2020–21 VCU Rams women's basketball team

The 2020–21 VCU Rams women's basketball team represented Virginia Commonwealth University during the 2020–21 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. It was the program's 47th season of existence, and their eighth season in the Atlantic 10 Conference. The Rams were led by seventh year head coach Beth O'Boyle and played their home games at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

2020–21 VCU Rams women's basketball
Atlantic 10 tournament champions
NCAA tournament, First round
Conference	Atlantic 10 Conference
Record	16–11 (10–5 A-10)
Head coach	Beth O'Boyle (7th season)
Assistant coaches	Kirk Crawford Terry Zeh Morgan Williams
Home arena	Siegel Center
Seasons ← 2019–20 2021–22 →

2020–21 Atlantic 10 women's basketball standings

v t e	Conf.							Overall
Team	W		L		PCT			W		L		PCT
Dayton	12	–	1		.923			14	–	5		.737
Fordham	8	–	2		.800			12	–	6		.667
Rhode Island	11	–	4		.733			11	–	8		.579
Saint Louis	9	–	3		.750			14	–	6		.700
VCU †	10	–	5		.667			16	–	11		.593
Richmond	9	–	6		.600			13	–	9		.591
UMass	7	–	5		.583			16	–	8		.667
Duquesne	4	–	7		.364			5	–	11		.313
Saint Joseph's	5	–	9		.357			7	–	10		.412
George Washington	5	–	9		.357			9	–	14		.391
La Salle	6	–	11		.353			11	–	15		.423
St. Bonaventure	6	–	11		.353			8	–	13		.381
Davidson	5	–	10		.333			8	–	15		.348
George Mason	0	–	14		.000			3	–	19		.136
† 2021 A10 Tournament winner As of July 7, 2024 Rankings from AP poll

Previous season

Main article: 2019–20 VCU Rams women's basketball team

VCU finished the 2019–20 season with an 20–12 record and a 13–3 record in Atlantic 10 play, finishing second in the Atlantic 10. VCU were seeded second in the 2020 Atlantic 10 women's basketball tournament, where they defeated Davidson and Fordham en route to the Atlantic 10 Championship. There, they lost to Dayton in the final.^[1] VCU was considered a potential at-large bid for the 2020 Women's National Invitation Tournament, but all postseason tournaments were cancelled by the NCAA due to rising concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic.^[2]

Offseason

Departures

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Year	Hometown	Notes
K.K. Tassin	0	G	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	Senior	Byram, Mississippi	Graduated
Danielle Hammond	30	C	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	Senior	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania	Graduated
Nyra Williams	34	G	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)	Senior	Hampton, Virginia	Graduated

Transfers

Name	Number	Pos.	Height	Year	Hometown	Notes
Janika Griffith-Wallace	2	G	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)	RS-Junior	Brampton, Ontario, Canada	Transferred from Murray State
Chloe Bloom	13	F	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)	Sophomore	Wedderburn, Victoria, Australia	Transferred from Oklahoma
Samantha Robinson	35	F	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	RS-Sophomore	Bradford, Ontario, Canada	Transferred from Central Michigan

2020 recruiting class

College recruiting information

Name	Hometown	School	Height	Weight	Commit date
Camila Contreras C	Socorro, TX	San Elizario High School	6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)	N/A	Sep 15, 2019
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Rain Green PG	Baltimore, MD	Roland Park Country School	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)	N/A	Apr 14, 2019
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Elze Motekaityte PF	Klaipėda, LTU	New Hope Academy	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)	N/A	Nov 14, 2019
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Sarah Te-Biasu PG	Montreal, QC	Niagara Prep	5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)	N/A	Nov 25, 2019
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Dasia Townes SG	Baltimore, MD	Baltimore Polytechnic Institute	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)	N/A	Nov 14, 2019
	Recruit ratings: Scout:    Rivals:    247Sports:    (NR)
Overall recruit ranking:
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "VCU 2020 Player Commits". ESPN. Retrieved December 18, 2020. "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals. Retrieved December 18, 2020.

Preseason

A10 media poll

The Atlantic 10 men's basketball media poll was released on November 9, 2020. VCU was picked to win the regular season.^[3]

A10 Women's Basketball Preseason Poll[4]
Predicted finish	Team	Points	1st Votes
1	VCU	185	10
2	Dayton	176	2
3	Saint Louis	171	1
4	Davidson	140	0
	Duquesne	140	1
	Fordham	140	0
7	UMass	118	0
8	Richmond	81	0
9	George Washington	78	0
10	La Salle	70	0
11	Rhode Island	65	0
12	St. Bonaventure	42	0
13	Saint Joseph's	41	0
14	George Mason	23	0

Preseason honors

Recipient	Award	Ref.
Tera Reed	Atlantic 10 Preseason First-Team	[4]
Taya Robinson	Atlantic 10 Preseason Second-Team	[4]
Taya Robinson	Atlantic 10 Preseason Defensive Team	[4]

Roster

2020–21 VCU Rams women's basketball team
Players	Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Year Previous school Hometown G 0 Sarah Te-Biasu 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) Fr Niagara Prep Montreal, Quebec G 1 Taya Robinson 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Sr Huguenot Richmond, Virginia G 2 Janika Griffith-Wallace 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) RS Jr Murray State Brampton, Ontario G 3 Madison Hattix-Covington 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) RS Jr Ellison Killeen, Texas G 5 Olga Petrova 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) Sr Dynamo Moscow Rostov, Russia G 12 Dasia Townes 5 ft 11 in (1.8 m) Fr Baltimore Poly Baltimore, Maryland C 13 Chloe Bloom 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) So Oklahoma Wedderburn, Australia C 15 Sofya Pashigoreva 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) Sr   Moscow, Russia G 20 Sofya Nelson 5 ft 7 in (1.7 m) So King's Christian Blackwood, New Jersey F 22 Sydnei Archie 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) Sr St. Catherine's (VA) Richmond, Virginia	Head coach Beth O'Boyle (Rochester) Assistant coach(es) Kirk Crawford (Western Colorado) Terry Zeh (St. Bonaventure) Morgan Williams (VCU) Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible (W) Walk-on Injured Current redshirt Roster Last update: December 18, 2020

Schedule

Date time, TV	Rank#	Opponent#	Result	Record	High points	High rebounds	High assists	Site (attendance) city, state
Non-conference regular season
November 25, 2020* 9:30 p.m., FBL		vs. Saint Mary's Arizona State MTE	W 87–79	1–0	22 – Reed	7 – T. Robinson	5 – Te-Biasu	Desert Financial Arena (199) Tempe, AZ
November 27, 2020* 6:30 p.m., P12N		at Arizona State Arizona State MTE	L 40–49	1–1	16 – Hattix-Covington	8 – Te-Biasu	4 – Te-Biasu	Desert Financial Arena (68) Tempe, AZ
November 28, 2020* 3:00 p.m., FBL		vs. Stephen F. Austin Arizona State MTE	L 66–71	1–2	19 – Griffith-Wallace	5 – Tied	2 – Hattix-Covington	Desert Financial Arena (0) Tempe, AZ
December 3, 2020* 5:00 p.m., ESPN+		Buffalo	W 61–55	2–2	20 – T. Robinson	10 – Archie	4 – Te-Biasu	Siegel Center (72) Richmond, VA
December 6, 2020* 2:00 p.m., CUSATV		at Old Dominion Rivalry	L 76–81	2–3	18 – Te-Biasu	8 – Archie	4 – Tied	Chartway Arena (250) Norfolk, VA
December 9, 2020* 4:00 p.m., ESPN+		at East Carolina	L 55–58	2–4	13 – Tied	6 – Tied	6 – T. Robinson	Minges Coliseum (0) Greenville, NC
December 17, 2020* 3:00 p.m., SECN+		at Vanderbilt	L 80–91	2–5	21 – Reed	10 – T. Robinson	4 – Reed	Memorial Gymnasium (46) Nashville, TN
Atlantic 10 regular season
December 20, 2020 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Richmond Capital City Classic	W 73–49	3–5 (1–0)	15 – T. Robinson	12 – Archie	4 – Reed	Robins Center (0) Richmond, VA
January 8, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Duquesne	W 68–63 OT	4–5 (2–0)	16 – Tied	9 – Tied	5 – Reed	Palumbo Center (0) Pittsburgh, PA
January 10, 2021 12:00 p.m., ESPN+		at St. Bonaventure	W 69–67 OT	5–5 (3–0)	17 – Archie	10 – Archie	2 – Tied	Reilly Center (0) Olean, NY
January 13, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		George Mason Mason rivalry	W 60–41	6–5 (4–0)	11 – Reed	7 – Te-Biasu	2 – Archie	Siegel Center (50) Richmond, VA
January 15, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		UMass	L 49–55	6–6 (4–1)	14 – T. Robinson	–	–	Siegel Center (111) Richmond, VA
January 24, 2021 1:00 p.m., ESPN+		Richmond Capital City Classic	L 64–69	6–7 (4–2)	16 – T. Robinson	6 – T. Robinson	5 – Reed	Siegel Center (123) Richmond, VA
January 27, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		George Washington	W 67–60	7–7 (5–2)	–	–	–	Siegel Center  Richmond, VA
January 29, 2021 6:00 p.m.		at George Mason Mason rivalry	W 64–56	8–7 (6–2)	–	–	–	EagleBank Arena  Fairfax, VA
February 1, 2021 2:00 p.m.		at George Washington	W 64–50	9–7 (7–2)	–	–	–	Charles E. Smith Center  Washington, DC
February 5, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		Davidson	Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols					Siegel Center  Richmond, VA
February 7, 2021 1:00 p.m., ESPN+		Fordham	Canceled due to COVID-19 protocols					Siegel Center  Richmond, VA
February 12, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Saint Louis	L 50–66	9–8 (7–3)	–	–	–	Chaifetz Arena  St. Louis, MO
February 14, 2021 12:00 p.m., ESPNU		at Dayton	L 62–67	9–9 (7–4)	18 – T. Robinson	7 – Pashigoreva	4 – Reed	UD Arena (0) Dayton, OH
February 18, 2021 6:00 p.m., ESPN+		La Salle	W 63–62	10–9 (8–4)	13 – Te-Biasu	9 – Reed	5 – Te-Biasu	Siegel Center (63) Richmond, VA
February 20, 2021 7:30 p.m., ESPN+		Saint Joseph's	W 64–49	11–9 (9–4)	16 – T. Robinson	6 – S. Robinson	3 – Te-Biasu	Siegel Center (163) Richmond, VA
February 26, 2021 7:30 p.m., ESPN+		at UMass	W 72–69	12–9 (10–4)	17 – T. Robinson	8 – T. Robinson	6 – Tied	Mullins Center (0) Amherst, MA
February 28, 2021 1:00 p.m., ESPN+		at Rhode Island	L 68–87	12–10 (10–5)	18 – Robinson	4 – Tied	8 – Reed	Ryan Center (0) Kingston, RI
Atlantic 10 Tournament
March 11, 2021 2:00 p.m., ESPN+	(5)	(12) Davidson Second round	W 69–52	13–10	20 – Reed	16 – Bloom	3 – Te-Biasu	Siegel Center (250) Richmond, VA
March 12, 2021 2:00 p.m., ESPN+	(5)	(4) Rhode Island Quarterfinals	W 64–57	14–10	24 – T. Robinson	10 – Bloom	3 – Griffith-Wallace	Siegel Center (250) Richmond, VA
March 13, 2021 1:00 p.m., CBSSN	(5)	(1) Dayton Semifinals	W 56–50	15–10	18 – T. Robinson	9 – S. Robinson	3 – Reed	Siegel Center (250) Richmond, VA
March 14, 2021 12:00 p.m., ESPNU	(5)	(7) UMass Championship	W 81–69	16–10	19 – Tied	5 – Tied	3 – Reed	Siegel Center (250) Richmond, VA
NCAA Women's Tournament
March 22, 2021 2:00 p.m., ESPNU	(13)	vs. (4) No. 12 Indiana First round	L 32–63	16–11	8 – Tied	9 – Reed	4 – Te-Biasu	UTSA Convocation Center  San Antonio, TX
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time.

See also

• 2020–21 VCU Rams men's basketball team