Tag: Clemson women’s basketball

Clemson adds forward from 2024 NCAA Tournament team in transfer portal

Clemson women’s basketball added the final piece of the puzzle to their 2024-25 roster Friday.

The Clemson Tigers and women’s basketball coach Shawn Poppie have added the final piece to the team’s 2024-25 roster with the addition of Cal Baptist transfer forward Kinsley Barrington.

Listed as 6-foot, Barrington was part of a Cal Baptist team that reached the NCAA Tournament a season ago. She averaged career-highs in scoring (11.0 points per game), rebounds (5.3), assists (1.9) and minutes played (26.1).

Barrington reached double figures in 18 games last year, scoring a career-high 23 points against UT-Arlington on March 7.

Cal Baptist went 28-4 overall last season and won both the WAC regular season and conference tournaments. The Lancers lost to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 84-55.

“Kinsley is the final puzzle piece to Team 50,” Clemson coach Shawn Poppie said in a news release Friday. “As a true stretch forward who plays with toughness, she checked off all of the boxes. She has the ability to shoot the three, post up against mismatches, and plays with great tenacity. Kinsley is a winner, just like many of our transfers, she has NCAA tournament experience. I’m excited to get Kinsley on campus soon to join a group that has been working extremely hard this summer.”

Barrington originally committed to Southern Utah before transferring to Cal Baptist and spending two seasons there. She’ll now finish her career at Clemson under Poppie, who took over as Tigers coach in March after the school parted ways with former head coach Amanda Butler.

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Clemson adds 4-star transfer from Kentucky

Poppie continues to land talent in the transfer portal.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Head Women’s Basketball Coach Shawn Poppie has announced the signing of transfer guard/forward Jordy Griggs.

Standing at 6’2”, Griggs, a native of Moreno Valley, California, joins the Tigers following her freshman year at Kentucky.

Griggs, who has three seasons of eligibility remaining, was a four-star recruit with a 91 grade from ESPN at the end of her high school career. She was a crucial piece that helped lead Montverde Academy in Florida to the GEICO High School National Championship in 2023. In her junior year of high school at Osborne High School in Marietta, Georgia, the three-level scorer averaged 21 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.5 steals, 2.5 blocks, and 2.3 assists per game. She had several offers from power five schools as she was coming out of high school.

With Griggs joining the Tigers, Clemson’s roster now has 16 student-athletes. She is the ninth transfer to join the roster since Poppie was hired.

POPPIE’S THOUGHTS

We are excited to add Jordy to our Clemson family. She brings size and versatility to our roster, adding much needed depth. Jordy had a phenomenal high school career and has played at the highest level from the high school ranks, on the AAU circuit, and in the SEC. I believe those experiences will bring great value to our program. Jordy’s best is yet to come, and with our focus on player development, I look forward to watching her grow.

TICKETS: Deposits for season tickets can be made at https://bit.ly/3TSTzQ9.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow Clemson women’s basketball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on everything happening with the Tigers.

– Via Clemson Athletic Communications

Clemson lands All-Conference forward Raven Thompson

Poppie continues to make waves in the transfer portal.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson Head Women’s Basketball Coach Shawn Poppie announced the signing of junior transfer Raven Thompson.

Thompson, a 5’10” junior from Atlanta, Ga., comes to Clemson after being selected to the 2024 Southern Conference First Team All-Conference in her sophomore campaign. In her 32 games for the Mocs last season, Thompson averaged 14.2 points per game, seven rebounds per game, shot 45 percent from the floor and 38 percent from beyond the arc.

As a scorer, Thompson put up double-digit points 26 times last season, including five games with 20 or more points. Her career high of 27 points came last season against Richmond. She closed the year out making her second-consecutive SoCon All-Tournament Team.

In her freshman season with the Mocs, Thompson was named the 2023 SoCon Freshman of the Year after averaging 14.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.1 steals per outing. She shot 51 percent from the floor for the whole season and was named to the SoCon Second Team All-Conference, the SoCon All-Freshman Team, SoCon All-Tournament First Team, and was named the SoCon Tournament Most Outstanding Player.

During her prep years in Atlanta at Langston Hughes High School, Thompson’s teams had an 85-29 record over four years. She finished her career with 1,365 points and 1,008 rebounds, and averaged 18 points, 10 boards, three assists and three steals per game. She also played for the Panthers’ softball team.

Thompson is the seventh transfer to join the 2024-25 Tigers. There are now 14 players on Clemson’s roster.

POPPIE’S THOUGHTS

I’m thrilled to add Raven Thompson to our Clemson family. Raven and I have had two years together in which she was the Freshman of the Year and a two-time All-Southern Conference selection. She will add some versatility to our roster as she doesn’t really have a true position. Raven’s ability to stretch the floor and be a playmaker off the dribble make her very guard like. With that said, she has the ability to make plays with her back to the basket as well like a post player. Raven is a high character kid whose personality and bright smile becomes contagious. I’m looking forward to continuing Raven’s development on and off the court.

TICKETS: Deposits for season tickets can be made at https://bit.ly/3TSTzQ9.

-Via Clemson Athletic Communications

Clemson women’s basketball adds two players in transfer portal

Clemson Women’s Basketball: The Clemson Tigers announced two new additions to the team’s 2024-25 roster.

The Clemson women’s basketball program has announced the addition of two new players to coach Shawn Poppie’s first roster via the transfer portal.

One of them is North Carolina graduate transfer Anya Poole, who signed with Clemson on Monday after spending four seasons in Chapel Hill. A 6-foot-2 forward from Raleigh, N.C., Poole started 74 games for the Tar Heels and was a part of three NCAA Tournament teams.

Her two best seasons were in 2021-22 and 2022-23. As a sophomore, Poole started all 32 games and averaged 20.2 minutes and 7.5 points a night with 6.5 rebounds. In her junior season, she averaged five points and 5.9 rebounds in 21.2 minutes. Poole saw action in 30 games a season ago, making six starts and averaging 12.3 minutes.

Poole was a five-star recruit out of Southeast Raleigh High School by ESPNW in 2020.

“I’m extremely excited to announce the addition of Anya Poole to our Clemson family,” Poppie said in a statement released by Clemson Athletic Communications Monday. “Anya will fill a big void in our front court. As we identified a need at that position, we looked for experience at this level, a physical presence, and someone with the ability to be versatile. Anya checked all of our boxes and finished the last check as being our type of kid. I initially recruited Anya and her family during the high school process and our relationship picked right back up throughout this process. Anya will represent our program in a great way on and off the court while I know she looks forward to getting involved with our ClemsonLIFE program.”

Clemson also announced Monday the addition of senior transfer Addie Porter, a starting point guard on Poppie’s two NCAA Tournament teams when he was head coach at Chattanooga. A 5-foot-4 guard, Porter started all 33 games for the Mocs last season, averaging 7.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game.

“Addie is the definition of toughness and high character,” Poppie said in a statement. “She helped lead our Chattanooga program to back-to-back tournament championships from the point guard position. Addie understands our culture and lives it out on a daily basis. I believe her leadership skills will bridge the gap to the culture we plan on establishing here at Clemson. As a coach, I pride myself on building strong relationships with my players that allows us to grow together. I couldn’t be more proud as a coach that Addie chose to finish her senior season at Clemson, allowing me to play a part not only in this upcoming year but the next forty years.”

Poppie’s roster is now up to 13 players with the additions of Poole and Porter. The coach’s transfer class also includes former Chattanooga guard Hannah Kohn and former Mercer guard Summah Evans, the Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022-23.

Former Belmont standout and All-Missouri Valley Conference selection Tessa Miller also transferred to Clemson earlier this month, as did former Alabama starter and South Carolina native Loyal McQueen. McQueen averaged 9.8 points per game in almost 31 minutes a night as the Crimson Tide’s starting point in all 34 games a season ago.

Clemson lands former Alabama starter in transfer portal

Clemson Women’s Basketball: Loyal McQueen, a former Alabama Crimson Tide starter, has landed with the Clemson Tigers via the transfer portal.

The Clemson women’s basketball team has landed a big commitment via the transfer portal.

The Tigers announced the signing of former Alabama starting point guard and South Carolina native Loyal McQueen in an official social media post to X, formerly known as Twitter, Wednesday.

A native of Florence, S.C., McQueen chose Alabama over coach Dawn Staley and South Carolina in 2022. McQueen spent two seasons in Tuscaloosa, where she was the Crimson Tide’s starting point guard in all 34 games in 2023-24, averaging 9.8 points per game in almost 31 minutes a night.

McQueen was part of an Alabama team that won 24 games and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Texas. A graduate transfer student, McQueen set career highs last season for games played, points scored (332), rebounds (99), assists (105) and steals (25).

In all, McQueen played in 65 games in two seasons for Alabama. The former standout at Wilson High School was the 2020 South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year.

Tigers coach Shawn Poppie shared his thoughts on Poppie returning to her home state to play for Clemson.

“I couldn’t be more excited to welcome Loyal and her family back home. I’ve known Loyal for quite some time as I recruited her at an early age while I was at Virginia Tech. She’s one of those I’ve always watched and been a fan of from afar due to how strong our relationship was during the initial recruiting process. As Loyal and I reconnected in this process, our relationship together grew even tighter. I believe she is a perfect fit here at the perfect time. She has had a phenomenal college career up to this point, but I truly believe she has so much more to accomplish. I’m thrilled to add her experience and playmaking ability to our backcourt. With that said, I’m confident the Clemson family and the state of South Carolina will be proud of how Loyal will represent our program on and off the court as we welcome her back HOME.”

McQueen becomes the second addition Poppie has made via the transfer portal this week. On Tuesday, the Tigers announced the commitment of sophomore transfer Hannah Kohn, who became a standout shooter at Chattanooga last season. Kohn reunites with Poppie, the former Mocs coach, at Clemson.

Former Clemson 5-star commit announces commitment to Louisville

After de-committing from the Tigers, Imari Berry has found her new home.

A former Clemson five-star commit has found her new home in college football. 

Five-star 2024 guard Imari Berry announced that she had committed to playing for Louisville. Picking between Louisville, Kentucky, and North Carolina, the Cardinals landed the big-time recruit. 

Berry de-committed from the Tigers following the firing of former head coach Amanda Butler. With the person who recruited her no longer with the program, she requested to be released from her National Letter of Intent.

“I owe this message to Tiger Nation,” Berry said. “While I genuinely loved my experiences on campus, those experiences and the culture created within the program were a direct reflection of the coaching staff.

I was able to establish strong relationships with those coaches, and I have a great deal of respect for them. Because I am a relationship person, I knew immediately that it was within my best interest to reopen my recruitment.”

A big loss for the Tigers, though new head coach Shawn Poppie looks like the man for the job.

Clemson lands All-Conference forward in the transfer portal

Clemson continues to snag talent from the transfer portal.

CLEMSON, S.C. – The Clemson women’s basketball program and head coach Shawn Poppie announced the signing of transfer student Tessa Miller on Wednesday.

Miller, a 6’2” transfer student-athlete from Belmont and native of Crossville, Tennessee, was a 2023-24 All-Missouri Valley Conference selection after averaging 14.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per contest last season.

In seven contests against power-five competition last season – including games against Georgia, Mississippi State, Ohio State, Penn State, and Stanford – Miller averaged 14.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 60% from the floor. She scored at least 12 points in every game she played against power-five opponents last season.

Miller, a graduate student who has one year of eligibility left, is coming off the best season of her career. She recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds in the Bruins’ game against Georgia, 24 points and 12 boards against Drake, and a season-high 25 points in Belmont’s contest against Murray State.

POPPIE’S THOUGHTS

“We are thrilled to welcome Tessa Miller and her family into our Clemson Family. Tessa brings so much versatility to our front court with her ability to score from multiple areas all while being such a great passer. Her competitive spirit is shown on the court but also overflow into her personality. Tessa will represent our program on and off the cout in a way that will make Tiger Nation proud. I can’t wait to get to work with her.”

TICKETS: Deposits for season tickets can be made at https://bit.ly/3TSTzQ9.

 SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow Clemson women’s basketball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on everything happening with the Tigers.

Clemson signs former defensive player of the year signs Summah Evans

Poppie is already working toward building this Clemson women’s basketball program.

CLEMSON, S.C. – Clemson women’s basketball and head coach Shawn Poppie announced the signing of Summah Evans on Tuesday.

Evans, a six-foot tall grad student from Cairns, Australia, joins the Tigers following two years at Mercer. She started her collegiate career at North Florida.

In her most recent season at Mercer, Evans averaged 13.4 points per game, 7.5 rebounds per game, and shot over 40% from beyond the arc on nearly 100 attempts en route to being named a Southern Conference All-Conference selection. Last season, Evans recorded three double-doubles and scored a season high of 35 points against Samford on 14-20 shooting from the floor, including five made three-pointers. She was also named the 2022-23 Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Prior to Mercer, Evans played two seasons at North Florida, starting in 11 games in her time there. Her time in Florida was highlighted by an 18-point game against Lipscomb in which UNF won in overtime.

POPPIE’S THOUGHTS

I couldn’t be more excited about the addition of Summah Evans. She has been a nightmare to coach against the past two seasons and I’m glad she’s finally on my team. Summah’s length and athleticism on the defensive end along with her ability to shoot the ball bring an immediate impact to our roster. I’m looking forward to playing a part in her development both on and off the court. With that said, Summah is a high-character and team-first type player which is exactly what we want inside our program. I can’t wait to get Summah to campus and officially become part of this Clemson family!

TICKETS: Deposits for season tickets can be made at https://bit.ly/3TSTzQ9.

 SOCIAL MEDIA: Make sure to follow Clemson women’s basketball on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to stay up to date on everything happening with the Tigers.

– Via Clemson Athletic Communications 

WATCH: Shawn Poppie introduced as Clemson women’s basketball coach

Clemson women’s basketball: Shawn Poppie formally met with the media as part of his introduction as Clemson’s new women’s basketball coach Tuesday.

Clemson has a new face for its women’s basketball program.

Shawn Poppie was officially introduced as the school’s new coach at an introductory press conference with reporters Tuesday.

Poppie was hired last month after Clemson parted ways with Amanda Butler, who had led the program for six years. Clemson hasn’t been to the NCAA women’s basketball tournament since 2019, Butler’s first season.

“This (hire) coincides with the tremendous growth of women’s basketball,” Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said during his opening statement at Tuesday’s press conference. “It’s undeniable, watching games (Monday) and certainly over the last couple weeks, couple years. .. Really, really significant growth in that sport and really, really exciting for Clemson to double down on our anticipation, our excitement, and our investment in all 21 of our programs. But in particular, on this day, women’s basketball.”

Poppie joins Clemson after two seasons at Chattanooga. He posted a 48-18 record as head coach there and led the Mocs to NCAA Tournament appearances in both years.

Here’s everything Poppie said at Tuesday’s introductory press conference, as well as remarks from Neff.

With Shawn Poppie hire, Clemson hopes to turn its women’s basketball program into contender

NCAA Women’s Basketball: Clemson is hoping to turn its women’s basketball program into an annual contender. To do so, the university tabbed Chattanooga’s Shawn Poppie as its new head coach on Tuesday.

Clemson is hoping to turn its women’s basketball program into an annual contender.

To do so, the university tabbed Chattanooga’s Shawn Poppie as its new head coach on Tuesday. The 38-year-old Poppie replaces Amanda Butler, whom the university parted ways with after a disappointing 12-19 season that included just five wins in conference play. Butler had led the program for six seasons. Clemson hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2019, Butler’s first year.

In two seasons at Chattanooga, Poppie led the Mocs to a 48-18 record and two NCAA Tournament appearances. Poppie was named the 2023-24 Southern Conference Coach of the Year. Chattanooga won the Southern Conference championship in each of the past two seasons. They lost, 64-45, to No. 3 seed NC State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on Saturday.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shawn and his family to Clemson,” Clemson athletic director Graham Neff said Tuesday. “As we worked through our search process, his name kept coming up in several circles, and the on-court results speak for themselves. He’s coached and recruited at a high level, has experience in the ACC and in the upstate, and we are confident in his ability to get our program to the next level.”

Poppie received a six-year contract from Clemson worth $3.375 million annually through the 2029-2030 season. The agreement was officially approved by the Board of Trustees’ compensation committee on Tuesday. Poppie will earn $500,000 next season, plus an additional $25,000 until the final year of the contract when he’s expected to be paid $625,000. He will also receive a signing bonus of $435,000.

More details about Poppie’s contract, including bonuses, can be found at The Clemson Insider, which first reported the news of Poppie’s hire.

“I am beyond excited to be joining the Clemson Tiger family as the next head women’s basketball coach,” Poppie said in a statement Tuesday. “I am thankful to Graham Neff, Stephanie Ellison-Johnson, and the Clemson University administration for making our family feel welcome. It truly has been a humbling experience getting to know why Clemson is so special — it’s the people. With the resources in place and everyone moving in synergy together, I believe we can compete in the ACC, the best women’s basketball conference in the country.”

Poppie has ties to the ACC, having spent six years as an assistant coach at Virginia Tech. Before becoming the head coach at Chattanooga, Poppie had been promoted to associate head coach on Kenny Brooks’ Virginia Tech staff ahead of the 2020-21 season.

TAKEAWAY

The popularity of women’s basketball, particularly at the college level, is at an all-time high because of celebrated players like Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, LSU’s Angel Reese, and more. Understandably, Clemson wants to become a serious player in the sport. Doing so won’t be easy, but every program has had to start somewhere.

Look no further than the Tigers’ in-state rival in Columbia.

South Carolina was hardly a national or even regional power prior to the late 2010’s. Now, the Gamecocks regularly offer one of the best programs in the country. They have won two national championships since 2017 under coach Dawn Staley and are bidding for a third. South Carolina is a perfect 34-0 this season, and their 109-40 win over Clemson back in November was their 13th straight victory over the Tigers.

While short on championships, the ACC has been a premier women’s basketball league for several years. A total of eight league schools — Virginia Tech, NC State, Notre Dame, Syracuse, Louisville, Florida State, Duke, and North Carolina — reached the 2024 NCAA Women’s Tournament. It’s the sixth straight year that eight ACC teams made the tournament.

To that end, Poppie’s familiarity with the ACC from his time in Blacksburg is something Clemson and Neff clearly valued.

What’s also clear is that the Tigers’ five-year drought from the NCAA Tournament was unacceptable to Neff and others within the administration — as well it should be.

In Poppie, Clemson has hired a coach with a proven record of getting teams to the NCAA Tournament. True, Poppie will face an uphill battle to build the Tigers into a program that consistently competes in March, but there’s nothing to suggest that he isn’t a good fit for the school, or that the Tigers were in better hands prior to his arrival.

Case in point: South Carolina 109, Clemson 40.