UCF Knights Women's Basketball: A New Chapter

The UCF Knights women's basketball team is embarking on a new chapter, marked by significant roster changes and a determination to defy expectations in the Big 12 Conference. Following a sub-.500 season, the team has undergone a rebuild led by Coach Sytia Messer, who is entering her fourth season. With a blend of returning players, transfers, and freshmen, the Knights are aiming for a program turnaround centered on defense, grit, and speed.

Overcoming Preseason Predictions

The Big 12's women's basketball coaches picked UCF to finish last among the conference's 16 teams, following a third successive sub-.500 season. In the 2024-25 season, the Knights went 12-18, with a 4-14 mark against league opponents. Despite the unfavorable preseason poll, the players are using it as motivation. Khyala Ngodu chooses to ignore it, while Leah Harmon sees it as a source of energy.

Harmon expressed, "No one wants to be last. It's not a really good feeling. But at the end of the day, there's no way but up. That's how I look at it. … It just puts a battery in our back."

Roster Construction and Team Identity

Coach Sytia Messer has constructed her roster with an identity of defense, grit, and speed. UCF allowed 72.5 points per game on 43.6% shooting in the previous season, both marks ranking second-to-last among Big 12 squads. To address this, the team has been revamped with the addition of eight transfers and three freshmen, who will be joining three returning players, including starting center Khyala Ngodu.

Messer highlighted the team's speed during the team's media day: "I can't wait for you guys to see the speed of this team. My staff and I, we're joking and laughing every day about this is the fastest roster we've ever seen. Now I can't wait for them to have an opportunity to go on the court and show you guys how we plan to display that."

Key Players and New Additions

Here's a detailed look at the Knights' roster, highlighting key players and new additions:

Kristol Ayson

Jersey number: 2
Height: 5-8
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Fifth-year senior
Hometown: Tacoma, Wash.
2024-25 stats (at Tulsa): 32 games (nine starts), 44.4% field goals (92 for 207), 27.5% 3-point shooting (11 for 40), 70.7% free throws (41 for 58), 7.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 1.4 steals per game
Analysis: Ayson, Tulsa's most accurate shooter last season, started all nine games after February and had 11 double-digit performances. Prior to that, she was Jacksonville State's only every-game starter and leading scorer (8.1 ppg).

Samari Bankhead

Jersey number: 1
Height: 6-0
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Freshman
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Analysis: Bankhead, who was coached at the youth level by the late Kobe Bryant, shot 35% from 3-point range as a junior at Windward School in California. She chose UCF over San Diego State and Utah State, citing her relationships with Messer and assistant coach Walter Pitts as key factors.

Audreonia Benson

Jersey number: 14
Height: 5-7
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Junior
Hometown: Trussville, Ala.
2024-25 stats (at Pensacola State College): 31 games (18 starts), 594 minutes played, 31.1% field goals (133 for 427), 21% 3-point shooting (37 for 176), 54.3% free throws (57 for 105), 12.1 points, 3.4 rebounds per game
Analysis: Benson played almost 400 more minutes despite making one fewer start than when she earned Panhandle Conference Co-Freshman of the Year honors. She holds the school record for steals at Hewitt-Trussville High School in Alabama, averaging 2.9 per game across three seasons.

Jacorriah Bracey

Jersey number: 3
Height: 5-9
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Graduate student
Hometown: Drew, Miss.
2024-25 stats (at Southern Mississippi): Did not play
Analysis: Bracey, a former five-star recruit according to ESPN, started 56 games for Southern Miss and averaged double figures (10.9 ppg) as a senior. She needs 264 points - the exact amount she scored for the Golden Eagles in 2022-23 - to reach 1,000 for her career.

Mahogany Chandler-Roberts

Jersey number: 33
Height: 6-2
Position: Forward
Eligibility: Sophomore
Hometown: Portland, Ore.
2024-25 stats (at UCF): 29 games (nine starts), 412 minutes played, 41.6% field goals (32 for 77), 50% free throws (7 for 14), 2.4 points, 3.5 rebounds per game
Analysis: Chandler-Roberts' role expanded as her freshman season progressed, exceeding 20 minutes of play eight times in the Knights' final 13 games. She achieved a career-high in points (eight) and matched it in rebounds (10) during a victory over Houston.

Kayanna Cox

Jersey number: 12
Height: 5-10
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Sophomore
Hometown: Tenaha, Texas
2024-25 stats (at SMU): 13 games (one start), 117 minutes played, 44.1% field goals (15 for 34), 20% 3-point shooting (1 for 5), 33.3% free throws (2 for 6), 2.5 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.8 steals per game
Analysis: Cox lettered in three sports in high school, excelling in volleyball and track and field in addition to basketball. She missed a significant portion of her freshman year due to injury but scored a career-high 13 points in 31 minutes against Boston College during ACC play.

Jasmynne Gibson

Jersey number: 24
Height: 6-1
Position: Forward
Eligibility: Sophomore
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.
2024-25 stats (at North Florida): 31 games (30 starts), 870 minutes played, 40% field goals (102 for 255), 22.7% 3-point shooting (15 for 66), 69.6% free throws (48 for 69), 8.6 points, 7.6 rebounds per game
Analysis: Gibson, a local talent from Colonial High, earned ASUN All-Freshman honors at North Florida, scoring in double digits 13 times and recording six double-doubles. Her family has a strong athletic background, with her father having played football at Florida and her older brother playing at Oklahoma.

Meja Hänsel

Jersey number: 9
Height: 6-2
Position: Forward
Eligibility: Freshman
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Analysis: Hänsel represented Sweden in the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket Division B tournament, appearing in four games. She spent the last three years in Luleå at a national basketball high school.

Leah Harmon

Jersey number: 42
Height: 5-6
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Sophomore
Hometown: Paterson, N.J.
2024-25 stats (at Miami): 23 games (zero starts), 233 minutes played, 34.5% field goals (20 for 58), 21.7% 3-point shooting (5 for 23), 76% free throws (19 for 25), 2.8 points, 0.7 assists per game
Analysis: Harmon, a four-star recruit according to ESPN, had her best outing as a Hurricane with 11 points in a win over Charlotte. She led Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C., in scoring (14.4 ppg) during their undefeated season.

Khyala Ngodu

Jersey number: 35
Height: 6-3
Position: Center
Eligibility: Junior
Hometown: Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
2024-25 stats (at UCF): 29 games (17 starts), 563 minutes played, 50.4% field goals (70 for 139), 67% free throws (59 for 88), 6.9 points, 5.9 rebounds per game
Analysis: Ngodu, a starter in 32 of her 57 career games for the Knights, recorded her second career double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds against High Point. She finished second on the team in both rebounds (170) and blocked shots (14), averaging 19 minutes per contest.

Logan Reed

Jersey number: 5
Height: 6-0
Position: Guard/forward
Eligibility: Redshirt freshman
Hometown: Godley, Texas
2024-25 stats (at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi): Did not play, redshirted
Analysis: Reed led Godley to consecutive district championships and earned Defensive Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, and MVP awards in her high school career. She will make her Division I debut after redshirting her freshman year at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Felicia Schölander

Jersey number: 7
Height: 5-9
Position: Guard
Eligibility: Freshman
Hometown: Stockholm, Sweden
Analysis: Schölander helped Sweden to a fourth-place finish at the 2024 FIBA U20 European Championship. She shot 33% from 3-point range and averaged 14.4 points per game while playing in the country's Basketettan league.

Savannah Scott

Jersey number: 30
Height: 6-4
Position: Center
Eligibility: Redshirt sophomore
Hometown: Conway, Ark.
2024-25 stats (at Auburn): Redshirted; no stats available
Analysis: Scott last played March 21, 2024, when Auburn faced Arizona in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. She played 31 times as a true freshman, averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and earning SEC Freshman of the Week honors.

Summer Yancy

Jersey number: 13
Height: 5-11
Position: Guard/forward
Eligibility: Sophomore
Hometown: Kansas City, Mo.
2024-25 stats (at UCF): 21 games (zero starts), 257 minutes played, 45.8% field goals (22 for 48), 29.2% 3-point shooting (7 for 24), 64.3% free throws (9 for 14), 2.9 points, 1.9 rebounds per game
Analysis: Yancy, a three-time All-State selection in high school, carved out a role off the bench as a freshman for the Knights. She had standout performances against Stetson and North Florida, scoring 14 points in both games.

Schedule and Expectations

The Knights' schedule includes a challenging run of games in the Big 12 Conference. The team's identity, built on defense, grit, and speed, will be tested against tough opponents. Despite being picked to finish last in the conference preseason poll, the team is determined to prove the predictions wrong and make a statement in the Big 12.

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