What’s next for William & Mary after a memorable NCAA Tournament experience

Knowing that the ride would eventually end is one reason there wasn’t a tear to be found when the Tribe’s terrific season concluded with a 105-61 setback to Texas, the No. 1 seed, in an NCAA Tournament first-round game last weekend in Austin. Instead, gratitude, smiles and memories created by a program that believed anything was possible will be their legacy as they made their dreams a reality.

Moments after their season officially ended and the final postgame speech concluded in the locker room, William & Mary players, still clad in their green game uniforms, emerged onto the arena floor. They mingled joyfully with fans and family there, exchanging hugs and high-fives. In those heartfelt interactions, the magnitude of their remarkable achievement began to sink in fully.

“This team has been through so many trials,” head coach Erin Dickerson Davis told reporters postgame. “Been through so much adversity. I do think that that makes it so much sweeter. Not to say that if you win and go to the tournament, it’s not fun. But I think that because of what we’ve gone through, this team is filled with so much pride and joy. It’s been a rough go, and they were able to figure it out, and I think that’s extraordinarily rewarding. To be able to come out here, compete [against Texas] to see growth in ourselves and our program, I mean, what could they be upset about?”

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William & Mary played six games in nine days and won four games in four days to earn its first Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) tournament championship. In two of the victories, they rallied from double-digit second-half deficits. The Tribe celebrated, traveled 3,354 miles during their exciting 11-day run, flew charter, played cards in the hotel lobby, won their first NCAA Tournament game in program history, and captivated the country with their poise, presence, and passion.

It was one reason Texas head coach Vic Schaefer embraced Davis during the postgame handshake line. He shared part of his conversation with Davis with the media during the postgame press conference:

“I wanted her to know that I thought she’s done a great job with that team,” Schaefer said. “To get your kids to believe and buy-in, you know, I just wanted her to know first of all congratulations; and then, again, part of this time of year is getting hot … She’s got some really good players over there that whatever it took, she got them to figure it out. I want to commend her on that … I told her, you be proud of your team because I thought they were competitive and fought tonight. They did not back down. They were not fazed by our crowd. I just wanted her to be proud of that. Again, I think that’s a reflection of your head coach.”

While Bella Nascimento‘s phenomenal career concluded with 19 points against Texas, she can take pride in knowing the Tribe has a strong nucleus returning next season, led by sophomore guards Monet Dance and Cassidy Geddes, and freshman Natalie Fox, who each sparkled during the Tribe’s exhilarating postseason run.

William & Mary’s first walk from the hotel to the bus was memorable. The pep band’s energetic music filled the air with drums and horns. Cheerleaders stood along the path, clapping and cheering, their colorful pom-poms flashing brightly. The Tribe walked together, feeling the excitement build around them as they prepared for their games.

The team enjoyed dinner together in a private room at Carve American Steakhouse, and earlier in the day, members of the Tribe’s support staff toured Texas’ football stadium and Hall of Fame. William & Mary’s athletics communications assistant and the voice of The Tribe, Jack Angelucci, described the travel experience — from Washington, D.C. to Austin over 11 days — as a continuous journey. This was especially true since the team spent less than 12 hours in Williamsburg, where they returned from Washington the day after winning the CAA championship to a hero’s welcome.

“This whole week was hectic and exciting,” Nascimento told reporters. “There were a lot of moving pieces. A lot of, all right, we got to do this; all right, next thing this, next thing that. We enjoyed the moment because this was like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, especially for me. I’m a senior. So, just enjoying every bit of it … Growing up, 15 years old, I’m like, wow, these girls are really good. They’re really competing. And I never thought I would be able to have this opportunity, be in this moment. I’m super blessed that our team did this because we can do it. This was awesome.”

Affectionately referred to as “Bella Buckets” by ESPN commentator Tiffany Greene during the Tribe’s two nationally-televised games during the tournament, Nascimento scored 580 points during the 2024-25 season, which marked the second most in a single season in school history.

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While the Tribe may have been heavy underdogs against Texas, they played fearlessly, with ferocious effort and huge hearts.

Geddes scored 14 points against Texas, hitting 2-of-5 from 3-point range and adding five rebounds, while Dance scored eight points and a career-high seven assists in 32 minutes of action. The pair combined for 53 points in an upset win over No. 1 seed North Carolina A&T in the CAA quarterfinals, which made it clear their dreams could become a reality.

Fox was fantastic in the fourth quarter against High Point in the Tribe’s First Four victory, scoring 10 points and going 6-for-6 from the foul line. Another key returnee is expected to be Kayla Rolph, who had 10 rebounds against High Point. She scored in double figures 11 times this season and scored a season-high 21 points twice.

“This week was full of joy and fun,” Geddes said. “I just wanted to soak up everything we had at this moment and make the most of every opportunity we got here, and just have as much fun with these teammates, especially ones like Bella and the seniors that won’t be back. We just wanted to have the best time … Selection Sunday, like you watch that like all the time, and just getting to like finally be a part of it was cool.”

The Tribe had the support of the entire CAA, including commissioner Joe D’Antonio, who was onsite in Austin. Davis’ phone was blowing up with text messages from coaches across the conference. It was one of many aspects that made this tournament special for William & Mary. Throughout the season, Davis shared that she coached in t-shirts with her players’ baby pictures on them. She coached the Texas game in a black t-shirt with the image of every player of her team on it, as a tribute to each of them.

“I want to put my players and my girls on the forefront at all times,” Davis said. “It was a way for me to represent them … For us to compete against a team like Texas, it’s just a testament to belief. I know you guys have heard me say it a million times. I’ll repeat it. I’ll get it tattooed at some point. That’s it. That’s what this has shown us. I am walking out and seeing Texas fans coming up and congratulating us. Everyone here has been so kind. Vic Schaefer, his staff, everyone in Austin.”

Davis also began her postgame press conference following the Texas game by thanking William & Mary’s leadership, including the president and athletics director, her staff, fans and family. The Tribe was overwhelmed by the six different watch parties, including one in their home arena, Kaplan Arena, and throughout Williamsburg. Davis hugged her assistant coaches Sugar Rodgers, Dane Sparrow and Kenia Cole following the win over High Point. They have been the unsung heroes during the season.

“I stand most days because my assistant coaches carry me,” Davis said. “They hold me up. They hold me down. Whatever I need, they’re there for. They’re in my room at 2:00 a.m. calming me down when things don’t go well. They’re in my room at 2:00 a.m. if things are going right celebrating. They are the definition of family, right? These are not just my assistant coaches. These are people that I get to be around every single day. They help me. They lift me up more than anything.”

William & Mary’s journey galvanized its alumni as many made the trip to Austin to support in person and express their gratitude to the players responsible for compressing a lifetime of memories into an exciting week. Fans wore green and gold and made their presence felt among the burnt orange inside of the Moody Center.

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“One of the things I’m probably never going to forget is just all the overwhelming sport we’re receiving from our school and our staff,” Fox said to reporters. “There are watch parties all over Williamsburg, and we’re seeing videos of that, so that’s going to stick with me, and, yeah, just being able to sit outside in the sun and spend time with my teammates and just bond and joke and enjoy the moment.”

Now, as the Tribe moves forward, the bar has been raised. The Tribe will be the hunted next season, and Davis wants her program to remain hungry. Simultaneously, Davis and her staff will need to replace four key seniors and be wary of any possible departures from the program.

“I’m never going to allow them to slide backward,” Davis said. “I’m going to let them have tough days, and I’ll pick them back up, but they’ll never be able to go backward from here. They have laid the foundation. Every year, the bricks keep getting higher, all right? This is where my young players got the experience, especially Cassidy, Dee, and Monet. They’ll be leading the charges with these seniors graduating. Now, we have a standard. This is what our standard is. We were fighting to get here. Now we’ve had a taste of it. We can’t go backward.”

“Regarding recruiting, we recruit young women who want this, are hungry, and are extraordinarily smart,” Davis continued. “I love recruiting smart student-athletes. I love that they have the maturity and know what they want … Those are the young ladies we want to be a part of our program to continue building on this vision that we have to sustain success. … You can be a baller and you can be brilliant and you can get an amazing degree here.”