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The UCF Knights Women’s Basketball team starts their season the same night as their male counterparts on Monday, November 6. However, Year Two of the Sytia Messer Era brings a number of on-court and off-court changes that UCF hopes will ignite a new competitive phase for the program in its first season in the Big 12.
Here’s everything you need to know about UCF Women’s Hoops as they start their campaign:
Last Season
14-15 (4-11 AAC), 10th place in The American
Postseason: Lost in AAC Tournament Second Round to Memphis
After losing so many key players and the head coach who led them to a conference title the year prior, the Knights’ final season in the AAC was predicted to be a rebuilding year, and that it was. After starting the season 6-0, the Knights only earned four conference victories.
Their season ended in the second round of the AAC Tournament. After beating No. 7 Tulsa in the first round, they fell to No. 2 Memphis in the second round.
This Season
Picked last out of 14 teams in the Big 12
Not many in the media have faith in the Knights. The team was picked last in the preseason conference poll.
The #Big12WBB 2023-24 Preseason Poll, as voted on by the League's head coaches. pic.twitter.com/hGZuHfdjbS
— Big 12 Conference (@Big12Conference) October 5, 2023
Who’s in Charge
Sytia Messer — 2nd Season at UCF
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Coach Messer is on a mission to prove doubters wrong in her second season. Prior to being UCF’s head coach, Coach Messer spent eight years as an assistant at Baylor, so she has experience coaching for and against Big 12 teams. During those years, as well an additional one with LSU, she worked for head coach Kim Mulkey, who this past season led LSU to a national championship.
What to Watch for
Grittiness
If there was one word we heard the most at media day from both Coach Messer and the players, it was “gritty.” After struggling on defense last year (115th in scoring defense), this team’s goal is to force their opponents to battle.
New Faces
Coach Messer completely overturned her assistant coaching staff, and brought in six more new players via the Transfer Portal. Expect to see those new names contribute this season.
Who to Watch
#21 Laila Jewett - Guard
One of the few returning players, Jewett is expected to be one of the team's leaders. She played in all 29 games last year and started in 16. Highlights of her season included scoring a career-high 34 points against Samford and being named to the AAC Honor Roll.
#10 Mya Burns - Guard
Another team leader, Burns started all 29 games last season. She recorded 12 double-digit point games, including scoring a career-high 21 points against Tulsa.
Who We’ll Miss
#33 Destiny Thomas - Forward
Thomas was a member of the AAC Honor Roll, ranked 1st in the AAC in blocked shots, 2nd in the AAC in rebounding, and 2nd in the NCAA with an average of five offensive rebounds per game. She transfers to Georgia, where she will reunite with former UCF head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson.
Who’s New That’s Good
#3 Kaitlin Peterson - Guard
We had to pick one person out of a bunch of quality transfers, and Coach Messer was hyping Peterson up in her press conference.
Peterson knows what it takes to compete at a high level, having come from a ranked Indiana team that faced tough competition in the Big Ten. Her experience against that competition is expected to be a major help to UCF.
Who’s On the Roster
2023-24 UCF Women’s Basketball Roster
| ## | Name | Status | Class | Pos | Height | 2022-23 School | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ## | Name | Status | Class | Pos | Height | 2022-23 School | Min | Pts | Reb | Ast | Stl | Blk | FG% | 3FG% | FT% |
| 0 | Laila Jewett | Returner | Jr | G | 5-10 | UCF | 27.5 | 8.4 | 3.1 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.0 | 30% | 33% | 77% |
| 3 | Kaitlin Peterson | Transfer | Jr | G | 5-9 | Indiana | 13.0 | 4.0 | 0.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 38% | 17% | N/A |
| 10 | Mya Burns | Returner | Grad | G | 6-0 | UCF | 24.6 | 9.1 | 4.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.9 | 30% | 32% | 80% |
| 11 | Achol Akot | Recruit | Fr | F | 6-1 | Capital Courts Academy (Ottawa, Canada) | Incoming Freshman | ||||||||
| 14 | Asia Todd | Returner | Grad | G | 5-9 | UCF* | 9.9 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 27% | 29% | 67% |
| 15 | Taylor Gibson | Returner | Jr | F | 6-2 | UCF | 18.4 | 5.4 | 3.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 35% | 15% | 78% |
| 21 | Timia Ware | Transfer | Jr | G | 5-6 | LSU* | 8.0 | 2.1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 40% | 18% | 30% |
| 22 | Sierra Godbolt | Returner | So | G | 5-6 | UCF | 27.1 | 4.6 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 1.6 | 0.0 | 30% | 16% | 70% |
| 23 | Anzhane Hutton | Returner | Sr | F | 6-0 | UCF | 19.8 | 7.6 | 6.3 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 41% | 50% | 61% |
| 24 | Jayla Kelly | Transfer | Sr | C | 6-3 | Missouri | 11.6 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 42% | N/A | 45% |
| 30 | Morgan Robinson-Nwagwu | Transfer | Grad | G | 5-8 | Auburn** | 10.7 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 27% | 10% | 89% |
| 35 | Khyala Ngodu | Recruit | Fr | C | 6-3 | Dillard HS (Ft. Lauderdale, FL) | Incoming Freshman | ||||||||
| 42 | Mary McMillan | Transfer | Sr | G | 5-6 | UNC-Wilmington | 30.2 | 12.2 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 0.2 | 40% | 33% | 61% |
- 6 Fifth-Years and Seniors
- 8 returners
- 4 transfers
- 2 incoming freshmen
- 3 Floridians
- 1 International player (Canada)
The Schedule
UCF will play 10 non-conference games, five of which are against teams that made either the NCAA or NIT. Their most notable games will be against Auburn, as well as three games in three days in Puerto Rico.
As for the conference schedule, the Knights face three teams who ended last season ranked in Oklahoma, Texas, and defending Big 12 champion Iowa State. The latter two will both be home games. They will also face some teams they should be familiar with from their time in The American in Cincinnati and Houston.
2023-24 UCF Women’s Basketball Schedule
| Date | Day | H/A | Opponent | Conference | 2022 NET | 2022 Record | Last Season |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Day | H/A | Opponent | Conference | 2022 NET | 2022 Record | Last Season |
| Nov 6 | Mon | H | Bethune-Cookman | SWAC | 295 | 11-18 | T-6th SWAC (10-8), L SWAC 1st Round |
| Nov 13 | Mon | H | Anderson | SAC (D-II) | -- | 18-13 | 6th in D-II South Atlantic Conference |
| Nov 20 | Mon | H | Auburn | SEC | 81 | 16-15 | T-10th SEC (5-11), L SEC 2nd Round, L NIT 2nd Round |
| Nov 23 | Thu | N | Jackson State | SWAC | 100 | 21-10 | 1st SWAC (17-1), L SWAC Semis, L NIT 1st Round |
| Nov 24 | Fri | N | St. John's | Big East | 56 | 23-9 | T-4th Big East (13-7), L Big East Qtrs, L NCAA 1st Round |
| Nov 25 | Sat | N | Sacred Heart | NEC | 258 | 18-14 | 2nd NEC (12-4), NEC CHAMPIONS, L NCAA 1st Round |
| Dec 3 | Sun | H | Campbell | Big South | 262 | 14-15 | 3rd Big South (10-8), L Big South Semis |
| Dec 11 | Mon | H | New Orleans | Southland | 319 | 8-20 | T-7th Southland (7-11), L SLC 1st Round |
| Dec 18 | Mon | H | FAU | C-USA | 218 | 10-18 | T-Last C-USA (5-15), L C-USA 1st Round |
| Dec 19 | Tue | H | Morgan State | MEAC | 268 | 14-12 | T-2nd MEAC (10-4), L MEAC Qtrs, L NIT 1st Round |
| Dec 30 | Sat | A | Oklahoma | Big 12 | 38 | 26-7 | T-1st Big 12 (14-4), L Big 12 Semis, NCAA 2nd Round |
| Jan 3 | Wed | H | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 46 | 21-12 | T-4th Big 12 (10-8), L Big 12 Semis, NCAA 1st Round |
| Jan 6 | Sat | H | Kansas State | Big 12 | 58 | 19-17 | 9th Big 12 (5-18), L Big 12 Qtrs, NIT Super 16 |
| Jan 10 | Wed | A | Cincinnati | Big 12 | 194 | 9-21 | Last AAC (2-14), DNQ AAC Tournament |
| Jan 13 | Sat | H | West Virginia | Big 12 | 59 | 19-12 | T-4th Big 12 (10-8), L Big 12 Qtrs, L NCAA 1st Round |
| Jan 20 | Sat | A | Baylor | Big 12 | 31 | 20-13 | T-4th Big 12 (10-8), L Big 12 Qtrs, L NCAA 2nd Round |
| Jan 23 | Tue | A | TCU | Big 12 | 131 | 8-23 | Last Big 12 (1-17), L Big 12 Qtrs |
| Jan 27 | Sat | H | Houston | Big 12 | 73 | 15-16 | 4th AAC (10-5), L AAC Final |
| Jan 30 | Tue | A | West Virginia | Big 12 | 59 | 19-12 | T-4th Big 12 (10-8), L Big 12 Qtrs, L NCAA 1st Round |
| Feb 3 | Sat | H | Iowa State | Big 12 | 15 | 22-10 | 3rd Big 12 (11-7), BIG 12 CHAMPIONS, L NCAA 1st Round |
| Feb 7 | Wed | H | Cincinnati | Big 12 | 194 | 9-21 | Last AAC (2-14), DNQ AAC Tournament |
| Feb 10 | Sat | A | Texas Tech | Big 12 | 75 | 20-15 | 8th Big 12 (6-12), L Big 12 1st Round, L NIT Super 16 |
| Feb 13 | Tue | H | BYU | Big 12 | 109 | 15-17 | T-4th WCC (9-9), L WCC Final (#16 Gonzaga), L NIT 1st Round |
| Feb 17 | Sat | A | Kansas State | Big 12 | 58 | 19-17 | 9th Big 12 (5-18), L Big 12 Qtrs, NIT Super 16 |
| Feb 21 | Wed | A | Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 46 | 21-12 | T-4th Big 12 (10-8), L Big 12 Semis, NCAA 1st Round |
| Feb 24 | Sat | H | Texas | Big 12 | 12 | 26-10 | T-1st Big 12 (14-4), L Big 12 Final, NCAA 2nd Round |
| Feb 28 | Wed | H | Kansas | Big 12 | 30 | 25-11 | 7th Big 12 (9-9), L Big 12 1st Round, NIT CHAMPIONS |
| Mar 2 | Sat | A | Houston | Big 12 | 73 | 15-16 | 4th AAC (10-5), L AAC Final |
Big 12 Conference Tournament
- Will be played from March 7th-12th.
- Top six teams receive a bye to the quarterfinals
The Last Time...
UCF beat a legacy Big 12 team: 2001. UCF’s only win against one of the original Big 12 teams was in November of 2001, when Gail Striegler’s bunch beat Kansas 71-59 in those two schools’ only ever meeting at the San Juan Shootout in Puerto Rico. UCF is a combined 1-12 against legacy Big 12 teams and will be facing Iowa State, Oklahoma, K-State, and BYU for the first time ever this season.
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