GAMEDAY2023-24 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PRESENTED BY MADDIE WEBBER Freshman • Guard UConn WED. • JAN. 31 • 6:30 P.M. FiNNErAN PAviLiON2023-24 viLLANOvA BASKETBALL WWW.VILLANOVA.COM 3 SCHEDULE AND RESULTS 4 FROM PRESS ROW 6 VILLANOVA ROSTER 8 VILLANOVA STATISTICS 10 UCONN ROSTER 12 UCONN STATISTICS 14 HEAD COACH DENISE DILLON 16 COACHING STAFF 18 STATISTICAL HISTORY 22 CLASS HISTORY 26 INDIVIDUAL HISTORY 28 TEAM HISTORY 30 HONORS & AWARDS 32 Contents VILLAnoVA VS. UConn JANuAry 31 • FiNNErAN PAviLiON • viLLANOvA, PA • 6:30 P.M.2023-24 viLLANOvA BASKETBALL 4 WWW.VILLANOVA.COM 2023-24 Schedule/Results W 69-42 Jefferson (Exh) villanova, Pa. W 64-42 at Portland Portland, Ore. L 56-63 at Oregon State Corvallis, Ore. • PAC-12 Networks W 90-62 Temple villanova, Pa. W 65-53 Holy Cross villanova, Pa. W 74-65 at Wake Forest Winston-Salem, N.C.• ACCN W 67-57 Richmond villanova, Pa. L 75-77 at Columbia New york, N.y. W 68-62 Penn villanova, Pa. L 67-73 at Saint Joseph’s Philadelphia, Pa. L 58-61 Princeton villanova, Pa. L 46-51 at St John’s* New york, N.y. W 74-60 at La Salle Philadelphia, Pa. W 86-45 Xavier* villanova, Pa. W 50-45 at Seton Hall* South Orange, N.J. W 53-51 OT Georgetown* villanova, Pa. W 65-54 at Butler* indianapolis, ind. W 66-63 Marquette* villanova, Pa. L 49-63 Creighton* villanova, Pa. • CBSSN L 76-82 at Providence* Providence, r.i. W 95-64 at DePaul* Chicago, ill.• FS1 JAN 31 6:30PM UConn* villanova, Pa. • SNy FEB 3 2:00PM Seton Hall* villanova, Pa. FEB 10 3:00PM at Marquette* Milwaukee, Wis. • FOX FEB 13 11:00AM at Georgetown* Washington, D.C. FEB 17 4:00PM Butler* villanova, Pa. FEB 21 7:00PM Providence* villanova, Pa. FEB 24 12:00PM at Creighton* Omaha, Neb. • FOX FEB 28 7:00PM at UConn* Storrs, Conn. • SNy MAR 3 5:00PM DePaul* villanova, Pa. • FS1 MAR 8 BIG EAST Tournament uncasville, Conn. Home GameAway GameNeutral Game * Denotes BIG EAST Conference game | Games subject to changeIndependence Blue Cross is a Proud Partner of Villanova Athletics ibx.com Coverage you can count on2023-24 viLLANOvA BASKETBALL 6 WWW.VILLANOVA.COM From Press Row VILLAnoVA (13-7, 6-3 BIG EAST) VS.UConn (17-4, 9-0 BIG EAST) TODAY’S STAT LEADERS VUUConn Points Per Game Lucy Olsen 23.7 Paige Bueckers 20.0 Rebounds Per Game Christina Dalce 10.6 Aaliyah Ewards 8.4 Assists Per Game Lucy Olsen 4.0 Nika Mühl 6.0 Steals Per Game Lucy Olsen 2.0 KK Arnold, Paige Bueckers 2.4 3-Point % (min. 40 att.) Zanai Jones .341 Paige Bueckers .489 Field Goal % (min. 90 att.) Lucy Olsen .441 Aaliyah Ewards .589 Free Throw % (min. 35 att.) Lucy Olsen .785 Paige Bueckers .818 TALE OF THE TAPE VUUConn Points Per Game67.183.5 Opponent Points Per Game59.759.9 Rebounds Per Game36.537.4 Assists Per Game14.820.0 Blocks Per Game4.93.4 Steals Per Game7.610.4 Field Goal %.407.514 3-Point Field Goal %.303.385 Free Throw % .731.741 Opponent Field Goal %.391.372 Opponent 3-Point Field Goal %.317.308 RANKED OPPONENTS: Villanova will play its third Top 25 opponent of the year on Wednesday when the No. 11 ranked Connecticut Huskies visit the Finneran Pavilion. The Wildcats are currently 1-1 against ranked teams this year, including a 66-63 win over No. 23 Marquette and a 63-49 loss to No. 21 Creighton. BIG EAST RECOGNITION: For her efforts in two games last week, freshman guard Maddie Webber has been named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week. In the two games versus Providence and DePaul, Webber scored 38 points for an average of 19.0 points per contest. Her best effort of the week came at Providence on Jan. 24, when she scored a team-high 20 points in an 82-76 overtime loss. She becomes the first Wildcat to garner BIG EAST Rookie of the Week accolades since Maddy Siegrist accomplished the feat 10 times during the 2019-20 season. DIAL LONG DISTANCE: Villanova turned in is best three- point shooting game of the season on Sunday at DePaul when the Wildcats made a season-high 13 threes in 24 attempts for 54.2 percent. Seven different Wildcats made at least one triple with five connecting on two or more. Redshirt freshman Abby Jegede made a team-best three from behind the arc. For the year, Villanova is 126-of-416 from downtown (.303). MULTIPLE SCORERS: The Wildcats had four players reach double figures in points for the second straight game on Sunday at DePaul. Lucy Olsen led the way with 24 points, followed by Maddie Webber with 18, Zanai Jones with 16 and Bella Runyan with 10. Villanova also had four in double figures against Wake Forest (Nov. 26/74-65 win) and Providence (Jan. 24/ 82-76 overtime loss). BACK-TO-BACK PERFOMANCES: Junior guard Zanai Jones has set a career-high in points in back-to-back games. After tying her career-best with 13 points at Providence on Wednesday, Jones established a new career-high in scoring with 16 points at DePaul on Sunday. She also pulled-down a career-best six rebounds against the Blue Demons. In the last two games combined, she is 11-of-22 from the field (.500), 3-of-5 from three-point range (.600) and 4-of-5 from the foul line (.800) for a combined 29 points. For the year, she is averaging 6.2 points per game. STAT SHEET STUFFER: Senior Bella Runyan has emerged as Villanova’s most versatile performer. In her last two outings combined versus Providence and DePaul, Runyan has recorded 22 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists and eight steals. Runyan currently ranks second on the team in three categories, including rebounding (5.4 rpg.), assists (73) and steals (32) and she is fourth in scoring at 7.0 points per game. ON THE NATIONAL SCENE: In the latest NCAA statistics, junior guard Lucy Olsen ranks sixth in the country in scoring at 23.7 points per game. Iowa’s Caitlyn Clark leads in scoring at 32.0 points per game. After 20 games, Olsen has scored 473 points (23.7 ppg.) and is currently shooting 44.1 percent from the field (179-of-406), 29.0 percent from three-point range (31-of-107) and 78.5 percent from the foul line (84-of-107). Maddie Webber*Available in select locations only Order all your game day favorites on our Meals 2GO App! Available for delivery, * curbside pickup * or carryout. Visit meals2GO.com or download our app and order today! delicious meals. delivered.2023-24 viLLANOvA BASKETBALL 8 WWW.VILLANOVA.COM 2023-24 Villanova Radio/TV Roster ZAnAI JonES Guard Jr. • 5-6 Jersey City, N.J. 1 ABBY JEGEDE Guard R-Fr. • 5-10 Toronto, Canada 2 LUCY oLSEn Guard Jr. • 5-9 Collegeville, Pa. 3 KAITLYn oRIHEL Guard Jr. • 5-10 Newtown, Pa. 4 CHRISTInA DALCE Forward Jr. • 6-2 Edison, N.J. 10 BRYnn MCCURRY Forward Fr. • 6-1 Sparta, N.J. 13 MEGAn oLBRYS Forward So. • 6-1 Norwood, Mass. 14 KYLIE SWIDER Forward/Center Sr. • 6-4 Portsmouth, R.I. 21 MADDIE BURKE Guard Sr. • 6-0 Doylestown, Pa. 23 DEnAE CARTER Forward Jr. • 6-0 Philadelphia, Pa. 25 BELLA RUnYAn Guard Sr. • 5-11 Moorestown, N.J. 32 MADDIE WEBBER Guard Fr. • 5-11 Bridgeville, Pa. 34 AnnIE WELDE Forward So. • 6-0 Havertown, Pa. 43 DEnISE DILLon Head Coach 4th Season JoE MULLAnEY Assoc. Head Coach 28th Season MICHELLE SWoRD Assistant Coach 4th Season TIARA MALCoM Assistant Coach/ Recruiting Coordinator 2nd Season MIMI RILEY Director of Basketball Administration LATIFAH CoLEMAn Director of Video and Recruiting Operations JESS GEnCo Director of Basketball Operations MAGGIE GRAnT Guard So. • 6-0 Downingtown, Pa. 44PROUD PARTNER OF VILLANOVA ATHLETICS VISIT US AT ONE OF OUR AREA LOCATIONS, INCLUDING WAYNE AND KING OF PRUSSIA BORROW AGAINST YOUR HOME’S AFTER-RENOVATION VALUE WHY LIST IT LOVE IT? WHEN YOU CAN Unlike a traditional home equity loan, an Ardent Renovation Loan boosts your borrowing power so you can create your forever home. Plus, you’ll get a free concierge service to help you evaluate your project, nail down your budget and vet your contractor. EQUAL HOUSING LENDER | NMLS# 498568Next >