ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The Winthrop University women's basketball team looks forward to the Music City Classic, hosted by Coast 2 Coast Women's Basketball, taking on SIU and SMU on Nov. 25 and 26, respectively.
| WINTHROP PROBABLE STARTERS |
| Pos. |
No. |
Name |
Ht. |
Yr. |
PPG |
RPG |
APG |
SPG |
Noteworthy |
| G |
3 |
Madison Ruff |
5-9 |
So. |
9.8 |
3.7 |
1.0 |
1.5 |
Transfer from The Mount / Appeared in 31 games, starting in six contests / Finished freshman year on 7.2 ppg and 3.6 rpg / Reached double digits in scoring seven times during her freshman season |
| F |
11 |
Naomi Wilson |
6-2 |
Jr. |
4.7 |
5.8 |
0.8 |
1.0* |
Transfer from Weatherford College / Played in 29 games, starting eleven of them / Averaged 6.6 ppg with 5.2 rpg |
| G |
13 |
Mya Pierfax |
5-9 |
Sr. |
13.3 |
1.3 |
1.5 |
1.7 |
Played in 31 games, starting 18 of them / Had six games in double figures in points, with a season-high of 21 vs. High Point |
| F |
15 |
Amourie Porter |
5-10 |
Jr. |
13.3 |
6.8 |
2.8 |
1.5 |
2025 Big South Conference First Team honoree / Played in all 31 regular-season games, starting 16 of them / 13.1 points per game in 2024-25 |
| G |
22 |
Cori Lard |
5-9 |
Sr. |
7.0 |
3.3 |
2.8 |
2.3 |
Appeared in 27 games, earning three starts / Posted averages of 2.4 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. |
*Blocks per game
WINTHROP
- Winthrop has never played SIU and SMU before, continuing to add to a growing list of first-time opponents this season.
- Pierfax powered Winthrop's offense throughout the week, averaging 14.5 points while knocking down threes at a scorching .462 clip on 6-of-13 shooting. She set the tone against No. 2 South Carolina with 16 points on .500 shooting, then backed it up less than 24 hours later with another double-digit effort, finishing with 13 against Clinton on Friday.
- Wilson was a problem for opposing offenses all week, averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds while turning in one of the most disruptive defensive performances Winthrop has seen in years. She erupted for a career-high 12 points against Clinton on Friday and nearly posted a triple-double, piling up eight rebounds and a staggering eight steals. Her eight-steal outing was the program's most since Jada Ryce logged 10 in December 2023, and the first by a Winthrop freshman since Dequesha McClanahan in 2010.
- Amourie Porter sunk fourteen free throws in the win against Queens on Nov. 15, marking the first time an Eagle has made over thirteen free throws since Jennifer Churchill (2/12/97) at UNC Asheville and Kim Segars (11/26/88) vs Fordham. The most recent time an Eagle has come close to that mark was Dequesha McClanahan (11/30/13) at Robert Morris
- Naomi Wilson became the first Eagle since Blessing Okoh did so against Presbyterian in 2024 to record 3 blocks in a game.
- Ryiah Wilson has provided juice and defensive intensity to the Eagles' bench unit early in her freshman season. Her three steals against Chicago State marked the first Eagle freshman since 2023 to record three steals in a contest.
- With her 15-point 16-rebound performance against Chicago State on Wednesday, Amourie Porter is the first Eagle to record a double-double since herself in the Big South Tournament against Charleston Southern Last year.
- Amourie Porter was tabbed with Big South Preseason All-Conference First Team honors
- The 5-foot-10 guard/forward started all 31 contests, shooting 46.1 percent from the field and 39.3 percent from beyond the arc. Porter also proved effective on the glass, averaging 6.3 rebounds per game while adding 77 assists, 22 blocks, and 66 steals.
- Porter held the 13th best free throw percentage in the country with a mark of .890 percent, also pacing the Big South.
- She is the first Eagle to garner first team honors since Erica Williams in 2017, and she was also the recipient of the Big South's first ever Newcomer of the Year award.
- For the Eagles, they only return five letterwinners from last season, Amourie Porter, Mya Pierfax, Ar'Mani Reid, Jada Ryce, and Persais Williams.
- Under Head Coach Semeka Randall Lay, the Eagles have improved every season after starting with six wins in 2020-21, Randall Lay collected the highest win total of her career last season with 16 wins.
- After missing the 2024-25 season with injury, standout guard Jada Ryce returns to the court. Ryce led the Eagles in scoring in 2023-24, averaging 11.1 PPG and earning an Big South Honorable Mention All-Conference nod.
- Winthrop checked in at 4th in the Big South Preseason Poll
- After not scratching the top four spots since 2015-16, the Eagles have now garnered a second-straight top four placing.
- The Eagles welcome in nine newcomers, three freshmen and six transfers
- Among the transfers are Nessa Walsh (Purdue Northwest), Madison Ruff (Mount Saint Mary's), Naomi Wilson (Weatherford College), Uniyah Franklin (Louisiana Lafayette), Cori Lard (Miami of Ohio), and Tocarra Johnson (Blinn College)
- Randall Lay led the team to 16 wins last season, her most at the helm of the Eagles
- The Eagles only return 37% of its scoring from last season
SEASON HONORS
Amourie Porter – Preseason All-Conference First Team
CAREER MILESTONES
Jada Ryce
- 19 points away from 700 career points
- Nine assists away from 150
Cori Lard
- Seven points away from 300 career points
- 14 away from 150 career assists
- Five steals from 125 career steals
Amourie Porter
- 28 away from 700 career points
Madison Ruff
- 17 points away from 300 career points
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE
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