Miami Country Day basketball star Andrea Daley weighing her options after GW coach swap
Andrea Daley was all set to play for George Washington University.
The 6-foot Miami Country Day girls’ basketball star had signed with the Colonials in November and was on her way to their Washington, D.C., campus this fall.
Daley had vowed to play for coach Jennifer Rizzotti, who helped undefeated Connecticut win its first national title in 1995 as its starting point guard and Sports Illustrated cover girl. Rizzotti, elected to the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, is also an assistant coach on the USA national team.
But, after coaching the Colonials to a 9-14 season in 2020-2021, Rizzotti was fired. She was 72-74 in five years with the Colonials, failing to make postseason play in the past three seasons.
Dismissed on March 15, Rizzotti made the call that day to Daley, who averaged 19.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 3.0 steals as a senior this past season.
“[Rizzotti] was heartbroken,” said Daley, who turns 18 on April 25. “She felt she could’ve had a better chance the year I arrived.
“I asked her, ‘Are you OK?’ She had just lost her job. I told her not to worry about me.”
Later that day, Daley asked for and soon received her release from the GWU scholarship.
Daley said she is now weighing offers from Texas Christian, Illinois and Seton Hall.
GWU, now with new coach Caroline McCombs, is still recruiting Daley, who nevertheless seems intrigued by playing for a school in a Power Five Conference such as TCU and Illinois.
“Yes,” Daley said when asked about that Power Five possibility, “better basketball program and better competition.
“I don’t have a timeline on the decision. My family is supportive. They don’t want to put pressure on me.”
Ironically, McCombs recruited Daley at her previous coaching stop, Stony Brook.
“It’s kind of a weird coincidence,” Daley said.
Daley is part of stellar group of senior girls’ basketball players from Dade and Broward who have signed with Division I universities.
The list includes Pompano Ely’s Ja’Leah Williams (Miami); Norland’s Jaiyah Harris-Smith (Mississippi); St. Thomas Aquinas’ Samara Spencer (Arkansas); Westminster Academy’s Emma Wallhoff (Southern Miss); and American Heritage’s Wyche twins, Taliyah and Tatyana (Florida).
In addition, Miami Central’s Kayla Clark committed to Bethune-Cookman but may be in limbo, similar to Daley. That’s because Vanessa Blair-Lewis left Bethune-Cookman to take the coaching job at George Mason.
Daley, who is set to graduate from Miami Country Day in May, said she is working out almost every day to stay in shape for whatever college she chooses.
She feels good about her re-recruitment, but that doesn’t mean this is easy for her. Daley knows exactly how man women’s college basketball players are in the transfer portal — “980,” she said — and that’s a concern.
“It’s nerve-wracking,” Daley said. “College coaches are looking at those players as well as incoming freshmen like me.”
Miami Country Day coach Ochiel Swaby said Daley is a popular recruit because of her elite abilities, which helped the Spartans win a state title this past season.
“In the playoffs, teams tried to put two or three girls in front of her, forming a wall,” Swaby said. “If they put just one girl on her, Andrea will run right by her.
“Andrea has speed, leaping ability — all of that — and she is a willing worker. As opposed to some players who will level off in college, Andrea is ascending because she just started playing as an eighth-grader.”
Daley shot 4 for 25 on three-pointers this past season (16 percent) and 57 percent on free throws. Swaby insists Daley can shoot, but she often doesn’t trust her stroke as much as she should.
Daley agrees with that assessment.
“Since I’ve been playing basketball, I’ve never had to focus too much on my shot,” Daley admitted. “I still have that mindset of just being athletic.
“But I’m working on stretching the court with my shot. I can shoot. I just want to be more efficient and consistent.”
This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 1:27 PM.