Cowgirls Add Depth With Commitment from McNeese Transfer Center

The Cowgirls are adding some more depth for next season.

On Wednesday, Oklahoma State women’s basketball secured a commitment from McNeese transfer center Wilnie Joseph. After one season at McNeese and four seasons overall, spending time at Louisiana and Labette Community College, Joseph will be looking to fill an important role for the Cowgirls next season.

While the Cowgirls have already added some help inside, having some depth down low could be one of the key developments for OSU next season. Last season, Tenin Magassa was a dominant rim protector inside and was critical to the Cowgirls’ success defensively. 

While Joseph doesn’t exactly fit the mold as a shot-blocker, her 6-foot-5 frame can be intimidating for opponents going inside, even if she isn’t the one to send shots back. Averaging 4.8 rebounds in 20.8 minutes per game last season, Joseph is also someone who could help OSU create and maintain an advantage on the glass, which is critical to winning in the Big 12.

However, Joseph has had a fair share of struggles offensively. While she averaged 4.8 points on 51.6% shooting, she also turned it over more than once a game and shot only 9-of-33 on free throws.

Last season, the Cowgirls had one of the best campaigns in program history. With a 25-7 mark, OSU had the second-best record in program history, but it still fell short of nearing the best postseasons in school history.

The Cowgirls don’t have a storied history of making postseason runs, which means a few improvements for next season could easily give them a shot to make the deepest run they’ve ever made. Joseph is one of several key transfer additions for Jacie Hoyt’s team and could be a big difference-maker next season.

With Stailee Heard leading the charge again next season, the ceiling for the Cowgirls could be at the highest it’s ever been. Although the Cowgirls will obviously miss their senior departures who were instrumental in creating this culture under Hoyt, bringing in new players to get OSU over the hump could be the formula for success in this era of the transfer portal and NIL.