The Tarleton Texans women’s basketball 2021-2022 season was a fairly average one. Their final season of being barred from post-season play during their Division I transition saw them going 16-13 overall and 8-10 in the WAC.
Both their great wins and close losses showed exceptional potential for a team that could very soon be a successful powerhouse in this conference.
However, this offseason saw the exit of the Texans’ top four scorers, including Iyana Dorsey transferring to conference and in-state rival UTRGV. But it wasn’t all losses for Tarleton this summer.
This season, the Texans see the return of consistent shooter Jenna Dick and the entrance of Teresa Da Silva from Arizona Western College.
And head coach Misty Wilson is excited to see what her squad can do in 2022-23.
Key Newcomer
Teresa Da Silva 5-8, Jr., G, Transfer from Arizona Western College
It’s always extremely intriguing to see how a player who excels at the community college level does once they make the move to Division I. Teresa Da Silva is absolutely one of these players.
Originally from London, England, Da Silva brought her overlooked talents across the pond to Arizona Western College. Last season as a sophomore, she averaged a solid 11.9 points per game on excellent shooting splits. After helping lead her squad to the best record in the ACCAC at 18-2 overall, Tarleton decided to call her up to the Division I level.
Da Silva had multiple 20-point games for Arizona Western in 2021-22. In a 61-59 loss to Pima Community College, Da Silva shot 45 percent from the field and had a season-high 22 points. Three nights later, Da Silva shot nearly 55 percent from the field on her way to 21 points in a 60-52 win over Eastern Arizona.
If Da Silva continues to play at the level she did in Arizona, she’s going to be an absolute standout in the WAC. She might be the difference maker for a team finally eligible to make a splash in the post-season.
Key Returner
Seynabou Thiam 6-6, C, Dakar, Senegal
How could you not be a fantastic female ball player standing at a height like 6’6”? Last season for the Texans, Thiam was fifth on the team in points per game, averaging 6.3 points a night. She also averaged 6.2 rebounds per contest.
However, the stat that stands out like no other is her 2.3 blocks per game, totaling 63 on the season. This stat placed her first on her team but also first in the WAC by a large margin in both blocks per game and total blocks on the season despite having played fewer games than nearly all of her competition. Thiam earned TicketSmarter WAC Player of the Week honors for Dec. 13-19. During that week, Thiam averaged 12 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks per game in wins over Oral Roberts and Northwestern State.
Thiam’s career-high in blocks was eight in a 58-56 win over New Mexico State on Jan. 13
Seynabou Thiam’s play and dominance are remarkable and so exciting to watch. Her height ties Kenyal Perry of Sam Houston State for the title of tallest player in the WAC. Thiam is nearly unstoppable on both sides of the court thanks to this massive advantage over her opponents. Now that the scorers ahead of her have left Stephenville, she could very possibly emerge as a leader for Tarleton. Now that the Texans can enter the postseason, the rest of the WAC should be very scared of what Thiam can do.
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