With just days left until the UVA Women’s Basketball season debut, it’s time to make predictions about this year’s rotation. With key players like Cam Taylor and Sam Brunelle gone, the team will rely on newcomers to step up if they aim for a March tournament run.
With 200 minutes to fill per game, head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, known for using deep rotations of up to 11 players in ACC games, will likely spread these minutes among seven newcomers and seven returners.
Returners:
Seven players are returning, with Kymora Johnson and Paris Clark leading, each averaging over 30 minutes in the final games last season. Jillian Brown’s 17 minutes per game will be missed due to her ACL injury. Yonta Vaughn and Olivia McGhee are expected to take on more consistent roles in the backcourt, while Edessa Noyan and Taylor Lauterbach aim for breakout seasons. Altogether, these returners bring 112 minutes of experience from last season.
Newcomers:
To cover these minutes, four transfers have been added, including three players 6’4″ or taller. Latasha Lattimore is expected to bring athleticism, and RyLee Grays (6’4″) and Hawa Doumbouya (6’7″) add essential size, although Doumbouya will redshirt this season. Additionally, Breona Hurd, a promising first-year, strengthens the frontcourt. Freshmen Kamryn Kitchen and Payton Dunbar reclassified to 2024 and anticipate redshirt seasons, and Casey Valenti-Paea from Long Beach State will add guard depth.
With three likely redshirts and one season-ending injury, Coach Mox’s rotation will involve the remaining 10 players, each expected to contribute to the lineup in some capacity.
Departures:
The team must replace 88 minutes, largely vacated by Cam Taylor, London Clarkson, Sam Brunelle, and Alexia Smith. Taylor’s 22 minutes per game will be especially challenging to cover. With Mir McLean transferring to Maryland, the frontcourt is now notably thin.
Kymora Johnson – 33 MPG
Paris Clark – 31 MPG
Yonta Vaughn – 20 MPG
Edessa Noyan – 23 MPG
Latasha Lattimore – 25 MPG
Mo Johnson’s impressive freshman season deserved more praise; with a year in the system, fans can expect even better numbers this season. Paris Clark got off to a slow start last season, but came alive in ACC play, playing up to 37 minutes against Louisville last season. Johnson and Clark joined Coach Mox at ACC Media Day and look destined to be the leaders of the team. I anticipate the small forward position to rotate throughout the season, but ultimately expect Yonta Vaughn to take the starting role. Readers may be surprised to not see Olivia McGhee on this list, but in the last few games of the season, Coach Mox leaned on Vaughn’s experience. Additionally, when asked at ACC media day about a dark horse player, Mo Johnson gave a shout out to Vaughn, saying “I think [she] will really open people’s eyes this year.” That’s enough for me to give her the nod, but expect both to play key roles this season.
The forward and center positions are going to be critical for this team. By all accounts, Edessa Noyan has taken a big leap in the offseason, evidenced by her 11 point output in the Blue-White scrimmage. We can expect a big step forward for her in an important role. Lastly, I predict that Latasha Lattimore will step into the Center position. Readers may remember her solid 10-point, nine-rebound performance in JPJ last season as a visitor. We hopefully will see more of these outputs this season. Depending on matchups, we may see Mox go with a larger lineup and insert Lauterbach, but I expect these to be the most common five.
It is worth noting that 10 (!) different players started at least a game last season and nine started at least three. We certainly can expect Coach Mox to tinker with these lineups all season long and we may not see a regular starting lineup solidified until February or March. With that said, let’s review other key contributors.
Olivia McGhee – 20 MPG
Breona Hurd – 15 MPG
Taylor Lauterbach – 13 MPG
RyLee Grays – 10 MPG
Casey Valenti-Paea – 10 MPG
This list includes a lot of newcomers, so I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw one or more of them crack the starting lineup at times. Olivia McGhee showed incredible flashes last year, but fell almost entirely out of the rotation by the end of last season. I expect that McGhee will hold up her end of the “Mo and O Show” and find more consistency in her sophomore season. Paris Clark mentioned Breona Hurd as her dark horse player this season, so don’t be surprised if she brings a first-year spark this year.
Next Monday (November 4th), we’ll see the Hoos in action for the first time against American at 7pm on ACC Network Extra. Will these predictions hold up? Only one way to find out.
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