CAA notebook: Taylor Henderson fuels UNC Wilmington’s winning spirit

Henderson, an affable 5’10 redshirt sophomore full of energy, conquered plenty of injuries, and the accompanying adversity, to blossom into one of the Coastal Athletic Association’s (CAA) gems. She had a target on her entering this season after averaging 14.6 points per game in her freshman campaign, being named to the All-CAA Rookie Team and subsequently the All-CAA Preseason Second Team.

Yet, the accolades only share part of Henderson’s story.

Henderson is still getting her groove back after missing two seasons following significant leg injuries in her senior season of high school and freshman year at UNCW. These injuries not only kept her off the court, but also tested her both mentally and physically. One would never know it, though, while watching Henderson play with poise, pace and precision.

“Taylor has a scorer’s mentality, first and foremost,” said second-year UNCW head coach Nicole Woods during a phone call with The Next. “That’s what she does. Taylor was hurt two years in a row, and most people either don’t know or forget that. When you’re out as long as she was, the thing that’s usually hard is that it takes a little while to get back, which is your defensive effort. Taylor is a natural defender, and we’re trying to get back to that place with her being able to lock down like I know she can.”

Henderson is a perfect building block for the Seahawks. She averages 11.7 points per game — second on the team — and 6.2 rebounds per contest. She scored double-digits in six of the last eight games, as well as at least six rebounds per game, and has already scored double figures 35 times in her career.

Henderson, who has 705 career points in 53 games through Feb. 11, notched her only double-double of the season against Longwood (18 points, 10 rebounds) on Dec. 29. She is also averaging 2.7 assists per game and has had seven games this season with at least four.

Henderson has been playing basketball since she was four years old and has always been a high performer, scoring nearly 1,600 points across her memorable high school career. During this past summer in the gym, Henderson had a familiar partner with her. The only other sound filling the space was her mom’s soft, steady voice coming through the speakerphone during a FaceTime call.

While Henderson’s mother wasn’t physically in the gym, she was there in the way that mattered most — by encouraging, nurturing and critiquing her daughter to make her into a better player. Henderson says her mom motivates her, which has made things easier for her during her time in Wilmington.

---

Athletes Unlimited is here! Here’s how to watch

---

Last season, as she adjusted to the rigors of college basketball for the first time since her two injuries, Henderson was loose with the ball, which has become an area of focus for her entering this year. She had 159 turnovers in 29 games last season. This year, she has 65 in 23 games.

“The thing that I developed from last season has been my decision-making,” Henderson said. “I know last year I had a lot of turnovers. This year, my focus was making the right reads, passing, and playing solid defense. That’s one of the main things that I wanted to focus on. I think I’m doing pretty well with that.”

UNCW was 5-25 in Woods’ first year, which was one reason why it was picked 11th in the CAA preseason poll. This season, the Seahawks already have 12 victories, which is more than the 10 they won over the last two seasons combined. After last season, Woods and her staff hit the recruiting trail hard and transformed the UNCW roster.

UNCW has nine new faces, including graduate transfer Ali Zelaya from North Carolina. Zelaya has added size, skill, and stability to the Seahawks’ lineup. Monmouth transfer Jania Hall has been another veteran and versatile presence, closing in on 1,000 career points. Freshman Tia Dobson continues to get comfortable leading UNCW.

The new faces and personalities have coalesced to give UNCW plenty of optimism for its bright future.

“The biggest difference is everybody buying into what we are planning to do and what the coaches want us to do,” Henderson said. “That’s the thing. And everybody wants to compete. We compete with each other every day in practice, and everybody wants to win. That’s the big thing. Just wanting to win fuels our energy.”

Zelaya had a week to remember, as UNCW earned home victories over Hofstra and Stony Brook. She averaged 24 points and 13.5 rebounds on 46.2% shooting to earn CAA Player of the Week and USBWA National Player of the Week honors. Nationally, through Feb. 11, Zelaya is 18th in defensive rebounds per game (7.5), 12th in blocks (54), 15th in blocks per game (2.25) and 39th in rebounds (219).

“She’s brought a lot to the team, just a physical inside presence,” Henderson said of Zelaya. “When Ali’s dominating, we’re unbeatable, honestly. Just having that presence makes it easier for many guards to play freely. Ali is also a big difference-maker on the glass. She has a high IQ so that she can make the right reads out of the passes, post-ups, and things like that.”

Woods was excited when Zelaya committed to spend her graduate season with the Seahawks.

“She’s been a game changer for our program,” Woods said. “It probably jumped us, probably a step higher or quicker, should I say, in our turnaround, than what many people thought. But I knew once we got her, that we would put ourselves in the running, and that’s what where we are right now. … Every game matters and everybody’s kind of beating up on each other, and we’re all kind of right there. Ali has a lot to do with that.”

“At UNC, she was a strictly pick and pop three player, and when I got her, I told her that she was going to be way more than that here, and I gave her the goal of being the Defensive Player of the Year in our conference, because I really believe that she can be that. I’m super proud of her, and how she’s trusted us, how she’s bought in to what we’re trying to do, and her resiliency as well.”

Nunez has Campbell cooking

The hottest team in the CAA right now is Campbell University. The Fighting Camels have won four straight games following an impressive 56-52 road victory over first-place North Carolina A&T this past Sunday. Campbell is perfect at home with a 10-0 record, one of 31 Division I programs without a home loss this late into the season. Eight of those victories have been by double digits, and Campbell averages the fewest turnovers in the conference, with 13.4 per game. 

There are many reasons why the Fighting Camels, 14-9 overall, are closing in quickly on last year’s win total of 17 games. The Camels’ roster is balanced, with six players averaging at least eight points, each taking their turn in the spotlight. Many will point quickly to Campbell’s point guard extraordinaire Gemma Nunez. An assist-delivering machine, Nunez ranks 11th nationally in assists per game (5.9) and 12th in total assists (136).

Nunez has had four double-digit assist games this season. She delivered a season-high 12 assists against Stony Brook, 11 against Monmouth, and 10 each in games against High Point and Miami (Fl.). The native of Almería, Spain has played 15 games this season in which she dished at least five assists. She’s also been good at taking away the ball, as she leads the CAA in steals with 51 and is third in steals per game (2.2).

Earning CAA Co-Player of the Week recognition this past Monday, Nunez had enjoyed a lovely weekend where she was large and in charge. She averaged 13.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals. During a 40-point home victory over Northeastern, Nunez scored seven of her 11 points in the third quarter.

She saved her best performance for the road win over North Carolina A&T, notching her second career double-double (career-high 16 points, 10 rebounds) in an effort complemented by five assists and three steals. During a memorable fourth quarter, Nunez shined; she assisted or scored on all but one field goal in the fourth quarter, including scoring the go-ahead layup with 44 seconds remaining. 

---

Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine

Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

---

Two reasons Nunez dishes out assists like a master chef are her sharp vision and arsenal of offensive options. The Camels attack features 5’11 junior guard Gianni Boone, who scores 11.3 points per game. Campbell has gotten terrific production from 6’3 senior forward Courtney Dahlquist (9.7 points per game), and its dynamic freshmen trio of 6’0 forward Ciara Alexander (9.0), 5’11 guard Jasmine Felton (8.4) and 5.7 guard Olivia Tucker (8.3).

The freshmen have made great partners for Nunez on the court, and they have generally provided meaningful contributions to the Camels’ success, as evidenced by the accolades they have received.

Felton has been named CAA Rookie of the Week three times, including the last two weeks. Felton came up huge in the win over the Aggies. The Elizabeth City, N.C. native scored nine of her 18 career-high tying points in the fourth quarter. She also had eight rebounds, two steals and an assist. Felton has scored in double figures in four of her last five games. She tallied a career-best 18 points against Monmouth on Jan. 31.

Alexander scored a career-high 20 points in the win over Northeastern and was the CAA Rookie of the Week on Jan. 13. Tucker was the CAA Player of the Week on Nov. 25.

Next up for Campbell is a visit to Elon on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Elon’s Angel is making an immediate impact

With the ball in her hands, Jayda Angel loses herself in a world of speed, shot-making and swagger. The energetic 5’8 freshman guard makes things happen whenever she enters the game for Elon. This season, she has been a perfect complement to the leadership of 5’11 redshirt sophomore forward Raven Preston and the steady presence of 5’7 junior guard Laila Anderson.

In being named CAA Rookie of the Week four times this season, Angel has blossomed into Elon’s sixth-woman supreme. She’s usually the first player off the bench for veteran head coach Charlotte Smith and she has more than delivered, scoring in double figures 10 times this season, including a career-high 20 points in a road game against Virginia Tech. She also made the game-winning basket — a second-chance bank shot — with two seconds remaining to help Elon beat Long Beach State, 68-67, on Dec. 19.

No matter how many points she scores or how high she soars, Angel always remains grounded.

“The Rookie of the Week recognition feels good, but I always talk with my parents, and they just talk about staying even-keeled,” Angel said to The Next following a victory over Delaware on Jan. 24. “For me, it’s just about going forward with a humble mentality. My parents instilled a lot of beliefs in me, and I always rely on that.”

That Angel has adjusted to the rigors of CAA competition isn’t surprising, since she came to Elon highly regarded. The Fayetteville, N.C. native scored 2,746 points during her career at Cape Fear High School and was named to the All-State team two years in a row. She’s now adjusted to the demands of being a Division I collegiate athlete, including the the tough conditioning drills and the grueling weight room sessions.

With a shoot-first, ask-later mentality, Angel can get to the basket, pull up in the lane, or stretch the defense with her 3-pointing ability. Angel’s 10.8 points per game is 23rd in the CAA and second behind Preston, who leads Elon in scoring (11.7) and rebounding (9.2). Angel is also 14th in the conference in steals per game (1.6).

“Jayda is our dog,” Elon 6’0 senior forward Iycez Adams said with admiration to The Next after securing a double-double in a 45-41 road win over Towson this past Sunday. “Any circumstance, we need a bucket, we trust Jayda to go and get one. She’s going to go get one and get one by any means necessary. We needed that. That’s what we lacked last year. I’m glad that she’s here. She’s making a great impact as a freshman. We’re really proud of her and the work she’s put in.”

Angel has scored in double figures in five of Elon’s 10 CAA games. She has a trio of 14-point games and had scored at least nine points in eight straight games before finishing with five against Towson. Yet, Angel delivered when her team needed it most by scoring four key points in the fourth quarter. Her second basket, a driving layup, gave Elon a 42-39 lead with 42 seconds remaining.

Basketball wasn’t necessarily Angel’s first love growing up, as she occasionally played soccer. Then she witnessed her older brother, Shaquille, pick up a basketball, and the rest was history. Now, Angel is having fun and focusing on helping Elon finish strong in the second half of CAA play.

Angel is part of an impressive foundation that Elon is building for future success, which also includes Anderson, who is third on the team in scoring (8.6 points per game), and sophomore guard Maraja Pass who directs the show, leading with 59 assists.

“I was super excited when I knew she was coming here,” Preston said. “I had heard about her before and saw that my AAU coach coached her. She’s an all-around bucket, gets boards, and is a freak athlete. I’m excited she’s with us.”

Towson’s Leye plays for home

Khady Leye has been disruptive and delightful for Towson this season.

The freshman left everything she knew behind — her family, her childhood streets, the rhythms of life she had always known in Senegal — to chase a dream that first sparked when she watched her older sister play ball and saw some WNBA highlights.

In those instants, Leye knew what she wanted to do with her life.

She sacrificed and practiced, putting in the necessary work and hours to develop her game. This dream even meant coming to America solo to make it a reality. Leye played at SPIRE Academy in Geneva, Ohio, and was spotted by a former Towson assistant coach. Leye eventually took her talents to Towson, where she has already made an impact by being named CAA Rookie of the Week four times.

“It was kind of tough at first because I had to leave my family, friends, everything that I had back home to come to pursue my dream, which was hard for me,” Leye told The Next after a 62-48 victory over Delaware on Jan. 31. “I had a coach supporting me through high school, which helped. I came to the USA for basketball.”

---

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.

Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

---

When she was 11 years old, Leye played the game for fun. She remembers going everywhere with her sister — practices, games, and the store — and inheriting her sister’s love of the game. She absorbed the moves she needed for success like a sponge by watching numerous WNBA highlights.

Then, she went to work silently, preparing for the moment she knew she would leave home. As a senior at SPIRE Academy, Leye averaged 17 points and 11 rebounds and was named MVP of the Nike Tournament of Champions. Every time Leye steps onto the court, she carries more than just her own dreams; she holds the inspiration of the sister who paved the way and the love of the family cheering from afar.

They’ve had a lot to be proud of so far. In addition to the CAA accolades, Leye has scored in double figures 13 times and posted four double-doubles. She scored a career-best 19 points to help Towson beat Youngstown State for its first victory of the 2024-25 season. She has scored at least eight points in eight of Towson’s 11 CAA games.

She also had a stretch in which she scored double figures in four straight games against Northeastern, Hampton, Delaware and William & Mary. Leye also had an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double in a win over American on Dec. 7.

Leye is turning into a solid building block for Towson’s future success. She is Towson’s second leading scorer (11.0 points per game) behind India Johnston, who averages 11.4 points per game. She’s 13th in the CAA in rebounding, averaging a team-best seven rebounds per game. Leye sits in a tie for most points per game by a freshman in the CAA with Hofstra’s LaNae’ Corbett. 

“I’m very comfortable here,” Leye said of her transition to Towson. “My teammates got my back every single time. My coaches all helped and supported me through everything. They made me feel welcomed when I first came in here because it’s different from back home … I remember when I first got here, it was so cold, and I had no jacket because it’s not that cold back home. So that’s probably the first thing I remember.”

Now all anyone can remember are Leye’s consistently great performances.

Drexel’s Evans is hosting block parties

Forgive Drexel’s 6’2 sophomore forward, Deja Evans, if she occasionally finds herself lost in memories of backyard battles against her older brothers. They never took it easy on their little sister, challenging her with every shove, swat and relentless game of one-on-one. But what once felt like tough love has transformed Evans into a dominant force — one now unleashing that same relentless energy on the CAA.

Hailing from Conshohocken, which is just outside of Philadelphia city limits, Evans has become a defensive anchor and a shot-blocking machine. For Evans, swatting shots isn’t just about protecting the rim — it’s personal. It’s a nod to the battles that shaped her, proof that every bruising lesson from her older brothers, Chris and Jordan, built the fearless competitor she is today. The Albany transfer is second the CAA in blocked shots (2.2).

“I love blocking shots,” Evans said to The Next after Drexel beat Towson, 53-49, on Feb. 2. “Any chance I get to block a shot, I’m going to block it. My brothers would block my shots all the time, and laugh in my face. That instilled that competitiveness in me on defense, and now I just want to go after every shot and block it. I appreciate my brothers.”

Evans has blocked three or more shots in a game eight times this season. She had a career-best nine blocked shots in a road loss to Temple in which she also scored 18 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, just missing a triple-double. The nine blocks matched Drexel’s single-game record set by Joyce Moffett in 1989 against Lafayette.

Evans is making the same type of impact at Drexel in her first year, like she did at Albany last year where she was an America East All-Conference Third Team selection. She was also a member of the America East All-Defensive Team and the America East All-Rookie Team. Evans, who also dabbled in softball and volleyball, has been playing basketball since third grade.

When she blocks a shot, it energizes the Dragons. She’s Drexel’s fourth leading scorer (7.7 points per game) and leading rebounder (5.2). Her quickness, instincts and desire has allowed Drexel’s defense to flourish. They have allowed 56.7 points per game this season.

In winning six of its last seven games, Drexel has held seven straight teams below 60 points. Evans has 15 blocked shots during that stretch of defensive excellence. She blocked four shots against Monmouth in a tough 50-47 setback on Feb. 7.

“I’ve been playing basketball my whole life, basically since I could walk,” Evans shared while laughing. “I fell in love with basketball ever since I could play against my brothers. My family is a whole basketball team. My transition here has been great. My teammates, having them with school and basketball, it’s just been a really smooth transition, and [Drexel head coach Amy Mallon] makes it even smoother.”

Around the CAA

Delaware’s Tara Cousins was the CAA co-Player of the Week after her first career double-double (12 points, 11 assists) helped the Blue Hens rally from a 14-point first quarter to beat UNCW last Friday. Two days later in a double overtime victory over Hofstra on Long Island, Cousins scored 21 points in 49 minutes as Delaware extended its winning streak to three games. Cousins’ 49 minutes are the second-most in program history behind Elena Della Donne‘s 50 on Jan. 17, 2010.

Meanwhile, it’s been a tough season for Northeastern, but guard Abby Jegede, a Villanova transfer, has been scoring consistently, reaching double digits in 12 of the Huskies last 13 games. She’s averaging 16.0 points per game, which is fourth in the CAA. 

---

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.

---