UB women’s basketball senior forward Summer Hemphill announced on Twitter Monday that she will be staying on the team for an additional season.
Hemphill missed the entire 2019-20 season with a knee injury, which she had surgery for in January. According to UB Athletics, she does not need to apply for a medical redshirt, because she didn’t play in any games last season.
“Thank you to the Buffalo community for your support, thoughts and prayers during this season,” Hemphill wrote in an announcement shared on the women’s basketball Twitter page. “I have been working hard to become better and stronger than ever. Without your support and the support of my family, coaches and teammates, this journey and all its obstacles would have been difficult to overcome. Thank you and I can’t wait to see you all next season.”
Hemphill was named the preseason Big 4 Women’s Basketball Player of the Year in November, so she may play a crucial role in helping the Bulls get back to March Madness.
The Bulls were “one of the youngest teams in the country” in 2019, according to head coach Felisha Legette-Jack, so Hemphill should provide much-needed veteran leadership.
In 2018-19, Hemphill averaged 14.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per-game. She became a dominating post player, setting the MAC Tournament record with 21 rebounds against Ohio in the 2019 conference championship game.
Sports desk can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
Alex Lenneberg is an assistant sports editor for The Spectrum.
