Rutgers Women's Basketball 2025-26 Season Preview: The Players
With less than a week to go until the regular season, college basketball is right around the corner. Rutgers Women’s Basketball is headed into a pivotal fourth season with head coach Coquese Washington, with an overturned roster and coaching staff.
For the second straight year, The Knight Report has put together a comprehensive preview of the Scarlet Knights’ season, going over each aspect of the team.
Check out the first part here, breaking down the team’s schedule.
In the second part, Rutgers’ roster is broken down, a pivotal exercise this upcoming year more than many others, with eight new players in the fold – six transfer additions and two freshmen.
Guards
Faith Blackstone, Gr. Sr.
The Lowdown: Blackstone arrived in Piscataway for her sixth and final season of college basketball, one that has taken her across the Atlantic Ocean (Syracuse, North Carolina A&T, CCBC Essex (JUCO), Coppin State, Stephen F. Austin). The six-foot guard led the Ladyjacks to a Southland Conference title and an NCAA Tournament appearance last season off the back of strong efficiency driving to the basket, both converting and drawing free throws.
The Big Question: Blackstone showed plenty as a lead guard over the last two years in the mid-major ranks, but how will she adjust to the Big Ten? She struggled in Stephen F. Austin’s NCAA Tournament loss to third-seeded Notre Dame, though the same can be said for the rest of the Ladyjacks in a 106-54 defeat. Blackstone excelled in her lone other game against a high-major opponent though, scoring a season-high 24 points on 8-for-11 shooting against a solid Texas Tech squad.
The Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native will likely be penciled in as a starting guard, and has a chance to lead the team in scoring as one of the Big Ten’s most experienced players.
Quote to read: “Being close to home is always a good feeling, knowing that your family could come and watch you play. I think from my old school, I kind of just want to be what I need to be for this team. I don’t want to bring anything that’s going to hurt this team, I just want to be the person that I should be on this team with new people, we have eight [new] people. So, we just have to get used to each other and whatever it takes, I’ll fill in that role.”
Kaylah Ivey, Gr. Sr.
The Lowdown: With a glaring need at point guard, Washington and her staff nabbed their second former Boston College guard in as many years out of the transfer portal to fill that role. Ivey is a proven playmaker at the high-major level, ranking in the top five in the ACC in assists per game in each of the last two seasons. She is another sixth-year senior, earning an extra year from COVID-19 and another as a junior due to a season-ending injury. The Maryland native is a true floor general point guard, seeing plenty of assists without taking up too many of her team’s possessions, registering a 14.6 percent usage rate, the lowest of any player in the top ten of the nation’s assist rate leaders.
The Big Question: Can Ivey be relied on as a crunch-time shot-maker? Her playmaking adds a sorely-needed element to Rutgers’ offense, coming off a season where the Scarlet Knights ranked 326th nationally with a 47.4 percent assist rate. The flip side of that is the lack of shots attempted. On a team needing a go-to scorer, can Ivey be one of the options? She saw an uptick in three-point shooting volume and efficiency last season with the Eagles, so if she can be a true perimeter threat, it gives her passing ability extra gravity.
Quote to read: “[I’m] just trying to stay true to who I am. Like you said, I take pride in taking care of the ball, getting my teammates involved, making them better as well. So, just bringing all of my experience that I have throughout the years, just bringing it here to run the offense as well as allow my teammates to succeed along with me.”
Lauryn Swann, Soph.
The Lowdown: A native of Queens, Swann returns closer to home after a year out west at Arizona. In that one year, the sophomore guard made the All-Big 12 Freshman Team and scored in double-figures 12 times as one of the Wildcats’ top scoring options off the bench. Her top performance came in a December loss to Utah, scoring 22 of Arizona’s 48 points on a scorching 8-for-11 mark from the floor with six three-pointers. Swann was a standout at local power Long Island Lutheran alongside several high-major talents, including current Michigan star Syla Swords. Swann’s biggest draw is her shooting ability, proving it at the high-major level on a smaller scale in the Big 12 as a freshman.
The Big Question: Can the shooting translate? Similar to Ivey’s playmaking, Swann brings perimeter play to a shooting-starved Scarlet Knights team, after two straight years near the Big Ten’s basement in field goal and three-point shooting percentage, and three-point rate. Swann is the most proven three-point threat on the roster, so will her skill be able to scale up in an environment where she will be needed to provide it? She will likely be either a third starter at the guard spot, or will be a sixth player spark plug off the bench, similar to her year at Arizona.
Quote to read: “I love being home, I go home basically almost every weekend. I’m a big family person, so it’s really nice to see all my family and friends. And as for coming from the Big 12, I feel like just being who I am, staying true to who I am, playing my game, I feel like everything should transfer well.”
Makylah Moore, Fr.
The Lowdown: Rutgers added Moore late in the recruiting process in June, becoming the second commitment of the 2025 class. Washington said at the program’s media day they were scouting her NY Gauchos AAU team – one of the more notable programs in the Metro area – and first had thought the six-foot guard was a 2026 recruit. After realizing she was, in fact, a senior set to graduate from high school in June, things “came together quickly.” Moore starred at Nazareth in Brooklyn, leading the team to a state title and averaging over 20 points per game while going largely underrecruited.
The Big Question: What can Moore bring to Rutgers in Year One? The freshman provides guard depth on the team and was a standout scorer with the Kingsmen. In a restocked guard room, Moore likely will not be relied on too much early in her collegiate career, but will have a chance early in the schedule to get experience on the floor.
Quote to read: “The recruiting experience had been pretty hard at first. It hurt me a little bit, but I just kept working, and I bet on myself, and Rutgers is great. I love all my teammates. They keep me involved. They hype me up. When I’m down, they lift my head back up, and I love them all, so it’s a great experience so far.”
Kennedy Brandt, Jr.
The Lowdown: Brandt enters her third year of college basketball as one of the longest-tenured Scarlet Knights, first joining the program as a walk-on before earning a scholarship midway through her freshman year. The Illinois native has been lauded by teammates and coaches alike as a fantastic teammate and leader, and has seen her playing time gradually increase in the guard room as a sharpshooter.
Quote to read: “I have the experience, but this team makes it very easy [to be a leader]. Everyone adjusted right away and just connected really well with each other, so there wasn’t much of a need to help people acclimate. There’s just a few nitpicky things here and there, but other than that, this team’s made it really easy.”
Deja Young, Sr.
The Lowdown: Young enters her second year at Rutgers after two seasons at Hampton, and found the floor for the first time down the stretch of the season. She played in six games, scoring her first career point in a December win over Wagner, and played 16 minutes in a January loss to Minnesota amid a litany of guard absences that night. Young returned home after a standout high career at Teaneck, averaging over 13 points and nearly four steals per game.
Quote to read: “With the new players and us being returners, it was more so just discovering what everybody is capable of doing, and really just working with each other. And then we spent a lot of time off the court, kind of just to build that connection so that when we get on the court, it translates.”
Wings
Antonia Bates, Sr.
The Lowdown: Bates returns from injury as Rutgers’ longest-tenured player as a part of Washington’s first recruiting class after arriving in Piscataway. The six-foot-three senior played in just five games last season before opting to get season-ending knee surgery in January. Bates has worn multiple hats as a Scarlet Knight, ranging from a traditional two-way forward to even playing point guard down the stretch of her sophomore season due to several injuries at the position. She excels as a playmaker and multi-faceted defender, ranking near the top among all guards nationally in block rate and finishing fourth in the Big Ten in blocks per game, and 15th in assists per game, in the 2023-24 season. Bates will likely start as a wing with plenty of playmaking and defensive chops.
The Big Question: Can she take a step forward scoring-wise? Bates, as previously mentioned, brings plenty to the table in terms of playmaking and defending, though she has not become as much of a threat scoring the ball. She averaged a career-high 3.4 points per game in the 2023-24 season with her best shooting and usage numbers of her career, while looking noticeably more confident in her jumper. With her size and versatility with the ball in her hands, Bates could become a key offensive piece and give her passing more gravity if she can take the extra step forward as a scoring threat.
Quote to read: “Sitting out is definitely something that was very difficult for me, just because I loved my teammates, and that was kind of like what was the hardest part was not being able to play with them, but I’m blessed with the best teammates, the most supportive teammates. Even my teammates that came in this year, their first instincts was to support me and give me that confidence that when I get back on the court, I’m going to be able to play to the best of my ability and play with them, so I think the most difficult part was just watching. It’s hard, but like I said, it was easier knowing that when I come back, I get to play with this group of girls.”
Zachara Perkins, Soph.
The Lowdown: Speaking of wearing many hats, Perkins did much of the same in her freshman season as a versatile wing out of Houston, Texas. Her first year and Bates’s sophomore year bear strong resemblances, with Perkins also shifting between wing and lead guard in the postseason run down the stretch due to availability issues in the backcourt. Though the numbers may not jump off the page, Perkins earned her keep on the floor playing tough defense and being a connector on offense as a driver and passer, logging the third-most minutes on the team. The six-foot-three wing broke through as a core piece on the floor towards the end of the season, playing at least 36 minutes in each of the final five games (including all 40 minutes twice) and scoring a season-high 13 points in the WNIT win over Army.
The Big Question: Where is Perkins’ best fit in the rotation? As mentioned before, Perkins barely left the floor down the stretch of her freshman year, but will likely fight for a starting rotation spot with the new veterans out of the transfer portal. Her ability to defend multiple positions and run the offense in samples means she will certainly carve out a key role on the floor, but where she fits in with some of the other guards and forwards remains the biggest question.
Quote to read: “There was a lot of hats that I wore, but I think my teammates supported me a lot of the time. I think even when it was hard or when I was going through struggles, it’s really helped me, and I think it’s definitely formed me into the player that I plan to be this year. I think it just provided me with more experience and more capabilities that I might not have had if I didn’t wear all those hats. So I think Coach Co put me in a great position this year, and also my teammates helping me and guiding me through that.”
Nene Ndiaye, Jr.
The Lowdown: Ndiaye became the third former Boston College Eagle to don a Rutgers uniform in the last two years, joining Ivey this year and guard JoJo Lacey last season. The Saly, Senegal native brings defensive intensity and rebounding to the Scarlet Knights, and saw her role slowly increase last season as a sophomore. She started 10 games and had a couple of standout performances in the ACC. In a forward room that has to replace a sizable amount of production due to the graduation of stars Destiny Adams and Chyna Cornwell, Ndiaye brings an element from those two as a key depth piece.
The Big Question: Can the offense take a step forward? Once again, the raw numbers may not jump off the page, but with a potential increased offensive role, there is some potential growth under the hood. She has always been a solid free-throw shooter with a career 77.3 percent mark, and made 11 of her 33 three-point attempts for a 33.3 percent clip. On a team that needs shooting, Ndiaye has the potential to be a perimeter option at the forward spot.
Quote to read: “Having my teammate from Boston [College] really played a big role in my commitment here, because I’m really looking for a bond. Being an international student, I don’t really have family here, so I’m trying to protect the bonds I already have with, for example, Kaylah Ivey. Her coming here has been really helpful for me, and JoJo also helped me in my decision making.She helped me know the coaches, how the staff works and everything, and I really fell in love with that.
I would say this year, I think I bring a lot of aggressivity, I bring defense, and just the energy that I bring, I think that’s something that I’m working on bringing every time.”
Forwards
Imani Lester, Jr.
The Lowdown: Lester comes to New Jersey as another junior out of the transfer portal, this time after two years at Kansas State. The six-foot-three junior was a part of a feared rim-protecting unit with the Wildcats alongside Ayoka Lee to reach back-to-back NCAA Tournaments as a top-five seed. The underlying metrics have always been kind to Lester as well, registering a box plus-minus over three in each of her first two seasons and a career 4.7 defensive box plus-minus, helped by a 6.6 percent block rate through two years. Once again, Rutgers needs to replace the lion’s share of its rim protection and rebounding, and Lester will be relied on to provide both elements in the Big Ten.
The Big Question: Can the rim protection scale up? Lester’s defensive metrics have remained very strong, but with a projected increase in her role and playing time, it is fair to question how the defensive efficiency will be impacted. She averaged over five fouls per 40 minutes in both seasons, and the Big Ten features plenty of action at the basket. The numbers lean in favor of Lester, but can it scale up into a premier rim-protecting role?
Quote to read: “I feel like just the wisdom of playing in different conferences and just getting everything I’ve gathered from the schools I’ve been at and putting that into where I’m going to be here in the Big Ten. I feel like all the forwards I’ve played with have different skill sets that I was able to see and play against and guard every day in practice and I think that’s going to help me, especially with the big forwards that we see here in the Big Ten.”
PreciousGem Wheeler, Fr.
The Lowdown: Wheeler kicked off the Scarlet Knights’ 2025 recruiting class, committing to the program last September from nearby Franklin. The six-foot-four forward anchored the post for a solid Warriors team for several years, and now heads right up Easton Avenue for her college career. She is at her best at the rim, both protecting it and fighting for rebounds, and will likely serve as a depth forward as a true freshman.
The Big Question: How does she adjust to the college game? Playing in the post and at the rim as a big are arguably the toughest environments to acclimate to in college basketball, especially in a stacked Big Ten conference. Wheeler has some experience facing off against some tough competition in Somerset County, such as UConn freshman Gandy Malou-Mamel from Gill St. Bernard’s. Wheeler will be in no rush early in her career, but how she adjusts to the college game will go a long way in determining her ceiling.
Quote to read: “For me, honestly, I knew what I wanted coming into college. I knew I wanted to go somewhere that was going to take me to the next level, somewhere that wasn’t going to put my skill set in a box. I’m a very big family person, so I always wanted to go to Rutgers since I was a young girl. So once they gave me the offer, I knew I was going to come here automatically.”
Yacine Ndiaye, Jr.
The Lowdown: Ndiaye, another Senegalese forward, was the third transfer portal commitment of the cycle, joining the Scarlet Knights from UNC Greensboro. She was part of a Spartans team that made the NCAA Tournament, but fell to top-seeded USC. The six-foot-four junior brings size and plenty of athleticism to Rutgers as it rebuilds the forward room. Ndiaye’s raw numbers do not offer a ton, but some of the underlying metrics show there is more to her game with more playing time. Playing in only 22 percent of UNC Greensboro’s minutes, she logged the best rebounding and block rates on the team, also ranking in the top three in the entire Southern Conference in those metrics, among players who logged at least 20 percent of their team’s minutes.
The Big Question: Does the production increase alongside the minutes? Going from playing 10 minutes per game in the SoCon to the Big Ten is a large jump, especially in scoring and defending at the rim. Though the rate stats are encouraging with Ndiaye, what will the adjustment period to the league look like, and how will her role shake out as the year goes on?
Quote to read: “I have a lot of fun being around all of my teammates and also the coaches and also all the members. It’s like every day, I’m excited to be here, excited to be around. It’s like I’m living the passion. It feels like home in so many ways, and having [Nene Ndiaye] by me means everything. So basically, I’m not homesick like I used to be. So everything feels great.”
Janae Walker, Jr.
The Lowdown: Walker enters her second year in scarlet after transferring in from Kentucky as the lone forward standing. With Destiny Adams and Chyna Cornwell patrolling the paint, the Georgia native saw time in a depth role protecting the basket and put up some gaudy rebounding numbers. She enters her junior year as a changed player – saying she lost 25 pounds over the offseason and living in the weight room – and will likely have to play an increased role from last year. The experience helps, logging double-digit minutes nine times in Big Ten play, and is looking to build off of that experience.
The Big Question: Can the offensive game take a step forward? Walker’s reworked frame will certainly help protect the rim and run the floor as a rebounder, but the question remains on her offensive ceiling. She showcased a solid ability to get to the free throw line, and has improved from the charity stripe since the beginning of last season. As long as Walker can defend and rebound she will see the floor, but the offensive progress could be a big-time bonus if it can formulate.
Quote to read: “I want to say that they [Adams & Cornwell] are both amazing, and I still talk to them pretty consistently to this day. Just being able to work individually with them, in position groups and stuff like that last year, just the encouragement that they gave me, obviously watching Chyna’s physicality and Destiny’s finesse and just her ability to score, I learned a lot from both of them just watching, but I think that they were great mentors to me. If I had an off day, there was a text message waiting for me after practice on just to keep my head up and stuff like that, so I think that the biggest thing is they just encouraged me not to give up, and I really thank them for that.”
The Scarlet Knights kick off their season on Monday at 7 PM against Wagner at Jersey Mike’s Arena.
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