Last season didn’t go as expected for USF’s women’s basketball team as they finished fifth in the conference.

The Bulls are using the offseason to retool and return to their past years’ glory. The incoming players include balanced contributors, scoring options and size at the power forward and center positions.

Here are some of the new players who can help USF reclaim the AAC title. 

Two Way Transfers

USF’s trip to the transfer portal resulted in the signing of forward Ines Piper and point guard Mama Dembele. The two graduate students bring support to a Bulls team looking to improve on both ends.

Piper began her college career at Northwest Florida State, winning a NCJAA National Championship in 2021. The 6-foot Paris native has spent the last two seasons with Temple, using her length and athleticism to be an effective two-way player. 

Offensively, Piper averaged 6.8 points per game, recording nine double digit scoring games last season. Defensively, she averaged a block and a steal per game, helping engineer the third best scoring defense in the AAC. 

Related : USF women’s basketball recruits former Temple starter

Dembele comes to the Bulls after a successful season with Missouri. The Spanish point guard averaged 10.2 points per game to go along with her 6.5 assists, which ranked sixth in the nation.

USF finished last in steals in the AAC, a rank Dembele should help with. The former Tiger  averaged 3.3 steals per game, also good enough for sixth in the nation.

Dembele’s versatility resulted in her finishing as the only player in the country with at least 150 assists and 75 steals. She also earned an All-SEC Defensive Team selection for the 2023-2024 season.

Offensive Spark Plugs

A lack of scoring saw the Bulls finish 191st in scoring offense last season. Incoming freshmen Amy Thompson and Raina Tomasicka can assist with a much needed scoring punch.

Thompson, a combo guard, finished her Minnesota high school career as a prolific scorer. She poured in 25.8 points per game, including three 40 point outings. 

Thompson also shot an impressive 40% from three. USF finished last season 198th in three point percentage, down from the 35th ranking the previous year. With Sammie Puisis – one of the nation’s top shooters – back, the Bulls are primed to excel from beyond the arc next season.

Related: USF women’s basketball fell short from last season. Here’s why.

Freshman wing player Tomasicka brings her versatile scoring ability with her to Tampa. Women’s basketball coach Jose Fernandez praised the Bulgarian native’s offensive ability on signing day. 

“[Tomasicka] is a natural scorer and will be able to play multiple positions for us,”  Fernandez said in a press release. “She has great length and size for a guard, with the ability to rise and score over smaller defenders.”

Tomasicka showcased her scoring prowess in the 2022 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship. She averaged 17.9 points per game while shooting an exceptional 94% from the free throw line.

Front Court Depth

Size is one skill that cannot be taught in basketball. The Bulls add big bodies in the form of Jeniffer Silva, Yana Karamfilova and Fatou Diakite.

Junior center Silva transfers in from the JUCO South Plains College, averaging 9.4 points a game to go with 5.9 rebounds. She also dominated the paint defensively, tallying at least 3 blocks 10 times last season. 

Silva also has potential as a stretch five.The 6-foot-5-inch Brazilian native shot 37% from three in her latest campaign, a mark that would’ve led the Bulls last season.

Freshman forward Karamfilova adds a versatile scoring option in the frontcourt

In high school, Karamfilova played for BC Beroe Stara Zagora Club, averaging 13.5 points per game. The 6-foot-2 Bulgarian had three 11 double digit point performances last season with the club, scoring 20 or more three times. 

Starting her playing career at the age of 16 with Niagra Prep, sophomore forward Diakite seems to be a project player for USF. Diakite’s late start didn’t bother Fernandez, who is thrilled to work with the 6-foot-3-inch Ivory Coast native.

“Her best basketball is still ahead of her,” Fernandez said in a press release. 

Diakite transfers in from Charlotte after a freshman season with limited minutes. She showed promise as a rim protector, logging two or more blocks three times. 

The Bulls return only six players from last season’s team. Chemistry will be something to watch for Fernandez and the Bulls, as they seek to return to their AAC dominance.