Villanova Forward Denae Carter: “We Play as a Unit”

Villanova Women’s Basketball senior forward Denae Carter is a Philadelphia native who spent the first two years of her college career at Mississippi State.

A graduate of Jenkintown’s now-closed Saint Basil Academy, Carter grew up as part of the City of Brotherly Love’s ‘gritty’ basketball scene, encountering a handful of her future Wildcats’ teammates along the way. Carter said that she’s played against fellow Villanova senior Ryanne Allen since almost the first time she picked up a basketball. Their career paths mirrored each other: Allen graduated from Archbishop Wood, then spent her first two years in Division I at Vanderbilt. Carter spent that time at Mississippi State.

“It’s really fun, it’s really competitive. A lot of people I’ve played against since I was younger. Ryanne and I have played against each other probably on every level, rec league basketball to high school to our first stops in the SEC and now here, playing together,” Carter said. “I think it’s just really competitive and that’s just a lot of fun. The city of Philadelphia, we’ve proven a lot with basketball. It’s just gritty basketball and I love it.”

“It was just a no-brainer”

While Carter initially chose the Bulldogs, she said that the Wildcats played a major role in her initial recruitment. Villanova head coach Denise Dillon and the rest of the coaching staff built a strong relationship with her, one that immediately leapt out when she entered the transfer portal ahead of the 2024-25 season.

“I was really close with Denise, I had a really good relationship with her. And then once I got back in the portal it was just a no-brainer, coming back home, playing under her,” Carter said.

“There were also a lot of girls from the area around at the time [seniors Annie Welde and Maggie Grant also played in the Catholic League], so just connecting with them again, reconnecting with Coach Dillon, Coach T [assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Tiara Malcom]. I’m glad I came back.”

After missing the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, Villanova (18-5, 11-3 Big East) holds the second-best record in the conference this year and is in excellent position to end that drought. Carter, amidst her fourth and final season of college basketball, said that this year’s Wildcats stand out because of the positive mindset they have on the court.

“I feel like this team, we have a great energy about us. We’re able to lift each other up. In moments we play really well together, we love sharing the ball,” Carter said. 

“I think that’s probably our favorite thing about playing together is everyone’s looking to shoot, everyone’s looking to score, and it’s just really fun being out on the court. We celebrate a lot of small things, getting stops, scores, blocks, charges, we love it all. I think that’s the biggest thing about our team this year is we’re able to lean on each other in tough times.”

Playing as a Unit

Carter said that feature leapt off the page from the first time this group practiced together and that, although early injuries meant key contributors took time to get up to speed, they’re gelling as a unit now.

“Just from the summer we clicked instantly and since everyone arrived on campus we grew a lot off the court but also on the court. It took a lot getting everybody into the swing of things, but I think everybody just likes to compete against each other and we pull a lot of good things out of each other,” Carter said. 

“Even with new additions, our freshmen, our transfers and even our new player [Romanian point guard Miky Panait, who joined the Wildcats on campus after signing in mid-January but won’t play this season], I think we just do a really great job of embracing each other and learning together.”

Carter, for her part, serves as the centerpiece of the Wildcats’ defense, providing a key presence under the basket. Averaging 7.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals and blocks apiece, Her steady presence doesn’t leap off the box score, but if you’ve watched a Villanova game, Carter’s constant involvement stands out immediately. She said that the Wildcats’ identity centers on selfless play.

“Denise talks about it a lot, just while you’re on the court giving everything you can. Some things may not show up on the stat sheet, but I think making your teammates better — whether that be tapping [rebounds] out so someone else gets it and they get the stat, it’s just a team sport,” Carter said. “All five of us are out there competing together and I think we play as a unit on offense and on defense.”