2020-21 Oregon Women’s Basketball Roster

Get to know the 2020-21 Oregon Women’s Basketball roster!

Introducing the 2020-21 Oregon Women’s Basketball Roster

This season, the Oregon Women’s basketball team is led by Head Coach Kelly Graves. The team is made up of 12 players, all of whom are eager to compete and win games. Get to know the 2020-21 Oregon Women’s basketball roster below:

Raegyn Richardson
Guard
#4
5’7″
Junior
Springfield, Oregon

Sabrina Ionescu
Guard
#20
6’0″
Senior
Walnut Creek, California

Satou Sabally
Forward
#0
6’4″
Junior
Berlin, Germany

Minyon Moore
Guard
#5
5’9″
Freshman

Los Angeles California

Meet the Newcomers

The 2020-21 Oregon Women’s Basketball team will feature eight newcomers, including six true freshmen, one redshirt freshman and one transfer.

Head coach Kelly Graves and his staff have assembled a talented and diverse group of players that should have an immediate impact on the program.

Here’s a closer look at each of the eight newcomers:

Redshirt freshman McKenzie Forbes: A 6-3 guard/forward from Sydney, Australia, Forbes redshirted last season after suffering a Knee Injury prior to the start of the year. She is expected to be fully healthy for the 2020-21 campaign and will add much-needed size and athleticism to the Oregon frontcourt.

Freshman Ellie Slama: A 6-1 forward from Salem, Oregon, Slama is one of the top recruits in the state. She was named Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in High School and should contribute right away for the Ducks.

Freshman Te’a Adams: A 5-9 guard from Los Angeles Adams is a versatile player who can score in a variety of ways. She should see significant minutes as a freshman and will be counted on to provide some scoring punch off the bench.

Freshman Taylor Mikesell A 6-0 guard from Marion, Ohio, Mikesell is one of the top three-point shooters in the country. She set an Ohio high school record with 408 made three-pointers in her career and will give the Ducks another dangerous perimeter threat.

Freshman Rutherford Garnett: A 6-2 forward from Brooklyn, New York, Garnett is an athletic player who can play both inside and out. She should see time at both forward positions as a freshman and will add some much-needed size to the Oregon frontline.

Freshman Nia Reid: A 5-11 guard from Chicago, Reid is an outstanding Defensive Player who can also score in transition. She figures to see significant minutes as a freshman and will be counted on to provide energy and effort on both ends of the floor.

Transfer Erin Boley: A 6-2 forward from Owensboro, Kentucky, Boley comes to Oregon after spending two seasons at Notre Dame She was named ACC Sixth Player of the Year last season and will add some experience and leadership to the Ducks’ young roster.

Freshman Emma Williams: A 5-8 guard from Fort Wayne Indiana, Williams is an excellent shooter with deep range. She figures to see time at both guard positions as a freshman and could be a key piece for Oregon off the bench.

Returning Veterans

The 2020-21 Oregon women’s basketball team will feature a mix of experienced veterans and promising newcomers. The team is led by returning veterans such as Ruthy Hebard, Satou Sabally, and Erin Boley. These experienced players will be key to the team’s success this season. The team also features several promising newcomers, such asLexi Bando and Taylor Chavez, who will add depth and talent to the roster. With a mix of experienced veterans and talented newcomers, the 2020-21 Oregon women’s Basketball team is poised for a successful season

Key Departures

Oregon Women’s Basketball will have to replace some key contributors from last year’s team that went 26-8 and made it to the Sweet Sixteen

Satou Sabally, who was drafted second overall in the 2020 NBA draft by the Dallas Wings, is the biggest departures. The 6’4″ forward was a two-time all-Pac-12 selection and averaged 17.5 points and 7.8 rebounds per game as a junior in 2019-20. She also shot 41 percent from three-point range

Ruthy Hebard, who was drafted eighth overall by the Chicago Sky is another big loss for the Ducks. The 6’4″ center was a two-time all-Pac-12 selection and finished her career as Oregon’s all-time leader in field goal percentage (65.7%). She averaged 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game as a senior in 2019-20.

Maite Cazorla, who was Oregon’s leading scorer (13.7 ppg) and assist leader (5.6 apg) as a senior in 2019-20, is also gone after exhausting her eligibility. She was named to the all-Pac-12 first team and the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year last season.

The Backcourt

The backcourt for the Oregon Women’s basketball team this season is going to be a strength for the team. The returning starters are Sabrina Ionescu and Ruthy Hebard. Ionescu is a two-time Pac-12 Player of the year and is one of the best players in the country. She averaged 19.7 points, 8.6 assists, and 7.5 rebounds per game last season. Hebard is a 6’4″ center who averaged 17.1 points and 9.6 rebounds per game last season. The two of them will give the team a strong inside-outside presence on offense and they are both very good defenders as well.

The other two starters in the backcourt will be Maite Cazorla and Satou Sabally. Cazorla is a 5’8″ guard who transferred to Oregon from France last season. She averaged 11.6 points, 4.5 assists, and 3 rebounds per game last season and was named the Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year. Sabally is a 6’4″ forward from Germany who averaged 13 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 blocked shot per game last season as a freshman. She was named to the All-Pac-12 Freshman team last season and should be even better this season as she gains more experience.

The bench players for Oregon this season will include Minyon Moore, Taylor Mikesell, Olivia Epoupa, Nyara Sabally, Kennedy Brown, Erin Boley, Taylor Chavez, Aina Ayuso, and Gabby Hanson. Moore is a 5’10” guard who was named to the All-Pac-12 Defensive team last season as a junior. Mikesell is a 6’0″ guard who averaged 8 points per game last season as a freshman and should see her role increase this season as she gains more experience. Epoupa is a 5’9″ guard from France who averaged 9 points and 5 assists per game last season as a sophomore. Nyara Sabally is Satou Sabally’s younger sister who is also from Germany; she is a 6’3″ forward who averaged 2 points per game last season as a freshman but should see her role increase this year as well. Kennedy Brown is a 6’4″ center from Colorado who redshirted last season but should see playing time this year as a backup to Hebard in the post; she has Good defensive instincts and can score in the post as well. Erin Boley is a 6’1″ forward from Indiana who transferred to Oregon from Notre Dame before last season; she sat out last year due to NCAA transfer rules but will be eligible to play this year and should see significant playing time off the bench as well due to her experience at the Division I level (she averaged 11 points per game during her sophomore year at Notre Dame). Taylor Chavez is a 5’7″ guard from California who saw limited playing time last year but will provide depth at the guard position this year behind Cazorla and Moore; she has good speed on defense which could make her valuable in situations where Oregon needs to defend against an opponent with quick guards . Aina Ayuso is a 6′ guard from Spain; she was part of Spain’s national team that won the bronze medal at EuroBasket 2017 but missed all of last season due to an ACL injury; she will provide depth at shooting guard behind Ionescu this year once she returns to full health (she has not yet been cleared by doctors to play). Gabby Hanson is a 6′ forward/center from Arizona; she played sparingly off the bench last year but could see an increased role this year due mainly to her size (she can provide relief for Hebard or Brown in the post when needed) .

The Frontcourt

The Oregon Women’s basketball team is stacked with talent in the frontcourt. Heading into the 2020-21 season, the Ducks have a wealth of experience and production returning in the post.

Senior Ruthy Hebard is the team’s leading returning scorer and rebounder. She’s a two-time All-Pac-12 selection and was named to the preseason All-America team by USA Today Hebard will be counted on to anchor the Oregon defense and provide a consistent presence on the glass.

Fellow senior Satou Sabally is one of the most versatile players in the country. She can score from anywhere on the court and is an excellent rebounder. Sabally is coming off a strong junior season in which she was named second-team All-Pac-12. She’ll be looked to for leadership this season as Oregon looks to contend for a conference title

Junior Erin Boley provides a scoring punch off the bench. She’s an excellent shooter and has shown vast improvement on the defensive end of the court. Boley will be expected to provide valuable minutes for Oregon this season.

The Bench

The Oregon Women’s basketball team has a strong bench this season, with several Key Players that can make an impact when called upon. Here is a closer look at the team’s bench players.

Forwards/Centers:

-Niya Beverley: A 6’2″ forward from Los Angeles CA, Beverley is a versatile player that can provide a spark on both ends of the court. She is a good shooter and rebounder, and has the ability to stretch the defense with her outside shooting.

-Sasha Goforth: A 6’1″ forward from Eugene, OR, Goforth is a local product that brings a lot of energy and effort to the court. She is a good rebounder and shot blocker, and can also knock down shots from the outside.

Guards:

-Jazmine Davis: A 5’8″ guard from Seattle, WA, Davis is an explosive scorer that can fill it up from anywhere on the court. She is quick and shifty with the ball in her hands, and is very dangerous in transition.

-Taylor Chavez: A 5’7″ guard from San Antonio TX, Chavez is a steady presence on the court that can do a little bit of everything. She is a good shooter and passer, and has the ability to play both ends of the court.

The Coaching Staff

Oregon women’s basketball is led by head coach Kelly Graves, who is in his sixth season with the team. Associate Head Coach Jody Runge is in her fourth season with the Ducks, while assistant coaches Dorka Juhasz and Michael Melton are in their second and first seasons, respectively.

The Schedule

The 2020-21 Oregon Women’s Basketball Schedule is as follows:

11/25 – vs. Portland State (Exhibition)
11/29 – vs. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (Exhibition)
12/2 – at Stanford
12/6 – at Gonzaga
12/10 – vs. Eastern Washington
12/13 – at Purdue

Conclusion

The 2020-21 Oregon women’s basketball team will represent the University of Oregon during the 2020-21 NCAA Division I women’s Basketball season The Ducks, led by first year Head coach Meghan Gaston, will play their home games at Matthew Knight Arena as members of the Pac-12 Conference.

Roster

References