By Olivia Sayer
Georgia players cheer on teammates during a women’s NCAA college basketball game against Louisiana State University at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Thursday, Feb. 29, 2023. Georgia lost 80-54. (Photo/Jessica Lin, @j.lin321_media)
As one door closes, another one opens.
There is no offseason in the world of sports, as recruiting has coaches working around the clock to ensure smooth transitions from year-to-year. While Georgia women’s basketball is coming off its first losing season in program history, there is excitement for what is to come.
Now that the book can officially be closed on Georgia’s 2023 campaign, it is time to look towards what comes next for head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson’s Bulldogs.
On the recruiting trail, Georgia signed four of ESPN’s Top-100 prospects, with Trinity Turner, Mia Woolfolk, Indya Davis and Summer Davis all signing their national letters of intent in November.
“There’s a lot of experienced players that are leaving this year,” Alicia Young, mom of Summer and Indya Davis, said. “But I know from a perspective of who she’s got coming on board, even though she has four freshmen coming on board so far that we know about, they’re all highly ranked. They’re all very good players, very skilled, and achieved a lot.”
All four signees secured state championships this year, with Summer and Indya Davis being the latest to win their titles. For the twins from Michigan, playing together in college was always the plan.
“It was always a no-brainer that we wanted to play together,” Indya Davis said after signing her
letter of intent in November.
The Bulldogs entered the 2023 season as the only SEC school to not have a single player enter the transfer portal. This offseason, Georgia has already had two athletes enter their names.
Senior Zoesha Smith, whose season was cut short with a knee injury, was the first to announce her intention to transfer.
“To the University of Georgia, thank you for allowing me to represent your university,” Smith said in a statement released on social media. “My experience here has been nothing short of incredible.”
Despite her injury, Smith finished as Georgia’s second-leading scorer with an average of 9.9 points per game. While she was a key factor for the Bulldogs on the court, it was her presence off of it that stood out to Abrahamson-Henderson.
“She’s an amazing kid,” Abrahamson-Henderson said after Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss. “She brings a different kind of energy to the team. She’s very fun loving, and she’s always a kid that was like ‘you got this, you got this, you got this.’”
The other Bulldog to reportedly enter the portal is redshirt-freshman Stefanie Ingram, according to Talia Goodman of The Next Hoops.
Ingram gained valuable playing time this season, netting 342 minutes on the court for the Bulldogs. She played in 28 of Georgia’s 30 games this season and averaged 2.4 points per game.
Leading-scorer Javyn Nicholson is also off to begin her professional career, after spending five seasons in Athens. Nicholson was a consistent presence for the Bulldogs this season and earned second team All-SEC honors. She is confident the trials and tribulations faced by Georgia will pay dividends for future seasons.
“We just wanted to keep fighting,” Nicholson said after Georgia’s loss to Kentucky in the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament. “We’ve got sophomores and freshmen, they need to know that nothing is going to be easy, especially in this league. So just continuing that mindset of just fighting every day will eventually bring success.”
Despite the departures, the Bulldogs have a plethora of talent returning. Junior De’Mauri Flournoy has an additional year of eligibility, as she transferred from Vanderbilt following the 2021 season.
Flournoy developed into one of Georgia’s strongest 3-point shooters this season, becoming Georgia’s go-to target late in games. She finished her junior campaign with 161 attempts from beyond the arc, 67 more than any other Bulldog.
Abrahamson-Henderson explained what can take Flournoy’s game to the next level.
“They’re guarding her really tight on the three point line now,” Abrahamson-Henderson said after Georgia’s loss to LSU. “So now she’s got to find her other part of her game, which is a pull up or coming off on ball screens, getting shots.”
Georgia’s other solid 3-point shooter, redshirt freshman Savannah Henderson, will also be returning for Georgia next season. Abrahamson-Henderson is excited to see the combination of Flournoy and Henderson on the court together.
“If I could get both of them on the floor next year at the same time, it’s going to really space it out and allow our post players to get open,” Abrahamson-Henderson said after Georgia’s loss to LSU.
When discussing who is going to step up as a leader for the Bulldogs next season, all signs point to junior Asia Avinger. She completed her first season with Georgia leading the team in assists after transferring from San Diego State.
No matter the score, Avinger always gives her all, which was evident the moment she stepped into Stegeman Coliseum.
“She’s a dog,” Abrahamson-Henderson said after Georgia’s season-opening win against North Carolina A&T. “Tough, physical, dives on loose balls, super fast, super aggressive, strong. She plays defense, she gets over every loose ball. She’s just like that Tasmanian crazy tough person, and I love that.”
The energy that Avinger plays with is something Abrahamson-Henderson looks for when scouting potential recruits and is apparent in Georgia’s four signees.
“It’s about the desire,” Abrahamson-Henderson said after Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss. “If you go watch and you are recruiting, you see a kid dive on a loose ball, and the toughness, and the energy and that kind of thing. We just look for kids that really get after it.”
Although Georgia’s defense was solid throughout the season, its offensive attack was troublesome at times. The Bulldogs finished in the bottom half of the SEC in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and free throw percentage. In scoring, Georgia finished dead last with 63.2 points per game.
Young is confident her daughters can help strengthen this aspect of Georgia’s game.
“I know with my two daughters, they’re great shooters,” Young said. “So when Coach ABE and her staff said, ‘you know, we need shooters,’ I know that Summer and Indya, they’re great shooters, and they’ll be able to contribute to that.”
Despite Georgia’s 12-18 record this past season, the new signees combined with the Bulldogs’ returning talent provide much to look forward to regarding the future of this program.
“I don’t see Georgia not coming back in full effect next year,” Young said.
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