It’s cruel, but it’s true: sports fans always gravitate toward the future and yearn for what could come next.
Such could be said about the Oregon women’s basketball team; a revitalized program that will likely clinch its first NCAA Tournament berth in three seasons.
The Ducks will likely be among the 68 teams selected to go to March Madness. They might even have a good chance to win a game or two depending on their bracket and opponents. But, with the end of the season comes the search for what could come next.
With that in mind, the Daily Emerald has created a “who stays who goes” tracker for the Ducks, factoring in graduations, some of the team’s biggest needs and the program’s two incoming recruits.
Newcomers
Janiyah Williams
Ranked as the No. 37 incoming freshman in the nation by 247Sports, Williams projects as a high-level guard who could take over some ballhandling responsibilities as a freshman. Williams averaged 16.2 points per game and 8 rebounds as a junior at Oklahoma’s Edmond Memorial High School in 2023. A 5-foot-8 guard, Williams projects as a high-level scorer and a potential top-scoring option later in her career as a Duck.
Sara Barhoum
A commit for nearly a full calendar year, Barhoum is a part of a loaded Clackamas High School roster that includes the No. 2 recruit in the nation, Jazzy Davidson. Barhoum is an unranked prospect by ESPN and projects as a depth scorer similar to Katie Fiso and Ari Long this past season.
Key Departures: Peyton Scott, Phillipina Kyei and Deja Kelly
While head coach Kelly Graves credited this year’s senior class for helping the program be in a “completely different place” than it was a year ago, he’ll now have to make up for the immense hole this year’s five seniors have left.
Oregon will have to replace three of its four top scorers and search for a new primary ball handler with Kelly’s departure from the program.
Kyei will leave a massive impact on the Ducks as her time in Eugene comes to an end. She grabbed 25 rebounds and scored 20 points in her final game at Matthew Knight Arena.
“She’s meant so much to the program,” Graves said of Kyei. “She’s been here for the highs and the lows. She’s been a steady force within the program. When we were recruiting last spring, she met with every recruit. She was the one that helped us build this thing. She’s invested into the University of Oregon.”
Biggest Needs
Center
Kyei’s departure quite literally leaves a giant hole in the Ducks’ future plans. The 6-foot-8 center could be depended upon for 20+ minutes most nights and an easy 10 rebounds. Graves and company will likely need to dip into the transfer portal to replace her role in the frontcourt, with Sarah Rambus and Amina Muhammad Oregon’s only players listed at 6-foot-3 or above.
Primary Ball Handler
She never fully was the dominant force expected when she transferred to Eugene, but Deja Kelly’s impact on the Ducks can’t go unnoticed. Even when baskets weren’t falling for the guard, she still had a massive impact on the Oregon offense as a whole. Elisa Mevius and Sofia Bell have both flashed as solid primary guards in the past, but the Ducks will likely have to dip into the transfer portal to snag another top scorer.
