Link to Article on The Red & Black
By Olivia Sayer
Georgia guard Asia Avinger (11) dribbles the ball during a women’s NCAA college basketball game between North Carolina A&T and Georgia at Stegeman Coliseum in Athens, Georgia, on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023. Georgia won 71-59. (Photo/Jessica Lin, @j.lin321)
Georgia women’s basketball has plenty of new faces. The 12-player roster features six new names that will help Georgia look to bounce back from its first losing season in program history.
On the recruiting trail, the Bulldogs signed four of ESPN’s Top-100 prospects, with Trinity Turner, Mia Woolfolk, Indya Davis and Summer Davis all on campus. The incoming freshmen are young but highly-touted.
“There’s a lot of experienced players that are leaving this year,” mom of Summer and Indya Davis Alicia Young said. “But I know from a perspective of who [Georgia] has coming on board, they’re all very good players, very skilled and achieved a lot.”
All four incoming freshmen secured state championships this year, with Summer and Indya Davis winning their titles last. Sharing the court in college was always the plan for the twins from Michigan.
“It was always a no-brainer that we wanted to play together,” Indya Davis said after signing her letter of intent in November.
Georgia entered last season as the only SEC school to not have a single player enter the ever-popular transfer portal. This offseason, the Bulldogs had multiple athletes submit their names.
Zoesha Smith, whose season was cut short by a knee injury, was the first to announce her transfer to Georgia Tech.
Despite her injury, the senior finished as Georgia’s second-leading scorer with an average of 9.9 points per game. While Smith was a key factor for the Bulldogs on the court, it was her presence off of it that stood out to head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.
“She’s an amazing kid,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “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 enter the portal was Stefanie Ingram, who transferred to Florida Atlantic. She gained valuable playing time last season, netting 342 minutes on the court for the Bulldogs. The move now allows her to play in her home state.
Leading-scorer Javyn Nicholson also began her professional career after five seasons in Athens. Nicholson was a consistent presence for the Bulldogs and earned second team All-SEC honors. She is confident the trials and tribulations Georgia faced in 2023 will pay dividends for the future.
“We just wanted to keep fighting,” Nicholson said after Georgia’s season-ending loss. “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. De’Mauri Flournoy is entering her final year of eligibility and developed into one of Georgia’s strongest 3-point shooters last season. Evolving into the Bulldogs’ go-to target late in games, the rising senior finished with 161 attempts from beyond the arc — 67 more than any other Bulldog.
Despite the success, Flournoy can still take her game to another level.
“They’re guarding her really tight on the 3-point line now,” Abrahamson-Henderson said last season of how teams defend Flournoy. “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 Savannah Henderson also returned. The Bulldogs’ head coach 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.
When discussing who is going to step up as a leader for the Bulldogs, all signs point to Asia Avinger. After transferring from San Diego State, she completed her first season leading the team in assists. Avinger also always gives her all no matter the score, which was evident the moment she stepped into Stegeman Coliseum.
“She’s a dog,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “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 Avinger plays with is something Abrahamson-Henderson looks for when scouting potential recruits. This quality is apparent within Georgia’s additions.
“It’s about the desire,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “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.”
The Bulldogs also brought in two players from the portal — former USC guard Roxane Makolo and former Kentucky forward Nyah Leveretter. Both are entering their final seasons and will bring experience to the team.
Although Georgia’s defense had a solid season, its offensive attack struggled. The Bulldogs finished 2023 in the bottom half of the SEC in field goal, 3-point and free throw percentage. In scoring, Georgia finished dead last with 63.2 points per game.
Young is confident Georgia’s additions will strengthen this aspect of its 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 they’ll be able to contribute to that.”
Despite Georgia’s 12-18 record in 2023, the additions combined with returning talent provide much to look forward to with the future of the program.
“I don’t see Georgia not coming back in full effect next year,” Young said.