VCU news

In its inaugural SupportHER game last season, the Virginia Commonwealth University women’s basketball team welcomed more than 6,000 spectators – a record for the program – to the Siegel Center, where their Rams toppled the George Mason University Patriots.

“It definitely was the highlight of my career for sure so far,” said Mykel Parham, now a senior on the team.

Beth O’Boyle, head coach, said the energetic support “brought out the best of VCU. We saw so many different groups really just cheering and celebrating what our team was doing on the court and who they are.”

The women’s team hopes the second time is an even bigger charm. Presented by Synergy Technical, this season’s SupportHER game – on Nov. 15 against the Temple University Owls – is a chance to break that attendance record, and as O’Boyle said, “we are really trying to pack the house.”  

Unlike last season’s contest, which coincided with spring break near the end of the schedule, this year’s matchup is early on the slate – with a chance for more VCU groups to attend, and to build momentum for the 2024-25 season. Last year’s Rams went 26-6, setting a school record for regular-season wins and finishing second in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

“Hopefully all of these fans and groups come out and have a great time and want to come back,” O’Boyle said.

Parham said the SupportHER game can again be a highlight of what has been a tumultuous journey. After experiencing the COVID-19 pandemic, tearing her ACL and undergoing surgery, she looks forward to wrapping up her college career on a high note.

“This is really a bittersweet last ride for me, and I’m very excited to be in that moment and all of [these] moments with my teammates and to really bask in that, and all of the hard work we’ve put in,” Parham said.

Mary-Anna Asare, a junior on the team, said while the men’s basketball games typically have a large turnout, it was an “unreal experience” for her team to receive such strong support at last season’s game. She said it helps add perspective to the team’s unity and commitment.

“The bigger picture is that as women, we want to keep helping bring the next woman up.”

Beth O'Boyle, head coach of the VCU women’s basketball team

“Yes, you want the end result, but the journey and how you get there,” Asare said. “The laughs, the cries, everything that you share together through those moments. Those are the moments like I really cherish and the moments I care about.”

And coming from Canada, she said, her personal bond with her teammates was meaningful on and off the court. “Those guys are my forever family.”

O’Boyle noted that the SupportHER games reflect the elevation of women’s sports around the country, as seen in viewership of the WNBA and Olympics and in attendance at college games.

“It’s just such an exciting time for women’s basketball, and I think the more that we can generate attention and support for it, I think it’s contagious. I think it’ll spread across all of our women’s sports,” O’Boyle said.

Parham said a big step forward has been the active promotion and embrace of women’s sports.

“We have a lot of women in the community that are now like, ‘Hey, we weren’t big supporters before, and we know that we’re going to take action and steps to support and be there for you guys’ – and I think that is so cool to see,” she said.

Asare added that fans have come up to her in class to tell her how good women’s basketball has become.

While the SupportHER game is a prominent opportunity for the community to support her student-athletes, O’Boyle said the message resonates beyond the hardcourt.

“We want to celebrate all of the incredible women on campus in the Richmond community that do so many exciting and different things in their careers and with their families. It is really about celebrating women and supporting them,” she said. “The bigger picture is that as women, we want to keep helping bring the next woman up.”