Miami, Fla - FIU Women's Hoops will have their first matchup of the 2024-25 campaign against Florida National at home in the Ocean Bank Convocation Stadium on November 4 at 7:00 p.m.
Monday, November 4Â vs Florida National
The Panthers are coming off their best season in over a decade, ending last season 21-12 and third in the CUSA regular season standings, their highest placement since joining the conference in 2012.
FIU has a brand new roster, complete with five returners, six transfers and two true freshmen. Last season's CUSA Sixth Player of the Year in junior Mya Kone, as well as Second-Team All Conference and All-Defense selection in senior Tanajah Hayes highlight the returners for the Panthers. Junior guard Angena Belloso will also be back with the team this season after starting 31 out of 33 games and racked up 7.1 points per game and 1.7 assists per game. Guard Fantasia James and forward LAuren Stewart round out the returners from last season's team.
The Panthers brought in a lot of exciting transfers to the squad, highlighted by Iowa State transfer Isnelle Natabou. The center out of the Czech Republic is already a 1,000-point scorer after dominating at Sacramento State before her time at Iowa State and at 6'4 is one of the tallest players in the conference. Senior Aaliyah Pitts joins FIU from Western Kentucky, ending her career at her mother's alma mater, who also played at FIU. Parris Atkins, a guard coming in from Dodge City Community College, averaged 14.5 points and started in all 34 games for her squad last season. A duo of guards from Spain in Judit Valero Rodriguez , who transferred from USF, and Lucia Fleta Robles, who is joining the team from Detroit Mercy, completes the transfers portion of the squad.
To round out the team, the Panthers brought in two true freshmen. Starting with Ndate Ndiaye, the guard out of Senegal was a leader for her state championship winning high school team of Greenforest Christian Academy in Georgia. The first year also played in the FIBA U18 Women's African Championship, averaging 9.3 points and 22 minutes per game in four games. Claudia Marina Gonzalez is the last piece to the 2024-25 roster, coming in from Spain she was a key contributor in Madrid's U18 league, averaging 14 points, six rebounds and two assists per game.
FIU is looking to start the season off right with a victory over Florida National. Last season, also in their first game of the year, the Panthers beat FNU 113-30 with Mya Kone putting up a game-high 20 points and 14 rebounds. Tanajah Hayes ended the match with 16 points as well as eight assists, while Angena Belloso put up 10 points and three steals in the victory.
TICKETS
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