George Washington University Athletics
Thursday, March 2
Wilmington, Del.
5:00 p.m.
George Washington University
vs
No. 10 Duquesne
Caroline McCombs looks ahead to the A-10 Championship
Women's Basketball Begins March Madness Thursday
2/28/2023 9:54:00 PM | Women's Basketball
With the arrival of March, it's tournament time for George Washington as women's basketball crosses into Delaware for the Atlantic 10 Championship. With a bye into the second round of the tournament, #7 GW will take on the winner of Wednesday's first round contest between #10 Duquesne and #15 Loyola Chicago. Tip time for Thursday's game at Chase Fieldhouse in Wilmington, Del., is 5 p.m. and can be seen nationally on ESPN+.
2023 A-10 All-Defensive Team honoree Mayowa Taiwo is the force that powers GW. With 774 career rebounds to her credit, good for 10th all-time at GW, she is within sight of the 800 career rebound mark and passing former WNBA draft pick Ugo Oha (785) for ninth place all-time in the A-10's most storied women's program. She has four of the top ten rebounding games in the A-10 this season, including a career-high 19 vs. Loyola. The Hanover, Md., native also ranked sixth in the conference with 2.1 steals per game.
Nya Robertson, the 2023 A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year, parlayed her status as a Top 50 recruit out of Fort Worth, Texas into one of the more memorable rookie seasons in program history. Leading the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game, Robertson came off the bench in 25 of 26 appearances. She ranks 10th nationally among freshmen in scoring, including tops in the A-10, and her 64 made threes on the season is second-most nationally among first-years playing Division I ball.
Mia Lakstigala is another newcomer to the Buff and Blue this season, but having come via the transfer route after graduating from Penn. The 2023 All A-10 Academic Team honoree ranked second on the team with 13.8 ppg, while shooting a team-high 38.5% from beyond the arc, fourth-best in the A-10. The Interdisciplinary Business Studies major from Naperville, IL holds a 3.94 GPA at GW.
LEADING LADIES
Led by Head Coach Caroline McCombs in her second year at the helm of the program, McCombs is no stranger to tournament success. In 2021 she guided Stony Brook to the America East Tournament title. Last season, McCombs' charges won a pair of games at the A-10 Championship to advance to the quarterfinal round.
2023 A-10 All-Defensive Team honoree Mayowa Taiwo is the force that powers GW. With 774 career rebounds to her credit, good for 10th all-time at GW, she is within sight of the 800 career rebound mark and passing former WNBA draft pick Ugo Oha (785) for ninth place all-time in the A-10's most storied women's program. She has four of the top ten rebounding games in the A-10 this season, including a career-high 19 vs. Loyola. The Hanover, Md., native also ranked sixth in the conference with 2.1 steals per game.
Nya Robertson, the 2023 A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year, parlayed her status as a Top 50 recruit out of Fort Worth, Texas into one of the more memorable rookie seasons in program history. Leading the team in scoring with 14.5 points per game, Robertson came off the bench in 25 of 26 appearances. She ranks 10th nationally among freshmen in scoring, including tops in the A-10, and her 64 made threes on the season is second-most nationally among first-years playing Division I ball.
Mia Lakstigala is another newcomer to the Buff and Blue this season, but having come via the transfer route after graduating from Penn. The 2023 All A-10 Academic Team honoree ranked second on the team with 13.8 ppg, while shooting a team-high 38.5% from beyond the arc, fourth-best in the A-10. The Interdisciplinary Business Studies major from Naperville, IL holds a 3.94 GPA at GW.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
GW holds wins to its credit against both potential foes already this season, having downed Loyola in Chicago on January 25th, when Lakstigala and Robertson combined for 35 points. A week later, the Buff and Blue were victors against Duquesne at home when Lakstigala went off for a then career-high 21 points.
QUARTERFINAL QUESTION
The winner of Thursday's game has Rhode Island awaiting Friday at 5 p.m. on ESPN+. The Rams earned a double-bye into the quarters by virtue of their #2 seed.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
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