Spiders secure regular season title for the second consecutive year
Campus Life
Continuing their dominance on the court, the Spider Women’s Basketball team earned the Atlantic 10 regular season title for the second year in a row on Feb. 23, with a 68-55 win over VCU. The team was named the No. 1 seed in the A-10 Championship and will play this Friday in Henrico.
“I couldn’t be more proud of this team. To be able to win 16 games in a row in a league this strong is truly an incredible accomplishment, and to be able to win the league on our rival’s court at VCU added to the sweetness of an already amazing day,” said Head Coach Aaron Roussell.
The VCU game began with a tied first quarter, 18-18, but the Richmond team went on to outscore the other team the remainder of the game. Junior Maggie Doogan tallied 33 points in the game, including 12 of 16 from the field and 3 of 5 from beyond the arc. She also led the team with six rebounds and had four assists and two blocks.
“It’s VCU, it’s the cross-town rivalry. Everyone knows what’s at stake here,” said Doogan, at the post-game press conference. “You just try and go out and win every possession. And I think that’s what we tried to do today.”
Doogan was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Under Armour Player of the Week for her strong performances against VCU and George Washington, where she earned 26 points, making 75% of her shots.
Other standout performances from the VCU game include sophomore Ally Sweeney, who logged four assists and five rebounds, and graduate student Addie Budnik, who made nine points and led the team in steals with three. As a team, the Spiders secured 25 of 46 points (54.3%) from the field, 7 of 17 (41.2%) 3-point shots, and made 11 of 12 (91.7%) of their free throws. They nabbed 27 rebounds, 17 assists, three blocks, and four steals. The game was tied five times.
“Another huge shout-out to VCU and their program,” Roussell said. “You can tell right from the get-go that they were here for it. They made us earn this today.”
Richmond tied the cross-town series against VCU at 47-47 and has won the past five meetings. The series dates back to 1941.
The Spiders finished with a 17-1 record in conference play, and set the school record with a 16-game winning streak with a 73-64 win over Saint Joseph’s on Saturday.
Richmond won back-to-back A-10 regular season titles for the first time in program history, adding the crown to its 2024 season and the 1984 and 1990 seasons in the CAA. Richmond also shared the co-regular season title with JMU in 1991 in the CAA.
After winning the A-10 Conference Championship title in 2024, the team advanced to its fourth NCAA Tournament appearance. As of March 3, the Spiders are No. 3 nationally for 3-point percentage (38.7%), behind Notre Dame and Alabama, and No. 2 for field goal percentage (49.6%). Junior Rachel Ullstrom, who earned the Under Armour Co-Player of the Week in November, is currently ranked by the NCAA as No. 26 for her 3-point percentage (41.85%).
The team was recently honored for its 2024 A-10 Conference Championship win —- the first in the program’s history — by earning the 2025 RVA Sports Awards Moment of the Year in February. The event was held at the Altria Theatre.
Richmond will begin tournament play on Friday, March 7, at 11 a.m. at the A-10 Tournament at Henrico Sports & Events Center. The game will be broadcast on Peacock
“This team is battle-tested. We have won big games at home and on the road. We have won our share of blowouts but have also answered in a huge way in close games down the stretch,” Roussell said. “This team is ready and there is not a moment that will be too big for them.”