DURHAM, NC — Since jumping out of his chair on Sunday night when he saw his team included in the Women’s NCAA Tournament field for the third consecutive season, Richmond head coach Aaron Roussell has been watching a whole lot of film on Nebraska.
And as Roussell studied the Spiders’ March Madness opponent, it was a little bit like looking in the mirror.
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“That’s what we used to look like. That’s how we were constructed last year, a little bit this year,” Roussell said Tuesday. “You look at the makeup of them — everybody on that team can shoot, everybody has a high IQ, can move, they’re athletic, they push the pace. It’s a really enjoyable style to watch. Maybe not the most enjoyable to prepare for on a short notice, but it’s been great to watch them. It’s definitely going to be a daunting task for us.”
The Cornhuskers and the Spiders will square off in the first game of the 2026 Women’s NCAA Tournament on Wednesday night in Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium. Richmond and Nebraska tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
While the two sides have plenty in common — they both rank in the top 35 nationally in field goal percentage, 3-point percentage and points per scoring attempt — there’s something distinct about each one, too.
Nebraska has Britt Prince and Richmond has Maggie Doogan.
Doogan, a USA TODAY Sports honorable mention All-American, is expected to be a WNBA draft pick this spring, which would make her the first Richmond player to be selected. She’s been the bus driver for Roussell’s Richmond as they’ve become one of the strongest mid-major programs in the country.
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The 6-foot-2 senior forward from Broomall, Pennsylvania, owns the highest single-game scoring mark in Division I women’s college basketball this year, posting 48 points in a triple-overtime win over Davidson in January. Doogan is the only player in the country this season averaging at least 21 points, 7.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting better than 50% from the floor.
Doogan jumped to the top of the scouting report for Nebraska coach Amy Williams, but the Huskers’ leader was already familiar with her game. Williams serves on the committee for the Katrina McClain Award, given annually to the nation’s top power forward, and Doogan is a finalist.
“She’s that key player that, whenever they need a bucket, they can put the ball in her hands. She can score at all the levels,” Williams said of Doogan. “I mean, to do what she’s done from behind the arc, but still to be able to be so versatile with pro post moves. Just crafty, smart, high IQ — the way she directs her whole team on the defensive side of the ball, she’s just a really special young lady.”
Doogan is also shooting 40.2% from 3-point land and 89.2% from the free throw line, just short of having a coveted 50-40-90 season.
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However, a player who is meeting those marks is Nebraska’s Prince. She’s shooting 53.4% from the floor, 45.2% from behind the arc and 90.5% from the foul line. Her shooting clip on free throws is sixth-best in the nation. Should Prince finish the season with those numbers, she would be just the 12th player in women’s college basketball to hit those marks in a single season since 2009.
Prince, a 5-foot-11 sophomore guard from Omaha, also leads the Cornhuskers in scoring and passing with 17.4 points and 4.5 assists per game. She’s been one of the most efficient players in the country this season, ranking 16th nationally in points per scoring attempt with a mark of 1.27.
“I think it starts with the work that you guys don’t see. She’s one of the first people in the gym, and she’s one of the last ones to leave, but she enjoys the process along with it,” Prince’s teammate Callin Hake said. “Just to have a front row seat to that these past two years, it’s just been incredible to see her growth. I’m just excited to watch her shine on this stage, too.”
For both teams, this First Four game represents something different. For Nebraska, which has lost seven of its last nine games, it’s a new season and a fresh start after playing through a grueling Big Ten schedule. The conference led all leagues with 12 tournament bids.
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“I think this is a group that feels like we have not really maxed out yet,” Williams said. “So, to have another opportunity to do that on this stage in the NCAA Tournament just feels kind of like a new life for this group.”
And for Richmond, it’s another opportunity to prove that it’s supposed to be in the NCAA Tournament. The Spiders were the only team from a mid-major conference to receive an at-large bid into the Big Dance this season. Richmond and Villanova are the only at-large teams in the field from non-Power 4 conferences.
Last year, Richmond beat Georgia Tech in the first round. It will be aiming to send another Power 4 team home early on Wednesday night, too.
“We have one more opportunity. It’s something that I really want. It’s something that my team really wants,” Doogan said. “We’re just going to go out and play with confidence and act like we belong here, because we do.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Women’s March Madness First Four features WNBA prospect, 50-40-90 star
