Tag: Coquese Washington

Rutgers women’s basketball offers talented guard Amaia Jackson

Amaia Jackson has been offered by Rutgers women’s basketball.

Class of 2025 recruit Amaia Jackson was offered by Rutgers women’s basketball last week, the offer from the Scarlet Knights just one of several for the guard prospect.

Jackson plays for Montverde Academy (Montverde, Florida), one of the top programs in the nation. The offer from Rutgers came during a week when she was also offered by Clemson, Memphis, Mississippi State, UPenn and Penn State among others.

She also holds offers from Harvard, Rhode Island and St. John’s among others.

A devastatingly good shooter from distance, Jackson is a prolific scorer at the prep and the EYBL level (she plays for the Miami Suns). A playmaker with the ball in her hands, she is a strong passer and runs the court well in transition.

Originally from New York, she transferred from Bishop Kearney (Brooklyn, New York) to Montverde last year.

 

Rutgers head coach [autotag]Coquese Washington[/autotag] has done a good job of landing elite recruits as she enters her third season with the Scarlet Knights.

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Last year’s recruiting class was headlined by Kiyomi McMiller, who was the No. 27 recruit in the nation in the ESPN rankings. She selected Rutgers from an offer list that included Arizona State, Baylor, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan and Ole Miss among others.

Rutgers women’s basketball’s Kiyomi McMiller on her NIL deal with the Jordan Brand

Kiyomi McMiller has an NIL deal with the Jordan Brand.

Last year, Kiyomi McMiller signed a Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) deal with the Jordan Brand. The five-star athlete from New Jersey signed with Rutgers basketball this spring.

McMiller finished as the No. 27 recruit in the nation in the ESPN rankings. She picked Rutgers from an offer list that included Arizona State, Baylor, Kentucky, LSU, Michigan and Ole Miss.

She is the highest-ranked recruit to commit to head coach [autotag]Coquese Washington[/autotag], who is entering her third season with the Scarlet Knights.

As for McMiller, her NIL deal with the biggest brand in basketball is certainly a big deal and puts her on not just a national stage but an international one.

And she made history with the deal, becoming the first high school athlete to sign an NIL deal with the Jordan Brand.

“I really got the deal by actually being watched by the brand a couple years before I was selected,” McMiller told Rutgers Wire.

“They watched my workouts and watched how I grew better as I got older. And they had just texted me through Instagram and told me that they wanted me to be a part of the brand and we just went from there.”

McMiller finished her senior season with Life Center Academy (Burlington, New Jersey) averaging 30.1 points per game.

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She also had 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game. In addition, McMiller averaged 2.8 steals per gam as the Warriors finished 12-16 on the season.

Rutgers women’s basketball latest to offer Zaniah Zellous

Zaniah Zellous offered by Rutgers women’s basketball.

Zaniah Zellous, a national recruit and one of the top forward prospects in the nation, was offered by Rutgers women’s basketball this week.

Zellous is a 6-foot-2 forward from George Washington High School (Charleston, West Virginia). She can play either forward position.

At the AAU level, she plays for the prestigious WV Thunder program.

Zellous has a strong offer list that includes BYU, Clemson, Georgetown, Georgia Tech, Kentucky, Memphis, Michigan, Penn State, Pittsburgh, St. John’s and West Virginia among others.

Rutgers currently does not have a recruit committed in the 2025 class.

Zellous tweeted about the offer from Rutgers on Wednesday evening, tagging head coach Coquese Washington.

 

The 2024 recruiting class was a solid one for Rutgers. It featured five-star guard Kiyomi McMiller and four-star forward Zachara Perkins.

Committed to Rutgers since early January, McMiller is ranked the No. 22 player in the nation by ESPNW.  Perkins picked Rutgers from a final three that included Syracuse and Tulsa.

Rutgers women’s basketball adds talented Kentucky transfer Janae Walker

Rutgers women’s basketball adds a transfer portal forward.

On Thursday, Rutgers women’s basketball head coach Coquese Washington announced that a talented forward Janae Walker, is joining the mix. The former Wildcat is coming off a productive freshman season in which she appeared in 28 games. The 2204-2025 class also includes JoJo Lacey, Kiyomi McMiller, and Zachara Perkins.

During her only season as at the University of Kentucky, Walker averaged 0.9 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. While her playing time was limited, the Georgia native shot 33.3 percent from the field. Although her role is still to be determined, Walker brings experience to the Rutgers forward group. 

As the regular season draws close by the day many in Piscataway are excited for the impact Walker will make. That includes Washington who highlighted Walker’s versatility when talking with the media.

During Walker’s rookie season, her best game came against Louisville on December 10 when she scored a season high six points. She was made an impact defensively, leading Kentucky in blocks four times.

“I am elated that Janae Walker has joined the Scarlet Knight family,” Washington told Rutgers athletics. “Janae is a talented and versatile forward who adds size and depth to our front court. She has tremendous potential and there is no question she can be an impactful force in the Big Ten.”

The key for Rutgers will be getting Walker to tap into her offensive game. In her high school career, Walker scored one 1,000 points and averaged 20.3 points per game. If she can rediscover her form from high school, then the Rutgers offense will become harder to stop.

 

Rutgers women’s basketball announces signing of five-star guard Kiyomi McMiller

Kiyomi McMiller has officially signed with Rutgers basketball.

On Thursday afternoon, Rutgers women’s basketball added another talented guard to the mix with the signing of Kiyomi McMiller.

McMiller signs with Rutgers following an impressive high school career at Life Center Academy (Burlington, New Jersey).

Over the last two years, McMiller has been a scoring machine, but she took her game to a new level as a senior. Last season, she averaged 30.1 points per game. During her high school career, the talented guard scored 2,015 points and recorded 231 steals in 70 games. 

While McMiller’ collegiate debut is months away excitement in Piscataway is building for the impact she will make. Her new head coach has been impressed by what she has seen from McMiller and sees her as a great fit.

5️⃣🌟 guard @Kiyomi_McMiller has officially SIGNED with #Rutgers Basketball‼️@aleccr12 has more —> https://t.co/Cl1uTk56rd

pic.twitter.com/gp5IZk2i8Y

— Rutgers Scarlet Knights | TheKnightReport.Net (@RutgersRivals) April 18, 2024

“Kiyomi McMiller is one of the most exciting players I’ve ever seen play the game of basketball,” head coach Coquese Washington told Rutger athletics. “She is a walking highlight, and our fans are going to love watching her breathtaking performances in Jersey Mike’s Arena. She is a fast-paced guard which fits in well with how we like to play.”

Kiyomi McMiller so tough 😳 @KEYthe_baller32 pic.twitter.com/WgKqBAs71f

— Overtime (@overtime) April 30, 2022

With McMiller in the lineup Rutgers offense is expected to improve. She is known for her skilled ball handling and scoring ability. She was graded as one of the top prospects in the country by outlets such as the Philadelphia Inquirer, Sports Center Next and WSLAM.

Rutgers women’s basketball head coach Coquese Washington: Rebuilding season points up for young Scarlet Knights

Rutgers women’s basketball closes out a disappointing season with optimism.

A season of raised expectations ended with disappointment for Rutgers women’s basketball, who lost in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament on Wednesday.

The Scarlet Knights, in their second season under head coach Coquese Washington, finished the year 8-24 (2-14 Big Ten).

There was hope that this year under Washington would see Rutgers take a step forward in their development. Despite undertaking a rather substantial rebuild, Washington had done a solid job of recruiting and adding some talent via the transfer portal.

There was a strong belief that Rutgers could build off the struggles from their first season under Washington. But this season underscored the lack of depth on the roster as Washington continues to revamp the group.

That was seen on Wednesday in a 77-69 loss to Minnesota in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.

“I really like this team. I really like the young ladies that I’m coaching this year. They make it easy to come in the gym every day. They make it
easy to come to work every day, to keep fighting because
of who they are,” Washington told reporters on Wednesday following the opening round loss in the Big Ten Tournament.

“We are still in the mindset and the process of building this program up. We’re still building our culture. We’re still getting the pieces that we need to have. This year was a really, really tough year for a lot of reasons, but the
perseverance that these young ladies showed throughout the season is the thing that we’ll take out of it.”

One of those bright spots this season was Destiny Adams.

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The transfer from North Carolina was a huge addition to the program, providing scoring, rebounding and toughness as well as strong leadership.

In the Big Ten Tournament loss, Adams scored 31 points and had 24 rebounds in 38 minutes played.

Rutgers women’s basketball recruit scores over 40 points in win over Cardinal O’Hara

Kiyomi McMiller had a huge game over the weekend.

The future is certainly bright for Rutgers women’s basketball. Kioymi Mcmiller, who recently committed to Rutgers, put together a masterpiece in her most recent game.

The five-star guard recorded an impressive 43 points against Cardinal O’Hara on Sunday. Due to her strong scoring effort, Life Center Academy was able to move on in their play-by-play event. While McMiller is one of the best players in her class, her recent performance provided a reminder of why Rutgers made her a priority.

When Mcmiller committed to Rutgers, she became the highest-ranked recruit since head coach Coquese Washington took over the program. The New Jersey native was ranked as the No.22 player in the nation by ESPNW.

Although she has yet to make her collegiate debut, expectations are high after performances like this.

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For Washington, McMiller’s recent excellence is an encouraging sign. She is already looked at as a building block of the future for a program looking to turn things around.

If McMiller can string together a few 40-point performances as a Scarlet Knight, then she will become a fan favorite quickly.

In her second year with Rutgers basketball, Coquese Washington hopes that the rebuilding will grow and continue

Rutgers women’s basketball begins an important season of their rebuild under Coquese Washington.

Last season was the first of what is likely to be an extensive rebuild of Rutgers women’s basketball under head coach Coquese Washington. A program that was very much lacking in both top-tier talent and overall depth appears to be better in both regards heading into this year.

In their first season under Washington, Rutgers finished 12-20 (5-13) and won their opening-round game in the Big Ten Tournament. The direction is pointed up on the program under Washington.

With a strong offseason that was headlined by the arrival of Destiny Adams in the transfer portal, there are certain expectations around the program.

“I’m extremely happy about where the program is right now. Our first year was really about building a foundation, building a culture, establishing how we’re going to run our program, how we’re going to recruit, how we’re going to play on game day, and we were successful at that,” Washington said during the Big Ten’s Media Days earlier this month.

“I think we’re definitely in a position now to continue to move the program forward and be more competitive on game day, and we’re looking at where our team is with the additions that we’ve brought in. I’m excited about our ability to do that this year.”

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Rutgers opens up their season next Monday night at Jersey Mike’s Arena against Monmouth.

What was Rutgers head coach Coquese Washington’s biggest takeaway from last season?

Rutgers women’s basketball Coquese Washington finished last season with a 12-20 record. What was her biggest takeaway from last season?

In her first season as head coach,Coquese Washington saw plenty of growth from her Rutgers women’s basketball program.

The Scarlet Knights finished the 2022-23 season with a 12-20 (5-13 Big Ten) record. It was a building block season for sure as Rutgers looks like they established a foundation for the program.

During the Big Ten Basketball Media Day, a question was raised to Washington, asking her what was her biggest takeaway from last year as a new head coach. Rutgers’ head coach expressed her biggest takeaway was the quality of coaching and talent throughout the Big Ten Conference.

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“When you look across the landscape of Big Ten women’s basketball, there’s so much talent. There’s so much outstanding coaching. That helps you prepare for postseason play. You have to be on your P’s and Q’s every night because you’re going to face coaches who are great at making in-game adjustments, who are great at preparation, who have varying styles of play, so it helps make your program one that you have to elevate your ability to be successful in this conference,” Washington stated during the Big Ten Basketball Media Day.

Washington and the Scarlet Knights kick off their 2023-24 season against Monmouth on Monday, November 6. Their hope is that they will continue to build a foundation.

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The Scarlet Knights will be led by sophomore guard Kaylene Smikle, one of the best players in the Big Ten, averaging 17.9 points per game last season. Also, Rutgers added North Carolina transfer Destiny Adams to their roster. Originally from New Jersey, Adams is expected to be a big upgrade in the program’s starting five.

 

 

Rutgers women’s basketball adds Nneka Enemkpali to the coaching staff

Rutgers women’s basketball adds Nneka Enemkpali to their coaching staff

Coquese Washington added to her coaching staff on Tuesday with the addition of Nneka Enemkpali. She is a proven recruiter and will take on the assistant coach and director of recruiting role for Rutgers. With Enemkpali now a Scarlet Knight, many in Piscataway, including Washington, are excited for what the future holds.

“Adding Nneka Enemkpali to our staff is an incredible gift for the Scarlet Knight program,” Washington told Rutgers athletics. “Nneka enjoyed a remarkable career as a player at Texas, whose work ethic helped her achieve outstanding successes both on and off the court. We are quite fortunate to have Nneka here, sharing her experiences as an elite player and coach.”

Over the last two seasons, Enemkpali was an assistant coach for USC. She also served as recruiting coordinator this past season. Enemkpali was key in bringing the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class to California during her time as a Trojan. She also was selected to represent the USA at the 2023 Americup games.

While Enemkpali was instrumental in USC’s success, she has impacted multiple programs. Her career includes stops at Gonzaga and UNLV. Her success has not gone unnoticed, as during the 2019-2020 season, Enemkpali was named one of the 50 Impactful Assistants in D1 Women’s Basketball by Silver Waves Media.

RELATED: Nneka Enemkpali Joins Women’s Basketball Coaching Staff

As Enemkplai begins a new chapter in her career, she is looking forward to calling Piscataway home.

“I am excited to be joining the rich tradition and legacy that is Rutgers women’s basketball,” Enemkpali told Rutgers athletics. “Coquese has a clear vision for the direction in which she wants to grow this program. I look forward to working alongside her and the incredible staff to support this program and our student-athletes.”