WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – William & Mary women's basketball adds another chapter to its storied history with interstate rival Richmond on Thursday night as the squads face off in nonconference tilt. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. at Kaplan Arena. The game will be broadcast on FloHoops and regionally in the state of Virginia on Cox YurView with Andrew Phillips and Jason Simms on the call.
W&M is a perfect 2-0 on its home court this season after a 69-66 victory over Army last Sunday. Fans are also encouraged to bring brand-new teddy bears or any new, unwrapped toys to donate to the
Tribe Holiday Toy Drive at the game. All donations will benefit the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters, and any fans who bring in an item will receive a free ticket to a future 2022-23 women's game.
Stay up to date with all things Tribe women's hoops on social media! Fans can follow along with the team throughout the season by checking out the Green and Gold on
Twitter (@WMTribeWBB),
Facebook (WMTribeWBB), and
Instagram (WMTribeWBB).
W&M News and Notes
- History heads to the hardwood on Thursday night as the longest rivalry in William & Mary women's hoops lore adds another chapter. W&M and Richmond square off for the 116th time in a series that dates back to the Tribe's first-ever game on Feb. 24, 1920. The Green and Gold are looking to snap a three-game losing skid against their interstate foe, with eyes on the first win since Dec. 5, 2018. Last season, the Spiders captured a 90-52 victory in Richmond.
- W&M got back in the win column with a 69-66 victory over Army at Kaplan Arena this past Sunday. As it has done all season, the defense once again stole a bit of the spotlight—literally, in some cases. The Tribe forced 19 turnovers, scoring 16 off those Black Knights' miscues. Through the first five games of the year, W&M ranks among the best defensive units in the CAA. The Tribe is allowing 64.2 points per game from its nonconference opponents and sits fourth in the conference in turnovers forced per game (20.2).
- It's been a season of late-game comebacks for the Tribe. Two W&M wins have come after trailing at halftime, while the season-opening victory against Navy saw the Green and Gold tied with the Mids at the break. Even losses have seen their fair share of late-game excitement. In the 71-61 loss at George Mason (11/21/22), W&M outscored the Patriots 42-33 in the second half on 40% shooting, going 14-of-17 from the free throw line, and recording only four turnovers.
- Graduate students Sydney Wagner and Riley Casey, both preseason All-CAA First-Team honorees, have been a consistent backcourt presence for the Tribe all season. The tandem sits top 5 in the CAA in minutes played (Casey 36.4; Wagner: 35.0) and ranks among the conference leaders in 3-pt field goals per game (Casey: 3.6; Wagner: 2.4).
- It's all golden for Wagner this season. Her 18 points at George Mason (11/21/22) marked her 50th double-digit scoring performance at W&M. She followed up with 14 points against Army (11/27/22), marking the 11th time in her previous 12 games that she reached double-digits, dating back to last year. During that stretch, she's also gone a near-perfect 43-of-47 at the line.
- Casey cemented herself in the W&M record books with back-to-back 31-point performances against George Mason (11/21/22) and Army (11/27/22). It was just the second time in program history a player hit the 30-point mark in consecutive games, while Casey's 6-of-9 from distance against the Black Knights matched the third-best, single-game performance among all Tribe players. For her efforts, she was named CAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week and W&M Student Athlete of the Week.
- In addition to her accolades this week, Casey is also garnering national attention for her shooting prowess. Her 22.6 points per game and 54.5% 3-point shooting percentage currently rank tenth in the country. while her 3.6 3-pointers per game are fifth. Additionally, Casey leads the CAA in 3-pt field goal percentage (.545) and is fifth in field goal percentage (.482).
- Junior Caitlin Wingertzahn had her best game for the Green and Gold during Sunday's win over Army. In 25:02 off the bench, she posted personal highs in points (10), rebounds (4), assists (2), steals (1), and blocks (1).
- The Tribe rank among the CAA leaders in several 3-point shooting categories. W&M is fourth in 3-pt field goals per game (6.6), fourth in 3-point field goals made (33), and sixth in 3-point field goals attempted (109). Of course, the Green and Gold have long built a reputation as a deep-scoring threat. Last season, the squad led the CAA in 3-point percentage (.323) and wrapped up the year third in conference in 3-pointers made per game (6.2).
- The Tribe start a brand-new era under the leadership of head coach Erin Dickerson Davis this season. Davis was named the sixth Division I head coach in W&M history on Apr. 12, 2022. She takes the helm after serving as Associate Head Coach at Wake Forest University where she helped lead the Demon Deacons to a pair of postseason appearances, highlighted by the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in 30 seasons.
- The Green and Gold will not leave the state of Virginia during the nonconference slate, playing six home games in Kaplan Arena and another five contests on the road against Commonwealth rivals (VCU, Old Dominion, George Mason, Longwood, Norfolk State).
- The Tribe was picked seventh in the CAA preseason standings by vote of the league coaches. Drexel was the preseason pick to win the league with 10 first-place votes.
