The No. 19 Hurricanes’ season ended Saturday with a disappointing 74-71 loss to South Dakota State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Although their early-round tournament loss to the 12th-seeded Jack Rabbits was an upset, the fifth-seeded Canes’ season still had several positive takeaways that the team can carry into next year.
In the 2014-15 season, Miami’s offense was single-headed. Then-sophomore guard Adrienne Motley was Miami’s only viable offensive threat, as she averaged 16.9 points per game and no other Cane even reached double digits. This season, Motley was helped by junior guard Jessica Thomas, who averaged more than 11 points per game, and redshirt junior forward Keyona Hayes, who poured in just under 10 points per game.