Women's Basketball Prepares For An Electrifying 2023-24 Season - University of Delaware Athletics (2024)

NEWARK, Del. –As the University of Delaware women's basketball program prepares to embark on its historic 52nd season, the stage is set for an unforgettable year under the leadership of Head Coach Sarah Jenkins. The team welcomes back seven returning members from the 2022-23 season, all poised to elevate the program's second year under Coach Jenkins.

The 2022-23 season concluded with the Blue Hens reaching the second round of the 2023 Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Women's Basketball Tournament. Coach Jenkins and her dedicated squad finished the campaign with a commendable 16-14 record, including a 9-9 mark in conference play. The Blue Hens displayed their prowess with a 7-7 record at the beloved Bob Carpenter Center, an impressive 8-5 record on the road, and a 1-2 record on neutral grounds.

Coach Jenkins is excited to welcome seven promising recruits, rounding out the roster to 14 players for the upcoming season. In a testament to the team's potential, Jenkins' peers have selected the Blue Hens to finish fourth in the conference with 123 votes in the 2023-24 CAA Preseason Coaches' Poll. Additionally, fifth-year center Klarke Sconiers and senior transfer forward Chloe Wilson have earned a spot on the Preseason All-CAA Honorable Mention list, highlighting the talent on the roster.

Leading the charge for the Blue Hens are seasoned players Sconiers and Tara Cousins, both eager to guide the team to success.

Sconiers, hailing from Queens, N.Y., made an indelible impact in her debut season with the Blue Hens. She started in 24 of her 28 appearances, averaging an impressive 12.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. Sconiers' exceptional performance included four games with over 20 points, including a career-best 29-point display and a career-high 11 rebounds in a thrilling 79-67 road victory against Lehigh. Her consistent contributions earned her the distinction of a third-team All-CAA selection and the title of CAA Player of the Week during the regular season.

Senior Cousins,who took on the role of team captain and starting point guard last season, has consistently displayed her leadership on and off the court. With starts in all 27 of her appearances, the Washington D.C. nativemaintained averages of 7.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. Notably, she scored in double figures in 13 games during the season, with a career-high 15 points on two separate occasions. Cousins took home the CAA's most prestigious honor the Dean Ehlers Leadership Award, becoming the fourth-ever Blue Hen player to gain recognition from the league for her outstanding leadership on the court and in the classroom.

Cousins will be joined by six talented guards in the backcourt, adding depth and versatility to the team.

Graduate student Jada Thorpe, who arrived in Newark after two seasons at Western Illinois, brings a wealth of experience. Thorpe, a Chicago native, appeared in 29 games, making 13 starts, and averaged 10.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. Her performance included a career-high 28 points in a single game, showcasing her scoring prowess.

Senior Jadaia Reid, having appeared in five games during her junior campaign, is determined to make her mark in the upcoming season.

Junior Sydney Boone, previously with the Richmond Spiders, has joined the Blue Hens and brings her talent and potential to the team. Boone, a native of Richmond, Va., displayed her ability with a career-best 13-point game last season.

Junior Mia Yanogacio, a Somerset, N.J. native, has shown her dedication and skills, contributing with a career-best 10-point performance last season.

Nakiyah Mays-Prince, a standout during her rookie season, is determined to continue making an impact in her sophom*ore year. The Chicago native started in four of her 28 appearances and finished the year averaging 6.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per contest, displaying her well-rounded abilities on the court.

Freshman guard Grace Sundback, representing Staten Island, N.Y., aims to make a memorable collegiate debut after an impressive high school career at Westtown School.

The Blue Hens' frontcourt will be bolstered by the presence of senior players Wilson and Rebecca Demeke, junior Michelle Ojo, and promising freshmen Ande'a Cherisier, Darrionna Howard, and Arantxa Portalez.

Wilson, a senior transfer from FDU and native of Freeport, N.Y., is set to make a significant impact with her scoring ability. She averaged 17.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game, earning First Team All-NEC honors last season. With over 1,000 career points and 57 starts to her name, Wilson is a formidable addition to the team.

Demeke, a product of Toronto, Canada, enjoyed her first season in the Blue & Gold playingin 15 games and contributed an average of 6.2 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Ojo, with two starts in her 30 appearances, provided a consistent presence, averaging 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Notably, the Virginia Beach, Va. native recorded her first career double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds against VCU.

Freshmen Cherisier, Howard, and Portalez are poised to make their collegiate debut, bringing their respective talents and potential to the frontcourt.

The Blue Hens will enjoy the advantage of playing 13 of its 30-game schedule in the friendly confines of the Bob Carpenter Center. The home slate kicks off on Nov. 9 by welcoming Longwood for the second meeting in program history. The Blue & Gold will wrap up its non-conference schedule at home against Harvard, a program that made a postseason run in the WNIT by advancing to the Great 8. The Blue Hens and the Crimson will meet on New Year's Eve, marking a remarkable reunion after 29 long years, the second time meeting in program history.

Delaware will pack its bags and set its sights southward for an exhilarating three-game stretch in the picturesque city of Estero, Fla. from Nov. 24-26. The squad will face Florida Gulf Coast to open things up at the highly esteemed 2023 Clean Simple Eats Gulf Coast Showcase inside Hertz Arena. The eight-team tournament field features six squads that competed in postseason play a year ago, including the NCAA national runners-up Iowa. Delaware along with Florida Gulf Coast, Kansas State, North Carolina, Purdue Fort Wayne, Vermont, and Western Kentucky round out the field.

The Blue Hens returns to the First State on Thursday, Dec. 21 to close out the non-conference road slate against in-state rival Delaware State. The Blue & Gold vies to hoist up the Route 1 Rivalry trophy for the third consecutive year.

CAA play commences in the new year on Friday, Jan. 5 when Delaware faces Northeastern in Boston. The team then returns home for two consecutive games, hosting Hampton (Jan. 7) and Stony Brook (Jan. 14) The highly anticipated matchup against the defending champions Monmouth is scheduled for Feb. 11 in West Long Branch, N.J. The regular season concludes with a showdown against Charleston on Mar. 9. The Blue Hens will look to hoist up title number four at the 2024 CAA Women's Basketball Championship, which is scheduled for Mar. 13-17 at the Entertainment & Sports Arena, home of the Washington Mystics, in Washington, D.C.

The 2024 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball tournament begins with Selection Sunday on Mar. 17 and first- and second-round games being played on Mar. 22-Mar. 25 at top-16 seeds.

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