LOWELL, Mass. – UMass Lowell women's basketball head coach
Denise King has announced the addition of eight newcomers to the 2023-2024 roster.
The group features five freshmen and three transfer students, providing coach King with plenty of squad depth ahead of the new campaign. The newcomers hail from five states and two countries.
"This year's group will combine youth with experience for an energetic and fun style of basketball," said King. "I am excited we have brought in kids who are going to compete and work hard toward our goals in the classroom and on the court."
Meet the players
Name: Rayne Durant
Hometown/High School: New Haven, Conn. / Hamden Hall Country Day School
Position: Forward
Height: 6-1
Club Team: Hamden
Major/Minor: Biological Sciences / Biology
HIGH SCHOOL: Named the Player of the Year at Hamden Hall Country Day School and served as captain senior year…Earned First Team All-NEPSAC, First Team FAA and MVP honors in senior season…Averaged 17.8 points and 11.8 rebounds while also scoring 1,000 career points…Earned All-FAA second team and All-NEPSAC honors junior year…Named to All-Area and All-SCC First Team sophomore year…Earned honors freshman year…Served as Black Student Union Secretary and made the Honor Roll.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Luwan and Robert Durant…Has five siblings, Robert, Rakeam, Juwan, Rahj and Angel…Enjoys cooking…Names The Summer I Turned Pretty as her favorite TV show and Maya Moore as her favorite sports figure…Favorite sports memory was the LSU vs. Iowa NCAA women's national championship game…Biological sciences major with a biology minor.
KING: "Rayne will bring more versatility to our team by being able to stretch the floor and provide us an inside presence. She is a winner who will work hard and is tough on the boards."
Name: Abbey Lindsey
Hometown/High School: Staten Island, N.Y. / Staten Island Academy
Position: Guard
Height: 5-8
Club Team: Philly Rise EYBL
Major/Minor: Exercise Science / Education
HIGH SCHOOL/PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Served as team captain her senior year…Was a state championship semifinalist…Averaged 23 ppg, scoring 531 total points her senior year with 10 double doubles…Made the varsity basketball team at Staten Island Academy and earned a starting spot as a freshman…Was a NYSAIS vs. PSAL champion her junior year…Also played softball at Staten Island Academy…Played club basketball at Philly Rise EYBL under coaches Doug West and Tony Lee…Member of Sports Talk and Debate club in high school…Extracurricular activities included She's The First, Staten Island and Junior Giving Circle.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Margaret and Thomas Lindsey…Has one brother, Tommy…Nicknamed Abbey…Enjoys listening to music, making videos, spending time and dancing with friends, collecting converse and playing video games…Lists the Chicago Sky, New York Liberty, New York Knicks and New York Giants as her favorite sports teams…Names Sabrina Ionescu and Paige Bueckers as her favorite sprots figures…Greatest sports memory was scoring the winning layup to win the game for her team as time expired…Exercise science major with an education minor.
KING: "Abbey brings the toughness and swag of a NYC guard. She works hard, can score, and has the ability to initiate our offense as well. She plays with a lot of energy, and we love the fact that she is a lefty!"
Name: Maddie Rice
Hometown/High School: Charlottesville, Virginia / St. Anne's Belfield School
Position: Guard
Height: 5-8
Club Team: Elevate Elite
Major/Minor: Journalism / Psychology
HIGH SCHOOL: Played basketball and volleyball at St. Anne's Belfield School (STAB)…Served as team captain for junior and senior season…Named to Boo Williams All-Tournament Team senior year…Earned first team all-state and first team all-conference honors as team captain senior year…Won the Silver Lining Award senior year…Earned first team all-conference honors junior year…Was an LLS Student of the Year Award nominee and a member of the National Honors Society…Played club basketball for Elevate Elite under coach Bruno Corras.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Regina and Antonio Rice…Has one brother, Jacob…Father Antonio played football at UVA and for the Dallas Cowboys…Nicknamed Maddie…Enjoys making TikToks, singing and dancing…Names the Los Angeles Lakers as her favorite sports team…Lists Kobe Bryant and her father as her favorite sprots figures…Her favorite sports memory was hitting the game-winning free throws in a championship game while her father was in the hospital battling cancer, winning the game for her team and her father…Can do the worm…Plans to study journalism with a psychology minor.
KING: "Maddie will bring lots of great energy to our team. Her athleticism, physicality, and defense will fit well with our defensive philosophy and will be contagious."
Name: Gabby Ross
Hometown/High School: Toms River, N.J. / Donovan Catholic
Position: Guard
Height: 5-7
Club Team: New Jersey Gemz
Major/Minor: Undecided
HIGH SCHOOL: Two-time first team All-Division selection…Earned second team All-Shore honors junior year…Named Conference Player of the Year, Asbury Park Press Pod 1 Player of the Year and Asbury Park Press Second Team All-Shore sophomore year…Earned Hoop Group All-Freshman honors and Shore Conference honorable mention…Rose Classic Scholar Award winner…Also a member of the track team…Played for club team New Jersey Gemz under coach Shannon Coyle.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Christina DeLima and Thomas Lynn Ross…Has two siblings, Tre and Chase…Grandfather Thomas Ross played for football at Grambling University and for the Philadelphia Eagles…Nicknamed Gabby…Enjoys photography…Names American Horror Story as her favorite TV show…Names the Philadelphia Eagles as her favorite sports team and Kyrie Irving as her favorite sports figure…Greatest sports memory was the first time she picked up a basketball…Major undecided.
KING: "Gabby is a combo guard who has proven herself against tough Jersey competition. She has a scorer's mentality and plays with a chip on her shoulder."
Name: Cire Worley
Hometown/High School: Philadelphia, Penn. / Abington Senior High School
Position: Guard
Height: 6-0
Club Team: Philly Triple Threat
Major/Minor: Business / Sports Marketing
HIGH SCHOOL/PREVIOUS TEAM: Four-year letterwinner at Abington Senior High…Four-time All-League selection, three-time All-State selection…Served as team captain for two years and became the girls all-time leading scorer with 1,777 points…Became 1,000-point scorer in her junior season…Played club basketball with Philly Triple Threat under coach Dave Bass.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Kimberly and Eric Worley and stepmother Andrea Campbell…Has three siblings, Dee, Jada and Taylor…Sister Dee played basketball at Hofstra University and is currently an assistant coach at UMass Lowell, father Eric played basketball at West Chester University and cousin Aaliyah played basketball at Stony Brook University…Nicknamed Pooh…Enjoys running her brand Bucket Get(Her)…Names Power as her favorite TV show…Lists the Philadelphia 76ers and Eagles as her favorite sports teams…Names Jayson Tatum as her favorite sports figure…Greatest sports memory was breaking the all-time scoring record at her high school…Plans to study business with a sports marketing minor.
KING: "Cire is a high IQ player who is very good at passing the ball and a Bucket Get(Her). She will bring that Philly grit to our team and like the rest of the crew, she is a competitor."
Name: Sophie Baydanov
Hometown/Previous School: Rottenmann, Styria, Austria / Morehead State
Position: Guard
Height: 5-9
Club Team: Vienna Timberwolves
Major/Minor: Exercise Science
PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Played one season at Morehead State University…Made 27 appearances with two starts…Averaged 3.3 points, 1.3 rebounds…Totaled 90 points, 36 rebounds, 10 steals and seven assists…Tallied a career-high 15 points, five rebounds and four assists against Brescia (11/30/22)...Shot 81% from the free throw line and 34% from behind the arc.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Elmira Baydanova and Vasko Baydanov…Has one sibling, Alexander…Father played professional soccer in the Bulgarian first league…Nicknamed Soph…Enjoys snowboarding, swimming and spending time with friends…Lists Stranger Things, Lucifer, Breaking Bad and Suits as her favorite TV shows…Names Fenerbache Euroleague Team Women's Basketball as her favorite team…Favorite sports figures are Diana Taurasi and Kobe Bryant…Favorite sports memory was winning the Austrian Championship for the first time with the wU19 team in 2022…Speaks fluent German, Bulgarian and English…Exercise science major.
KING: "Sophie will bring lots of international experience to the squad. She can score from behind the arc and off the bounce. She has a high motor and is going to provide a sense of maturity to the crew."
Name: Alex Gitchenko
Hometown/Previous School: Ashdod, Israel / Georgia State
Position: Forward
Height: 5-11
Club Team: Winget
Major/Minor: Psychology
PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Played two seasons at Georgia State University…Made 39 appearances and 20 starts…Averaged 3.3 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in her career at GSU…Totaled 130 points, 100 rebounds, 27 steals and seven blocks…Scored a career-high 11 points against Troy (1/7/23) …Two-time Athletic Director's Honor Roll recipient.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Oksana Gichenkco…Mother played basketball for Soviet Union and Ukrainian national teams and helped Ukraine to a fourth-place finish in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta…Nicknamed Lech…Enjoys reading books and traveling the world…Names Friends as her favorite TV show and Real Madrid as her favorite team…Her favorite sports figure is her mother…Greatest sports memory was playing for the Israel National Team…Speaks three languages…Psychology major.
KING: "Alex is another player who has brought her international talents to Lowell. She can stretch the floor and because of her experiences, we will look of her to be a calming presence on the floor."
Name: Sydney Watkins
Hometown/Previous School: Indianapolis, Indiana / Miami (OH)
Position: Guard
Height: 5-8
Club Team: Indiana Elite AAU
Major/Minor: Sociology / Marketing
PREVIOUS SCHOOL: Played two seasons at Miami (OH)…Made 44 appearances and five starts, averaging 2.1 rebounds and 1.7 points per game…In 29 games in 2022-23, tallied 83 rebounds, 68 points and 33 steals, shooting 37% from the field…Had a career-high nine rebounds against Ohio (3/1/23) and five steals against Oakland (12/17/22) …Earned Academic All-MAC honors for the 2022-23 season.
PERSONAL: Daughter of Kisha Tandy…Has two siblings, Shirley and Samuel…Nicknamed Syd…Enjoys spoken word poetry, R&B music, and art…Lists Criminal Minds, Teen Wolf and How to Get Away With Murder as her favorite TV shows…Favorite sports team is the Las Vegas Aces and her favorite sports figure as Jewell Lloyd…Greatest sports memory was winning the Adidas Gauntlet Nationals after defeating the top ranked team in the tournament…Sociology major with a marketing minor.
KING: "Sydney is extremely athletic and a tenacious defender. She plays with a lot of intensity and high energy. We love that she is vocal and is coming in with a refuse to lose mentality."
