WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – In its final game at Kaplan Arena this month, William & Mary women's basketball wraps up a five-game homestand with a Sunday afternoon matchup against James Madison University. Tip-off is slated for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on FloHoops, as well as regionally in the state of Virginia on Cox YurView.
Fans should wear their best ugly Christmas sweaters and plan on getting to Kaplan early for the matinee—the first 100 fans into the arena will receive a W&M tree cookie cutter! There will also be an appearance by Santa Griffin, as well as a photo op station and an opportunity for kids of all ages to pen a letter to the North Pole.
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- One of the oldest series in W&M history adds another chapter on Sunday afternoon as the Dukes visit Kaplan Arena—this time as a nonconference foe. The former CAA rivals square off for the 94th time with the Tribe looking to snap an eight-game losing skid and capture the first victory at home since a 65-59 OT win on Jan. 3, 2016. JMU took both of last season's matchups, including a 64-58 game in the 'Burg last February that saw Riley Casey and Sydney Wagner each play 40 minutes.
- James Madison brings a three-game win streak into Sunday and is 6-2 for the first time since the 2019-20 campaign. So far this season, JMU ranks as one of the top rebounding teams in the country, sitting 12th nationally and first in conference in rebounding margin (11.6). Kiki Jefferson leads the way on offense, sitting 13th nationally in points per game (20.6) and 43rd in double-doubles with 3 in the first eight games.
- Sydney Wagner and Riley Casey have been backcourt batteries for the Tribe all season, providing an offensive spark and big-time minutes. The preseason All-CAA First-Team tandem ranks among the nation's leaders in minutes played and top-3 in the conference (Casey: 35.8; Wagner: 35.6). Among their fellow CAA players, the duo is top-4 in 3-point field goal percentage (Casey: .489; Wagner: .339) and top-3 in 3-point field goals per game (Casey: 2.9; Wagner: 2.6).
- There's no place like home for Wagner, who, in five games at Kaplan Arena, is averaging 16.2 points while shooting nearly 35% from the field. Against Richmond (12/1/22), she posted season-highs in points (26) and field goals made (8) before following up with 20 points, plus season-highs in assists (5) and 3-point field goals made (4) against Coppin State. In eight games this year, she's hit double-digits seven times, racked up four multi-steal performances, and dished out three or more assists on three occasions.
- After her history-making back-to-back 31-point performances against George Mason and Army, Casey continues to find a way to put points on the board. In 36 minutes of work against Richmond (12/1/22), she racked up 13 points, five assists, and three steals. Then, against Coppin State (12/4/22), she scored seven of her 19 points in OT and went a near-perfect 10-of-11 from the free throw line. That performance came in a season-high 41 minutes; the second time this season she's hit the 40-minute mark. Earlier this week, she scored a team-high 13 points against ACC foe Virginia.
- One of the most prolific scorers in the country, Casey has the stats to back that title up. She ranks 25th nationally in points per game (19.8), 27th in 3-point field goal percentage (.489), and 32nd in 3-point field goals per game (2.8). In the CAA, she sits second in scoring and 12th in field goal percentage (.425). Casey is racking up accolades for her efforts as well. Last month, she was named CAA Women's Basketball Player of the Week (11/28/22) and W&M Student Athlete of the Week (11/29/22).
- Coming off the bench, junior Caitlin Wingertzahn has packed the stat sheet for the Green and Gold recently. In the win over Army (11/27/22), she set several career-highs, including points (10) and minutes (25:02) before following it up against Richmond (12/1/22) with 23 minutes of strong work. In the waning OT seconds against CSU (12/4/22), she connected on what proved to be a game-changing block, keeping the Eagles from taking the lead.
- Freshman Kayla Rolph had a breakout game against Coppin State on Dec. 7. In 20:12 off the bench, then her highest mark of the season, she recorded career-bests in points (7), rebounds (8), and assists (3).
- W&M is second in the CAA in 3-point field goal percentage (.325) and third in 3-point field goals made (6.9/per game). 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 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.
