The forwards provided high energy and defense for the Frogs this season.
Next up in our positional review series, we will take a look at the forwards for the 2024-2025 Women’s Basketball team. While this position group did not have any star players, there were three very solid role players that anchored the TCU defense and provided necessary floor spacing and secondary scoring on the offensive end.
Taylor Bigby
After transferring in from USC, Taylor Bigby filled several roles for the Horned Frogs this season. Bigby started 25 of 38 games, adding physicality, defense, and energy when she came off the bench. Bigby averaged 5.9 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game this season on 43.1 percent shooting from the field. Bigby did not have a huge scoring role for TCU, but was not afraid to take shots when opposing defenses left her open.
Bigby was included in the forwards position group but played some shooting guard as well when Madison Conner needed a break. Bigby’s versatility and willingness to battle on the defensive end were important to the success of TCU this season. Bigby took on various defensive assignments, including bigger guards, wings, and forwards throughout the season, and held her own against plenty of prolific scorers. Credit needs to be given to Bigby for her part in TCU’s defense as a very good point of attack defender.
Bigby also provided solid outside shooting, making 33 percent of her attempts from deep this season. Bigby did a great job of taking care of the basketball, averaging less than one turnover per game despite playing 20.7 minutes per game. Her best performance came on the road against Iowa State when she knocked down five of six three-point attempts on her way to 19 points to help the Frogs pick up an important road win. Look for the junior to take another step forward on the offensive end and take on a bigger role next season.
Grade: B
Agnes Emma-Nnopu
Former Stanford Cardinal, Agnes Emma-Nnopu, was a consistent presence in the starting lineup during her two seasons at TCU. Emma-Nnopu averaged 6.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists this past season, providing energy, defense, and shooting to the starting lineup. Emma-Nnopu’s willingness to battle for rebounds was very important for a starting lineup that was undersized at the guard position and needed great rebounding from the forwards to stay afloat on the boards.
Emma-Nnopu was asked to play the power forward this season and did so admirably despite being undersized for the position. She fought hard in the post to keep bigger opponents out of the lane and did a great job boxing out and securing rebounds to close out defensive possessions. Emma-Nnopu was also very adept at grabbing offensive rebounds and creating extra possessions for the TCU offense. Emma-Nnopu averaged over two offensive rebounds per game during each of her seasons at TCU.
An underrated part of the TCU offense this season was the floor spacing that allowed Hailey Van Lith and Sedona Prince to have so much success in the pick and roll. Madison Connor was obviously a big reason for that spacing, but Emma-Nnopu’s ability as a three-point shooter was very important as well. With Emma-Nnopu in the game, help defenders could not camp out in the paint, and fearlessly collapse on Prince or Van Lith because Emma-Nnopu had the ability to make defenses pay when she was left open.
Emma-Nnopu knocked down 36 percent of shots from beyond the arc this season on 3.9 attempts from deep per game. In the second round of the NCAA Tournament, Louisville was determined to make anyone other than Hailey Van Lith beat them, and Emma-Nnopu took full advantage, hitting four of seven attempts from deep on her way to 23 points to lead the Frogs in scoring. Emma-Nnopu was a key piece of the run to the Elite Eight, and her work on defense and as a floor spacing forward will be missed by the Frogs next season.
Grade: B+
Aaliyah Roberson
One of the few non-transfers on the team, Aaliyah Roberson, gave the Frogs solid minutes off the bench this season as a very capable outside shooter and defender. Standing at six feet two inches, Roberson gave the Frogs much-needed size at the forward spot when Emma-Nnopu and Bigby needed breathers. Roberson is a solid defender with active hands to force turnovers and disrupt passing lanes. Roberson averaged 4.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, and .4 assists this season on an efficient 54.4 percent shooting from the field.
The most impressive part of Roberson’s game is her three-point shooting, shooting an incredible 48.3 percent from three this season on 1.6 attempts per game. Floor spacing from the forward spot is key for successful half-court offense in the modern form of basketball, and defenses constantly have to be aware of where Roberson is on the floor because of her shooting ability. Look for Roberson to see more minutes next season and continue to contribute as a knockdown shooter at the forward spots.
Grade: C+
Overall
The forwards for TCU were not called on to be volume scorers but found ways to impact winning on the defensive end, on the boards, with hustle plays, and by taking advantage of open opportunities on the offensive end. Mark Campbell will have a big role to fill with the departure of Agnes Emma-Nnopu to graduation, but both Bigby and Roberson appear ready for bigger roles. The addition of Marta Suarez via the transfer portal should also help, as Suarez averaged a very solid 12.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game last season for Cal.
Cumulative Grade: B