Clemson fans may have seen a familiar X user — women’s basketball head coach Shawn Poppie — post a tiger emoticon sandwiched by two fire emojis in the past few months.
From March 14 to April 20, Poppie released six of these tweets, each with the same formula and emoji alignment. Each post signified that the Tigers had secured another commit for the upcoming 2025-’26 season.
For Clemson fans, each Poppie post was a welcome sign.
In the month-long span, Poppie and his staff secured seven commits from the transfer portal, including at least one player at every position. Clemson also brings in three true freshmen, two of whom finished in the ESPN top-100 recruiting rankings. The Tigers will also return a nucleus of 2024-’25 standouts, Hannah Kohn, Raven Thompson, and Mia Moore.
On Day 2 of the ACC Spring Meetings on Amelia Island in Fernandina Beach, Fla., Poppie met with The Clemson Insider, detailing each newcomer’s strengths and what he looked for in recruitment.
“We knew what we needed to add after year one,” Poppie told TCI. “We had to get a little bit bigger at every position… I love what we’ve done in the portal. Just about every position, we’ve added some depth inside.”
In the post, the Tigers added 6-foot-2 power forward Demeara Hinds, a Wake Forest graduate who started all 29 games for the Demon Deacons last season. Hinds averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while shooting 51.5% from the field.
“(Hinds) is already on campus now, and they don’t have to report until June 20, but her excitement to get there, and get settled, and get in the weight room and do strength and conditioning, I think that’s the start of a culture,” Poppie said.
The Tigers also picked up 6-foot-5 center Morgan Lee from Marist, where she was a second-team All-MAAC performer. Last year, she led her team in scoring (12.6 points per game) and rebounding (7.7 rebounds per game).
She was also ranked 12th nationally with 2.4 blocks per game. Poppie noted that Lee can also “step out and shoot the 3.”
On the wing, Poppie brought in junior Rusne Augustinaite, a 6-foot Lithuanian guard who received ACC All-Freshman Honors at Georgia Tech. Before her college career, Augustinaite was a McDonald’s All-American nominee and helped Lithuania win the 2022 U18 European Championship.
Also on the wing, Hadley Periman, a transfer from Tulsa, provides three years of veteran experience and eight career double-doubles.
“That gives us a 6-2 presence at the forward position that can also stretch the floor,” Poppie said.
“Everyone I just mentioned (the four players above), they’re two or three inches bigger than the position we had people playing this past year.”
On the shorter side, Clemson also signed Rachael Rose, a seasoned and successful guard who won Southern Conference Player of the Year honors in consecutive years. In her junior year, the Scranton, Pa., native averaged 22.3 points, 5.4 assists and 2.13 steals per game, leading the SoCon in each category. Though Rose is coming off an injury that sidelined her for most of the 2024-25 season, Poppie believes she will immediately boost team success.
“I believe she gives us a scoring presence at the point guard position and you can play her on or off the ball,” Poppie said.
The second-year coach has been familiar with Rose for several years, after facing her in two seasons as the head coach of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Mocs.
Clemson also welcomes Taylor Johnson-Matthews, a guard who averaged 14.5 points at DePaul last season, to complete the backcourt.
“When you can watch and evaluate film against (No. 1 draft pick) Paige Bueckers and (national champion) Azzi Fudd, you know that’s going to translate to the ACC,” Poppie said.
In addition to the transfers, Poppie and his staff recruited and signed two freshmen, Amaia Jackson and Holland Harris. These guards were teammates and roommates at Montverde Academy last season. Both were slated as four-star recruits who turned down offers from schools like the University of Tennessee, Stanford, and Arizona.
“(Jackson and Harris) have experience playing with each other at a very high level,” Poppie said. “A lot of faces coming in that I think can help us. But most importantly, they’re Clemson people.”
With nine new additions, the Tigers are fresh-faced and ready for a new season. Hopefully for Clemson fans, Poppie will have reasons to post more fire emojis soon.
–Photo courtesy of Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images