Amber Ramirez: Arkansas' New Alpha
It's Amber Ramirez' team now. How far can she lead them?
Hello! It’s been a while. I’m happy to announce that I’ve found a home base in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and I’ve got the time once again to do what I love: write about the Hogs! So let’s dive into it!
Arkansas took a major step forward under Mike Neighbors in the 2020-2021 season. With memorable victories over #4 Baylor and #3 UConn, the team seemed poised for a deep run in the NCAA Women’s Tournament. Unfortunately, that run ended earlier than anyone foresaw, as the team lost to 13 seed Wright State in a close one to end the season with a 19-9 record. It was a bitter end to a sweet season, but also kicked off what will be a rebuilding year of sorts in the 2021-2022 season.
Arkansas will be without all time great Chelsea Dungee for the first time in a long time, and also lost Destiny Slocum, with both selected in the WNBA draft. That’s a lot of experience— winning experience— out the door. Despite those losses though, Arkansas is poised to begin the new season with a new alpha: Amber Ramirez.
The New Alpha
Ramirez has been a crucial part of the recent success under Mike Neighbors. Making the choice to return to Arkansas for a super senior year, Amber Ramirez will be key for any success Arkansas basketball has this season. Ramirez finished third on the team behind Dungee and Slocum in points per game (13.5), and earned her nickname “The Splash Sister” with 77 three pointers made on 43.5% shooting. That was enough to earn her a preseason second-team All SEC nomination this year.
Having been named a McDonalds’ and Jordan Brand All American in 2016, and having won two(!) gold medals at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, Ramirez came to Arkansas as a transfer from TCU, and has been crucial to the team’s success already. With a featured role, I expect her to flourish and show that same world class ability she showed as a high schooler in 2016.
It’s not that Arkansas will live and die by her production though. Rather, her threat to stretch the floor, her years of verteran experience, and the trust Neighbors has in her will likely serve as the jumping off point for Arkansas’ offense in 2021-2022. With scoring machines like Dungee and Slocum gone, someone will need to pick up where they left. Whether that’s Ramirez herself, highly touted newcomer Jersey Wolfenbarger, or another of the talented group in Fayetteville, it’s clear that Ramirez will have an increased role this season both on and off the court.
Veteran Presence in the Clutch
Experience matters in basketball, and I can’t think of a more testing experience than taking Baylor and UConn down. In those games, Ramirez played for 32 and 38 minutes respectively, finishing with a team high 23 points against Baylor and 22 against UConn. Her performance against Baylor didn’t require her usual sharpshooting, as she only attempted 3 three pointers, making 2, and finishing 7-14 overall. Against UConn, Ramirez shot a blistering 50% from three point land, hitting 5 of her 10 attempts.
How Coach Neighbors utilizes Ramirez this year will be very telling, as she has never been asked to be a primary ballhandler. Her off ball movement is excellent, and when paired with her shooting, she can give opposing coaches headaches. It will be interesting to see if Neighbors relies on her veteran presence to generate the offense with passing, or if she will remain an excellent offensive complement to a primary ball handler like Wolfenbarger.
The Splash Sister
Either way, she will bring leadership and experience to a pretty young team with a lot of new pieces, making her Arkansas’ new alpha. You don’t lose world class players like Dungee or Slocum without some growing pains, but Neighbors and Arkansas fans can rest easy knowing that Ramirez is here to carry on the women’s team’s winning ways.
I’m excited to see how she develops. The women’s team will tip off the new season tonight at 7pm on SECN+ against Tarleton. Look for The Splash Sister to make an early impact, as her volume will likely be higher than it’s had to be in her career.
I’m really thrilled to be back writing about the Razorbacks. More will be coming soon. If you liked this piece, consider subscribing and sharing, as that’s what keeps this thing going.
Thank you so much for reading! Go Hogs!