2023–24 UMass Minutewomen basketball team

2023–24 UMass Minutewomen basketball
ConferenceAtlantic 10 Conference
Record5–27 (2–16 A–10)
Head coach
  • Mike Leflar (1st season)
Assistant coaches
  • Yolanda Cole
  • Clare Fitzpatrick
  • Samera Marsh
Home arenaMullins Center
Seasons
← 2022–23
2024–25 →
2023–24 Atlantic 10 women's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
Richmond † 16 – 2   .889 29 – 6   .829
VCU 15 – 3   .833 26 – 6   .813
Saint Joseph's 15 – 3   .833 28 – 6   .824
George Mason 14 – 4   .778 23 – 8   .742
Duquesne 13 – 5   .722 21 – 13   .618
Rhode Island 10 – 8   .556 21 – 14   .600
Saint Louis 9 – 9   .500 22 – 18   .550
Davidson* 8 – 10   .444 18 – 8   .692
Loyola Chicago 8 – 10   .444 15 – 16   .484
Fordham 8 – 10   .444 12 – 17   .414
George Washington 6 – 12   .333 13 – 18   .419
Dayton 5 – 13   .278 12 – 19   .387
La Salle 5 – 13   .278 8 – 22   .267
UMass 2 – 16   .111 5 – 27   .156
St. Bonaventure 1 – 17   .056 4 – 26   .133
* Season cancelled on March 1, 2024.
† 2024 A10 tournament winner

The 2023–24 UMass Minutewomen basketball team represented the University of Massachusetts Amherst during the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Minutewomen, led by first-year head coach Mike Leflar, played their home games at the Mullins Center in Amherst, Massachusetts as members of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Previous season

The Minutewomen finished the 2022–23 season 27–7, 14–2 in A–10 play to finish as Atlantic 10 regular season co-champions, alongside Rhode Island.[1] As the #1 seed in the A–10 tournament, they defeated George Mason[2] and Richmond[3] before falling to #3 seed Saint Louis in the championship game.[4] They received an automatic bid into the WNIT, where they would defeat Albany in the first round,[5] before falling to Harvard in the second round.[6]

On April 6, 2023, head coach Tory Verdi announced that he would be leaving the program to take the head coaching position at Pittsburgh.[7] On April 10, associate head coach Mike Leflar was named the team's next head coach.[8]

Roster

2023–24 UMass Minutewomen women's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown
G 0 Alexsia Rose 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) Sr East Carolina Bloomfield, Connecticut
G 1 Jermany Mapp 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Sr Hampton Chester, South Carolina
C 2 Chinenye Odenigbo 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) Fr Noble and Greenough School Walpole, Massachusetts
G 4 Lilly Ferguson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) So Newington High School Newington, Connecticut
G 5 Kristin Williams 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Jr Pensacola State College San Diego, California
G 11 Tori Hyduke 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) GS Drexel Fair Haven, New Jersey
G 14 Dallas Pierce 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) Fr Sanford School New Castle, Delaware
F 20 Bre Bellamy 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) GS William & Mary Freehold, New Jersey
F 22 Mikenzie Jones 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) So Denver Aurora, Colorado
G 24 Allie Palmieri 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Jr Seton Hall Trumbull, Connecticut
F/C 33 Lilly Taulelei 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) Fr Queen Margaret College Wellington, New Zealand
F 34 Avery Childers 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Fr Robert C. Byrd High School Clarksburg, West Virginia
G 44 Stefanie Kulesza 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) Jr Conrad Schools of Science Wilmington, Delaware
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster
Last update: December 24, 2023

Schedule and results

Date
time, TV 		Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 29, 2023*
2:00 pm 		Assumption W 88–80  –
   –      –      –    Mullins Center 
Amherst, MA
Non-conference regular season
November 6, 2023*
6:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		Saint Peter's W 56–44  1–0
  19 – Williams   14 – Kulesza   4 – Bellamy  Mullins Center (1,024)
Amherst, MA
November 9, 2023*
7:00 pm, NESN+/FloHoops 		at Northeastern L 74–78  1–1
  15 – Bellamy   11 – Kulesza   5 – Williams  Cabot Center (441)
Boston, MA
November 12, 2023*
1:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Maine L 48–69  1–2
  15 – Kulesza   6 – Bellamy   2 – 2 Tied  Memorial Gymnasium (993)
Orono, ME
November 16, 2023*
6:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		Harvard L 57–78  1–3
  16 – Williams   10 – Kulesza   4 – Hyduke  Mullins Center (984)
Amherst, MA
November 19, 2023*
2:00 pm, FloHoops 		at Monmouth L 62–74  1–4
  19 – Kulesza   7 – Bellamy   4 – 2 Tied  OceanFirst Bank Center (601)
West Long Branch, NJ
November 23, 2023*
1:30 pm, FloHoops 		vs. Green Bay
Cancún Challenge Mayan Tournament 		L 52–85  1–5
  11 – Kulesza   7 – Kulesza   7 – Hyduke  Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (200)
Cancún, Mexico
November 24, 2023*
11:00 am, FloHoops 		vs. No. 23 Washington State
Cancún Challenge Mayan Tournament 		L 48–90  1–6
  20 – Kulesza   11 – Kulesza   3 – Ferguson  Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (71)
Cancún, Mexico
November 25, 2023*
11:00 am, FloHoops 		vs. Maryland
Cancún Challenge Mayan Tournament 		L 63–92  1–7
  14 – 2 Tied   6 – 2 Tied   6 – Hyduke  Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya (107)
Cancún, Mexico
December 1, 2023*
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Yale L 62–70  1–8
  13 – Taulelei   5 – 2 Tied   4 – Hyduke  John J. Lee Amphitheater (324)
New Haven, CT
December 6, 2023*
7:00 pm, ACCNX 		at Boston College L 57–95  1–9
  14 – Mapp   7 – Kulesza   3 – 2 Tied  Conte Forum (536)
Chestnut Hill, MA
December 10, 2023*
12:00 pm, NESN/ESPN+ 		UMass Lowell W 64–52  2–9
  19 – Williams   14 – Kulesza   5 – Kulesza  Mullins Center (1,111)
Amherst, MA
December 20, 2023*
12:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		Albany L 52–74  2–10
  14 – Williams   9 – Kulesza   3 – 2 Tied  Mullins Center (1,255)
Amherst, MA
A-10 regular season
December 30, 2023
4:30 pm, ESPN+ 		at VCU L 45–65  2–11
(0–1) 		 8 – 2 Tied   6 – Kulesza   3 – Taulelei  Siegel Center (1,014)
Richmond, VA
January 2, 2024
5:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		Dayton W 76–66  3–11
(1–1) 		 15 – Williams   8 – Kulesza   6 – Bellamy  Mullins Center (752)
Amherst, MA
January 6, 2024
1:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		Saint Louis L 75–79  3–12
(1–2) 		 18 – 2 Tied   6 – Kulesza   9 – Rose  Mullins Center (955)
Amherst, MA
January 10, 2024
11:00 am, ESPN+ 		at Richmond L 65–79  3–13
(1–3) 		 19 – Williams   8 – Kulesza   4 – Rose  Robins Center (1,904)
Richmond, VA
January 13, 2024
3:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at La Salle L 64–70  3–14
(1–4) 		 14 – Bellamy   10 – Odenigbo   4 – 2 Tied  Tom Gola Arena (1,647)
Philadelphia, PA
January 17, 2024
6:00 pm, NESN/ESPN+ 		Loyola Chicago L 66–79  3–15
(1–5) 		 17 – Kulesza   6 – Kulesza   7 – Rose  Mullins Center (835)
Amherst, MA
January 21, 2024
4:00 pm, CBSSN 		George Mason L 52–73  3–16
(1–6) 		 20 – Williams   6 – Kulesza   5 – 2 Tied  Mullins Center (1,485)
Amherst, MA
January 24, 2024
7:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Davidson L 42–72  3–17
(1–7) 		 13 – Williams   6 – Odenigbo   3 – Rose  John M. Belk Arena (713)
Davidson, NC
January 27, 2024
1:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Rhode Island L 48–63  3–18
(1–8) 		 15 – Kulesza   6 – Kulesza   2 – 2 Tied  Ryan Center (1,674)
Kingston, RI
January 31, 2024
11:00 am, NESN/ESPN+ 		La Salle L 61–63  3–19
(1–9) 		 18 – Rose   6 – 2 Tied   3 – 2 Tied  Mullins Center (3,069)
Amherst, MA
February 3, 2024
2:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at Saint Joseph's L 67–77  3–20
(1–10) 		 22 – Rose   5 – Bellamy   4 – Rose  Hagan Arena (707)
Philadelphia, PA
February 7, 2024
6:00 pm, NESN/ESPN+ 		Duquesne L 62–79  3–21
(1–11) 		 23 – Rose   6 – Kulesza   5 – Rose  Mullins Center (950)
Amherst, MA
February 10, 2024
2:00 pm, SNY/ESPN+ 		at Fordham L 50–64  3–22
(1–12) 		 17 – Williams   5 – Bellamy   2 – 2 Tied  Rose Hill Gymnasium (1,168)
Bronx, NY
February 14, 2024
6:00 pm, NESN/ESPN+ 		Rhode Island L 64–86  3–23
(1–13) 		 15 – Willams   4 – 2 Tied   8 – Rose  Mullins Center (815)
Amherst, MA
February 17, 2024
1:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		VCU L 49–63  3–24
(1–14) 		 13 – Kulesza   10 – Taulele   3 – 3 Tied  Mullins Center (1,241)
Amherst, MA
February 21, 2024
7:00 pm, NBC Sports App 		at Loyola Chicago L 52–64  3–25
(1–15) 		 14 – Kulesza   5 – 3 Tied   5 – Hyduke  Joseph J. Gentile Arena (522)
Chicago, IL
February 24, 2024
12:00 pm, ESPN+ 		at George Washington L 55–59  3–26
(1–16) 		 16 – Kulesza   8 – Kulesza   3 – Rose  Charles E. Smith Center (405)
Washington, D.C.
February 28, 2024
6:00 pm, NESN+/ESPN+ 		St. Bonaventure W 58–45  4–26
(2–16) 		 21 – Williams   9 – Kulesza   3 – 2 Tied  Mullins Center (1,220)
Amherst, MA
A-10 tournament
March 6, 2024
12:00 pm, ESPN+ 		(13) vs. (12) La Salle
First Round 		W 54–49  5–26
  14 – Hyduke   13 – Kulesza   2 – 2 Tied  Henrico Sports & Events Center 
Henrico, VA
March 7, 2024
1:30 pm, ESPN+ 		(13) vs. (5) Duquesne
Second Round 		L 57–81  5–27
  11 – 2 Tied   5 – Kulesza   2 – 4 Tied  Henrico Sports & Events Center (2,270)
Henrico, VA
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern.

Sources:[9][10]

References

  1. ^ "2022-23 Women's Basketball Standings". Atlantic 10. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  2. ^ "Big Second Quarter Helps Women's Basketball To 63-50 Victory Over George Mason, To Advance To The A-10 Semifinals". University of Massachusetts Athletics. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  3. ^ "Women's Basketball loses to UMass in A-10 Tournament semifinals". The Collegian (University of Richmond). Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  4. ^ "UMass women's basketball falls to Saint Louis in OT in A-10 title game". MassLive. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  5. ^ "UMass bests UAlbany 73-48 in first round of WNIT". The Massachusetts Daily Collegian. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  6. ^ "Women's Basketball Makes History, Advances to WNIT Third Round for First Time with 89-87 Win at UMass". Harvard University. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "UMass basketball: Pittsburgh hires Tory Verdi away from Minutewomen". Daily Hampshire Gazette. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  8. ^ "Mike Leflar Elevated To Women's Basketball Head Coach". University of Massachusetts Athletics. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  9. ^ "2023-24 Women's Basketball Schedule". University of Massachusetts Athletics. Retrieved December 24, 2023.
  10. ^ "Massachusetts Minutewomen 2023-24 Regular Season NCAAW Schedule". ESPN. Retrieved December 24, 2023.