The Massachusetts women’s basketball team begins its 2024-25 campaign on Nov. 4 with a new team and the hope of a winning season. The squad welcomed four promising freshmen and three who transferred into the program, bringing valuable skills. Despite the new talent, the Minutewomen welcome back seven players ready to build on last year and bounce back.
Going into the 2023-24 season, the Minutewomen welcomed back just three players: Lilly Ferguson, Kristin Williams and Stefanie Kulesza. A year later, Ferguson and Kulesza remain, joined by five other returning players from last year’s team. In their 2023-24 season, the Minutewomen went 5-27 overall and 2-16 in the Atlantic 10, capturing victories against St. Peters, UMass Lowell, Dayton and St. Bonaventure. The team was victorious in a first-round playoff win against La Salle before falling to Duquesne in the second round of the A-10 Tournament.
Kristin Williams led the team in scoring, averaging 11.6 points a game and shooting 30.7 percent from three. The sharpshooter took her skills down south in the off-season, transferring to Coastal Carolina for her final year.
Kulesza returns as the team’s only starting player. Last year, Kulesza averaged 11.2 points, shooting 33.7 percent from the three-point line. Kulesza is a competitor on both sides of the floor, not only because of her ability to score but also because of her defensive experience. She recorded eight steals against both Loyola Chicago and Fordham to rank fifth-most in a single game, while also gathering 61 steals last season to rank ninth-most in a single season in program history.
The senior has been with UMass since her freshman year, moving up in the ranks year by year to acquire her starting spot in year three, starting all 32 games in the 2023-24 season. Kulesza stepped up for the Minutewomen, taking on a new position and a new sense of leadership. Continuing into this year’s season, Kulesza returns to her starting position with offensive and defensive fire and a renowned leadership role.
With two years at UMass under her belt, this year could be the year of growth for Ferguson. She saw decent floor time last year, playing 20 minutes a game, with a high of 36 minutes against Maryland. In last year’s season opener, the guard scored six points and snagged four rebounds. With the Minutewomen’s season opener vs. Harvard coming up, Ferguson will be in the mix coming off the bench. Putting up more points will help her see more time and help the Minutewomen collect more wins.
Chinenye Odenigbo got a late start in her freshman campaign but found her stride nearing the end of the 2023-24 season. She’s one of seven Minutewomen listed at six feet or above and be used for her height, snagging rebounds on both sides of the floor and being an easy shoo-in under the basket. Even as a freshman, Odenigbo showed promise, grabbing 10 rebounds at La Salle and dropping 16 points in UMass’s first-round win against La Salle in the A-10 championship. During the 2023-24 season, Odenigbo shot .538 from the field and.500 at the free throw line. In the Minutewomen’s exhibition game against Assumption, the 6’4 center was more physical than ever, playing both sides of the ball and using her height to her advantage. Odenigbo will be a problem in the paint as she progresses.
Dallas Pierce played her freshman year for UMass and returns for her sophomore season. She recorded multiple three-pointers in four games, coming correct from deep. Pierce shot 39.6 percent from the three-point line, making 19 out of 48 attempts. With Williams off the roster, Pierce could become the go-to three-point shooter for the Minutewomen.
After spending her freshman season at Denver, Mikenzie Jones transferred into the program for her sophomore year and returns as a junior. Jones was not much of a difference maker for UMass in 2023, appearing in nine games with nine total points. Without knowing what offseason work has been done it’s hard to gauge where Jones will fall on the roster, but she could find time coming in off the bench as relief and gain minutes by adding to the Minutewomen’s exemplary defense, as seen in their exhibition game.
As the sole walk-on for the Minutewomen, Avery Childers rarely saw time on the court. She played a total of five minutes and 28 seconds in the 2023-24 season. With work in the offseason, Childers could gain skills and be rewarded more playing time than seen last season.
In her second year with UMass, Allie Palmieri will be eligible for the first time since joining the Minutewomen. After starting in the exhibition game, Palmieri is ready to make an impact with her scoring ability and intensity, as head coach Mike Leflar calls her “a competitor.”
With new talent in Amherst, the returning seven will seek out starting positions and work to avenge last year’s losses. Kulesza is forecasted to remain in her starting position and finish out her senior season as a standout for the Minutewomen, while Ferguson and Odenigbo will work to show their efficiency and value on the court. As for Pierce, Jones, Childers and Palmieri, each has an equal chance of coming off the bench early for UMass.
The Minutewomen will start regular season play against Harvard on Monday, Nov. 4, traveling to Cambridge for the opener.
Lucy Postera can be reached at [email protected] and followed on X @LucyPostera.
