Lauren Replogle
Missouri women’s basketball dug deep in the college transfer portal this offseason, picking up seven new players. The new signees included a Rutgers transfer, a former Kentucky Wildcat and a Purdue transfer that won No.1 ranked player out of Indiana.
In spite of these major acquisitions, the biggest pickup in the offseason was from the Missouri Valley Conference, when the Tigers signed Illinois State’s Shannon Dowell.
The 5-foot-10 guard led the Redbirds in scoring last year, pouring in nearly 18 points a contest. She was efficient as well, knocking down 49% of her shots.
On the other side of the court, Dowell shined, notching five boards and nearly a steal per game. Dowell ranked third on the Redbirds in rebounds despite being the only one in the top four under six feet tall.
It’s not just the stats that prove what Dowell will bring to this team — it’s the tape. The junior isn’t a run of the mill guard. She’s an explosive slasher that can score in all facets of the game.
Her playstyle goes deeper than fundamentally sound handles or her spin move that’s nearly unguardable. It’s her physicality, relentless playstyle and ability to post up that make her highlights unique.
“She really just has a knack for scoring,” first-year head coach Kellie Harper said in a breakdown of Dowell’s highlights.
The one thing that needs improvement is her 3-point shooting. Dowell shot 31.5% from deep last year on less than three attempts per game.
The Tigers will need replacements beyond the arc this year after losing Ashton Judd to the Texas Longhorns in the offseason. Judd contributed 12 points a game while ranking third in 3-pointers made last year for Missouri.
Luckily for the Tigers, Dowell’s deep ball showed dramatic improvement in the latter half of the season. In her final six postseason games, including conference tournament and WNIT matchups, Dowell scored 26 points a game on 56% shooting from the field and 45% from beyond the arc.
The guard got physical as well, heading to the line eight times a contest and netting 90% of them in the stretch. Dowell thrives in the paint due to a quick first step and an explosive edge that cannot be taught.
Her fast first step will be seen on the defensive end this season, as she can swipe a pass and turn it into two points for Missouri. The Redbirds saw it last year when Shannon had a four-game stretch in February where she tallied nearly two steals a game.
As for accolades, Dowell earned Second-Team All MVC last year and led her team to a Fab 4 appearance in the WNIT.
The last game of the tournament may have been her best. In a 99-96 loss to Troy, Dowell had 37 points on 68% shooting, going perfect from the charity stripe and the 3-point line.
If last season was any indication of Dowell’s future, she will be a major dual-threat addition for the Missouri Tigers.
Edited by Colin Simmons l [email protected]
Copy edited by Maren Hettler and Avery Copeland | [email protected]
Edited by Alex Gribb | [email protected]