Ethan York, Staff Writer
As VCU women’s basketball team prepares for tip off on Nov. 5 at the Siegel Center, fans of the Black and Gold will notice something unique about the roster: a global presence that reaches far beyond the city of Richmond.
The Rams have eight players representing six countries, displaying a very diverse roster compared to other teams in the Atlantic 10 conference.
VCU added second-year guard Katarina Kneževic, who hails from Belgrade, Serbia. Kneževic played for the University of Arizona during her first year before transferring.
Two Rams come representing Spain: third-year forward Lucía Sotelo and first-year guard Laia Crespín. While this is Crespín’s first year repping black and gold, Sotelo looks to keep contributing for the Rams. Last season, Sotelo played in 25 games and was named to the All A-10 Rookie Team in her first year, according to VCU Athletics.
Second-year forward Isabel Whitelaw comes all the way from Shepparton, Victoria, Australia. Whitelaw has international basketball experience from playing for the Victoria Country U18 team in the Australian Junior National Championships, according to VCU Athletics. She played in 25 games for VCU last season, and had a career high of six points and three rebounds against the University of Richmond.
Two international students come from Canada: first-year guard Patricia Augustin and fourth-year guard Mary-Anna Asare.
Augustin is from Longueuil, Canada and looks forward to making an impact for the Rams. She represented Canada’s U18 team in the Women’s Americas Championship and averaged seven points and four rebounds per game, according to FIBA Basketball.
Asare, from Pickering, Canada, hopes to finish out her fourth year at VCU strong. She made the A-10 All-Academic team and Second Team All-A-10 in the 2024-2025 season. Asare averaged 16 points per game for the Rams last year, scoring double digits in 25 out of 30 games.
Redshirt third-year forward Ann Zachariah joins the Rams this season representing is Kerala, India. She spent her first year at Howard University where she averaged 15 points per game before playing at Colorado State University last season. Zachariah looks to provide offensive opportunities for the Black and Gold this season.
VCU has also picked up fourth-year center Tanya Tkachenko, who comes from Berdainsk, Ukraine. Last season she represented Herner TC, a basketball club in Germany, where she played in 23 games. Despite being 21 she has had an impressive career, playing for Ukraine at the FIBA U20 Women’s European Championship Division B in Craiova, Romania in 2023.
Compared to other teams in the A-10 conference, VCU stands out in terms of international diversity. George Mason University only has two international players on its women’s basketball roster, while crosstown rival Richmond has none.
VCU brings talent from all across the world to the Siegel Center. Blending all of these players from all corners of the world is a great show of chemistry and unity for the Rams.