Tag: MacKenzie Holmes

Here’s why 2024 WNBA Draft prospect Mackenzie Holmes won’t make her debut until 2025

Mackenzie Holmes won’t make her debut until 2025. Here’s why fans will have to wait.

Indiana Hoosiers forward Mackenzie Holmes hopes to be selected in the 2024 WNBA Draft on April 15. However, if a team selects her, fans will have to wait to see her make her debut. Holmes announced via social media on Wednesday that she won’t be ready until 2025.

Knee issues have been an ongoing hurdle for Mackenzie Holmes since high school. They sidelined her multiple times during her college career and even impacted her heading into this year’s NCAA tournament. But, with Holmes poised to turn pro, she’s addressing her knee problems head-on so that she can be ready for 2025.

Here’s what she shared ahead of the 2024 WNBA Draft:

“At this time, to ensure my body is healthy and my playing career is as long and successful as possible, I have decided to get the necessary surgery in May to prevent further issues and alleviate the pain it has caused. I have declared for the 2024 WNBA Draft and pray that a team honors me with a selection, knowing that I will be ready for the start of 2025 training camp.”

Rutgers women’s basketball falls to Indiana

Rutgers women’s basketball battled well against a ranked Indiana team in a loss.

Rutgers showed that they are closing the gap with the elite teams of the Big Ten in Saturday’s 66-56 loss to No. 16 Indiana. The matchup was the Big Ten opener for Rutgers and also marked their first game of the season against a ranked opponent.

Rutgers kept the game close in the first quarter, but Indiana put the game away as the night continued. Mackenzie Holmes set the tone offensively for the Hoosiers with a team-high 25 points. Sydney Parish also had a big night with 14 points of her own.

 

While the Hoosiers’ offense proved to be too much for Rutgers, there were a few bright spots. Kaylene Smikle was a scoring machine, adding 19 points to her resume. She got some help from Antonia Bates, who finished with 11 points.

Although Bates and Smikle kept Rutgers in the game, the Scarlet Knights never got closer than five points in the fourth quarter. Against one of the top 25 teams in the country Rutgers could not get a stop as time winded down.

Following the loss, the Scarlet Knights are now 6-6 this season. They will have a shot at getting back in the win column on Wednesday when they take on Princeton. The Tigers will be a challenging matchup as they are off to a 6-3 start.

Rutgers women’s basketball face first ranked opponent of the season

Rutgers women’s basketball has a big test this weekend.

For the first time during the 2023-2024 campaign, Rutgers women’s basketball will face a ranked opponent in Indiana on Saturday afternoon. The Hoosiers are off to a 7-1 start and ranked as the 16th-best team in the country.

Entering this matchup, the Scarlet Knights have been on a roll. They have won their last three games and scored a season high 98 points on Tuesday against La Salle. Against the Explorers, Kaylene Smith led the way offensively with a team-high 21 points.

As Rutgers looks to extend their winning streak to four games, they will need Smith to replicate her performance against La Salle. The Hoosiers will also be tasked with stopping Destiny Adams, who is averaging 13.6 points per game.

 

In order for Rutgers to pull off an upset, they will have to find a way to slow down Indiana’s offense. The Hoosiers are averaging 78.9 points a game this season and have scored less than 70 points once. Their best players have been Mackenzie Holmes and Sara Scalia.

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Additionally, Rutgers will have the home-court advantage, which has been when they are at their best. The Scarlet Knights are 6-2 at Jersey Mike’s Arena this season. While the odds are stacked against them, Rutgers is ready to shock the basketball world.