The Shadow
CHARLOTTE, Nc. (VR) – Virginia women’s basketball proved last season that it could compete with the best in the country. Now the Cavaliers are trying to take the next step with a new coach, a new system and many of the pieces from last year’s Sweet 16 team returning.
Virginia finished 11-7 in ACC play last season and reached the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16. Five players return from that squad, while four transfers and four freshmen join first-year head coach Aaron Roussell’s program.
Roussell is installing an offense built around spacing, movement and allowing players to make reads rather than simply running set plays. “We put a high priority on spacing, movement, trying to be hard to guard,” Roussell said. The transition has required the Cavaliers to move outside their comfort zone during the preseason, but Roussell has been encouraged by the progress.
“I think there’s been a lot of growth. There’s been a lot of learning,” he said. “If we continue to progress and improve at the rate that we have already, I really like where this team is going to go.” One of the biggest pieces returning is Charlottesville native Kymora Johnson.
Johnson considered entering the transfer portal before deciding to return to Virginia and play for Roussell. She enters the season after setting several school records last year, including making 103 3-pointers in a season and 10 in a single game. She also scored 27 points in one half and led the ACC in assists during league play.
Johnson said Roussell’s attention to detail has already made an impression. “He really takes it to the nitty gritty details,” Johnson said. “I think that’s been really fun to learn because I feel like part of my last year I wanted to maximize my potential, and I think that starts with the little details.”
Johnson will also benefit from having more experienced guards around her, which could allow her to spend more time playing off the ball. “That will allow me to get off the ball a little bit, so I’m really excited for that,” Johnson said.
Breona Hurd is another returning player who brings experience from last season’s tournament run. Hurd missed time following midseason surgery but said the experience of watching from the sideline helped her become a stronger communicator and leader.
Virginia’s postseason success has raised expectations, but Hurd said the Cavaliers know what it took to get there. “We’ve taken the hard work that it took to get there,” Hurd said. “Just knowing that we need to work hard to keep thriving, to keep growing.” Roussell said maintaining the foundation already established at Virginia has been important during the coaching transition. Rather than completely changing the culture, he wants to build on what worked last season while establishing his own standards.
“They had a great thing, and you saw the result of what that was at the end of the season,” Roussell said. The Cavaliers will need to develop chemistry quickly while adjusting to a new system and facing another demanding ACC schedule. Roussell said rebounding and taking care of the basketball will be critical, along with continuing to improve defensively.
“We know what we are, but we also know what we’re not,” he said. “We need to be a solid rebounding team.” Virginia has already experienced what a strong finish can produce. The challenge now is to turn last year’s Sweet 16 appearance into the beginning of something bigger.
Johnson described the Cavaliers’ mindset with one word: fun.
Hurd chose hard-working.
Roussell chose improvement.
For a Virginia team learning a new system while carrying the confidence of last season’s tournament run, those qualities could define the season ahead.
