BYU women's basketball improves to 4-0, while adding wins on recruiting trail

PROVO — While first-year BYU women's basketball coach Lee Cummard opens his first season as a collegiate head coach, he's already picking up key pieces of a foundation for the future.

Cummard etched his name into the BYU record books Thursday night, becoming the first first-year head coach in program history to start their career 3-0 after a 104-47 win over Omaha.

The Cougars followed up the outing two days later with a 63-43 win over Fresno State on Saturday afternoon, extending Cummard's program-best start to his first season to 4-0.

Hamlin beat the first-quarter buzzer with a 3-pointer to pull the Cougars within three, 17-14. The freshman from Snow Canyon scored a team-high 11 points with two steals as BYU turned the 3-point deficit into a 32-28 halftime advantage, ending the half with a 12-1 run and holding the Bulldogs scoreless for the final 4:35.

Delaney Gibb led BYU with 16 points, eight assists, four rebounds, three steals and eight turnovers for the Cougars, who used a 20-9 third quarter to pull away for good.

Hamlin finished with 14 points, six rebounds and three steals.

"That's how I do; I just run. Sometimes run in the corner and shoot 3s," Hamlin said. "But that's how I am."

Cummard is also succeeding on the recruiting trail.

BYU signed three players during the most recent signing period, including 5-foot-10 point guard Vahayliah Seumanutafa from Brisbane, Australia, and Illinois scoring guard Stella Sakalas, a 6-foot-2 wing rated the No. 3 senior in Illinois by Prep Girls Hoops.

Then he added a top in-state talent in Lone Peak's Kennedy Woolston, a top-100 prospect by Rivals who won three 6A state titles and will go for a fourth with the Knights this winter.

The 5-foot-11 younger sister of BYU guard Kailey Woolston averaged 14.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.7 steals per game for the Knights last season, after which she committed to the Cougars over Arizona State, Kansas State and Boston College.

Cummard, who was previously an assistant and associate head coach at BYU, was with her each step of the way.

"He's done a great job supporting me in everything that I do. I really support him," the Lone Peak combo guard said. "He's talked to me about defense, offense, all over the field, being a key facilitator, getting shots open and creating shots for other people. And then on the defensive end, stopping the ball and being a key defender."

Still, the younger Woolston, whom BYU says will join the program for the 2028-29 season after serving an 18-month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints following high school, was never guaranteed.

Kennedy Woolston initially committed to the Cougars shortly after her older sister signed back with the 2023 recruiting class. A year later, the youngster quietly de-committed, as she began accruing offers from other top programs and wanted to re-consider her decision.

"It's been crazy," she said. "There have been so many turns in my journey, and I'm so grateful for everyone that has recruited me and supported me. But it's good to have it done, and I'm so excited to be a Coug."

All the way, big sister Kailey was in her corner.

"She obviously had the behind-the-scenes, inside scoop," Woolston said of her older sibling. "But she was great, and supported me where ever I wanted to go. She's been a big support in everything that I do."

So what brought Woolston, whose coach Nancy (Seljaas) Warner at Lone Peak starred at BYU, back to the Cougars? Rather than a coach, her parents, or an older sister set to re-join the roster after a church mission in Baltimore, she cited the team's culture as a key factor in her decision.

"The other schools had great culture, but BYU's culture really stood out to me," Woolston said. "There's a family aspect on this team, and an overall culture. With the way the girls play together, I can see myself playing there."

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