LINCOLN, Neb. \u2013 The Rutgers women’s basketball team (9-19, 1-16 B1G) will finish out the 2025-26 regular season on the road at Nebraska (17-11, 6-11) on Saturday, Feb. 18 at\u00a02 p.m. ET.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The contest will be\u00a0streamed on B1G+, and fans can listen\u00a0on\u00a0FOX Sports New Jersey.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
The entire 2025-26 Rutgers women’s basketball season is presented by Prudential.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Last Time Out\u00a0<\/p>\n
The Scarlet Knights\u00a0fell to Indiana (16-13, 5-12 B1G), 79-69, in its final home contest of the 2025-26 season. The Scarlet Knights were ahead at halftime and only trailed for five minutes and 33 seconds over the course of the entire night. The close game featured seven lead changes and eight ties.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Zachara Perkins<\/a> (15) led a group of five Scarlet Knights in double figures for the second game in a row. Lauryn Swann<\/a> (14), Nene Ndiaye<\/a> (14), Imani Lester<\/a> (10)\u00a0and Kaylah Ivey<\/a> (10) scored 10+ against the Hoosiers as well.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Milestones Made\u00a0<\/p>\n There has been plenty to celebrate “On\u00a0The\u00a0Banks” including Faith Blackstone<\/a> clinching 1,000th Division I points against Lafayette on Dec. 20. She is the 45th overall Scarlet Knight to join the 1,000-point club and currently sits with 1,145\u00a0points.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Kaylah Ivey<\/a> also captured 500 career assists at Michigan State on Dec. 28. Her 556\u00a0helpers rank 15th in the nation among active players.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Head coach\u00a0Coquese\u00a0Washington also secured her 250th career win on Dec. 20.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n The Scarlet Knights Against the\u00a0Top-25\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Rutgers women’s basketball has\u00a0eight\u00a0opponents on its schedule ranked in the top 25 between the AP poll and WBCA USA Today poll. In addition, four\u00a0opponents are ranked between both polls.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Coaching Staff Changes\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Head coach\u00a0Coquese\u00a0Washington added four new coaches to her staff this offseason in Senior Associate Head Coach Shannon LeBeauf<\/a> and assistant\u00a0coaches\u00a0Sean LeBeauf<\/a>, Danielle\u00a0Edwards\u00a0and James Spinelli<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Before coming “On\u00a0The\u00a0Banks,” Shannon LeBeauf<\/a>, one of the top assistant coaches in the nation, spent the last 14 seasons on the sidelines at UCLA as an Assistant and Associate Head Coach for the Bruins. She is a proven recruiter, having tallied 14\u00a0Top-25\u00a0recruiting classes over her stellar career, including UCLA’s first-ever No. 1-ranked recruiting class in 2014-15 and its second No. 1 class in 2021-22. In her extensive time with the Bruins, LeBeauf helped guide the team to 321 wins and nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including an Elite 8 berth in 2018 and most recently, a Final Four appearance in a historic 2024-25 campaign.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Sean LeBeauf<\/a> spent the\u00a0previous\u00a0four seasons at UC Riverside as an assistant coach. There he helped the Highlanders to 55\u00a0wins\u00a0including 38 victories in Big West play. He helped the team advance to the Big West Tournament Championship in 2024 and onto the WNIT.\u00a0<\/p>\n Dani Edwards arrives in Piscataway, New Jersey from SMU where she was hired as the Director of Player Personnel in April 2021 but went onto\u00a0become\u00a0an Assistant Coach and Recruiting Coordinator for the past four seasons. Edwards helped the Mustangs to new heights during her tenure, collecting 50+ overall wins and 20+ conference victories. She helped the team reach the\u00a0WNIT\u00a0her first two seasons, the first time the Mustangs made the postseason in back-to-back campaigns for the first time since 2014 and 2015.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n James Spinelli<\/a> spent the last two seasons at Northeastern as an assistant coach after spending five seasons as the Video Coordinator at Notre Dame. While with the Huskies, he coached the wings as well as serving as the lead scouter on staff and running in-practice skill development for the guards. Spinelli was also responsible for all the analytics\u00a0utilized\u00a0by the Huskies.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanine Wasielewski<\/a> enters her third season as an assistant coach for the Rutgers women’s basketball team in the 2025-26 campaign and assumes the role of Offensive Coordinator for the Scarlet Knights.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Staff Updates\u00a0<\/p>\n Washington also made some changes to her staff.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n After two seasons as an assistant\u00a0coach\u00a0“On\u00a0The\u00a0Banks,” Nneka Enemkpali<\/a> will now serve as the team’s Chief of Staff. In this new role, Enemkpali will helm administrative operations for the program as the team’s primary liaison to internal support units for athletics including compliance, the R Fund, the alumni office, ticketing services, and the offices of the Chancellor and President.\u00a0\u00a0In addition, Enemkpali will work closely with Washington concerning matters related to revenue sharing and NIL management.\u00a0<\/p>\n Enemkpali will also work with external units, collaborating with marketing, sports information and brand advancement on social media and communications initiatives. She will\u00a0facilitate\u00a0strategic community engagement opportunities for the program, while also serving as\u00a0liaison\u00a0to season ticketholders and the women’s basketball booster club, The Cagers Club.\u00a0<\/p>\n After one season as the interim Director of Basketball Operations, Alejandro Ramirez<\/a> has been promoted in the role full time. Ramirez\u00a0assists\u00a0Washington with the day-to-day operations of the program in all aspects including team travel, game day organization, practice\u00a0operations\u00a0and recruiting.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ramirez leads multiple game day operations efforts including the game day schedule and managing shootarounds for both home and away teams.\u00a0Ramirez works in close conjunction with multiple Rutgers departments, in particular, equipment and facilities.\u00a0 He oversees the robust Scarlet Knight student-manager program, hiring,\u00a0training\u00a0and scheduling all managers working with the program.\u00a0\u00a0In addition, Ramirez organizes and directs all summer camps for Rutgers Women’s Basketball.\u00a0<\/p>\n Returning to The Banks\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n RU returns five Scarlet Knights for the upcoming season including Antonia Bates<\/a>, Deja Young<\/a>, Zachara Perkins<\/a>, Kennedy Brandt<\/a>\u00a0and Janae Walker<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Transferring In\u00a0<\/p>\n Washington and her staff welcomed six transfers for this upcoming season including Lauryn Swann<\/a> (Arizona), Kaylah Ivey<\/a> (Boston College), Nene Ndiaye<\/a> (Boston College), Faith Blackstone<\/a> (Stephen F. Austin), Imani Lester<\/a> (Kansas State), Yacine Ndiaye<\/a> (UNCG).\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Swann comes to RU after spending her\u00a0freshman\u00a0season\u00a0at\u00a0Arizona. She was named to the 2025 Big 12 All-Freshman Team as well as earning a Big 12 All State Bench Performance of the Week and Big 12 Freshman of the Week twice. The Queens, New York native recorded 12 double digit outings and led the team in scoring five times, including a career high 22 points against Utah, (Dec. 31) knocking down a career-best six three-pointers and shooting 85 percent from field.\u00a0She made 50-of-128 three pointers during the 2024-25 slate, making her one of only six Wildcats have made more three-pointers in a campaign in program history.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ivey spent the last four seasons at Boston College where during her senior season, she led the ACC and ranked third in the nation with a 3.3 assist\/turnover ratio\u00a0on\u00a0160 assists and 49 turnovers. She recorded 16 helpers to go along with no turnovers against Miami (Jan. 16), the most by a player in a single ACC game since 2002. Ivey ended the season 8th in program history at BC with 455 assists\u00a0<\/p>\n Nene Ndiaye<\/a> played the past two seasons at Boston College and most recently during her sophomore season, appeared in 30 games and made 10 starts. She scored a career\u00a0high\u00a016 points and tied a season-best six rebounds at Pittsburgh (Feb. 6) and ended the campaign averaging 4.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game and netted points in 23 outings. Ndiaye was also a part of the Senegal U18 National Team and in the 2020\u00a0Afrobasket\u00a0Tournament.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n In Blackstone’s most recent season at\u00a0Helped Stephen F. Austin win the Southland Tournament Championship and secure a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. She was named a First-Team All-Conference\u00a0selection\u00a0after leading SFA with 14.8 points per game in addition to averaging 6.1 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.8 steals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Lester spent the last two seasons at Kansas State where she helped the Wildcats to a 28-8 overall record and a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament. She saw action in 34 contests and set multiple career-highs including points, field goal percentage, rebounds,\u00a0assists\u00a0and steals\u00a0<\/p>\n Yacine Ndiaye<\/a> played her\u00a0freshman\u00a0and sophomore seasons at UNCG. She helped the Spartans to a historic 2024-25 slate, including a SoCon Tournament Championship and a trip to the 2025 NCAA Tournament.\u00a0Ndiaye saw action in 27 games and finished second on the team with 21 blocks.\u00a0She also appeared in 12 contests during her\u00a0freshman\u00a0campaign.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n New Knights\u00a0<\/p>\n The team also brought in two\u00a0freshmen\u00a0in Precious Gem Wheeler<\/a> and Makylah Moore<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Wheeler attended Franklin High School. She broke out during her sophomore season in 2022-23, recording 9.9 points, 7.5\u00a0rebounds\u00a0and 2.8 blocks per game. Wheeler also\u00a0helped to\u00a0lead Franklin to the Somerset County Tournament semifinals.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Moore helped her team at Nazareth High School to a NYSPHSAA Championship recording 18 points and 10 rebounds in the title tilt. She also guided her team to a Borough Championship. During her senior season, the Brooklyn, New York native averaged 21.4 points, 7,0 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Reached double digit points in all 29 games, including 20+ points 11 times and 30+ five times. In addition, she posted five double-doubles and six or more rebounds in 19 contests.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Scarlet Knights on the Big Screen\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Rutgers will make six appearances on the big screen during the campaign between the Big Ten Network and Fox Sports 1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Nov. 30 vs. Saint Peter’s \u2013 3 p.m. (BTN)\u00a0\u00a0 Scouting the\u00a0Cornhuskers\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n After dropping six consecutive decisions, Nebraska defeated Washington\u00a0in\u00a0its most recent outing, 66-65.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Britt\u00a0Prince\u00a0leads the team averaging 17.5 points while Amiah Hargrove paces her team on the boards with\u00a05.6 rebounds per game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Follow Along\u00a0<\/p>\n Follow Rutgers women’s basketball on Twitter and Instagram (@RutgersWBB) for\u00a0all of\u00a0the latest news and updates. The team is also on Facebook (www.facebook.com\/RutgersWBB<\/a>). For all Rutgers Athletics news follow us on Twitter(@RUAthletics), Instagram (@RUAthletics), and Facebook (www.facebook.com\/RutgersAthletics<\/a>). For\u00a0additional\u00a0updates, please download the Gameday\u00a0App.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LINCOLN, Neb. \u2013 The Rutgers women’s basketball team (9-19, 1-16 B1G) will finish out the 2025-26 regular season…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":505918,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-505917","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505917","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=505917"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/505917\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/505918"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=505917"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=505917"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=505917"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\n\tNo. 2\/2 UCLA\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tNo.\u00a08\/5\u00a0Michigan\u00a0
\n\tNo. 9\/12 Iowa\u00a0
\n\tNo. 13\/10 Ohio State\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tNo. 14\/15 Maryland\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tNo. 15\/16 Michigan State\u00a0
\n\tNo. 22\/23 Minnesota\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tNo.\u00a025\/RV Princeton\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tRV\/RV Rhode Island\u00a0
\n\tRV\/– USC\u00a0
\n\tRV\/– Illinois\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0
\n\tRV\/RV Washington\u00a0\u00a0
<\/p>\n
\nDec. 6 vs. Iowa \u2013 6 p.m. (FS1)\u00a0
\nJan. 4 at Ohio State \u2013 2 p.m. (BTN)\u00a0
\nJan. 22 vs. Michigan \u2013 6 p.m. (BTN)\u00a0
\nFeb. 17 at Illinois \u2013 7 p.m. (BTN)\u00a0
\nFeb. 21 vs. Penn State \u2013 4 p.m. (BTN)\u00a0<\/p>\n