Davidson women’s basketball put together a historic season by making their first trip to the Atlantic 10 (A-10) tournament semifinals, capping off a successful conference slate. After forfeiting their last regular season game in the 2023-24 season and not competing in the A-10 tournament due to crippling injuries, the ‘Cats were proud of this season’s outcome despite their earlier-than-desired tournament exit to George Mason in the semifinals. Head Women’s Basketball Coach Gayle Fulks, who just finished her eighth season as head coach, spoke about the past two seasons. “Last year was extraordinarily difficult, and we took a lot of time to process that as a group. However, once this season started, our focus was on making the most of the opportunities in front of us and having the best year we could,” Fulks stated.
Katie Donovan ‘27, the team’s leading scorer, spoke on the team’s attitude toward the 2024-25 season after a disappointing 2023-24 campaign. “As a team, we saw this season as a comeback. The lingering ‘What if?’ from last year fueled us, and we were determined to prove that we could still compete at the highest level. More than anything, we wanted to win, not just for ourselves, but for each other,” Donovan said.
Fulks agreed with this attitude. “Even through the challenges, we were able to taste success with wins over Duke and Wake Forest [in 2023], which gave our returning players a blueprint for winning big games. That experience fueled our belief that we could achieve something special this year.”
Charlise Dunn ‘26, a returning member of the team, praised the group’s resilience throughout the 2024-25 year. “We faced adversity throughout the season, but I think this ended up helping our team stay so close and together, which ultimately helped us have a historic season.”
For Fulks, team culture has been a focal point. “A broader goal for our program has always been to be the most united, cohesive team in the country. At Davidson, the people make the program special, and we knew that if we built a truly connected team, we could accomplish a lot. I believe we met that goal—this was one of the closest-knit teams in the country, and that unity translated to our performance on the court,” Fulks said.
Along with team unity, Fulks holds the motto “Share, Shoot, Stifle” in high regard. “Share: sharing the ball is a core part of our identity, but it goes beyond just being good passers—we also share the load of winning as a team. This season, we had eight different players score in double figures in multiple games, demonstrating our balanced attack. […] Shoot: we take great pride in our ability to shoot the ball, and the numbers back it up. We finished the regular season ranked in the top 35 nationally in three-point field goal percentage and had eight games where we hit ten or more threes. […] Stifle: we fully embraced the defensive end of the floor this season. During A-10 conference play, we led the league in points allowed per game, holding opponents to just 55.1 points per game. […] Our commitment to protecting the paint was just as strong—we led the conference in total blocked shots (85) and blocks per game (4.72).”
Fulks laid out three ways in which she hopes this motto continues to affect her team. “First, it provides a clear and consistent basketball identity. Every player understands what is expected and the style of basketball we want to play. […] [Second,] the freedom to shoot when open gives our team confidence and makes the game pretty fun. […] [Third,] the ‘Share’ element is the secret sauce. Our players consistently choose a ‘We Over Me’ mindset, which has created a selfless, cohesive group. That unselfish approach allows us to play together at a high level and stay focused on team success rather than individual accolades.”
The 2024-25 women’s basketball team fully embraced this motto, setting records for the program and leading the A-10 in many categories. “With a relatively young team this year, we leaned into our motto and fully embraced the culture we wanted to build. Led by our seniors, ‘Share, Shoot, Stifle’ was a strong principle for us,” Donovan stated.
Dunn spoke to how this motto was applied statistically. “This season we broke [Davidson’s] single-season three-point record, which is awesome, and I think while this obviously covers the ‘Shoot’ part of our motto, it also speaks to the ‘Share’ part, as we are always looking for the open teammate.”
Fulks, Dunn and Donovan all considered the 2024-2025 season a success. “This season was a major step forward for our program. It showed we can compete at a high level in the A-10 and it gives us confidence for what’s ahead,” Donovan said. Dunn echoed this statement, especially in comparison to last season. “This season has been so impressive, especially when we look at how disappointing our season ended last year. It really just speaks to how amazing this team is.”
Though the team did not win the A-10 or make an NCAA championship run in the 2024-2025 season, Fulks was proud of her team’s performance and remains optimistic for their opportunities ahead. “While I obviously wish we could have come away with an A-10 championship, this group made the journey so special. The energy, dedication and selflessness they brought everyday made it an incredible year to coach and be a part of.”
Davidson women’s basketball continues their season in the Women’s Basketball Invitational Tournament on Thursday, March 20. They take on James Madison at 7:00 p.m. in this 32-team secondary postseason tournament.
