What We’ve Learned: Start of Ohio State women’s basketball season

After two games, there are trends showing in the Buckeyes’ play, roster decisions and more

Ohio State women’s basketball is 2-0 after defeating two mid-major opponents to start the 2024-25 season. While it’s only been a couple games, there are trends emerging, and areas to watch as the season progresses.

Here’s what we’ve learned about the Buckeyes before they take their first road trip of the season.

The Press is Working

With Celeste Taylor and Jacy Sheldon exhausting their NCAA eligibility after last season, a concern for Ohio State was the effectiveness of head coach Kevin McGuff’s havoc-inducing full court press.

McGuff put a freshman at the helm, making it was hard to guess which direction the team would go, and it’s trending positively for the Scarlet and Gray. In two games, the Buckeyes forced 24 turnovers and had 16 steals as a team in each win.

Compare that to last season and the second and third games of the season, not including the first game against USC because they’re a higher level of competition than the sides against Ohio State this season. Against IUPUI and Boston College, the Buckeyes forced 43 combined turnovers with 21 steals.

The Buckeyes are winning the ball in the backcourt on press from inbound passes and their half court defense, closing down defenders, is causing errant passes and making life difficult for opponents.

That freshman is doing pretty well on defense, and everywhere else.

Jaloni Cambridge is For Real

All the signs were there:

• McDonald’s All-American
• Making game-altering shots in high pressure high school championship situations
• No. 1 ranked point guard in the country

Even so, it’s hard to know for certain how game shifts from high school to college. For Jaloni Cambridge: it’s as advertised.

It began with her historic 31-point debut, the best start to an Ohio State freshman campaign in program history. Go further than the ball going into the basket, and Cambridge’s complete game has been on display early.

Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images

In that debut, Cambridge also added six rebounds, six assists and five steals. Even a couple blocks for good measure. The guard’s only played in six quarters, after missing the second half against Charlotte on Tuesday after a big fall to start the third quarter, but she leads the team in steals, assists and tied for most in points.

The composure of the freshman stands out. With her speed, she’s doing things defensively that player turned Head of Player Development Sheldon was doing in year five. As long as Cambridge can stay healthy, she’s got a chance to make a program impact like former stars Kelsey Mitchell, Jessica Davenport and Katie Smith.

Strong Post Play

Ohio State’s Achille’s heel over the past three seasons is having a big who can consistently be a presence in the paint offensively and grabbing boards. McGuff went ahead and fixed it with the transfer of Ajae Petty and freshman Elsa Lemmilä.

Look at the stat sheet, and the rebounds don’t necessarily jump off the page. For instance, the Buckeyes were outrebounded against Charlotte on Tuesday, 36-29, but watch the game tape and the story tells itself.

With Petty and Lemmilä, Charlotte had players crashing the post. Petty didn’t have many free opportunities to make a basket near the rim, and got into early foul trouble, playing only nine minutes in the first half. That increased attention in the paint led to success from the perimeter.

In previous seasons, players like Sheldon and Taylor Mikesell had to face their fair share of double-teams and hands in the face, trying anything to limit their effectiveness. The Buckeyes outshot the 49ers from deep on Tuesday 10-5 and junior transfer Chance Gray hit a program-tying record nine three-point shots in the win.

The more Petty and Lemmilä excel near the basket, the more players like Gray, Cambridge and forward Cotie McMahon can make excel.

Player Rotation

After two games, there are trends in how McGuff is going to use his roster. Coming off the bench first each game is Lemmilä.

Each forward averages exactly 20 minutes per game to start the season, and each brings different strengths to the table. For Petty, she can get to the basket and grab boards through well-timed jumps and positioning. For Lemmilä, her 6-foot-6 frame makes rebounding easy without the need a strong leap.

Also, Lemmilä doesn’t allow much in terms of post offense, blocking five shots in two games. Ohio State hasn’t had a player average at least a block a game since Aaliyah Patty and Dorka Juhasz did it in the 2020-21 season. Since then, its been guards Emma Shumate and Taylor leading the team in blocks from a predominantly perimeter role.

Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Graduate senior Madison Greene and Kennedy Cambridge are the next ones in for McGuff. McGuff’s used Green and Cambridge to switch out Kennedy’s younger sister Jaloni and Gray. The two bring different skills to the roles, with Greene’s leadership and court vision and Cambridge’s stellar defensive work.

McGuff’s used all 10 players in both games. Before the start of the year, the Buckeyes’ coach said he’d be using a rotation of around nine to 10 players and so far he’s held to that comment.

Eboni Walker and Ava Watson round out the time on the court, and while Watson is still adjusting to the college game, Walker’s brought energy in her 14.5 minutes per game and hasn’t given up a turnover in two games. Extrapolate the effectiveness of Walker into a per 40 minutes average and Walker’s work on the boards is second best on the team (12.4) with Lemmilä top of the list (13.0).

McMahon and Thierry Lead

There was a moment on Tuesday that shows Ohio State isn’t lacking in terms of on-court leadership. Following Cambridge’s crash to the court on the first offensive possession of the second half, the Buckeyes looked lethargic.

Charlotte took over, going on a nine-point run. In previous seasons, McGuff might have called a timeout to calm the team down and give needed instruction. That didn’t happen Tuesday.

Instead, he let the Buckeyes work it out on their own and through Cotie McMahon and Taylor Thierry the run ended and the Scarlet and Gray gathered their composure.

The lack of timeout is a small detail for a pair of Buckeyes who are taking big steps in their ownership of the program’s direction. It’s clear not only in results against mid-majors, but the way Ohio State is gelling to start the season, plus the comfort of the freshmen like Cambridge and Lemmilä, who are thriving.

Productivity-wise, McMahon and Thierry haven’t had to be the McMahon and Thierry of past seasons with players filling in gaps in play. McMahon’s 14 points per game is third on the team but her turnovers are down by one per game. The junior’s play is responsible and clean, especially important in a year with so many new players on the roster and the chance for more turnovers than normal.

Thierry’s been quiet scoring, averaging 10 points per game, but is creating more defensively, averaging two steals in Ohio State’s wins.

Competition will increase as the year goes on, but its clear the foundation is establishing itself from the top to the bottom of the roster.