Tag: Rutgers women’s basketball

Watch this! Rutgers women’s basketball just offered Payton Dunbar, who can do this crazy jump

Payton Dunbar is an incredible athlete.

Payton Dunbar was offered by Rutgers women’s basketball in early May. Dunbar is a crazy elite-level athlete as evidenced by her social media.

In offering Dunbar, Rutgers got officially involved with a player who has off the charts athleticism.

But before diving into this athleticism, first a little bit about Dunbar. A class of 2025 recruit at Jefferson Christian Academy (Ripplemead, Virginia), Dunbar is a 5-foot-11 guard with excellent length. She has impressive range as a shooter and is a difference-maker with her ability to drive and get to the rim as well as defensively.

She is a complete package at guard. Over the past couple of weeks, he has been offered by Michigan, Providence, William & Mary, UPenn and Wake Forest among others.

But that elite-level athleticism is really intriguing for the next level.

Check out this video of Dunbar uniquely showing her athleticism:

 

How many recruits are able to pull off a trick like this?

 

Rutgers pulled in quite an impressive recruiting class in 2024 with five-star guard Kiyomi McMiller and four-star forward Zachara Perkins.

Zachara Perkins on why she picked Rutgers basketball

Zachara Perkins breaks down why she picked Rutgers women’s basketball.

Incoming freshman Zachara Perkins is a big piece of the future of Rutgers women’s basketball. The highly-rated forward, who signed with the program in November, very much believes in the direction of the Scarlet Knights’ rebuild.

During her recruitment, she picked Rutgers from a final three that also included Syracuse and Tulsa.

Perkins, a four-star according to ProspectsNation, is a 6-foot-2 forward from St. Pius X (Humble, Texas). As a senior, she was an all-state and all-region selection by the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches.

She is comfortable in the post where here physicality was a difficult match-up at the high school level. But the ability to square up and shoot is a noticeable part of her offensive game.

“I felt that Rutgers was everything I was looking for in a school,” Perkins told Rutgers Wire.

“They believed in me, they paid attention to the details and were – and still are – persistent about how confident they are in my ability.”

Perkins joins a 2024 recruiting class that also includes five-star guard Kiyomi McMiller.

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Rutgers women’s basketball is undoubtedly going through a rebuild under Coquese Washington, set to enter her third year with the program.

Last year, Rutgers went 8-24 (2-16 Big Ten). Perkins said that the season wasn’t a letdown in the slightest and was part of what she sees as the needed steps to create a firm foundation for Rutgers.

“No, I wouldn’t say I was discouraged at all,” Perkins said.

“I know coach ‘Co’ is rebuilding and that doesn’t just come in the blink of an eye. I also know what’s to come for our program and I’m excited to come in and truly show what Rutgers is all about.

Rutgers women’s basketball reveals 2024-2025 road and home opponents

Rutgers women’s basketball now knows their Big Ten home opponents.

While the 2024-2025 campaign is still months away, Rutgers women’s basketball fans began marking their calendars on Wednesday. The Big Ten revealed home and road opponents for every team in the conference, including Rutgers. In the 18-game league schedule, there will be a few unique road trips for fans to plan. 

During the 2024-2025 campaign, Rutgers’ road slate includes games against Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Washington, and Oregon. Their meeting against the Oregon Ducks will mark the fourth all-time matchup and first since 2010 between the two programs. Rutgers will also play Penn State on the road. 

Additionally, there will be plenty of reasons to head to Jersey Mike’s Arena. The home slate includes games against Illinois, Michigan State, Nebraska, Northwestern, Ohio State, Purdue, UCLA, and USC. With UCLA and USC now in the Big Ten, they will, in a way, be making history with these match-ups.

 

USC and Rutgers will face off for the first time since  2009. The matchup with UCLA will mark the seventh meeting between the two programs and the first since 1999.

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After a disappointing season, Rutgers will be eager to put the 2023-2024 campaign in the rearview mirror. Their record should improve due to a talented recruiting class that includes Kiyomi McMiller. They also added a few veteran pieces in the transfer portal in the form of Janae Walker and Jojo Lacey. Game dates and times will be announced in the coming months. 

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 falls to Minnesota in first round of Big Ten Tournament

Rutgers women’s basketball has seen their Big Ten Tournament hopes end.

On Wednesday night, Rutgers women’s basketball’s Big Ten Tournament hopes ended against Minnesota. The Golden Gophers beat Rutgers 77-69 as Amaya Battle had one of the best games of her career. It was Minnesota’s first win in the Big Ten Conference Tournament since 2020.

The Golden Gophers built a big lead early on, partly due to Battle’s play. The talented guard scored a career-high 32 points and had seven assists. She also got some help from Grace Grocholski, who scored 12 points.

While Rutgers season came to a disappointing end, Destiny Adams continued to be a points machine. The Lakehurst, New Jersey, native had one of her best games this season, scoring 31 points. She also made an impact on the boards with 24 rebounds.

 

In this game, one of Rutgers most significant issues was taking care of the ball. They committed 16 turnovers, while Minnesota only committed seven. That made it hard for Rutgers to take control of the game. Their biggest lead of the night was two points.

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Although Rutgers will now shift its focus to the 2024-2025 campaign, Minnesota will be back in action on Thursday night. They are set to take on Michigan in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament.

Big Ten Tournament: Rutgers women’s basketball is looking to make a run

Rutgers women’s basketball plays in the Big Ten Tournament against Minnesota.

On Wednesday night, Rutgers women’s basketball will take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament. Neither team exactly comes into the conference tournament with momentum.

Both Rutgers and Minnesota have each won one time in their last five games. Rutgers only win in that span came against Minnesota on February 13.

As Rutgers looks to win its second straight against Minnesota, they will need Destiny Adams and Erica Lafayette to have big nights. In her last five games, Adams has been a points machine with at least double-digit points every game during that span. She has gotten help from Lafayette, who has scored 31 combined points in her last two games.

 

However, they will have their hands full with Mara Braun. The Golden Gophers star is averaging a team-high 17.8 points per game. In Minnesota’s loss to Illinois on Sunday, Braun was a bright spot with 18 points and five rebounds.

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Additionally, Rutgers must play a complete game to finish the season strong. They have struggled to get back into games after getting off to slow starts. That is something that Minnesota will take advantage of.

 

Rutgers women’s basketball: Destiny Adams named All-Big Ten

Rutgers women’s basketball forward Destiny Adams named All-Big Ten.

In her first season with Rutgers women’s basketball, Destiny Adams was named an All-Big Ten selection.

The Rutgers forward, a summer transfer from North Carolina, was named All-Big Ten second team on Tuesday. She averaged 15.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.

For Adams, who played a shade under 30 minutes a game, her scoring and rebounding numbers were both career-highs. It was an impressive output from Adams, who routinely faced double-teams.

She was also an impressive 50.1 percent from the floor this past season which was another career high. Adams was selected All-Big Ten by the conference’s coaches.

 

Rutgers faces Minnesota on Wednesday in the opening round of the Big Ten Tournament.

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It has not been an easy season for Rutgers women’s basketball, who went 8-23 (2-16 Big Ten). They’ve lost their last four games.

Injuries and an overall lack of depth made this a difficult year for the Scarlet Knights, in what was their second season of a rebuild under head coach Coquese Washington.

 

Rutgers women’s basketball opens March with loss to Northwestern

Rutgers women’s basketball closes the Big Ten regular season with a loss.

On Sunday afternoon, Rutgers women’s basketball continued to struggle against Big Ten teams in their latest conference loss. The Scarlet Knights closed out the Big Ten regular season with a 72-61 loss to Northwestern.

With the loss, Rutgers finishes the Big Ten regular season with an 8-23 (2-16 Big Ten) record. Next up for Rutgers is a game against Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament.

While Rutgers played better in the second half, they were unable to
recover from a slow start. They were outscored 36-28 in the first half as Northwestern thrived close to the basket. The Wildcats scored 28 points in the paint.

Although Sunday did not go as planned for Rutgers, there were a few players who had impressive games. That includes Destiny Adams and Erica Lafayette. Adams added 14 points and six rebounds to her resume. Lafayette scored more than ten points for the second straight game.

 

 

Against the Wildcats, Rutgers was again unable to play a complete game. They only outscored Northwestern in the fourth quarter, but at that point the game was out of reach. From three-point range, Rutgers shot 25 percent.

Last year in the Big Ten Tournament