University of Georgia Athletics
‘Locked In’ Carnegie Elevating Her Game
December 11, 2025 | Women's Basketball, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
The Georgia women's basketball team is off to a flying start, winning its first 10 games by an average of nearly 30 points. The last time the Lady Bulldogs began a season with 10 straight wins was in 2014-15, when legendary coach Andy Landers' squad reeled off 12 in a row.
Transfer guard Dani Carnegie is a big part of the reason why these Lady Bulldogs are rolling. The 5-foot-9 guard from Atlanta, who spent part of her childhood in Mount Vernon, N.Y., is much more than just an impact newcomer — she's thriving at Georgia and leading the team in scoring and rebounding.
"I see an evolution in my game, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. I have picked up that at different levels, and I take pride in that this year, for sure. It's just helped me become a better player overall," said Carnegie, one of five Lady Bulldogs with 13 or more steals.
There is evolution and growth all over the place in Carnegie's game, from her stellar shooting to her play on the defensive end — and there's no reason to think it will be slowing down anytime soon. And if she makes a similar leap next season to the one she's making this season, look out.
As a freshman at Georgia Tech last season, Carnegie was named the ACC Sixth Player of the Year, was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team, and was the conference Rookie of the Week five times. She was third on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game, and scored 15 or more 12 times. She scored 20 against Georgia on Nov. 14, 2024, one of six games in which she scored 20 or more, with a season high 29 at Virginia on Jan. 23, 2025.
All of those are solid numbers, especially for someone who averaged only 20.2 minutes per game off the bench. At the same time, she shot 38.3% from the field and 33.5% from 3-point range. Now compare those stats with what Carnegie is doing for the Lady Bulldogs: she's scoring a team-high 17.9 points per game; she's shooting a SEC-best 49.3% from 3-point range, seventh-best in the country, while hitting 34 of 69 attempts; and she's shooting an excellent 49.2% from the field overall. Yes, her 3-point shooting has been slightly more accurate than her overall field-goal percentage.
"I've heard I've been a great 3-point shooter, but I'm just trying to be consistent on it and value my shots and make good shots for my team to win," she said.
After lighting up Georgia for 20 points in 30 minutes last season in Tech's win over the Lady Bulldogs, Carnegie put on even more of a show in Georgia's 87-59 rout of the Yellow Jackets on Nov. 23. Carnegie poured in a season-high 23 points, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range. She also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal, with no turnovers, in 34 minutes.
Tech did its best to deny her the ball as often as possible, but when her teammates, particularly guards Trinity Turner and Rylie Theuerkauf, started knocking down shots, that opened things up a bit for Carnegie.
"I don't have to prepare Dani for anything," is how Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson described preparing Carnegie to face her former team. "I've kind of talked to you guys before about Dani. She is just so locked in. I haven't met a lot of people like that in terms of coaching for 30 years. Like, she is just being face guarded, and some people that would rattle, right? And she was just cool, calm and collected."
Carnegie isn't the only Lady Bulldog having success on 3-pointers this season. Theuerkauf, who joined Georgia from Wake Forest, where she was the Demon Deacons' leading scorer last season, is shooting 40.8% on 3s, hitting 20 of 49. Their outside prowess, Turner's ability to drive and score or distribute, and 6-3 forward Mia Woolfolk's inside game — Woolfolk is second on the team with 13.5 points per game, followed by Turner (11.6) and Theuerkauf (11.3) — give this Georgia team a lot of options and weapons.
"I think it's great, because I don't have to think a lot," Carnegie said of the Lady Bulldogs' depth of talent. "I can just go have fun playing basketball, because at the end of the day, I know somebody is going to go get a bucket."
Despite her standout individual performances so far, Carnegie isn't focused on her own accomplishments. And she doesn't want to just be a good shooter. Carnegie strives to be a complete player who can lift her team up on both ends of the court. Last season at Tech, she had 56 assists and 25 steals; through 10 games as a Lady Bulldog, she already has 27 assists and 15 steals.
"I always have stuff I need to improve on," she said.
Thanks in part to Carnegie's production all over the court, Georgia is one of four undefeated SEC teams, along with No. 2 Texas (11-0), No. 5 LSU (10-0) and Alabama (10-0). The Lady Bulldogs are back in action at 11 a.m. Monday at Stegeman Coliseum, where they will host North Carolina A&T.
Staff Writer
The Georgia women's basketball team is off to a flying start, winning its first 10 games by an average of nearly 30 points. The last time the Lady Bulldogs began a season with 10 straight wins was in 2014-15, when legendary coach Andy Landers' squad reeled off 12 in a row.
Transfer guard Dani Carnegie is a big part of the reason why these Lady Bulldogs are rolling. The 5-foot-9 guard from Atlanta, who spent part of her childhood in Mount Vernon, N.Y., is much more than just an impact newcomer — she's thriving at Georgia and leading the team in scoring and rebounding.
"I see an evolution in my game, especially on the defensive side of the basketball. I have picked up that at different levels, and I take pride in that this year, for sure. It's just helped me become a better player overall," said Carnegie, one of five Lady Bulldogs with 13 or more steals.
There is evolution and growth all over the place in Carnegie's game, from her stellar shooting to her play on the defensive end — and there's no reason to think it will be slowing down anytime soon. And if she makes a similar leap next season to the one she's making this season, look out.
As a freshman at Georgia Tech last season, Carnegie was named the ACC Sixth Player of the Year, was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team, and was the conference Rookie of the Week five times. She was third on the team in scoring with 12.9 points per game, and scored 15 or more 12 times. She scored 20 against Georgia on Nov. 14, 2024, one of six games in which she scored 20 or more, with a season high 29 at Virginia on Jan. 23, 2025.
All of those are solid numbers, especially for someone who averaged only 20.2 minutes per game off the bench. At the same time, she shot 38.3% from the field and 33.5% from 3-point range. Now compare those stats with what Carnegie is doing for the Lady Bulldogs: she's scoring a team-high 17.9 points per game; she's shooting a SEC-best 49.3% from 3-point range, seventh-best in the country, while hitting 34 of 69 attempts; and she's shooting an excellent 49.2% from the field overall. Yes, her 3-point shooting has been slightly more accurate than her overall field-goal percentage.
"I've heard I've been a great 3-point shooter, but I'm just trying to be consistent on it and value my shots and make good shots for my team to win," she said.
After lighting up Georgia for 20 points in 30 minutes last season in Tech's win over the Lady Bulldogs, Carnegie put on even more of a show in Georgia's 87-59 rout of the Yellow Jackets on Nov. 23. Carnegie poured in a season-high 23 points, going 4-for-4 from 3-point range. She also had four rebounds, two assists and a steal, with no turnovers, in 34 minutes.
Tech did its best to deny her the ball as often as possible, but when her teammates, particularly guards Trinity Turner and Rylie Theuerkauf, started knocking down shots, that opened things up a bit for Carnegie.
"I don't have to prepare Dani for anything," is how Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson described preparing Carnegie to face her former team. "I've kind of talked to you guys before about Dani. She is just so locked in. I haven't met a lot of people like that in terms of coaching for 30 years. Like, she is just being face guarded, and some people that would rattle, right? And she was just cool, calm and collected."
Carnegie isn't the only Lady Bulldog having success on 3-pointers this season. Theuerkauf, who joined Georgia from Wake Forest, where she was the Demon Deacons' leading scorer last season, is shooting 40.8% on 3s, hitting 20 of 49. Their outside prowess, Turner's ability to drive and score or distribute, and 6-3 forward Mia Woolfolk's inside game — Woolfolk is second on the team with 13.5 points per game, followed by Turner (11.6) and Theuerkauf (11.3) — give this Georgia team a lot of options and weapons.
"I think it's great, because I don't have to think a lot," Carnegie said of the Lady Bulldogs' depth of talent. "I can just go have fun playing basketball, because at the end of the day, I know somebody is going to go get a bucket."
Despite her standout individual performances so far, Carnegie isn't focused on her own accomplishments. And she doesn't want to just be a good shooter. Carnegie strives to be a complete player who can lift her team up on both ends of the court. Last season at Tech, she had 56 assists and 25 steals; through 10 games as a Lady Bulldog, she already has 27 assists and 15 steals.
"I always have stuff I need to improve on," she said.
Thanks in part to Carnegie's production all over the court, Georgia is one of four undefeated SEC teams, along with No. 2 Texas (11-0), No. 5 LSU (10-0) and Alabama (10-0). The Lady Bulldogs are back in action at 11 a.m. Monday at Stegeman Coliseum, where they will host North Carolina A&T.
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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