The Oakland University women’s basketball team has had a busy off-season.
On July 5, the team announced the hiring of Myron Brown as Director of Player Development and Brand Management.
“I am really excited to add Myron Brown as our Director of Player Development and Branding,” head coach Jeff Tungate said in a press release.
Brown’s coaching career dates back to 2003, when he coached the Avondale Yellow Jackets. Most recently, Brown served as the head coach of the Thomas University Night Hawks from 2017-22 and as an assistant coach for the North Florida Osprey in 2022-23.
“I coached Myron at Rochester University over 25 years ago,” Tungate said. “He is a hard worker, knows the game and cares about the players. He understands today’s landscape in college basketball and brings great experience.”
In addition to adding Brown to the staff, the Golden Grizzlies added four players from the transfer portal to the team.
First, there’s Markyia McCormick. McCormick plays guard and last played for the Charleston Golden Eagles in West Virginia. In the previous season, McCormick averaged 13.8 points, 2.4 assists, 2.9 rebounds and a steal while shooting 40 percent from the field.
Next, there’s Kianni Westbrook. Westbrook stands at 6 feet 3 inches and plays the forward position. This past season, Westbrook averaged 5.6 points and 4.8 rebounds while hitting 51.5 percent of her shots for the Tennessee State Tigers.
Along with McCormick and Westbrook, Madison Royal-Davis from the Butler Bulldogs and Maddy Skorupski from the Michigan State Spartans will join the team.
Besides some new faces joining the team, the team will also have some returning players.
Brooke Quarles-Daniels will be back for the Golden Grizzlies next year. This past season, Quarles-Daniels put up 12.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.1 steals per game.
Notably, Quarles-Daniels was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year last season, making her the first player in program history to win the award. Additionally, Quarles-Daniels was awarded the Nike Horizon League Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Week six times.
Alexis Johnson will also return to the team — Johnson led the Golden Grizzlies in rebounds per game this past season, averaging 5.5. Johnson also chipped in 11 points per game while shooting 37.9 percent from the field and 34.1 percent from three.
With the combination of talented newcomers and experienced returnees, the OU women’s basketball team is poised for an exciting and competitive season.
While the season schedule hasn’t been revealed yet, season tickets are still available through the OU Ticket Office. Additionally, half-season tickets and a four-game package are on sale.
