Women's Basketball Travels to VCU for Saturday Matchup

University of Massachusetts Women's Basketball Notes & Information
Matchup	Massachusetts at VCU
Date \| Time	Jan. 25 \| 1:00 p.m.
Location	Siegel Center \| Richmond, Va.
Twitter	@UMassWBB
Instagram	@umasswbb
Facebook	UMass Women's Basketball

AMHERST, Mass. – The University of Massachusetts women's basketball program (9-10, 4-4 A-10) visits VCU (10-10, 4-4 A-10) on Saturday in Richmond, Va. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. with action streaming live on ESPN+ in addition to links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

The Matchup

Massachusetts and VCU are set to play in their 17^th matchup, dating back to the 2013-14 season.
The Minutewomen are 5-11 against the Rams with the Minutewomen dropping the most recent contest 63-49 at the Mullins Center

Last Time Out

Yahmani McKayle led the Minutewomen on the offensive end, scoring 16 points on 8-15 shooting from the field. The freshman guard added two steals and two rebounds on the night.
Megan Olbrys hit double figures in the scoring column, tallying 13 points including a nine-point run in the third quarter.
Stefanie Kulesza also notched a double-digit scoring night, putting up 12 points and 6 rebounds in addition to a block and a steal.

Meg Doesn't Miss

Junior forward Megan Olbrys shot 89.5% from the field (17-19 FG) last week, earning Atlantic 10 Player of the Week for the first time in her career.
The Norwood, Mass. native averaged 21.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2 blocks on the week against the likes of La Salle and Saint Joseph's.

Want Some Fries With That 30-Piece?

Senior guard Allie Palmieri tallied a career-high 31 points against Fordham in her Atlantic 10 debut.
This was the third-highest single-game scoring total by a Minutewoman in the last 11 years.
Palmieri shot an efficient 9-17 from the field, netting 6-10 of her attempts from range.
The Trumbull, Conn. native added three steals on the defensive end, another career-best on the day.

Double-Double Duo

Senior forward Stefanie Kulesa and transfer forward Megan Olbrys became the first UMass pair since Feb. 4, 2023 to each record double-doubles in the same game as the Minutewomen took a 72-55 victory against Saint Louis last Thursday.
Kulesza set a career-high in scoring with 21 points and added 12 rebounds.
Olbrys tallied 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Mani is Money

Freshman point guard Yahmani McKayle had a career-high 21 points, 7 assists, and 4 steals in UMass's first win of the season on Nov. 10 vs. CCSU
The Queens, N.Y. native followed up with 17 points, 6 assists, and 5 rebounds in to help UMass secure a 76-53 win over Monmouth
McKayle is averaging 12.9 points, 2.7 assists, and 2.0 steals per game on the season, earning A-10 rookie of the week on December 9th.

New Faces in New Places

The Minutewomen welcome seven newcomers, three of which enter as transfers.
Massachusetts brings freshmen Taylor Derkack (Colonia, N.J.), Yahmani McKayle (Queens, N.Y.), Kasey Bretones(Linwood, N.J.), and Jess Ross (Eastham, Mass.) into the mix for the 2024-25 season.
Lipscomb transfer Aleah Sorrentino arrives to Amherst off a 12.3 points per game season, adding 6.4 rebounds in 26.8 minutes. The redshirt senior spent a year at Ole Miss prior to her two-year stint at Lipscomb.
Megan Olbrys spent her last two seasons at Villanova, averaging 1.3 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.2 minutes of action.
Drexel transfer Momo LaClair is coming off a 2024 CAA Championship run as a key member of the rotation. LaClair played 17.8 minutes a game, adding 3.2 points and 1.5 assists per game.

Up Next

The Minutewomen return home to host George Washington on Jan. 29. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
The game will be broadcasted on ESPN+ with links and live updates available at umassathletics.com or @UMassWBB on X (Twitter).

Scoreboard

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Kasey Bretones

Taylor Derkack

Stefanie Kulesza

Momo LaClair

Yahmani McKayle

Megan Olbrys

Allie Palmieri

Jess Ross