After an offseason of tremendous roster overhaul, the Miami women’s basketball team looks to return to the NCAA Tournament. Before the RedHawks can climb back to the sumit of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), they face a tough test against James Madison University (JMU).
The Dukes roll into Oxford off their NCAA Tournament appearance a season ago. The RedHawks and Dukes were both part of the Morgantown Regional, however, neither team faced each other.
Miami returns just four players from last season, but they were some of the key building blocks of last season’s success. Senior forward Amber Tretter and fifth-year guard Amber Scalia have MAC Player of the Year potential. Senior guard Núria Jurjo has emerged as one of the best defenders in the conference. Fifth-year forward Brooke Blumenfeld has put up solid career numbers, but a season-ending injury cut last season short after just seven games.
With such significant roster turnover, head coach Glenn Box needed to rebuild the team through the transfer portal. Senior forward Julianna LaMendola was dominant in her time at Grand Canyon University, providing height and long-range shooting. Her addition adds a new wrinkle to Miami’s game, with three reliable forwards available at any time.
In addition to Scalia, the RedHawks have two new facilitators running their offense. Sophomore guard Addison Baxter looks to take a big leap forward at Miami after transferring from Butler last season. Senior guard Jaya McClure has spent the last two seasons injured. At Ohio University, McClure was one of the best guards in the conference. If she can stay healthy, McClure will take some of the pressure off the developing Baxter in big moments.
Miami brought in four new freshmen, along with transfers from University of Pittsburgh, Xavier University and Indiana University. Coach Box has not announced any rotational plans, however, all of the new additions provide high upside.
The Dukes return a little more than half their roster from a season ago, including three game-changing guards. Senior Bree Robinson returns, averaging 11.9 points per game and finishing second in assists per game in 2025-26. Senior Zakiya Stephenson rounds out a dominant back court leading the team with 145 assists last season. Sophomore Delilah Soltys is the highest returning rebounder from a season ago.
In addition to high-level guard play, the tallest task that the RedHawks match up with is JMU’s height. The Dukes roster features eight players at or over 6 feet. Despite Miami’s increased height, JMU’s roster boasts a potentially problematic height advantage.
Last season against West Virginia University in the NCAA tournament, the Mountaineers overwhelmed the RedHawks with their physicality and size. From the opening tipoff, Miami’s guards will need to play toe-to-toe with the JMU guards to break down the Duke’s defense.
In addition to high-profile returning talent, JMU added high-quality freshman talent along with all-conference level transfers. For most teams, the college basketball season starts with a few easy games to get teams acclimated to the new season. For both Miami and JMU, this is an incredibly difficult test to open the season.
As Miami begins this new season, the team hopes it has built enough chemistry over the long offseason in order to compete from the beginning. Coach Box’s gameplan will be on full display as the RedHawks try to break through JMU’s experienced lineup.
Tipoff for Miami’s season opener is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Nov. 2, at Millett Hall.
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