University of Georgia Athletics
Theuerkauf A Valuable Addition For Lady Bulldogs
December 18, 2025 | Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
Rylie Theuerkauf is a shooter. She has been for a long time.
The Georgia women's basketball junior, in her first season with the Lady Bulldogs after transferring from Wake Forest, was an offensive machine back at Tenafly (N.J.) High School, where she scored 2,482 career points. She averaged 36.4 points per game as a sophomore, 29.2 as a junior and 28.5 her senior year.
"That feels like so long ago," Theuerkauf said this week, before the Lady Bulldogs headed to Richmond, Va., for this weekend's games against VCU and Coppin State in the 4Tha Culture Classic.
"Playing in college is definitely a big adjustment. In high school, it's just fun."
Scoring is always fun, and Theuerkauf has continued to do that in college, though not at the astronomical levels she did in high school. As a freshman at Wake Forest, Theuerkauf only averaged 3.8 points a game in 30 appearances, with three starts. She started 23 of 29 games as a sophomore and led the Demon Deacons with 12.0 points per game.
After transferring to Georgia, where she's part of a deep roster of scorers, Theuerkauf is third on the team with 11.8 points per game. She's started all 11 games so far for the undefeated Lady Bulldogs, and what's most notable are her shooting percentages. She hit 30.1% of her 3-pointers last season and made 43.0% of her overall shots from the field. Now, she's knocking down 45.5% of her 3s and shooting 47.2% overall.
Theuerkauf said she's more confident than she's ever been when it comes to putting up shots.
"I think it's just from the preparation that I put in here," she said. "I never really had the chance to get this much work in and get this many managers to come in and shoot with me. I think that's what's really helped. I think just starting in the summer when I got here, I just wanted to be on the court, and I just love it here."
In Georgia's most recent game, a 77-49 win over North Carolina A&T on Monday at Stegeman Coliseum, Theuerkauf tied a career high with five 3-pointers, going 5 of 6 from long range, and scored 17 points. Her collegiate career high is 25, which came against No. 17 N.C. State last season.
"It's fun," Theuerkauf said of being in the zone and feeling like you can knock down every shot you attempt. "I think you literally feel it when you're in that zone. It just feels different."
Theuerkauf is one of four Lady Bulldogs, including three guards, averaging 11.3 points or more per game. Sophomore guard Dani Carnegie leads Georgia with 18.1 per game while shooting an extraordinary 50% from 3-point range (35 of 70), sophomore forward Mia Woolfolk is second at 13.0, and sophomore guard Trinity Turner is just behind Theuerkauf's 11.8 at 11.3 per game. Theuerkauf said she loves playing with her new teammates.
"Having so many good shooters helps because you can't just face guard five people, so there's always going to be somebody open," she said. "I think we have the best backcourt in the SEC, maybe in the country, and we're really special. I think it helps off the court, too. We're all so close, we're best friends, and it's just really fun."
Basketball isn't the Theuerkauf family sport — that would be track and field, and the throwing events in particular. Theuerkauf's father, Mike, has been the head track and field coach at Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest for more than 25 years, and he was the ACC champion in the shot put during his days at Virginia. Theuerkauf's brother, Dane, competed in the shot put, discus and javelin at Fairleigh Dickinson.
Theuerkauf competed in track and field in high school, doing the triple jump, high jump and the discus, as well as playing volleyball, but basketball was her primary passion. She said she likes the team aspect of basketball, and when she went into the transfer portal after last season, she wanted to find the right team to join, regardless of the name or any financial opportunities.
"I didn't really care about all that. It was more the relationships and making sure I would be happy at the next school I went to," she said. "I love the coaches here; that was the first thing that stood out to me."
While Theuerkauf's shooting from 3-point range has jumped up dramatically since she got to Georgia, she said it's her improvement on defense that she's most proud of so far.
"Our defense, I love the way (head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson) coaches defense," she said. "I've never been big on defense, personally, but I had to be when I came here. And now I love defense."
After this weekend's games in Richmond, the Lady Bulldogs return to the Steg on Dec. 29 to face Charleston Southern at noon. The game is part of a doubleheader with the No. 25-ranked men's team, which hosts Long Island in the nightcap.
Staff Writer
Rylie Theuerkauf is a shooter. She has been for a long time.
The Georgia women's basketball junior, in her first season with the Lady Bulldogs after transferring from Wake Forest, was an offensive machine back at Tenafly (N.J.) High School, where she scored 2,482 career points. She averaged 36.4 points per game as a sophomore, 29.2 as a junior and 28.5 her senior year.
"That feels like so long ago," Theuerkauf said this week, before the Lady Bulldogs headed to Richmond, Va., for this weekend's games against VCU and Coppin State in the 4Tha Culture Classic.
"Playing in college is definitely a big adjustment. In high school, it's just fun."
Scoring is always fun, and Theuerkauf has continued to do that in college, though not at the astronomical levels she did in high school. As a freshman at Wake Forest, Theuerkauf only averaged 3.8 points a game in 30 appearances, with three starts. She started 23 of 29 games as a sophomore and led the Demon Deacons with 12.0 points per game.
After transferring to Georgia, where she's part of a deep roster of scorers, Theuerkauf is third on the team with 11.8 points per game. She's started all 11 games so far for the undefeated Lady Bulldogs, and what's most notable are her shooting percentages. She hit 30.1% of her 3-pointers last season and made 43.0% of her overall shots from the field. Now, she's knocking down 45.5% of her 3s and shooting 47.2% overall.
Theuerkauf said she's more confident than she's ever been when it comes to putting up shots.
"I think it's just from the preparation that I put in here," she said. "I never really had the chance to get this much work in and get this many managers to come in and shoot with me. I think that's what's really helped. I think just starting in the summer when I got here, I just wanted to be on the court, and I just love it here."
In Georgia's most recent game, a 77-49 win over North Carolina A&T on Monday at Stegeman Coliseum, Theuerkauf tied a career high with five 3-pointers, going 5 of 6 from long range, and scored 17 points. Her collegiate career high is 25, which came against No. 17 N.C. State last season.
"It's fun," Theuerkauf said of being in the zone and feeling like you can knock down every shot you attempt. "I think you literally feel it when you're in that zone. It just feels different."
Theuerkauf is one of four Lady Bulldogs, including three guards, averaging 11.3 points or more per game. Sophomore guard Dani Carnegie leads Georgia with 18.1 per game while shooting an extraordinary 50% from 3-point range (35 of 70), sophomore forward Mia Woolfolk is second at 13.0, and sophomore guard Trinity Turner is just behind Theuerkauf's 11.8 at 11.3 per game. Theuerkauf said she loves playing with her new teammates.
"Having so many good shooters helps because you can't just face guard five people, so there's always going to be somebody open," she said. "I think we have the best backcourt in the SEC, maybe in the country, and we're really special. I think it helps off the court, too. We're all so close, we're best friends, and it's just really fun."
Basketball isn't the Theuerkauf family sport — that would be track and field, and the throwing events in particular. Theuerkauf's father, Mike, has been the head track and field coach at Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest for more than 25 years, and he was the ACC champion in the shot put during his days at Virginia. Theuerkauf's brother, Dane, competed in the shot put, discus and javelin at Fairleigh Dickinson.
Theuerkauf competed in track and field in high school, doing the triple jump, high jump and the discus, as well as playing volleyball, but basketball was her primary passion. She said she likes the team aspect of basketball, and when she went into the transfer portal after last season, she wanted to find the right team to join, regardless of the name or any financial opportunities.
"I didn't really care about all that. It was more the relationships and making sure I would be happy at the next school I went to," she said. "I love the coaches here; that was the first thing that stood out to me."
While Theuerkauf's shooting from 3-point range has jumped up dramatically since she got to Georgia, she said it's her improvement on defense that she's most proud of so far.
"Our defense, I love the way (head coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson) coaches defense," she said. "I've never been big on defense, personally, but I had to be when I came here. And now I love defense."
After this weekend's games in Richmond, the Lady Bulldogs return to the Steg on Dec. 29 to face Charleston Southern at noon. The game is part of a doubleheader with the No. 25-ranked men's team, which hosts Long Island in the nightcap.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files.
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