The 2024-25 version of the Utah women’s basketball team is off and running — and the season opener went as expected.
“There’s no words to describe it. The past 11 months have been hard, obviously, but God blessed me with great people in my life. So to be back feels good.”
— Utah guard Gianna Kneepkens
The Utes dominated their way to a 105-52 victory over Southern Utah at the Huntsman Center on Monday in front of a raucous, young crowd during the promotional kids game.
The Utes went on a 17-0 run in the second quarter to break things open after the Thunderbirds kept things interesting into the early moments of the second frame.
For as much as you can take away from a season opener in a matchup where one team’s talent clearly outmatches the other, Utah looked the part of a team that’s led by veterans and should be in the running for the NCAA Tournament yet again.
“There were some first-game nerves. It’s Nov. 4, and we’re a work in progress, as we should be,” Utah coach Lynne Roberts said. “I thought our veterans looked so good, and they got a lot of rest today, because we got to play the bench quite a bit, which is good.”
Here’s a few takeaways from the season-opening win:
Gianna Kneepkens’ triumphant return
For those familiar with the Utah program, the biggest storyline surrounding the season opener was star guard Gianna Kneepkens making her return to the court after she missed most of last season with a broken foot.
Appropriately enough, Kneepkens hit a 3-pointer for the first points of the season just 19 seconds into the game. She also contributed in a variety of other ways throughout the matchup on a day she scored a team-high 18 points.
She looked solid from 3-point range, like she never left, making 4 of 6 from distance.
“There’s no words to describe it,” Kneepkens said of her return. “The past 11 months have been hard, obviously, but God blessed me with great people in my life. So to be back feels good. The runs today were awesome. The crowd with all the kids was awesome. It just feels really great to be back.”
She also had four rebounds, two steals, a blocked shot and four assists. Two of those assists were a part of a stretch where she either scored or had a hand in 10 straight points for the Utes in the fourth quarter, as she served as a stabilizing force to a group of new teammates on the floor.
A senior-led group
The seniors? Well, they did the senior thing, too — i.e., they looked the part of this year’s leaders.
Jenna Johnson had eight points in the first quarter to help pace the early-game effort — she also enjoyed an efficient game overall, finishing with 16 points on 8-of-9 shooting, while adding four assists and a rebound.
“I feel like going into the season, I knew I had to step up, just with Alissa (Pili) being gone,” Johnson said. “This whole summer, I feel like, mentally, I’ve been trying to get there and just take on a bigger role. ... I wanted to come out aggressive, confident, and set the tone for the season.”
Ines Vieira contributed across the stat sheet, leading the team with seven assists, while adding six points, three steals and three rebounds.
Kennady McQueen also had an efficient outing, with 13 points and two 3-pointers on 5-of-7 shooting. She also had two rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot.
Unsurprisingly, given the individual numbers, the Utes shot 62.5% as a team, including 75% in the second half.
That included going 13 of 28 from 3-point range.
Utah also dominated points off turnovers, outscoring Southern Utah 33-8 in that department. The Utes had 11 turnovers to 24 for the visiting Thunderbirds.
Bench players get chance to shine
A pair of bench players showed off how deep the Utes can go.
Sophomore forward Reece Ross had perhaps her best game as a Ute, shooting a perfect 7 of 7 from the field, while finishing with 17 points and seven rebounds.
Junior guard Maty Wilke played tough minutes on the floor, like she did through big parts of last season, ending the day with eight points and two assists in 18 minutes.
How did the transfers and newcomers look?
The lone newcomer to the starting lineup is Maye Toure, the team’s starting center who spent the past four seasons at Rhode Island.
She showed off the ability to contribute in several ways, from scoring to defense — and it was a solid debut.
Toure had 14 points, shot a team-high eight free throws (making five) and added three rebounds, two steals, an assist and a blocked shot.
The 6-foot-3 post player even showed off some range, nailing a 3-pointer in the second quarter.
“I feel like today we saw what she can do. She can rebound, shoot around the basket, all that type of stuff,” Johnson said of Toure. “She’s been a really good piece for us. I think as she continues to settle in, understand our system, she’s going to get better and better.”
Utah also got extensive minutes for a couple of its freshmen guards, Brooke Walker and Kylie Ray.
Walker was one of the first Utes coming off the bench to help spell the starters and played 20 minutes. She had three points, five rebounds and two assists.
Ray saw the court for 18 minutes — her 3-pointer at the end of the third quarter gave the Utes an 80-35 lead and elicited a large cheer from the crowd. She scored six points and added three assists.
