More than 5,000 fans cheer on University of Richmond women’s basketball team
Campus Life
In the fall, Women’s Basketball Head Coach Aaron Roussell had high hopes to pack the Robins Center for an upcoming game. Through a campus collaboration, Operation: Code Red was initiated to get 5,000 fans to support a women’s basketball team that has led the Atlantic 10 over the last two years. On Jan. 18, his wish came true, along with a strong 77-47 victory over rival VCU.
“We really got our players ready for this game. I feel like they were energized. The way that they came out today, I was just incredibly proud as a coach,” said Roussell, after the game. “And then obviously, you saw how the crowd was — it was just the energy that I think we fed off of today.”
The Spiders attracted 5,224 fans, marking their largest home crowd since the 2000 season. “Seeing an arena full of red was a powerful testament to the ability of intercollegiate athletics to bring every part of our Spider community together," said John P. Hardt, vice president and director of Athletics.
The team now holds a 16-4 overall record and a 6-1 record in the A-10. Senior Rachel Ullstrom, named the A-10 Player of the Week, led the team with 20 points. She said she was energized by the crowd, who showed up in red and enthusiastically waved rally towels to support the Spiders.
“At the start of the game, when we walked out after the huddle to go to the jump ball, I was looking around. I'm like, man, this is insane,” Ullstrom said. “And just having that support, like when we make a big shot, that crowd just kind of like boosts you up.”
Along with the regular crowd, special guests included students from local schools and basketball teams. The MKW Elite, a travel girls’ basketball team, played a halftime scrimmage.
After the game, the women’s basketball team joined other Richmond female athletes at courtside tables to sign autographs for a crowd of younger fans, many of them girls.
“A lot of those girls are also our summer campers, so we have a personal connection with them. I think that's huge, just having them there,” said Ullstrom, with a smile. “As a team, you want to make sure that they have the role models to look up to. And I think we do that really well. That's why they come.”
The game marked the 450th win for Roussell, who is now in his seventh season at Richmond. Since his arrival, he has led the Spiders to five consecutive winning seasons, back-to-back A-10 regular season titles, the 2024 A-10 Championship title, and the program’s first NCAA Tournament win in 2025.
“Kudos to the crowd. Kudos everybody that worked hard at this,” Roussell said. “This was a moment that I think everybody who played here will remember.”
The Spiders will next travel to Fairfax, Virginia, to face George Mason on Jan. 25 at 2 p.m., which will be broadcast on ESPNU.