THESSALONIKI, Greece - The Fordham University women's basketball opens its week of international competition against Thessaloniki Select Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. local (12:00 p.m. EDT). Fans can follow along on social media, @Fordhamwbb, for score updates and highlights of the match up.
This will be the first of two game days that the Rams will play during their trip to Greece, before hitting the court again on Aug. 16. Fordham will see its 2024-25 lineup take to the floor for the first time, marking the unofficial start of the second season under Head Coach Bridgette Mitchell.
RETURNING RAMS
In her first season at the helm of the Fordham program, Coach Mitchell led the Rams to the most wins by a first-year Fordham women's basketball coach since the 1993-94 season. Her inaugural campaign saw the Rams led all teams in the A-10 conference in steals per game for nearly the entire season, averaging 9.69 per game, and finished fourth in the league in blocks with 3.66 per game.
With seven players departing after last season, almost entirely to graduation, the Rams return five players from last year's squad including senior standout Taylor Donaldson who led the A-10 conference in points per game, finishing as one of the top scorers in NCAA Division I. Donaldson averaged 17.9 points per game while also finishing second in the conference in steals per game, picking 2.3 per contest, earning her both Second-Team All-Conference and Second-Team All-MET recognition at season's end.
Taya Davis, a standout senior, also returns after pacing the Rams in assists a year ago, dishing 3.4 dimes per game, and tallying 5.9 points per game. The Rams return help in the front court in juniors Rose Nelson and Kaila Berry, who would each split time at the three and four slots for much of the ladder part of last year, including the Rams' seven-game win streak late in the regular season.
Maya Giles-Jones will look to see her first action with Fordham after redshirting last season, as will Precious Omoshola, who joined the Rams last spring, and will make her collegiate debut after spending time with the Great Britain U-20's at FIBA Women's Eurobasket 2024 in Sofia, Bulgaria.
INCOMING RAMS
Making up some of the new additions include another rookie returning from international competition, as Camila De Pool joins the Rams for her freshman campaign after spending July with the Puerto Rico U-18's at FIBA Women's AmeriCup in Colombia 2024.
Bringing more international talent to the Rams' lineup next season, Anastasija Veljovic checks in with some height at the guard spot, at 5 '11' from Mississauga, ON, Canada. She arrives in the Five Boroughs as a two time selection to the BioSteel All-Canadian Games where she featured in the Nike Next Ones Up regional game, which features some of the top Canadian high school basketball players.
A trio of native New Yorkers also make up the 2024-25 roster for the Maroon and White, including freshman Karissa Antoine, a former Under Armour Future 60 Selection, who rounds out the rookie class out of Pattersonville. Coming home to The Bronx, Emma Wilson-Santos joins the Rams after playing her first two collegiate seasons at Monroe College. In that time, she lit up the floor averaging a double-double a season ago with 14.4 points per game, and 11.9 rebounds per game. Scoring nearly 700 points in her two seasons with the Mustangs.
Zaria Shazer out of Elmira, N.Y. makes her way down the Taconic for her graduate season, after playing her undergrad years at Marist. An All-MAAC selection in each of her final two seasons, Shazer would average 13.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game, while leading the Red Foxes in points scored, rebounds, and steals last year.
The Rams made the most of their ventures in the transfer portal with three other established players, including Chaé Harris, who arrives on Rose Hill after spending her first two years at Appalachian State. An athletic wing scorer that will provide a key offensive threat for the Rams at the forward spot, Harris averaged 7.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game last season while averaging just 15 minutes of play.
The No. 5 recruit out of South Carolina in the Class of 2023, Amiyah Ferguson joins the Rams after spending her rookie campaign at Cal State Northridge, finishing second on the team in scoring. A lefty, combo-guard, Ferguson's passing ability and quick pace allows her to do a multitude of things with the ball in her hands, creating numerous chances for her squad.
Rounding out this year's lineup for the Rams includes Irene Murua who comes to Fordham as a graduate transfer from Detroit Mercy, where she spent the final three seasons of her undergraduate career after playing at LA Tech as a freshman. In just three seasons in Motown, the 6 '0 forward tallied over 1,000 career points, earning a reputation as a true back to the basket center.
ATHENS SELECT
The Rams will take on Athens Select to close their international competition on Aug. 16 at 7:00 p.m. local (12:00 p.m. EDT).
