Newcomers to fuel new era of Rhody women's basketball under Tammi Reiss

Photo courtesy of Cris Cost-Kirkpatrick

A lot has changed in the last seven months since the Rhode Island Rams women’s basketball team last stepped on a basketball court.

Rhody women’s basketball said farewell to four of its five highest scorers from last season, dawning a new chapter in the Tammi Reiss era. This high rate of absence invites plenty of newcomers with several transfers and a true freshman leading the charge.

***

Ayanna Franks: 

A true freshman guard out of Windsor, Connecticut, Franks has the resumé from high school to make a direct impact at the collegiate level. The 2024 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, Franks tallied 1,200 points over her collegiate career, averaging 26 points per game in the 2022-23 season. 

On top of her high scoring levels, Franks was named the MVP of Windsor High School in back-to-back seasons, being named to the honor in 2021-22 and 2022-23. If Franks can bring her starpower to Kingston, she can provide a spark to a depleted backcourt.

Harsimran “Honey” Kaur:

A veteran big, a hole left by the departure of Mayé Touré and Tenin Magassa, is set to be filled by the transfer known as “Honey”. Kaur, a center from the University of San Diego, served as a valuable member of the Toreros last season.

Kaur had her breakout season last year, averaging 8.6 points and five rebounds per game. If Kaur can produce those numbers in 2024-25, it can both provide scoring opportunities inside for her and outside for others.

Cia Eklöf:

A more unproven transfer in juxtaposition with Kaur, Eklöf’s addition to the Rams is one of uncertainty.

The Washington State transfer saw limited action in her two seasons with the Cougars, redshirting in 2022-23 and averaging just 7.2 minutes per game in 2023-34. In her seven games last year, Eklöf scored 1.6 points per game. If she can increase her scoring volume with the Rams this season, she could prove to be a valuable player off the bench as an offensive spark plug.

***

The Rams will take the floor at home against the Stonehill Skyhawks on Monday at 5:30 p.m. to open the 2024-25 season. The game can be streamed on ESPN+.