Winthrop University Women's Basketball

After serving as the interim head coach for the 2020-21 season, Semeka Randall Lay was named the 17th head coach in Winthrop women's basketball history in April 2021. Randall Lay joined the Eagles as Associate Head Coach prior to the 2019-20 season. In her first season as the permanent head coach in 2021-22, Randall Lay led the Eagles to big victories over long-time conference rivals Presbyterian, UNC-Asheville and Charleston Southern and Radford. In her second full season as the permanent head coach in 2022-23, Randall Lay saw the Eagles pick up their first win of the season against Division II St. Andrew's (NC) by a final score of 60-29 and in the process set two new records: fewest points allowed in the first half since becoming a Division I member in 1986-87 and the 29 points allowed by Winthrop is the eighth-lowest for fewest points allowed in a game since becoming a Division I member in 1986-87. She also saw the Eagles get a regular-season sweep of the-then defending conference champions Longwood and then USC Upstate on consecutive days and watched Paige Powell and Leonor Paisana take home All-Conference honors. In her third full season as the permanent head coach in 2023-24, Randall-Lay saw the Eagles register a sweep of Longwood for the second straight year and snapped long skids in the series with UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb. Most notably the Eagles had overtime victories over UNC Asheville on the road and Radford at home and sweeping Gardner-Webb and UNC Asheville for the first time in nearly a decade. Randall-Lay also coached the program’s 600th all-time win at South Carolina State, was named to the 2024 American Basketball Hall of Fame, captured her 100th career coaching victory vs. Longwood at home, and saw Marissa Gasaway and Jada Ryce take home All-Conference honors. Before coming to Winthrop, she spent the 2018-19 season at the University of Cincinnati as an assistant coach where she helped the team earn 24 wins and make a run in the WNIT. It was the program’s first 20-win season in over 15 years. Prior to her season at Cincinnati, she spent two seasons at Wright State as an assistant coach where the program had back-to-back 20-win seasons. In those two seasons the program also made two trips to the WNIT. Randall Lay brings a wealth of coaching experience having also been a head coach of two NCAA Division I programs. She began her head coaching career at Ohio where she spent four seasons before taking the head coaching job at Alabama A & M University from 2013-16.  Before taking her first head coaching job, Randall-Lay was an assistant coach at West Virginia (2007-08), Michigan State (2005-07), and Cleveland State (2002-03). During her tenure at Michigan State, the Spartans played for the national championship in 2005, advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2006 and made it to the NCAA second round in 2007. A standout guard at Tennessee from 1998-2001, Randall-Lay earned Kodak All-America First Team honors in 1999 and 2000. She was an integral part of Tennessee’s 1998 NCAA Championship team that went 39-0, averaging 15.9 points a game while earning honorable mention All-America recognition. In addition to her All-America honors, she was named the Women’s Basketball Journal’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000, First Team All-Southeast­ern Conference in 1999 and 2000, Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team in 1998, and was on the NCAA Mideast Regional All-Tournament team in 1998 and 2000. Randall Lay scored 1,915 points during her career at Tennessee (13.7 ppg) and added 716 rebounds (5.1 rpg), 286 steals and 236 assists. She ranks fifth on the Lady Vols’ career charts in both points and steals, and third in free throws made (439). Tennessee posted a record of 134-10 during her four-year career, including championship appearances in 1998 and 2000. During the summer of 1998, Randall Lay was the leading scorer for the gold medal-winning USA Jones Cup team. Randall Lay was the first player chosen in the second round (17th overall) of the 2001 WNBA draft by the Seattle Storm. She started 30 of 32 games as a rookie, averaging a career-best 9.4 points. She averaged 5.8 points during her 123-game WNBA career, including 55 starts. In 2001-02, she started all 16 games at point guard and averaged 19 points while playing for the Israeli Professional Basketball League. She played in the Greek Professional Basketball League in 2002-03, again starting all 16 games for her squad. In 2003, she was a member of the Tennessee Fury of the National Women’s Basketball League, averaging 12.2 points as a shooting guard.      In 2004, she completed her four-year WNBA career which included stops in Seattle (2001-02), Utah (2002) and San Antonio (2003-04).  Prior to her exemplary playing career at Tennessee and in the professional ranks, Randall Lay was an accomplished basketball player in high school. She was Parade Magazine’s Player of the Year and a First Team All-American in 1997 while starring at Trinity High School in Garfield Heights, Ohio. She was Ohio’s Miss Basketball in 1996 and 1997, a member of the 1996 and 1997 USA Junior World Championship Qualifying Teams, the MVP of the Ohio state basketball tournament in 1994 and 1996 and the Gatorade Circle of Champions Midwest Player of the Year in 1997. She was inducted into the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame on May 17, 2008. Randall Lay graduated from Tennessee in December of 2000 with a bachelor’s degree in speech communications.

Travis enters his third season with the Eagles in 2025-26 after a stint as the interim head coach at nearby Johnson C. Smith University in Charlotte, NC. Before that he was the head coach at Northwest Kansas Tech. Travis brings a plethora of experience with over 21 years of coaching experience at the High school, JUCO, Division I, and Division II ranks for both men’s and women’s programs.  Prior to Northwest Kansas Tech Travis served as the Director of Player Development at Division I Morehead State University for two seasons.   Before MSU, Travis spent one season at Bethune-Cookman University where he assisted the Lady Wildcats to a program-record 24-win season and a trip to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament in 2017-18 which also included a program first top 25 ranking in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.   Prior to BCU, Travis helped guide Columbus State University to the Elite Eight of the 2017 NCAA Division II Tournament finishing with an overall record of 31-2 as well as being ranked 5th in the final poll for Division II. Travis was also in charge of orchestrating their offense which led to them to being ranked 16th in the nation in scoring offense in 2017.   Travis’ hoops experience also includes assistant coaching stops at Livingstone College (2015-2016), Kentucky State University (2010-2014), and Chestnut Hill College (2009-2010) where he also served as Recruiting Coordinator.    Before joining the staff at Chestnut Hill, Travis held the position of Associate Head Men’s Basketball Coach at his alma mater, Saint Paul’s College in Lawrenceville, VA from 2004-2009.  Wasting no time, he was quickly able to help revive a struggling program by playing a major role in the recruitment and skill development of five All-CIAA players, two All-Rookie players, and one Rookie of the Year.  During his time at SPC Travis’s primary responsibility was to install the team’s offense and direct them during competition.  In doing so, Saint Paul’s was ranked 12th in NCAA Division II Scoring Offense 2006-2007 (85.1 ppg), 1st in 3 Pointers Made/2nd in CIAA Scoring Offense 2007-2008, and 3rd in CIAA Scoring Offense, 2008-2009.   Travis’ coaching career began in 2001 coaching boy’s high school basketball at the Ridge School of Montgomery County (Md.). In three seasons he led the school to a 48-18 record and earned Coach of the Year honors in 2002-03 for his team’s 19-4 finish to the season.   Travis is an active member within the coaching community and has done extensive volunteer work to give back to the youth. He volunteered at the Allen Iverson Celebrity Game (1998), was the Commissioner at the Bryant Stith Basketball Camp (2004-05) and volunteered at the Tom Crean Basketball Camp (2011), Kemba Walker's Summer Camp (2015) and Josh Howard Elite Skills Camp (2016).   Travis obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Paul's College and a Masters in Recreation & Sports Administration from Western Kentucky University. He is a member of the Women's Basketball Coaching Association (WBCA).   On the hardwood, Travis found early success playing alongside NBA Hall of Fame point guard Allen Iverson at Bethel High School in Hampton, VA. Travis helped co-captain Bethel to a VHSL State Championship in 1993. Collegiately, Travis played guard at Ferrum College for one season and helped lead them to a co-championship of the Dixie Conference. Travis transferred to Saint Paul's (1997-00) to wrap up his playing days in the legendary CIAA basketball conference.

Dominique Duck begins her second season with Winthrop women’s basketball in 2025-26, her first as a full time Assistant Coach. Duck was promoted following the 2024-25 season, where she spent her first season with the Eagles as an Assistant Coach and Director of Operations. She was hired in July 2024 following three seasons as an assistant coach at Valparaiso University. "Dominique brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the assistant coach role," said Randall Lay. "I'm confident she will thrive in this position, making a meaningful impact on our team while empowering our athletes to reach their full potential—both on and off the court." Duck joined the Valparaiso women's basketball program as an assistant coach in the summer of 2021. She helped guide a young Valparaiso squad in 2023-24, which finished second in the MVC in steals/game and among the top-50 nationally in 3-pointers/game, moving into fourth in a single season in program history in 3-pointers made. For the second consecutive season, the Beacons won three straight road games within MVC play. The 2022-23 season saw Valparaiso earn the first win in program history over perennial MVC power Missouri State. The Beacons also won three consecutive road games in Valley play, the first time the program accomplished that feat against three different opponents since 2007. In her first season on campus, Duck helped lead Valparaiso to a 9-9 mark in MVC play and a sixth-place finish in the conference standings, both of which match the program's bests since joining the Valley. The Beacons registered the first win at Drake and the first win at Bradley in program history. Valparaiso swept the season series over Drake, the program's first two wins ever against the Bulldogs. The Beacons also tallied four top-100 wins within Valley play. Prior to Valparaiso, Duck had a five-year stint at Morehead State, where she was Associate Head Coach for the last three seasons. In her time on staff, the Eagles posted a trio of 20-win seasons — the first time in program history MSU won 20 or more games in three consecutive seasons. Included in that stretch was a 24-win campaign in 2018-19, the program’s watermark in the modern era. Duck helped lead Morehead State to WNIT appearances in 2016-17 and 2018-19 — the first two WNIT berths in program history. The latter appearance featured a first-round victory over Ohio State for the program’s first-ever postseason win. In her five years with the Eagles, Duck helped mentor five All-OVC players, including three First Team selections. Prior to her tenure at Morehead State, Duck spent the 2015-16 season as an assistant coach at Chowan, helping the Hawks to a 20-9 record — the first 20-win season in program history. The Hawks advanced to the semifinals of the CIAA Tournament and earned a spot in the NCAA Atlantic/East Regional. From 2011 through 2015, Duck gained experience as an AAU head coach and as a high school assistant coach. Her first coaching stop out of college came as a graduate assistant at Slippery Rock for the 2010-11 season. A 2010 graduate of Western Kentucky University, Duck was a standout on the hardwood for the Lady Toppers. She scored 1,344 points in her time in the WKU uniform and ranks second in program history in career games played and ninth in blocked shots. A two-time All-Sun Belt honoree, Duck was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2008 Sun Belt Tournament. In 2013, Duck was one of 10 Lady Topper alums named to the All-Diddle Arena Team, honoring the best WKU players in the 50-year history of the arena. She is from Pittsburgh, PA.

Steve Joyner joins the Eagles in 2025-26 with nearly two decades of coaching and athletics leadership experience across the collegiate and high school levels, highlighted by a conference championship pedigree. "Steve has a sharp understanding of the game, and I expect him to make an immediate impact," stated Randall Lay. "His leadership experience and appreciation for team cohesion will be vital to our success. His passion for the game and commitment to player development will undoubtedly elevate our program." Joyner spent nine seasons as head women’s basketball coach at Johnson C. Smith University, compiling a 147-102 record and leading the Golden Bulls to the 2016-17 CIAA Tournament championship. Prior to taking over the program, he was a student-athlete at JCSU from 1998-2001, playing point guard under his father and head coach, Stephen Joyner Sr. As the starter in 2001, he helped guide the Golden Bulls to the program’s first CIAA Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Following his collegiate career, Joyner began coaching at Livingstone College as an assistant under his uncle, the late Edward Joyner Sr. He then spent four seasons on the women’s basketball staff at North Carolina Central University (2002-06), followed by a brief tenure at UNC Asheville. He returned to Johnson C. Smith to serve in a dual assistant coaching role with both the women’s and men’s programs before joining Florida A&M University as an assistant women’s basketball coach from 2008-10. Joyner was named head women’s basketball coach at Winston-Salem State University in 2010, leading the Rams through multiple competitive seasons before transitioning into athletic administration. Most recently, Joyner served as Athletic Director at West Charlotte High School from January 2023 to June 2025. Under his leadership, the Lions claimed the 2024 NCHSAA 3A State Football Championship and reached the 2023 NCHSAA Basketball Final Four.