RCW: The women's basketball team

Get to know the 2016-17 Jayhawks before they open up another exciting season of Kansas basketball.
 

SYDNEY BENOIT
R-Jr. | G | 5-10 | Smith Center, Kan.
Bio Full Bio

  • Benoit has appeared in two games in 2016-17 and is averaging 4.0 minutes per contest.
  • Benoit played two seasons at Hutchinson Community College before transferring to Kansas and utilized a redshirt season in 2015-16 after suffering an injury at the beginning of the year.

LISA BLAIR
Sr. | F | 6-5 | Brooklyn, N.Y.
Bio Full Bio

  • Appeared in five games so far this season and averaging 5.6 minutes per game.
  • Blair has recorded three points and seven rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field.
  • A graduate transfer from Ohio State, Lisa Blair played three seasons for the Buckeyes before joining Kansas women’s basketball. 

JADA BROWN
Sr. | F | 6-0 | Las Vegas, Nev.
Bio Full Bio

  • Brown has appeared in 21 games so far in 2017 and is averaging 19.2 minutes per game.
  • Averaging 3.5 points and 3.0 rebounds per game as a senior, while shooting 37.7 percent from the field. Brown scored a season-high 11 points at Alabama (12/4).
  • Brown appeared in all 31 games for Kansas and made eight starts during the 2015-16 season, averaging 4.3 points per game and shot 40.3 percent from the field on the year.

 

MCKENZIE CALVERT
R-So. | G | 5-9 | Schertz, Texas
Bio Full Bio

  • Averaging 11.4 points and 2.7 boards per game in 12 starts and 20 appearances on the season.
  • Scored a career-high 30 points against UC Riverside (12/21) and has netted a total of 12 double-digit scoring efforts in her first season playing with Kansas.
  • Calvert sat out the 2015-16 season to comply with NCAA transfer rules after playing her freshman season at USC.

CHAYLA CHEADLE
Jr. | G | 6-0 | Columbia, Mo.
Bio Full Bio

  • Cheadle has started all 21 games so far in 2016-17 and is averaging 24.7 minutes per contest halfway through the season.
  • Averaging 5.2 points per game, while shooting 32.8 percent from the floor. Also grabbing 4.9 boards per game, second-most on the squad this season.
  • Cheadle saw action in every game for Kansas and started 23 contests as a sophomore in 2015-16.

JAYDE CHRISTOPER
So. | G | 5-8 | Federal Way, Wash.
Bio Full Bio

  • Christopher has appeared in 21 games so far in 2017 and started seven, while averaging 16.5 minutes per contest.
  • Second on the team in assists after dishing out 48 in 2017. Also averaging 1.6 points and shooting 38.5 percent from long range.
  • Christopher appeared in all 31 games for the Jayhawks and cracked the starting lineup on five occasions as a freshman. She ended her rookie season with 55 assists, second-most on the team and first among returning players.

 

TYLER JOHNSON
So. | F | 6-2 | Leavenworth, Kan.
Bio Full Bio

  • Johnson has been sidelined in 2016-17 with an injury and is out indefinitely.
  • Appeared in all 31 games for the Jayhawks and made seven starts, including the final four games, of the 2015-16 season. She posted a team-best 50 percent shooting average (75-of-150), ranking 11th in the Big 12.

KYLEE KOPATICH
So. | G | 5-10 | Olathe, Kan.
Bio Full Bio

  • Kopatich has started all 21 games so far in 2016-17 and is averaging 28.8 minutes per contest, the most by a Jayhawk this season.
  • Averaging 9.4 points per game and has recorded 11 double-digit scoring efforts, including seven during Big 12 Conference play.
  • Kopatich started 30 of 31 games for Kansas as a freshman and averaged the second-most minutes per game (33.0), ranking eighth in the Big 12.

CHELSEA LOTT
So. | C | 6-3 | Fresno, Texas
Bio Full Bio

  • Has started three games and appeared 15 so far this season.
  • Averaging 1.4 points and 2.1 rebounds per game, while registering two blocks.
  • Lott played in eight games for the Jayhawks as a freshman, tallying four points and averaging 3.3 minutes per game during her rookie campaign.

 

CAELYNN MANNING-ALLEN
Sr. | F | 6-4 | Chicago, Ill.
Bio Full Bio

  • Manning-Allen has appeared in 18 games in 2016-17 and made two starts.
  • Averaging 4.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game. After recording four blocks at Oklahoma State (1/25), Manning-Allen moved into 10th all-time in KU’s career block list with 102.
  • Named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team for the second-consecutive season at the end of 2015-16. Also earned Big Academic All-Rookie Team honors.

TIMEKA O’NEAL
Sr. | G | 5-4 | Raytown, Mo.
Bio Full Bio

  • O’Neal has appeared in 19 games and made four starts during her senior campaign.
  • Averaging 4.7 points, while shooting 37 percent from the 3-point line. O’Neal moved into second in KU’s all-time records for 3-point shooting after connecting on 39.4 percent of her attempts from beyond the arc in her career.
  • O’Neal saw action in all 31 games for the Jayhawks and made five starts in 2015-16.

AISIA ROBERTSON
So. | G | 5-7 | San Francisco, Calif.
Bio Full Bio

  • Robertson has appeared in all 21 games so far this season and made two starts.
  • Averaging 4.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per game, while playing 15.5 minutes per contest. Robertson recorded a season-best 11 points and nine rebounds against SMU (11/16).
  • Robertson started 22 games for the Jayhawks, including the last 11 contests, and saw action in every game of her rookie season. She averaged 4.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game.

 

SYDNEY UMERI
Sr. | F | 6-0 | Acworth, Ga.
Bio Full Bio

  • Umeri has appeared in all 21 games so far this season and made 16 starts for the Jayhawks.
  • Averaging 2.3 points per game behind 40.7 shooting from the field, while grabbing 2.9 rebounds per game. Umeri grabbed a season-high nine rebounds at Iowa State (1/8).
  • Umeri is a graduate transfer and will be able to play immediately after three seasons at Virginia. 

JESSICA WASHINGTON
R-Jr. | G | 5-8 | Tulsa, Okla.
Bio Full Bio

  • Washington leads the squad with 16.8 points per game and leads the Big 12 Conference in scoring with 20.6 points during league action.
  • Netted a career-high 31 points at Kansas State (1/11) after sinking 7-of-10 (.700) triples, one shy of tying KU’s single-game record of eight treys.
  • Washington sat out the 2015-16 season to comply with NCAA transfer rules after playing two seasons at North Carolina.

EBONI WATTS
Jr. | G | 5-6 | Macon, Ga.
Bio Full Bio

  • Watts has appeared in three games in 2016-17 and is averaging 5.0 minutes per contest.
  • Recorded a steal and a rebound in in her first season with the Jayhawks.
  • A junior college transfer, Watts is eligible to play right away for the Jayhawks and will have three seasons of eligibility left.