WBB: current roster outlook

It’s been a time of transition for Oregon women’s basketball. Some of the biggest contributors from last season have departed, and the hype surrounding the program from a couple years ago seems to be dying down.

Now the question is, can head coach Kelly Graves bring some of it back this offseason?

First thing was first for Graves; the infamous transfer portal. He didn’t waste much time, already adding three impact players within the last month or so.

Skyler Gill, a 5-foot-9 guard from North Alabama, was the Atlantic Sun Conference Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 and 2023. In her two years in Alabama, she already shattered the school’s blocks record with 161 in total. She also boasts 16 career double-doubles, with three of them including 20 points or more.

Peyton Scott, a 5-foot-8 guard from Miami of Ohio, has a wealth of experience as she comes in as a four year starter. Her career averages of 16.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists complement her 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 31.4 percent shooting from 3-point range. She has 36 games with 20 or more points.

Priscilla Williams is yet another guard, although she stands 6-foot-2. Williams comes in from University of South Florida after beginning her collegiate career at Syracuse. She averaged 8.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 3.2 assists as a freshman with the Orange. She posted career highs of 26 points and eight 3-pointers that season. An injury slowed her production slightly at SFU, but she remains a high-potential player based on what she was able to do in the ACC.

Kennedi Williams, the second Williams picked up this summer, hails from Liberty, where she made 33 starts and has averages of 7.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 2.1 rebounds while shooting an impressive 54.2 percent from the field.

Aside from all the transfers, Graves also landed 4-star guard Katie Fiso from Seattle, who chose Oregon over offers from Arizona, Oregon State, UCLA, and Gonzaga among others. While leading Garfield High a third consecutive Class 3A state championship, Fiso averaged 22 points per contest.

This influx of guards comes at a good time for the Ducks, who lost Endyia Rogers and Te-Hina Pao Pao recently, who had been their two most productive players in the back court.

In the frontcourt, Oregon has some size in sophomore Grace VanSlooten, a 6-foot-3 forward who broke out as a freshman, and towers Kennedy Basham and Phillipina Kyei, who stand 6-foot-7 and 6-foot-8 respectively.

Graves may still want to add a couple more forwards/players over 6-foot before the season begins, and he’s got ample time to do it.

Whether or not this team gels is still up for question, but suffice it to say Graves and his staff quickly built up what should be a solid roster after the “mass exodus” of 2023.