. The Rams advanced to the final 16 of the WNIT, their second consecutive appearance in the field. URI beat Boston University and the Spiders at home before falling to the Crimson on the road.
Harvard, North Carolina State, Brown, Princeton, Providence and St. John’s highlight the nonconference schedule, which begins with a Nov. 7 home date against Sacred Heart. The Rams play their league opener at the Billikens on Dec. 30 and open at the Ryan Center against George Mason on Jan. 2. The Hawks visit on Jan. 21 and host URI on Feb. 24 in Philadelphia.
“Do we have the talent? Yes, we do,” Reiss said. “Are we good? Yes, we are. Do we have the chemistry and when can we hit it?”
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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island women's basketball team picked to finish first in A-10
