Avary Cain’s development could lift Oregon women's basketball season

The Oregon Ducks and coach Kelly Graves bet on themselves heading into a pivotal 2026-27 women's basketball campaign .

Fresh off back-to-back appearances in the second round of the NCAA tournament, the Ducks are hoping their development over the summer while retaining the core of their roster leaps them into the second weekend of the tourney this season.

Though juniors Katie Fiso and Ehis Etute easily return the most production from a year ago, perhaps no one is more representative of that development than guard Avary Cain.

The junior spent one season at UCLA before transferring to Oregon as a sophomore in 2025 and had an up-and-down first season in Eugene. The former five-star prep recruit out of Southern California averaged 3.8 points in 36 games last season, all off the bench in just over 14 minutes per game. But those numbers spiked at various moments throughout the season.

See photos as Oregon women's basketball hosts Bushnell in exhibition

None might have been greater than a 13-point performance in the Big Ten Tournament against Maryland, which included a game-sealing 3-pointer with time winding down.

Heading into her third collegiate season and her second at Oregon, Cain has taken on more of a leadership role, as well as a scoring load, as a likely full-time starter.

Graves said in the preseason that Cain has been Oregon's top scorer this summer and fall and it "hasn't been close."

"Something clicked this last spring and she had a great summer and a great fall," Graves said. "She's been a good leader for our young kids, our freshmen. She got here first among our returners and she really kind of led those young kids … it was nice to see her trying to reach out."

The Ducks open their season Nov. 2 at home against Hawaii.

Cain's role will grow even beyond what Graves and the team expected heading into the season. Senior and primary on-ball defender Sofia Bell suffered a season-ending lower body injury in late September, just weeks away from the beginning of the season.

The head of Oregon's defensive attack and one of its captains, Bell's injury is a significant loss for a team returning so much of its rotation.

Enter Cain, who focused the bulk of her first season at Oregon in improving her conditioning and her defensive scout and will likely be tasked with guarding the opposing team's best bigger wings moving forward.

She said she's already taken strides in her on-ball defense and being more engaged on that end as a vocal leader.

"I think that's super important and kind of leading the huddles a little bit more, I'm not really used to that," Cain said of being vocal. "I'm imitating Sofia a little bit ... Defensively, I'm being really tough on myself right now, but I think I'm doing a lot better in that area."

Cain said Graves has been especially tough on her on-ball defense of late, but Graves remarked that she is naturally strong at the top of their base zone defense with good length and size.

"She's got a tough assignment because she's got to take the point but her main responsibility is the high post," Graves said. "She's catting and mousing pretty well, she's got a good feel for it. I think she's got the length and athleticism to be that player defensively, that stopper, she's got to do it consistently. She does it in moments, and she has to do a lot better this year because we need her.

"I'm going to ask a lot of her, but I think she's capable of it."

Oregon women's basketball 2026-27 schedule

Thursday, Nov. 26: Maryland Eastern Shore (Cancun Challenge)

Friday, Nov. 27: Colorado (Cancun Challenge)

Saturday, Nov. 28: Georgia (Cancun Challenge)

Alec Dietz covers University of Oregon football and women's basketball for The Register-Guard. You may reach him at adietz@registerguard.com .