- It's our super sweet six...th semifinal berth. And we're ready to celebrate. And keep winning. For the sixth time in program history and first since 2017, William & Mary will take the hardwood in the CAA semifinal. The Tribe captured the spot after a 74-64 victory over Hofstra in Friday's quarterfinal at SECU Arena. Sydney Wagner led the way for the Green and Gold with 20 points, her ninth 20-plus effort this season. Riley Casey wasn't far behind with 19 points, and Rebekah Frisby-Smith notched her ninth double-digit effort of the season with 10. Bre Bellamy once again flirted with a double-double finishing with eight points and 10 rebounds.
- The second-oldest college in the country, William & Mary is no stranger to history. It's part of our foundation, really. And, this year, Casey and Wagner, the Tribe's dynamic backcourt duo of grad guards, have added their own chapter to the program's extensive history books. The two each notched 33-point games (Wagner at home against Delaware and Casey on the road at Monmouth), the highest single-game scoring performances by a Tribe player this season and tied for third all-time. The pair have both posted 24 double-digit games this year, while Caesy's 33 against the Hawks marked her sixth 30-plus effort — a W&M record. And speaking of records? Casey's 554 points sit second on the Tribe's single-season scoring list. Meanwhile, Wagner, who topped 1,300 career points against Elon (2/24/13), moved into No. 8 on the program's career scoring list following her 20-point afternoon against Hofstra in the quarterfinals.
- Casey and Wagner aren't just racking up records. They're also racking up awards. Earlier this week, the pair captured All-CAA honors as Casey was named to the first team and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and Wagner was named to the second team. It marked the second straight All-CAA season for the two, who were both named first-team pre-season players, after they were part of last year's third team.
- Let's be honest. The best defense is... a good defense. It's also a mindset William & Mary has taken to heart, especially over the last few weeks. In its final regular-season game against Hofstra, the Green and Gold forced 19 turnovers, the seventh time in the previous nine games the squad has turned an opponent over 15-plus times. Since February, W&M has forced an average of 17.2 turnovers per contest and has posted three games with double-digit steals. Even in its most recent losses, W&M's defense has stood strong. Against Drexel (2/26/23), W&M held the Dragons to 55 points, their second-lowest point total of the year. And at Kaplan against Towson (2/17/23), the Tribe turned the Tigers over 19 times.
- Is it hot in here, or is it just our record over our last month-plus? W&M went 7-2 in its final nine games of the regular season and, in those seven victories, won by an average margin of 12.1 points. With that number in mind, it isn't all too surprising to note that, as a group, the Tribe was hitting its shots, too. The Green and Gold shot 43.5% or better in its last seven wins ahead of the tournament, including a blistering 51.9% at N.C. A&T (2/12/23)—the second-best mark this season. Meanwhile, the 40.9% from distance against Elon at Kaplan (2/24/23) was the third-best the Green and Gold recorded in its 29 games. And W&M's top shooters? Packing their stat sheets. Following Friday's win, Casey extended her streak to 11 straight in double digits, and Wagner has hit double-digits in every game she's suited up for, save one, since January.
- With a win this afternoon, William & Mary will secure a CAA championship berth for the second time in program history. That appearance came in 1993 after the No. 7 Tribe defeated No. 6 American 83-60.
- We're showing our true stripes. From the stripe, actually. As a team, William & Mary led the CAA in free throw percentage (.783) during the regular season, while Wagner led all players in the conference. And she didn't miss a step in the quarters, either. Or a shot. The Pennsylvania grad was a perfect 7-of-7 against Hofstra, the 14th time this season she's gone 100% at the line.
- Dial it up from distance. The Green and Gold came into the CAA Championship, sitting second in the conference in 3-point field goals per game (7.4) and third in 3-point percentage (.325). A big reason for that? Casey, who has been a serious spark for W&M from behind the arc. The Tennessee native was third in the conference from 3-point range (.381) and second in 3-pointers per game (2.8). But keep an eye on Rebekah Frisby-Smith, as well. She drained a career-high five triples at N.C. A&T (2/12/23) and, since January, has hit at least two treys in 13 of 18 games.
- Moving right along. With our ball movement. W&M sits third in the CAA in assists per game (13.9), posting double-digit assists in all but two games this year. In its last eight wins, W&M averaged 15.5 assists, while the 19 dished out at Elon (2/10/23) matched a season-high. Maybe even more impressive, though? The Tribe isn't turning it over much. In fact, in both games against Monmouth, the Green and Gold recorded just eight turnovers and wrapped up the regular-season second in the CAA in assist/turnover ratio (1.00).
- And speaking of ball movement, four of William & Mary's regular five starters went into post-season play ranked among the top-25 in the CAA in assists per game. Freshman Alexa Mikeska led the way at No. 11 with 3.1, while Casey wasn't far behind at No. 13 (3.0). Wagner ranked 18th, and Frisby-Smith was 24th. Casey and Mikeska were also top-5 in the conference's assist/turnover ratio at 1.6 and 1.5, respectively.
- Senior forward Bellamy might be the Tribe's not-so-secret weapon. A perennial standout for the Green and Gold throughout her four-year career, the New Jersey native is also at the center of a pretty impressive streak. With her 10 points against Hofstra (3/4/23), W&M is now 9-0 whenever Bellamy hits double digits. It's a mark she's hit four times since February, including a season-best 18-point, 11-rebound performance at Hampton that was her second double-double of the season and third of her career.
- Sometimes it isn't, actually, all about the buckets. Even when she isn't draining shots, Mikeska has been finding ways to pack her stat sheet. In 30 minutes of work at Monmouth (3/2/23), she dished out six assists, racked up four steals, pulled down three rebounds, and didn't turn the ball over once. Mikeska is tied with Casey for the team lead in assists this season at 3.0 per contest and is just behind Frisby-Smith with 1.3 steals per game. Of course, sometimes it is good to pad the scoring average, and Mikeksa did that in the regular-season finale, going 3-of-4 from behind the arc.
- Wagner and Casey have taken advantage of every moment this season. Often quite literally. The preseason All-CAA First-Team tandem sits top-10 in the conference in minutes (Casey: 35.1, Wagner: 32.7) and is also top-5 in points per game (Casey: 18.5, Wagner: 15.8) and top-10 in 3-point field goals per game (Casey: 2.8, Wagner: 2.0).
- The wonder from down under! Australia native Frisby-Smith has had a breakout season this winter, starting all but six games and taking her game to the next level. After averaging 1.6 points in her sophomore season, the junior forward is averaging 7.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.9 assists this year. Plus, her 1.4 steals per game lead the Green and Gold and rank 14th among all CAA players. She's also rewritten her record book this year — topping her career-highs in scoring and minutes played multiple times.
- Our players might not be all that familiar with his music, but like James Taylor, we've got Carolina on our mind. Because our North Carolina road trip last month was nothing short of excellent as the Green and Gold racked up the stats and personal bests. At Elon, Casey recorded her fifth game with 30-plus points while also dishing out a career-high seven assists. Frisby-Smith added her best with 18 points, freshman Kayla Rolph chipped in 13 points in her first collegiate start, and junior Caitlin Wingertzahn hauled in 11 rebounds. Then, in the follow-up at North Carolina A&T, Mikeska finished with a career-high eight assists, while junior Lanni Brown recorded her highest-ever scoring effort with 11 points.
- It's award season for both Hollywood and William & Mary women's basketball. In addition to the postseason All-CAA accolades scooped up by Casey and Wagner, the Tribe has been in the spotlight throughout the year. Casey earned three CAA Player of the Week honors, while both Mikeska and Rolph were honored as Rookie of the Week during the season. Casey was also twice named William & Mary Student-Athlete of the Week, sponsored by the Virginia Lottery, while Wagner and Wingertzahn picked up the award once.
- Mark it down and underline the date: Sunday, January 8, saw the Tribe capture its first CAA victory under Dickerson Davis and, for good measure, set a few scoring records, as well. The Tribe's 14 3-pointers were the most in a single game at Kaplan Arena and the second-most in program history. As a group, the Tribe shot 50% from behind the arc (and a blistering 54.4% from the floor), led by graduate student Riley Casey who drained seven shots from distance. The performance matched a career-high for Casey and was also a Kaplan Arena record.
- Big players make big plays and... play big-time minutes. Although W&M has started the same five in nearly all of its CAA games, the Tribe's bench has also seen major moments on the hardwood this season. Rolph averages 19.7 minutes per game, while junior Kayla Beckwith, who battled an injury during most of the non-con slate, averages 16.9. As a team, the Tribe boasts 10 players averaging over 10 minutes per contest and 10 players who have seen action in 20 or more games.
