WILLIAMSBURG, Va.— Year two of the Erin Dickerson Davis era begins on Monday night for William & Mary women’s basketball, as the Tribe takes on Norfolk State at Kaplan Arena at 5 pm
The game is part of a W&M hoops double header, with the men kicking off their season at home at 7:30 pm Both games will be broadcast on FloHoops.
Fans can keep up with W&M women’s basketball by following the program on social media as well. Be sure to check out the Tribe on Twitter (@WMTribeWBB)Facebook (WMTribeWBB), and Instagram (WMTribeWBB).
Clear bag Policy
William & Mary Athletics, in conjunction with the William & Mary Police Department, has implemented a clear bag policy that regulates the size and type of bag that may be carried into W&M Athletics facilities during the 2023-24 year, including Busch Field, Kaplan Arena, Martin Family Stadium, Plumeri Park, and Zable Stadium. Information as well as approved and prohibited items is available at TribeAtheltics.com.
TRIBE NOTES
TheMatchup
William & Mary welcomes nearby Norfolk State to open the 2023-24 season. Tip is scheduled for 5 pm at Kaplan Arena and is part of a women’s-men’s double header for W&M hoops.
The Look Back
The Erin Dickerson Davis era in Williamsburg got off to a fantastic start in year one. The Tribe posted an 18-12 record, eight more wins than the year before, and a 12-6 mark in conference play. The 12 CAA wins tied for the most league wins in program history, matching the 2020-21 squad’s 12-6 mark. W&M made it to the conference semifinals a year ago and recorded their first postseason win since 2019.
Cream of the Crop
W&M finished the regular season fourth in the CAA. The top-four finish was only the second time the Tribe had accomplished the feat since the turn of the century. The only other time was 2020-21 when they finished third.
Home Cookin’
The Tribe starts the new campaign with a three-game homestand in the season’s first week. The last time W&M opened a season with three consecutive home games was in 1986.
In-State Battles
The Tribe’s 23-24 schedule features a plethora of Commonwealth opponents. The Tribe will face nine in-state teams this year over 10 contests, with seven of their 11 non-conference games being against Virginia teams.
Preseason Predictions
The CAA released their 2023-24 preseason poll last month with the Tribe selected ninth out of 14 teams. The leagues head coaches voted in the poll with Towson picked to repeat as regular season champions. Stony Brook, Northeastern and Charleston also received first-place votes.
Used to the Limelight
Nylah Young was selected to the preseason All-CAA Second Team last month. Young, a transfer from nearby Hampton, was All-CAA third team with the Pirates last year averaging 14.1 ppg and 6 rpg. Before Hampton joined the CAA, Young was All-Big South Second Team as a sophomore and all-rookie team as a freshman.
“Not Running From a Dogfight”
William & Mary’s non-conference schedule is a challenging one to say the least. The Tribe will face three NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, in Norfolk State, James Madison and Virginia Tech (Final Four). Four teams on this year’s non-con schedule had 20+ wins a season ago. Coach E mentioned the tough schedule on CAA media day, “This conference is dogfight every game, the best way to get ready for a dogfight is fighting other dogs in the non-conference.”
Shoes to Fill
With the loss of Riley Casey (18.0ppg), Sydney Wagner (16.2 ppg) and Bre Bellamy (7.6 ppg), the Tribe will need to replace roughly 63% of their scoring from a year ago. Either Casey or Wagner led the Tribe in scoring 30 of their 32 games last season.
Gone ‘Portaling’
W&M added three new players this season from the transfer portal. Nylah Young (Hampton), Bella Nascimento (Manhattan) and Anahi-Lee Cauley (Villanova) will all be rocking the Green and Gold this season.
