Hoops is Back
Under Messer, the Knights are 3-0 in season openers, having outscored opponents 249-139. UCF and Bethune-Cookman last met in the program's 2023 season-opening contest, with the Knights scoring 63 second-half points en route to a commanding 101-63 triumph. The 20th all-time meeting between the two teams and 12th in Orlando, where the Black and Gold maintain and 10-1 advantage, will open up an 11-game non-conference slate for UCF. The campaign is highlighted by eight games at home, marking the second consecutive season with that total and the fourth season with at least seven. Under Messer, the Knights are 20-3 in non-conference games at Addition Financial Arena.
Returning Knights
Coach Messer returns a pair of key frontcourt contributors in Khyala Ngodu and Mahogany Chandler-Roberts, along with versatile playmaker Summer Yancy. The formers saw minutes in all but one game last season (29 of 30), with Ngodu garnering starts down the stretch with four double-digit-point performances in her last six contests. Ngodu set career marks in points (6.9 p/g) and rebounds (5.9 p/g). Chandler-Roberts and Yancy each contributed as freshmen under Messer, with the latter boasting an efficient .458 shooting percentage, while Chandler-Roberts was one of four to secure 100-plus rebounds.
Portal Additions
Eight transfers add a combined 17 seasons of collegiate experience to Orlando, as coach Messer added both physicality and Power Four experience to her roster. Savannah Scott (Auburn) boasted a standout freshman season two seasons ago, while Leah Harmon (Miami) and Kayanna Cox (SMU) each contributed to their respective teams as first years. Kristol Ayson (Tulsa) and Jacorriah Bracey (Southern Miss) each hold four years of experience themselves, while Jasmynne Gibson (North Florida) was named to the All-Atlantic Sun Freshman Team in 2024-25. Pensacola State transfer Audreonia Benson was named First-Team All-Panhandle and averaged 11.9 points per game in two seasons with the Pirates. Logan Reed (Texas A&M Corpus Christi) rounds out the exciting transfer class after redshirting her freshman season.
Freshmen Sensations
The Knights welcome three promising freshmen to campus ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, each making long journeys from their hometowns to suit up in Black and Gold. Samari Bankhead was a standout guard at Windward High School in Los Angeles, California, receiving an opportunity to be coached by basketball legend Kobe Bryant during her youth career. Swedish natives Felicia Scholander and Meja Hansel, who both competed on the national team alongside one another, each bring something exciting to the team. Scholander shot 33 percent from beyond the arc in Sweden's Basketettan League, while Hansel's height and physicality saw the freshman average 6.3 rebounds per game with RIG Lulea in the Basketettan League.
