Rhode Island women's basketball selected to WNIT; here's who Rams will play

Bill Koch, The Providence Journal
·2 min read
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The University of Rhode Island has drawn a fellow regular-season conference champion for its WNIT opener.

The Rams will host Patriot League winner Boston University in a Friday tip at 6 p.m. It’s the second straight season URI has reached the tournament and played its first game on home turf at the Ryan Center.

The Terriers enter at 24-8 overall and have lost just twice since Dec. 21. Both of those defeats came against Holy Cross, including a 66-61 setback in the conference title game on Sunday. That denied Boston University a return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.

There are parallels between the two programs. Melissa Graves has made an immediate impact on the sidelines with the Terriers, earning her league’s Coach of the Year honors in just her second season. Caitlin Weimar was named Defensive Player of the Year, one of four Boston University players honored when conference postseason awards were announced.

More:Here's how Rhode Island women's basketball clinched share of regular-season title

Coach Tammi Reiss will become the only coach in program history to lead the Rams to two straight postseason appearances.
Coach Tammi Reiss will become the only coach in program history to lead the Rams to two straight postseason appearances.

URI (24-6) was also seeking just a second March Madness bid in program history before coming up short. The Rams were upended in the Atlantic 10 semifinals by eventual champion Saint Louis — they've been idle since March 4. URI has already set program-bests for wins in a season and home wins in a season. A victory on Friday would add to each of those numbers.

Tammi Reiss is coming off a second league Coach of the Year honor during her four seasons in Kingston. Mayé Touré was the Most Improved Player in the league and is eligible to return in 2023-24 along with expected cornerstones Dolly Cairns, Sophie Phillips, Tenin Magassa, Anaelle Dutat and Emmi Rinat. The Rams will expect to contend at the top of the conference and end their own NCAA Tournament wait dating to a lone appearance in 1996.

URI dropped its meeting with Quinnipiac in last year's version of the event. The Rams suffered a 61-50 loss exactly two weeks after they were upset in the conference tournament quarterfinals. URI finished 22-7 overall, a program standard that lasted less than 12 months.

Mayé Touré, shown battling Colonials forward Mayowa Taiwo in a Feb. 8 game in Kingston.
Mayé Touré, shown battling Colonials forward Mayowa Taiwo in a Feb. 8 game in Kingston.

The Rams could encounter a host of familiar opponents if they advance in Group 2. Conference rival Richmond or Penn would await in the second round. League co-champion Massachusetts or Harvard — the regular-season opener for URI in 2022-23 — are in line to face the Rams in the Round of 16.

The bottom half of the group includes three more potential connections. Saint Joseph’s and Fordham are each conference rivals and could be on the opposite side in the quarterfinals. URI could also see Syracuse — Reiss and associate head coach Adeniyi Amadou were hired away from the Orange prior to the 2019-20 season.

Visit gorhody.com for ticket information.

bkoch@providencejournal.com 

On Twitter: @BillKoch25 

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Rhode Island basketball selected to WNIT, will face Boston University