By Dave Johnson
W&M Athletics

Back in high school, Sydney Wagner took an official recruiting visit to William & Mary. She immediately fell in love with the place.

There was one drawback: It was too close to her home in Pennsylvania. She wanted more distance, and Stetson University provided that down in the Sunshine State.

A year later, Wagner decided to transfer. Her first call was to Ed Swanson, coach of the women's basketball team that had finished second in her recruiting solely because of geography.

"I didn't even need to talk to them," she said. "I already knew everybody on the coaching staff and I knew the players. I just called him up and he was like, 'We'd love it.' No questions asked.

"It was a done deal after that call. Other schools called me and I told them I was committed. And they were like, 'Wow, that was quick.'"

In each of her three seasons at W&M, which opens in the CAA tournament Friday against Delaware, Wagner has had a different role. In 2019-20, on a team that won 21 games, she was instant offense off the bench. In 2020-21, she was a starter and averaged 21.3 points a game — the most in program history since 1958-59.

This year, she's part of a scoring duo with Columbia transfer Riley Casey. Together, they're averaging 29.4 points a game (Wagner 14.9, Casey 14.5) and accounting for 51% of the Tribe's offense. One or the other has been the leading scorer in 25 of W&M's 29 games.

This is their first year playing together, and chemistry doesn't come easy.

"Early in the year, we just weren't on the same page," Wagner said. "But it's funny to see to see how our relationship on and off the court has really grown. If we continue learning to play together, next year is going to be fun to watch because we have come a long way.

"Maybe one game, I'm really hot and the next game, she's really hot. When we learn how to both get hot on the same night, that's going to be really scary."

Neither is a true point guard. But out of necessity, they share those duties.

With Chaniqwa Gilliam out since Nov. 29 and Ruthie Montella missing an eight-game stretch in conference play, Wagner leads the CAA in minutes at 37.8 a night. Casey is fourth at 36.8, and do-everything wing Kate Sramac is eighth at 34.8.

A self-described "gym rat," Wagner isn't complaining.

"It's tiring for sure, but I live for moments like that," she said. "I really enjoy being on the court as long as I can, and we've done a great job making sure our bodies are in the best shape possible to be able to withstand 40 minutes a game."

Wagner's 3-point shooting percentage has dropped from last year, but that's national trend with the arc having been extended from 20 feet, 9 inches to 22-1¾. She's improved on getting to the basket, not an easy chore when you're giving up six-plus inches in the post.

"I've made an effort to be more than just a shooter," Wagner said. "I've really focused on cutting with purpose, and that's opened my games. I really worked on my ball-handling skills and being an all-around shooter."

Swanson sees the difference.

"I know she hasn't shot the ball as well as she would like at times this year, but her overall floor game has been pretty good," he said. "She's had some good rebounding efforts. She's had some good assist-to-turnover ratio games. That's been the biggest part of it.

Wagner leads the CAA in free throw shooting (.918), is sixth in assists (3.3 per game) and is ninth in steals (1.8 per game). She's been a surprisingly effective rebounder with eight against Jams Madison and Hofstra and seven vs. Delaware and Drexel.

Swanson also sees improvement on the defensive end.

"Early on, she was kind of a disinterested defender," he said. "But I really think in the last two years, she's really elevated that part of her game."

With 920 points in three seasons at W&M, Wagner is closing in on the top 20 scorers in program history. She has at least one more game this season and, thanks to the NCAA granting all athletes a mulligan year due to the pandemic, will be back for 2022-23.

Wagner, who graduated last spring with a degree in economics, is in her first year in the Raymond A. Mason School of Business. So is Casey, who also will return next season. Ten more players with remaining eligibility are on the roster.

"This year has been more of a rebuilding year," said Wagner, who has an internship lined up for this summer with Northwestern Mutual in New York. "Next year, I'm super excited about who we have coming back.

"Once we continue to learn to play together and pick up that chemistry, we'll be a really core good group of people. I'm excited to grow with them on and off the court."