Weeks after ending the season with the program’s first-ever postseason title in the inaugural WBIT, Shauna Green and her dug through the transfer portal in an effort to boost a 2024-25 push for the Big Dance.
Just two days after announcing the pickup of Mississippi State transfer guard Jasmine Brown-Hagger, the program announced the addition of graduate transfer Tenin Magassa from Rhode Island on Sunday.
The addition of Illinois native Brown-Hagger is a reunion of sorts, as Green’s staff had recruited the rising sophomore out of high school; Magassa’s arrival can also be described as a reunion.
Before transferring to Rhode Island, the 6-foot-6 center from Morsang-Sur-Orge, France played for Green at Dayton.
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“Having coached her for two years, I know she can help us right away,” Green said. “T is a big that can run in our pace, protect the rim defensively, and has the ability to score with her back to the basket. She knows our system and our standards. T is a winner, having won championships with us at Dayton and one at URI.”
In 2023-24, T averaged 7 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2 blocks per game in 17.8 minutes for the Rams. According to HoopHeroines, she had a 26.5 PER, 102.6 Player Offensive Rating and +22.9 Net Rating last season, albeit in limited minutes.
Magassa, as of Sunday, is currently the tallest player on a roster that loses Camille Hobby, a 6-foot-3 grad transfer center who started all but 12 games last season.
Up up and away. . .
The two transfer pickups show a clear intent to grow taller and longer, something that Green has been building towards in her time at Illinois.
Green will also welcome five-star, McDonald’s All-American Berry Wallace next season alongside the in-state Hayven Smith. Wallace and Smith stand 6-foot-1 and 6-foot-6 respectively. Brown-Hagger stands at 5-foot-9, three inches taller than the Orange and Blue’s current guard duo of Makira Cook and Genesis Bryant, who are both listed at 5-foot-6.
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The team loses six players from last season — two by graduation and four by transfer — and might not be done bulking up quite yet. Assistant coach Calamity McEntire took to X just hours after Magassa’s commitment with a message to Illini fans. . .
The fourth annual Newport Juneteenth celebration was held at Fort Adams State Park on Saturday, June 20, an expanded event that paired the holiday with a Rhode Island 250th anniversary theme honoring the history of Black and Indigenous people across the state.
Presented by Rhode Island Slave History Medallions, the daylong program opened with a reenactors’ parade and an honorary musket salute before turning to tributes from civic leaders, including a keynote address by Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore and remarks by Governor Dan McKee.
The parade ground program continued through the afternoon with presentations by historians, youth activities, craft vendors and food trucks, alongside performances tied to the 250th theme. The lineup featured colonial music, Indigenous dancing and drumming by the Thawn Harris family of the Narragansett people, a performance by members of the Pokanoket Tribe, a drum circle led by African drummer Sidy Maiga and a gospel performance by RPM Voices of Rhode Island.
Juneteenth commemorates June 19, 1865, when Union Gen. Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, Texas, to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation, more than two years after it took effect freeing enslaved people in the Confederate states.
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RISHM, a statewide nonprofit, works to educate Rhode Islanders about the state’s role in the history of slavery by sharing documented stories of enslaved people. More information is available at rishm.org.
Justin Walker is a Newport County native who specializes in sports, portraits, weddings and events as a freelance photographer around New England. Justin has over a decade of experience starting in college covering high profile events, collegiate and professional sports in Washington, D.C. His photojournalism and freelance work can be seen in various local and national publications. Check out his work at justinlwalkerphotography.com!
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WJAR) — Thousands gathered in downtown Providence on Saturday for Rhode Island PrideFest, marking a major milestone celebration for the LGBTQ+ community.
The area between Dyer Street and the Providence River filled with music, vendors and community groups as the 50th annual PrideFest became a day-long celebration of identity and inclusion.
Attendees described a lively atmosphere and strong turnout.
“It’s a great turnout and it looks beautiful outside,” said Analisy Huertas of Providence.
Vendors said steady crowds and high energy made for a busy but enjoyable day. Many attendees said the event’s welcoming environment keeps them coming back each year.
“I love seeing everyone expressing themselves and being really happy,” added Adeline Lamoureux-Hathaway.
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Eventgoers walking in Providence Saturday, June 20, 2026. (WJAR)
For William and Carrie Hatcher, it was their first time attending PrideFest, saying the experience stood out for its sense of community and acceptance. “There’s so much to see, so much to look at, and we’re meeting so many different people,” Carrie Hatcher said.
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PrideFest continued into the evening, with many planning to stay for the illuminated night parade.
PROVIDENCE – In an unusual move, the Rhode Island Democratic State Committee issued no endorsement for the incumbent governor and lieutenant governor on Saturday.
Incumbent Governor Daniel J. McKee received 82 votes, while his challenger, former CVS executive Helena Buonanno Foulkes, received 73 votes. There were 11 votes for no endorsement, including from the party chair, Liz Beretta-Perik.
To secure an endorsement, a candidate needs 50 percent of the votes cast plus one vote. McKee needed 84 votes to secure the endorsement, so he came up two votes short.
Party officials said they could not recall the last time the committee did not endorse an incumbent Democratic governor. Beretta-Perik later said she voted for no endorsement because she needed to stay neutral.
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McKee left the Teamsters Local 251 union hall in East Providence soon after the vote, without talking to reporters. In a statement sent soon after, however, he declared the outcome “a victory for our campaign” and noted he received “the largest margin in today’s endorsement vote.”
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Rhode Island Governor Daniel J. McKee speaks to the Democratic State Committee on Saturday at the Teamsters Local 251 union hall in East Providence, R.I.Edward Fitzpatrick
“We will win again in September,” he said in the statement. “Rhode Islanders have a clear choice: a governor who has spent every day fighting for working families, or a corporate executive who has spent her career fighting for corporate profits in the boardroom. I know which side I’m on — and today, Rhode Island Democrats made clear they do too.”
Helena Buonanno Foulkes speaks to the Democratic State Committee at the Teamsters Local 251 union hall in East Providence, R.I.Edward Fitzpatrick
Part of the reason McKee came up two votes short of an endorsement is that his former special adviser, Eva-Marie Mancuso, voted for Foulkes.
As she walked into the Teamsters hall, Mancuso said, “I think we need new leadership. I’m ready.”
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Mancuso — a former Rhode Island Board of Education chairwoman who left the McKee administration in 2023 to take a job with Bryant University — said a big part of her decision had to do with the decision by McKee, a long-time charter school advocate, to sign a bill that places a three-year moratorium on new charter schools and permanently lowers the cap on the total number.
“That was a big, big deal,” she said. “I mean, that just shows that he’s really lost focus of what the state needs.”
When McKee beat Foulkes in the 2022 Democratic primary, McKee was filmed telling Mancuso to hang up on Foulkes as he was prepared to deliver his victory speech. On Saturday, Mancuso said, “I took her call.”
The Democratic committee also did not endorse a candidate for Lieutenant Governor. Out of 162 votes, incumbent Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos received just 55 votes, while former Newport mayor Xay Khamsyvoravong received 71. Providence City Council member Sue AnderBois received 15 votes, and former state senator Cynthia Coyne got 13. Eight people voted for no endorsement.
The committee did not endorse anyone in the race to replace term-limited Attorney General Peter F. Neronha.
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State Representative Joseph J. Solomon Jr. received 73 votes, former state Cannabis Control Commission chairwoman Kim Ahern received 42 votes, former attorney general policy chief Keith Hoffman received 22 votes, and state Representative Jason Knight received 12 votes, while 10 voted for no endorsement.
A total of 159 committee members voted, so 80 votes were needed to secure the endorsement.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
Edward Fitzpatrick can be reached at edward.fitzpatrick@globe.com. Follow him @FitzProv.
