Rutgers Women's Basketball brought in five newcomers this season - two freshmen and three transfers - and most of them have contributed to the Scarlet Knights (4-1) in their own ways early on.
Zachara Perkins and Kiyomi McMiller, the two freshmen, came in with strong pedigrees as top-150 recruits, according to Prospects Nation, and have hit the ground running in the first two weeks of their collegiate careers.
Perkins has embraced a do-it-all role as a versatile wing offensively and defensively, while McMiller's dazzling offensive game has helped Rutgers' scoring attack get off to a strong start.
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Perkins, a native of Houston, started the first four games of the season, averaging 6.4ppg, 1.2rpg, and 1.6apg, to go along with a block per game on the defensive end. The biggest key to adjusting well to the college game? Confidence.
"I think I'm adjusting well," she said. "I think for me it was just making sure that I had the same confidence I had in high school and just bringing it here. I think I'm doing well at that.
While the stats may not jump off the page, Perkins' impact is also apparent off the box score. She can pick up on the perimeter or in the paint on defense and makes smart decisions on that end. All five of Perkins' blocks this season have come in the last three games, including four in the previous two. Head coach Coquese Washington has employed a lot of versatility and length in her lineups, and Perkins is often at the forefront of that with her versatility.
The 6-foot-3 wing has also shown promise on the offensive end, particularly as a slasher off the perimeter. She has also been trusted at times to bring the ball up the floor and direct traffic on offense, as Washington has praised her basketball IQ since she arrived on campus. With two games of three or more assists, Perkins has begun to take on a bigger ballhandling role as the offense continues to shape itself.
Even when play is stopped, Perkins continues to show promise as a team leader, always bringing her four teammates together to huddle up after fouls and serving as a vocal force on both ends.
"I think in high school I really prioritized communication and that was the main way I stayed on the floor," she said. "I think coming here and just being that younger person on the floor, I knew coming in that communcation was the one thing that nobody could take from me. I think I just came in with that mindset that I was going to be that vocal leader and vocal communicator no matter what grade I was in."
Washington added that it's very important for a young player to have that willingness to speak up early on in their career.
"It's a blessing to have a freshman that, number one, has a great understanding of basketball, she's got a really high basketball IQ," she said. "But to come in and not be afraid to jump out and have a voice, and be somebody that we can look to be a communicator and a connector on the team. She's shown that early on in her career, which I definitely think is going to have a huge impact for her long-term."
Perkins has kept a similar mindset through the first five games, mentioning the team's willingness to stick together through all situations has been the team's strength, while still wanting to make sure everyone stays connected together on the floor as an improvement to make.
The daughter of a former WNBA star, Perkins' early qualities on and off the floor sets her up with a consistently high floor with her leadership abilities and two-way versatile skillset.
McMiller committed in January of her senior year in 2024 as a consensus five-star recruit out of Life Center Academy in Burlington, though she originally hails from Silver Spring, Maryland. Everything about her game oozes confidence, whether it's her eye-popping dribble moves, quick-twitch first step, or fearless shotmaking, McMiller knows exactly what she wants to do and knows there's not much you can do to stop her when she's in her groove.
She has still brought that confidence to the floor despite an unusual start to her college career. Just four minutes into her debut against Manhattan, she took a shot to the face while battling for a loose ball and was forced to miss the rest of the game with an eye injury.
Three days later, McMiller returned to the court and played 36 minutes in a win over Cornell. While her shot was not falling, she contributed in other ways, coming close to notching a triple-double with 8 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
The shot has begun to fall more consistently since then, and it's easy to see why: The signature confidence she brings to the floor every game.
"I don't think there was really any adjustment," she said on her acclimation to the college game. "I still think basketball is basketball, I've been playing all my life."
Before the season started, McMiller noted she had pretty much grown up ready to play at the collegiate level, battling opponents - men and women - older than her throughout her childhood. So far? The college environment has lived up to its promise.
"The energy and the fans, that's what I've imagined," she said.
McMiller's production has only increased after her first two games, reaching double-figures in the last three games and at least 20 points in two of the last three.
That includes battling some non-basketball adjustments, as well. She did not play in the first quarter in a win over NJIT or the first half of a win over Iona, for what Washington referred to as "learning how to be on time." Despite not playing her top minutes early on, she came off the bench as a sparkplug in both games and buoyed the Scarlet Knights' offense.
In the loss to Virginia Tech, McMiller had arguably her finest performance. She scored a team-high seven first-quarter points, but sat for the entire second quarter due to foul trouble. She owned the third quarter, scoring 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting, including three three-pointers that got progressively deeper than the last. She kept Rutgers in the game as it turned into a back-and-forth shootout, and while the Scarlet Knights ultimately lost, it showed her ability to create her own offense with the snap of a finger.
"Even us being a freshman, I don't think that really matters," she said alongside Perkins. "We've been both playing for 18, 19 years of our life, so that ability we came in with isn't gonna change. We're all here, still playing basketball."
As the 4-1 Scarlet Knights continue to move forward in the season, the young leadership on and off the floor will be continually relied on, but McMiller and Perkins appear to be up for the task.
Rutgers will be back in action on Sunday, as they host in-state rival Princeton at 2pm.
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