March 20, 2025
What to watch for from Atlantic 10 teams in the 2025 postseason
A-10 teams are heading to the NCAA Tournament, WBIT and WNIT
For the first time since 2022, two Atlantic 10 teams will be playing in the NCAA Tournament. George Mason earned its first bid to the Big Dance by winning the A-10 Tournament and Richmond earned an at-large bid.
Continue reading with a subscription to The Next
Get unlimited access to women’s basketball coverage and help support our hardworking staff of writers, editors, and photographers by subscribing today.
Already a member?
Login
Four other teams will be playing in postseason tournaments, with Davidson and Saint Joseph’s making the WBIT and UMass and Duquesne accepting bids to the WNIT.
Here are six things to watch for as A-10 teams take on the postseason:
George Mason looks to continue making history in first NCAA Tournament
The Patriots earned a No. 11 seed in their first NCAA Tournament and will face No. 6 seed Florida State on March 22 in Baton Rouge. This is the team’s fifth overall postseason bid after making the WBIT in 2024 and the WNIT in 2001, 2004 and 2018.
Though she didn’t play in the team’s WBIT game against Penn State last season, graduate student forward Nalani Kaysia believes that that experience gave the team an idea of what the postseason is like.
The team spent the week between its championship win and Selection Sunday still practicing, but also soaking in the moment, including being honored during the George Mason men’s basketball A-10 Tournament quarterfinal game on March 14.
“Every day I’m just like, so happy. … I’m so proud of this team … what we’ve done, and what we can still do,” senior guard and A-10 Most Improved Player Paula Suárez told reporters at the team’s selection show watch party on March 16.
“Everybody kept saying, ‘Oh, who are you gonna get? Who are you gonna get?’ And one of [the players] said, ‘Who’s gonna get us?’ They’re very confident,” Blair-Lewis told reporters on March 16.
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.
Both teams have found success in controlling their turnovers while forcing opponents to turn the ball over and are among the top 10 in Division I in turnovers per game and top 25 in turnover margin.
While the Patriots average an A-10-best 73.7 points per game, the Seminoles have the second most potent offense in Division I, averaging 87.2 points per game. On the defensive side, George Mason allows 56.7 points per game, while Florida State allows 71.2 points per game.
The Patriots will need to contain Florida State’s four players that average at least 10 points per game, including junior guard Ta’Niya Latson who leads Division I in scoring with 24.9 points per game.
George Mason is led by redshirt sophomore forward Zahirah Walton (15.1 points per game), sophomore guard Kennedy Harris (13.9 points per game) and Suárez (11.9 points per game). Depth has been key for the team this season as the Patriots have nine players averaging at least 10 minutes per game and seven averaging at least five points per game.
Richmond looks for first NCAA Tournament win
For the second year in a row, the Spiders will be playing in the NCAA Tournament. This year, the team earned a No. 8 seed, the highest seed for an A-10 team since 2016. Richmond will face No. 9 seed Georgia Tech on March 21 in Los Angeles, seeking the program’s first NCAA Tournament win.
“Obviously last year, being in the tournament, you get that experience, and you get the hype around it,” junior forward and A-10 Player of the Year Maggie Doogan said after the team’s selection show watch party on March 16. “So anything that you can do to just be back there is gonna fuel you.
“I think, with the experience that we had last year, it just kind of helped us this year. We had kind of a new team, six new people. So just getting them integrated to the culture and the system that we have, and they really just bought in to trying to get back to March Madness.”
Richmond is led by Doogan (16.3 points per game) and junior guard Rachel Ullstrom (15.5 points per game), who are both in the top 40 in Division I for afield goal percentage (54.9% and 53.9% respectively). Graduate student forward Addie Budnik also averages 10.6 points per game.
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.
Though Richmond has made its name known in the A-10 the past two seasons with its high-scoring offense, the team’s defense has remained crucial to its success. The Spiders allow just 57.0 points per game, the fewest since head coach Aaron Roussell took over prior to the 2019-20 season. The Yellow Jackets average 76.9 points per game.
Richmond’s defense will need to contain Georgia Tech’s three players who average at least 13 points per game: junior guards Kara Dunn (15.8 points per game) and Tonie Morgan (13.8 points per game) as well as freshman guard Dani Carnegie (13.1 points per game).
Roussell’s excited the team gets to wear its white home jerseys in an NCAA Tournament game, though he knows jersey color doesn’t matter once the game rolls around. He also knows that his team is “battle-tested” after its difficult nonconference schedule, which included playing three SEC teams in seven days in December.
“Georgia Tech’s a different team, a different style, from what — [the] little bit that I know of them, but I don’t think this is gonna be anything that’s too big for our players,” Roussell said on March 16. “There’s nothing that’s gonna be monumental. We’ve been there, done that with this group.”
Davidson hopes to continue its standout season
For the third time under head coach Gayle Fulks, and the sixth time overall, the Wildcats will be playing in the postseason, accepting a bid to the WBIT. The team is scheduled to take on James Madison on March 20.
The Wildcats are led by a trio of Australian guards: junior Charlise Dunn (12.2 points per game), sophomore Katie Donovan (10.3 points per game) and senior Issy Morgan (9.7 points per game).
Davidson’s defense and JMU’s offense will be the matchup to watch. The Wildcats allow an average of 57.1 points per game while the Dukes score an average of 73.6 points per game.
JMU’s offense is led by its four players who average at least 10 points per game: redshirt junior guard Peyton McDaniel (16.5 points per game), redshirt senior center Kseniia Kozlova (12.3 points per game), graduate student guard Ro Scott (11.3 points per game) and senior forward Ashanti Barnes (10.5 points per game).
A key part of Davidson’s defense is its ability to defend the 3-point line, allowing its opponents to make just 3.5 3-pointers per game (leads Division I), while shooting 26.4% (seventh in Division I). The Dukes average 5.5 made 3-pointers per game.
Dictating pace may also be key to victory in this matchup. Against Division I opponents, Davidson averages 66.2 possessions per 40 minutes (325th in Division I) while JMU averages 73.2 possessions per 40 minutes (56th in Division I).
Saint Joseph’s aims to continue its WBIT success
Last season, the Hawks advanced to the WBIT quarterfinals and are looking to replicate their success this season. The team’s journey to do so begins March 20 against UAlbany.
This is the 15th time head coach Cindy Griffin has led the program to a postseason berth and the first time it happened in back-to-back seasons since the 2012-13 and 2013-14 seasons.
The Hawks are 17-1 when scoring at least 67 points. The team is also capable of grinding out lower-scoring wins and is 6-3 when scoring 61 points or fewer, which could prove helpful as they face a Great Danes defense that allows just 53.2 points per game (ninth in Division I). Saint Joseph’s allows 56.8 points per game, 30th in Division I.
Junior forward Laura Ziegler (17.5 points per game), senior guard Mackenzie Smith (14.5 points per game) and senior forward Talya Brugler (13.0 points per game) lead the Hawks in scoring.
The Great Danes are led by an experienced quartet: graduate student forward Kayla Cooper (17.3 points per game), graduate student forward Kaci Donovan (11.3 points per game), graduate student guard Jessica Tomasetti (9.2 points per game) and graduate student guard Lilly Phillips (9.0 points per game).
UMass looks for first postseason win under Mike Leflar
In his second season at the helm, Mike Leflar led the Minutewomen back to the postseason where they will play Stonehill in the first round of the WNIT on March 20. This is the fourth WNIT appearance for the team and the seventh postseason appearance overall.
UMass improved from a 5-27 record last season to a 16-14 record so far this season, led by junior forward Megan Olbrys (13.9 points per game), freshman guard and A-10 Rookie of the Year Yahmani McKayle (13.4 points per game), senior guard Allie Palmieri (12.2 points per game) and senior guard Stefanie Kulesza (9.5 points per game).
The Skyhawks are led by three players averaging at least 12 points per game: senior guard Sharn Hayward (16.3 points per game), sophomore guard Brooke Paquette (13.4 points per game) and graduate student center Kylie Swider (12.8 points per game).
The Minutewomen allow their opponents to make 7.5 3-pointers per game, shooting 33.8%. This is something the team will have to try to limit as Stonehill averages 7.3 made 3-pointers per game while shooting 33.4%.
To win, UMass will have to capitalize on the fact that Stonehill averages -2.6 net points per game against Division I opponents this season. The Minutewomen score 63.0 points per game while they allow 58.5 points per game.
Order ‘Rare Gems’ and save 30%
Howard Megdal, founder and editor of The Next and The IX, released his latest book on May 7, 2024. This deeply reported story follows four connected generations of women’s basketball pioneers, from Elvera “Peps” Neuman to Cheryl Reeve and from Lindsay Whalen to Sylvia Fowles and Paige Bueckers.
If you enjoy his coverage of women’s basketball every Wednesday at The IX, you will love “Rare Gems: How Four Generations of Women Paved the Way for the WNBA.” Click the link below to order and enter MEGDAL30 at checkout.
Duquesne aims to win a game in the WNIT for the second year in a row
Last season, the Dukes earned a win in the WNIT by defeating Monmouth and look to do the same on March 20 when the team takes on Longwood. This is the sixth time Duquesne has earned a WNIT berth under head coach Dan Burt and the 11th time overall.
The WNIT will serve as a final run for fifth-year senior guard and A-10 Defensive Player of the Year Megan McConnell whose name will remain in the record books at Duquesne long after she plays her final game. She currently sits at third in points (1,735) and second in rebounds (1,053), assists (649) and steals (355).
McConnell recorded 123 steals this season, averaging 4.0 steals per game (second in Division I). She also averages 18.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists per game.
Junior guard Jerni Kiaku (12.9 points per game) is the only other Duke to average at least 10 points per game.
The Lancers have four guards that average 9 points per game or more in sophomore Amor Harris (11.0 points per game), graduate student Kiki McIntyre (9.9 points per game), senior Mariah Wilson (9.8 points per game) and senior Malea Brown (9.0 points per game).
Duquesne averages 5.8 net points per game against Division I opponents while Longwood averages 5.6, though the Dukes average 71.8 points per game to the Lancers 66.2 against Division I opponents.
Turnovers may prove to be key in this matchup. The Dukes average 14.6 turnovers per game while forcing 20.3, 22nd in Division I. The Lancers average 18.1 turnovers per game while forcing 24.6, leading all Division I teams.
All statistics are based on games played through March 16.
Special thanks to Daniel Frank of A10 Talk.
Written by Natalie Heavren
Natalie Heavren has been a contributor to The Next since February 2019 and currently writes about the Atlantic 10 conference, the WNBA and the WBL.
