6 Players To Watch As Women's Basketball Approaches Ivy League Play

Upper West Side NY

12 December, 2021

4:58 PM

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Columbia Daily Spectator BY OWEN TESORO DECEMBER 10, 2021 Columbia women's basketball returned to the court in October for the first time since March 2020 with an 89-55 exhibition game win against New York University (7-0). The Lions (8-2, 0-0 Ivy) followed that with five consecutive victories, racking up wins against the likes of Clemson University (5-3) and Georgetown University (5-4) before shutting down University of Delaware (6-3) and Marist College (2-6) before winter break to rocket to the top of the Ivy table. With their Jan. 2 Ivy League season opener approaching, the Lions seem poised to contend for an Ancient Eight title. Here are six players to watch out for. Abbey Hsu, guard During her senior year at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Florida, sophomore Abbey Hsu led the Raiders to district and regional championships. Hsu emerged as a star in her first year, earning All-Met Division I Rookie of the Year while leading all Ivy League rookies and ranking fourth in the conference overall in points per game. After losing the 2020-21 season to the pandemic, Hsu has picked up right where she left off. The sharpshooter leads the Ivy League in scoring, averaging 18.3 points per game through the Light Blue's first 10 contests, including a season-high 27 points against the University of Delaware. The Lions will continue to lean on Hsu as an offensive creator. Kaitlyn Davis, guard and forward Junior Kaitlyn Davis's dominant play is nothing new. At Connecticut's Greenwich Academy, Davis joined the varsity team as an eighth grader, averaging 16.6 points per game against competitors much older than her and scoring 1,305 points from eighth grade through her junior year. For the Lions, Davis has been a cornerstone of the starting lineup. She ranks top 10 in the Ivy League with 13.5 points per game, including a 23-point outburst in the Lions' loss against Stony Brook University. The recent Ivy League Player of the Week has also made an impact on the defensive end, ranking in the top 10 in the Ancient Eight in blocks, steals, and rebounds. Davis will continue to be a critical inside presence as the Lions approach conference play. Sienna Durr, guard and forward During her first year, junior Sienna Durr set the Ivy League on fire. Setting the Columbia first-year scoring record with her 392 points, Durr won Ivy League Rookie of the Year and became the first Columbia rookie to collect First or Second Team All-Ivy League honors. After repeating as a member of the All-Ivy Second Team her sophomore year and losing last season to COVID-19, Durr has returned from the hiatus as a veteran leader on the team. The Iowa native has continued her high level of play, putting up an average of 9.1 points per game in all 10 of the Lions' games. Kitty Henderson, guard First-year Kitty Henderson came to Columbia after a season of professional basketball in the Women's National Basketball League in Australia for the Sydney Uni Flames. The former pro has not disappointed thus far. Henderson's 8.9 points per game puts her in the top 20 in the Ivy League, and her lockdown defense has proven to be a valuable asset to the Lions. Head coach Megan Griffith has reserved high praise for Henderson, calling her "as tough as they come" and "the most consistent guard in [the Lions'] rotation." Carly Rivera, point guard Junior Carly Rivera picked up where she left off after a lost 2020-21 season. Quickly gaining the trust of Griffith, Rivera played in all 27 contests her rookie season, leading Ivy League play in assists per game. This season, Rivera has proven to be a critical cog in the Lions' league-leading offense: The junior point guard currently dominates the Ivy League assist table, sitting at No. 1 with 6.4 assists per game. Noa Comesaña, forward and center First-year Noa Comesaña comes to Morningside Heights from Vigo, Spain, where she played for both the Spanish national team and the Celta Vigo U18 squad, appearing in eight Galician championships and five Spanish championships. The rookie forward and center put up her highest point total in her second collegiate game, putting 10 on the board against Davidson College. Her development as the season progresses will be something to keep an eye on. The Lions will build up to Ivy League play with three home games against the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Long Island University, and Hofstra University. They open up Ivy League play on Jan. 2 at home in Levien Gymnasium against Yale. Staff writer Owen Tesoro can be contacted at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @TesoroOwen. Founded in 1877, the Columbia Daily Spectator is the independent undergraduate newspaper of Columbia University, serving thousands of readers in Morningside Heights, West Harlem, and beyond. Read more at columbiaspectator.com and donate here.