“That’s a group that really values and takes a lot of pride in being a Bearcat,” Katrina Merriweather said. “I think that is single handily the most important thing. When they introduced themselves to the new group, they said, Hey, we are going to work hard, this is what it looks like and this is what it means. That is not something me or the staff had to tell them to do, it was something that has existed here at Cincinnati already. That is the biggest thing they bring to the table is confident, because they know the expectations are set high.”
Among those new additions, the Bearcats added former Penn State forward Aicha Dia along with former Memphis center Destiny Thomas via transfer portal. Thomas, a 6’3″ center earned All-AAC honors during her freshman season where she helped lead the Tigers to the sweet sixteen of the WNIT. “I think Destiny gives us some additional muscle in the post alongside Clarissa (Craig) who does a fantastic job. Destiny is going to bring rebounding, defense and a whole new level of toughness,” said Merriweather. Now Dia, comes by the way of Penn State and is set to give the Bearcats some length inside to pair up with senior Malea Williams, who led the AAC in blocks a season ago with (49). Dia, a member of the Canada U19 national team, helped lead the team to a 5th place finish during the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup. “Aicha, is a super athletic forward, who loves to play defense, and has gotten her hands on a ton of balls already this summer getting plenty of deflections so far this summer,” Merriweather said.
Despite, those new additions within the Bearcats program, Katrina Merriweather and the Bearcats will also be donning some new threads come November, after the University of Cincinnati announced their new apparel deal with Nike/Jordan which is through BSN. “I think people are finally starting to see how exciting the University of Cincinnati is, how amazing the city of Cincinnati is,” said Hayes. “It has been super exciting growing up here in Cincinnati and seeing the growth this University has made, I couldn’t be prouder and, excited for what is yet to come ahead of this season.”
A trip to the Islands
Despite all the news surrounding the move to the Big 12, the Nike/Jordan apparel deal, Katrina Merriweather and the Bearcats also received news earlier this week that they will be taking part in the 2023 Paradise Jam November 23rd-25th marking the first ever appearance by the Bearcats. A Thanksgiving Tournament that is highly regarded within college basketball that will feature some of the nation’s top programs in Texas, NC State, Kentucky, Colorado, South Florida, Arizona State and High Point University. “I think the Paradise Jam is necessary to measure where we are, where we are going, the improvements we need to make to make sure we are playing our best basketball in March, you have to play these games, and this type of competition,” Merriweather said.
As the Bearcats prepare to take the Big 12 by storm later this season, the emphasis is clear at what Katrina Merriweather and staff are quickly starting to build in Clifton. The message and focus on and around the program are clear in what they are hoping to accomplish later this season, and that is to compete for Big 12 championships year in and out.
