\nTRIBE NOTES<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Matchup
\nWilliam & Mary will look to get in the win column in its home opener against DII Barton College on Sunday at Kaplan Arena. Tip off is set for 1 p.m. with the game broadcast on FloCollege.<\/p>\n
\u2022 The Opponent
\nBarton College, located in Wilson, N.C., enters year two under head coach Eileen Van Horn. The Bulldogs are coming off a season in which they went 14-16 with a 9-11 record in Conference Carolinas and bowed out in the conference’s second round. Barton already has a tune up under their belt, playing an exhibition against UNCW.<\/p>\n
\u2022 A Historic Look Back
\nThe 2024-25 season is one that will not be forgotten by Tribe fans far and wide, with W&M going on a magical run as the No. 9 seed to win the CAA Championship over Campbell. W&M became the lowest seed to ever make the CAA title game let alone win the championship. The Tribe went on to beat High Point in the NCAA Tournament First Four, 69-63, before bowing out to No. 1 seed Texas in the first round in Austin, 105-61. The Tribe finished the season 16-19, 8-10 CAA.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Finally Dancing
\nPrior to the CAA championship game, William & Mary was the lone original DI member eligible for the first postseason in 1938 to have never made an NCAA Tournament in men’s or women’s basketball. The Tribe’s triumph over High Point in the First Four was naturally the school’s first ever NCAA Tournament win in basketball.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Last Time Out \u2022More History \u2022 Back for More \u2022 Bright Lights=Big Shots \u2022Tribe Triples \u2022 Ice in Mo’s Veins \u2022All About Cass \u2022 Neutral Site, Not a Problem \u2022 Not Bad, Nat \u2022 Active on the Glass \u2022 Tribe on TV \u2022 Excellence From E \u2022 Closing the Deal
\nThe Tribe dropped its season opener on Thursday at Davidson, 71-50, in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. After falling behind as much as 13 in the second quarter, the Tribe cut it to a one-possession game right before halftime, but that was as close as they would get with the Wildcats mainataing between a 8-15 point edge for most of the second half. Cassidy Geddes<\/a> led the way with 20 for W&M while Natalie Fox<\/a> joined her in double figures with 12.<\/p>\n
\nAs if the Tribe hadn’t made enough history in March, W&M’s win over High Point in the First Four made them the first team to ever win an NCAA Tournament game with an under .500 record on the women’s side. The Tribe was the first team to enter the “Big Dance” under .500 since 2022.<\/p>\n
\nNo doubt a rarity in this day and age, the Tribe will return all nine of its non-graduating players from a season ago. W&M adds four freshman while picking Kyah Smith<\/a>, a former Patriot League All-Rookie selection, from Navy and Ice Dos Santos from Odessa College (JUCO) via the transfer portal.<\/p>\n
\nW&M finished the regular season shooting 37.8% from the floor and 25.5% from deep. Over the six-game postseason run the Tribe no doubt found their touch, shooting 44.4% from the field and 43.5% from 3-point range in that span.<\/p>\n
\nDating back to W&M’s postseason run last season, the Tribe has knocked down seven-plus 3-pointers in seven consecutive games. This serves as not only the longest stretch of games with seven-plus treys under Erin Dickerson Davis<\/a>, but the longest streak for the Tribe since the turn of the century.<\/p>\n
\nMonet Dance<\/a> took her game to a whole different level in the postseason last year. The Roswell, Ga. native averaged 3.9 ppg in the regular season before going off for 14 a game in the CAA and NCAA tournaments. Dance also posted the best 3-point shooting season in program history, shooting a W&M record 43.6% from deep. That stat was aided by her blistering 16-of-21 (76.2%) stretch in the postseason after making just 18 triples in the regular season. She tied the CAA Tournament record with seven treys in the quarterfinals against N.C. A&T on her way to a career-high 27 points. Dance earned CAA All-Tournament Team for her efforts.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nCassidy Geddes<\/a> got off to a flying start in her junior season, posting 20 points with five made treys against Davidson in the opener. The Hickory, N.C. native was named to the CAA All-Rookie team in 2024 before averaging 9.6 ppg and earning CAA All-Tourney team honors last season. Geddes averaged 12 ppg during the postseason, scoring in double figures in the last three games. She also tied her career-high with 26 in the CAA quarters against N.C. A&T. Geddes was named Preseason All-CAA Second Team last month.<\/p>\n
\nThe Tribe felt right at home all season when playing neutral site games, going a perfect 7-0 in such contests. The seven victories easily cleared the previous program record of four in a season. W&M won more neutral site games last year than it did at home (5) or on the road (4).<\/p>\n
\nDespite missing time due to injury, Natalie Fox<\/a> made quite the impact down low as a freshman for the Tribe. Fox became the first Tribe rookie to post a double-double in over a decade, doing so with 10 points and 12 boards against Long Beach State in her second college game. She came up big in the Tribe’s First Four win over High Point, this time with a season-high 12 points to go with a dozen rebounds. She finished the season as the team’s leading rebounder.<\/p>\n
\nThe last two seasons Erin Dickerson Davis<\/a>‘ team has made the rebounding battle a main focus. After only out-rebounding opponents four times in 2022-23, the Tribe has won the battle on the glass 27 times over the last two seasons.
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\n\u2022 Comeback Kids
\nW&M’s historic run last season didn’t come without adversity and deficits along the way. The Tribe trailed top-seed N.C. A&T in the quarterfinals by 12 points in the middle of the third before coming back to force overtime and earn a win. Campbell was the next victim of a W&M comeback in the championship, getting out to a 14-0 lead and again leading by 13 in the third before succumbing to a Tribe offensive bombardment that included a 61.5% shooting effort in the fourth. The Tribe only had won once when trailing at the half in the regular season.<\/p>\n
\nNaturally, last season brought a new-level of national attention to the Tribe program, with W&M playing a program record 12 games on linear television. Additionally, W&M played its first three nationally televised games in program history in 2024-25. The Green and Gold will be on TV a minimum of 10 times this season with 10 home matchups broadcast on MASN.<\/p>\n
\nNo other coach in William & Mary women’s basketball history has had the success that Erin Dickerson Davis<\/a> has had through three seasons. With the 16 wins last year, Davis became the first Tribe coach to win 15-plus games in each of their first three seasons. The Tribe won 12 conference games in each of her first two years, tying the program record for CAA wins in season. The Tribe’s first win this season will be the 50th of Davis’ career.<\/p>\n
\nUnder Erin Dickerson Davis<\/a> the Tribe is 35-11 when leading at halftime.<\/p>\n