Sports

Passing midway point, Georgetown women’s basketball still looking to find footing

February 2, 2025


Design by Tina Solki

The expectations:

Coming off one of the better seasons for the program in recent memory, first-year (without the interim tag) coach Darnell Haney looked to build on the success of a year ago.

With a 23-12 record (9-9 BIG EAST) and a second-round appearance in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament in 2023–24, the Hoyas returned one of the best players in the BIG EAST in graduate guard Kelsey Ransom, one of its best shooters in junior guard Victoria Rivera, and a strong paint presence in senior center Ariel Jenkins. They also brought in a strong newcomer class including graduate forward Chetanna Nweke, graduate guard Siobhan Ryan, and a talented group of freshmen. However, the Hoyas lost a lot of talent as well. Chief among them is the graduated forward Graceann Bennett who, a season ago, finished top-20 in the conference in the following statistics: player efficiency rating, total win shares, defensive win shares, rebounding, blocks, field goals, 2-point percentage, and more. Bennett served as the linchpin of the 24th-best defensive unit in college basketball last year, per Barttorvik.com. All of this led to the Georgetown women being voted as the fifth-best team in the conference in the preseason, a mid-table ranking, with the predictions having them at 97th nationally.

The results so far:

So far, the Hoyas have largely performed to expectations. With a 10-11 (3-7 BIG EAST), Georgetown is currently seventh in the conference, but still ahead of where Torvik’s preseason projections had them, at 90th nationally. This ignores the fact that the Hoyas lost Nweke, a starter, to injury in the opening minute of their season.

Unsurprisingly, Ransom has played a major role when games have broken the Hoyas’ way this year, averaging a career-high and conference-leading 19.8 points per game. Another non-surprise is that Rivera has also been a factor, averaging over 12 points while shooting 38 percent from three. Jenkins’ breakout to join Ransom and Rivera as one of the best trios in the league has surprised, and all three rank among the top 10 players in the BIG EAST in offensive value per Barttorvik.com. After averaging only three points and three rebounds as a junior, Jenkins now averages 12 points and 10 rebounds as a senior. Outside of those three, freshman guard Khadee Hession has averaged seven points, four rebounds, and two assists. As the Hoyas’ other offensive initiator besides Ransom, she has continued to have highlight moments that showcase her high ceiling as a player, starting with her near triple-double in her first-ever collegiate game to open the season.

The numbers:

Per Barttorvik.com, the Hoyas have accrued six game grades of 95 or better, and three of 30 or worse (on a 1-100 scale) so far this season, meaning the team can beat or be beaten by anyone. The simple answer, from a metrics standpoint, is that the Hoyas do not excel at much, only ranking in the top 100 in free-throw percentage and defensive free-throw rate. On the flip side, though, there is not much this team struggles with either. Of the over a dozen metrics that Torvik tracks, the Hoyas only rank outside the top 300 (of 362) in a single one, defensive block rate. So while the Hoyas may not have a go-to way of winning like shooting lots of threes or generating lots of ball pressure, the team lacks an obvious Achilles’ heel.

On one hand, Georgetown has a very young roster, and improvement throughout the season is normal for younger players, creating optimism for turning things around this year. At the same time, things like that block rate won’t magically improve, Bennett is not walking back through that door, and with the injury issues the Hoyas have had, what you see is more or less what you can get.

Looking ahead:

Through 21 games, the two best avenues of improvement are continuing in-season development of Georgetown’s freshman and a return to the types of defensive intensity and connectivity that made last season’s team a defensive force.

The first point will happen naturally, as it has all year. While the process won’t be without its bumps, as the young players have made significant errors, most recently late in their win over St. John’s, it is not unreasonable to assume an upward trajectory given this staff’s encouraging early signs of talent development. The second will be more tricky, as defensive intensity is not something so easily measured, and without a player like Bennett, there may just be a lower ceiling for what this team can accomplish on that end. If this program under Haney is going to make good on their “Outside Dawgs Only” mentality, then they simply have to find a way to be a plus unit on that end.

Looking at their remaining schedule, they have a very navigable stretch coming up with Xavier, Depaul, and Butler, and going 3-0 could be a great spot to build momentum before going on the road to play Creighton and Villanova in mid-February. Outside of those three games though, the Hoyas may not be outright favorites again this season, and the Barttorvik.com metrics project the Hoyas with a final record of 14-15 (7-11 BIG EAST), which means a 4-4 close to the season if it plays out as such.

While there is still much to unfold this year, this much is clear: this team has the top-end talent to keep them in any game. The question is whether they will get the boost that they need from their supporting cast to have a shot at a Cinderella run like they had a season ago in the BIG EAST tournament.


Ben Jakabcsin
Ben Jakabcsin is a senior in the MSB and one of Bradshaw's minions. He likes to run, but he is constantly nursing an injury, and his doctors have pleaded with Voice staff to restrain him.


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