Panther Preview: 2021 FIU Women’s Basketball

Marc Zakharov / Contributing Writer

The FIU Women’s basketball team returns this semester with full force for the first normal season since the Fall of 2019. 

Last season, the Panthers concluded their run with a 15-13 record while placing third in Conference USA behind the Charlotte 49ers and the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. 

The Panthers combined for a total of 2064 points last season on 42% field goal shooting while averaging 73.7 ppg. 

Former guard Jiselle Thomas led the team in scoring with 474 points on 46% shooting and steals with 34 while the current forward Kyla Nelson was close behind with 362 points, mostly from behind the arc.

Head Coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley was hired by FIU in April of 2020 and returns for her second season as the head coach of the program and hopes to continue her recent success.

New Faces

While the Panther’ did lose most of its core squad including Emily Atsinger, Fujiko Nimmo, Liz Satter, Diene Diene, Alexus Wykoff, Giulia Bongiorno, Jiselle Thomas and Shante Walker, they did manage to pick up eight new talents that would greatly improve the overall success of the team. 

The new team includes guards Zaida Gonzalez, Olivia Trice, Tanajah Hayes, and Grace Hunter, centers Barbora Tomancova and Hope Butera, and forwards Ariel Colon and Maria Torres. 

Burks-Wiley was also able to acquire Christelle N’Garsanet, who will be replacing Robyn Scherr-Wells as her new assistant coach and recruitment coordinator.

Regular Season Matchups

Vs George Mason Patriots (11/09 at 7pm)

To start off the 2021-2022 season, The FIU Panthers will match up against the George Mason Patriots for the first time since 2016. FIU lost 67-51 in their last matchup but hopes to start off the season strong by getting their second win ever against the Patriots.

Vs Florida Memorial Lions (11/12 at 4:30pm)

This will be the third ever meeting between FIU and Florida Memorial where the Panthers hold a 2-0 against them. The Panthers dominated both prior matchups and hope to hold onto that lead heading into this game.

@ Kennesaw State Owls (11/15)

The Panthers will face Kennesaw State for the first time in women’s basketball. This will also be FIU’s first game on the road. The Owls managed a 7-12 record last season so there are high hopes for the Panthers to take advantage.

@ Georgia Southern Eagles (11/17 at 3pm)

The last time the Panthers played Georgia Southern was in the spring of 2008. Their record last year was 11-13. 

FIU Thanksgiving Classic (11/26-11/27)

The first game of the FIU Thanksgiving Classic, which is a doubleheader at home, starts off against the Chicago State Cougars on 11/26 at noon. The second game is against Eastern Michigan Eagles at 2pm. Both teams have never played FIU in women’s basketball. 

Vs Jacksonville Dolphins (11/30 at 7pm)

With a record of 5-6 against the Dolphins, the Panthers will hope to catch the momentum of their last outing to secure the win. The last time these two played together FIU came out on top thanks to Kyla Nelson and her 7 three pointers made. 

Vs North Florida Ospreys (12/04 at 12pm)

Panthers hold a 2-3 record against UNF and lost by 18 points in their last outing against them. This was also Head Coach Burk’s debut game last year, so she and the team will hope to even out the record.

@ Bethune-Cookman Wildcats (12/14)

The Panther’s hope to get their first win against Bethune-Cookman as they hold a 3-0 record against FIU all-time.

FIU Holiday Hoops Showdown (12/20-12/21)

The first game of FIU’s Holiday Hoops showdown, another home doubleheader, comes against the Binghamton Bearcats on 12/20 at 11am. The Bearcats have never played the Panthers previously, and held a record of 5-11 last season on 39% shooting as a team.

The second game is against the UMass-Lowell River Hawks on 12/21 at 1pm, which will also be their last non-conference opponent of the season.

@ Old Dominion Monarchs (12/30)

This matchup against Old Dominion marks the first conference game for the Panthers this season. FIU holds a 2-7 all-time record against the Monarchs, and was able to beat them in their last two outings with close scores both times. With a strong record of 13-11 from last season, the Monarchs will give the Panthers a run for their money. 

@ Charlotte 49ers (01/01 at 4pm)

This will be one of FIU’s greatest challenges as the Charlotte 49ers have never lost a game to the Panthers. With a new team and attitude, Coach Burks hopes to find a way of coming out on top.

Vs Western Kentucky Hilltoppers (01/08 at 12pm)

The Panthers were able to grab their first win against WKU last season as they moved up their record to 3-1 against them. This was their first win over them since 2013 and they hope to continue throughout this season. 

Vs Alabama-Birmingham Blazers (01/13 at 7pm)

This will be the teams first matchup against the UAB Blazers who were 10-13 last season and 3-11 in conference play. FIU statistically has the advantage in this one, and they hope to secure their first win against the program. 

Vs Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (01/15 at 12pm)

Perhaps FIU’s most notable rival, Middle Tennessee has a 25-3 record against the Panthers having won every game since 2012. With a load of new talent this year, the Panthers hope to bring out the best in themselves and bring back a win at home. 

@ Marshall Thundering Herd (01/20)

This next matchup will also prove to be a tough game for the Panthers as they face Marshall on the road, where they have proved to be successful. FIU grabbed a win in their doubleheader last year and hope to repeat it again with the help of Nelson and her new squad. 

@ WKU (01/22 at 1pm)

This matchup will be held in Bowling Green, Kentucky, which will prove to be a daunting task for the Panthers as they haven’t beat them in an away game yet. 

Vs Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (01/27 at 7pm)

Having won the last 4-5 games, the Panthers hope to continue their tradition this season by beating the 0-14 Roadrunners. In their last matchup, Alma Danielsson drained a game-high five threes on her way to 17 points and Emerald Ekpiteta led all Panthers in rebounding with 11 boards. 

Vs Texas-El Paso Miners (01/29 at 12pm)

UTEP finished second in their division with a 13-5 record in conference play. This proves to be a difficult challenge for the Panthers as they have had only a single against them back in 2017. With a new squad and new leadership, Burks-Wiley hopes to take this team past one of their toughest opponents. 

@ Southern Miss Golden Eagles (02/03 at 7pm)

Last season the Panthers were able to secure 2 victories over Southern Miss, one being a spectacular finish in overtime. The new team hopes they can continue the momentum of their last win. 

@ LA Tech Techsters (02/05 at 3pm)

The Panthers will step out against LA Tech this season with something to prove as they have not beat the Techsters since 2018. 

Vs Marshall (02/10 at 7pm)

With this game being at the Ocean Bank Convocation Center, the Panthers hope to secure a win against their long time rivals. 

@ MT (02/17 at 7pm)

The Panthers will face Middle Tennessee in Murfreesboro, with the hopes of being able to come out on top against the #1 ranked opponent.

@ Rice Owls (02/19 at 3pm)

Having last won in 2018, the Panthers will try to find a way to get a win against the highly ranked Rice Owls. FIU’s last three attempts proved unsuccessful but they’ll try to bounce back with their new coach and team. 

Vs Charlotte 49ers (02/24 at 7pm)

This will be one of FIU’s greatest challenges as the Charlotte 49ers have never lost a game to the Panthers. With a new team and attitude, coach Burks-Wiley hopes to find a way of coming out on top.

Vs Old Dominion Monarchs (02/26 at 12pm)

This will be the second outing against Old Dominion for the Panthers as they hope to be able to top over team block leader Amari Young. 

FAU Doubleheader (3/2 & 3/5) 

FIU will finish their regular season with two straight games against the Florida Atlantic Owls, with the former being in Boca Raton on 3/2 at 6pm and the latter at home on 3/5 at noon. 

The Panthers hold a 16-14 record against the Owls, including a comeback win last season led by Kyla Nelson and Emerald Ekpiteta.

Conference USA Tournament (03/08-03/12)

After a long season, the FIU Panthers hope to take home the C-USA title. This will be a rough road for the Panthers as they have to face very tough teams and in order to have a good record, they will have to play harder than ever before. 

Expectations are high this year following a second-round exit last year, but the goal for FIU remains to make it as far as possible. This can include an NCAA tournament appearance, which would be the benchmark for success that coach Burks-Wiley is aiming for.