By: Dylan Nuzzo, Assistant Sports Information Director
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The 2022-23 St. Bonaventure women's basketball season moves one step closer as the Atlantic 10 released the conference pairings for the upcoming season Thursday.
This year will once again feature a 16-game conference schedule, with the incorporation of Loyola Chicago which officially joins the league as its 15th member July 1.
The Bonnies are slated to play home-and-home series against Duquesne and George Mason for the second straight season. In years past, the league featured three home-and-home opponents.
St. Bonaventure is also scheduled to host Dayton, Rhode Island, VCU, Saint Louis, Fordham and George Washington at the Reilly Center.
On the road, the Brown and White are tasked with trips to UMass, Saint Joseph's, La Salle, Davidson, Richmond and A-10 newcomer Loyola Chicago.
Head coach Jesse Fleming returns for a seventh season at the helm of the Bonnies. He returns eight players from last year's roster including senior I'yanna Lops who averaged 8.2 points and 6.0 rebounds while blocking 44 shots, ranking second all-time in Bonnies history for a single season.
Also returning for Bona's are graduate student Nikki Oppenheimer (27 games), junior Maddie Dziezgowski (6.3 ppg), junior Tianna Johnson (26 starts), redshirt juniors Kaitlyn Parker (14 games), Claire Cody (14 games) and Mackenzie Smith (limited to four games) as well as sophomore Taylor Napper (17.5 mpg).
The Bonnies welcome five newcomers to the 2022-23 squad in junior transfers forward Flo Vinerte and guard Payton Fields as well as and freshmen guards Breauna Ware, Kirah Dandridge and Aaniya Webb.
2022-23 ATLANTIC 10 PAIRINGS (Bold denotes home-and-home opponents)
HOME – Dayton, Rhode Island, VCU, Saint Louis, Fordham, George Washington, Duquesne, George Mason
Away – UMass, Saint Joseph's, La Salle, Davidson, Richmond, Loyola Chicago, Duquesne, George Mason
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