A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year Vanessa Harris signs with Gators
Tuesday, April 14, 2026 | Women's Basketball
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida Head Women's Basketball Coach Tammi Reiss announced today that the team has signed 2026 A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year Vanessa Harris. Last season, the 5-10 guard averaged 10.2 points per game coming off the bench for Coach Reiss and the Rhode Island Rams, while also earning a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team.
"To say I am excited that Vanessa and her family chose to join our Gator family is an understatement," explained Reiss. "I have loved coaching this young lady and watched her game grow before my eyes. She had such an immediate impact on our program at Rhode Island, and helped lead us to another A-10 regular season championship, a second NCAA Tournament berth and our first A-10 Tournament championship in program history.
"She is an aggressive, offensive three-level scorer that can really create her shot off the bounce. I think her best asset is her mid-range pull-up. She has great size and strength at the guard spot that can really translate in the SEC. She has the physicality to be able to get to the rim and to hit the boards. I love Vanessa's mentality when she told me she wanted to compete at the highest level against the best players in the country! I have no doubt in her abilities, and believe she will make an immediate impact on our program."
Harris ranked third on the Rams in scoring as a freshman while snagging 3.8 rebounds per game. The Glenarden, Md. native scored in double figures on 18 occasions including a season-high 19 against Holy Cross on Nov. 19, 2025, while recording the fourth-best defensive efficiency rating in the league (82.4).
As a senior at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., Harris led the Mustangs a 30-2 record, and the top spot on Si.com's Top-25 Girls High School Basketball Rankings — a position they held throughout the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign. Bishop McNamara also won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and the Maryland Private School State Tournament titles, as Harris was named to the All-Conference First Team.
"To say I am excited that Vanessa and her family chose to join our Gator family is an understatement," explained Reiss. "I have loved coaching this young lady and watched her game grow before my eyes. She had such an immediate impact on our program at Rhode Island, and helped lead us to another A-10 regular season championship, a second NCAA Tournament berth and our first A-10 Tournament championship in program history.
"She is an aggressive, offensive three-level scorer that can really create her shot off the bounce. I think her best asset is her mid-range pull-up. She has great size and strength at the guard spot that can really translate in the SEC. She has the physicality to be able to get to the rim and to hit the boards. I love Vanessa's mentality when she told me she wanted to compete at the highest level against the best players in the country! I have no doubt in her abilities, and believe she will make an immediate impact on our program."
Harris ranked third on the Rams in scoring as a freshman while snagging 3.8 rebounds per game. The Glenarden, Md. native scored in double figures on 18 occasions including a season-high 19 against Holy Cross on Nov. 19, 2025, while recording the fourth-best defensive efficiency rating in the league (82.4).
As a senior at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville, Md., Harris led the Mustangs a 30-2 record, and the top spot on Si.com's Top-25 Girls High School Basketball Rankings — a position they held throughout the entirety of the 2024-25 campaign. Bishop McNamara also won the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and the Maryland Private School State Tournament titles, as Harris was named to the All-Conference First Team.
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