With the MAAC conference women’s basketball season well underway, we gathered our writers to compare each MAAC team with a team in the WNBA.
Niagara Purple Eagles: Las Vegas Aces
This one is more or less a slam dunk (excuse my pun), but these two teams have a similar coaching tree and similar performance aspirations.
The Aces (at the time the Silver Stars), despite being the no. 1 seed in the WNBA playoffs in 2008, got swept in their first finals appearance to the Detroit Shock. It took the team over a decade to reach the finals once again, but once again fell short of winning a game against the Seattle Storm despite being the no. 1 seed in 2020.
Then, Becky Hammon–the former all-star point guard for the Aces and assistant coach to the legendary Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs–took the head coaching job in 2022. Since then, the Aces secured back-to-back finals with ease. Similarly, a legendary MAAC head coach– Marist’s own Brian Giorgis– took Jada Pierce under his wing as an assistant, who took the head coaching job for the Niagara Purple Eagles program in 2015.
While it may have taken a little longer than Hammon to get to the top of the MAAC, Pierce’s squad is polled at the top of the MAAC after a 16-4 season last year. The Purple Eagles have been a work in progress for over a decade (including a winless conference season in 2010-11), but now is their prime time with Aaliyah Parker as their “ace” in the hole.
-Dan Aulbach
Siena Saints: Dallas Wings
With all the success in the front half of the decade to recent mediocracy the perfect comparison for the Siena Saints is the Dallas Wings. From 2003-2008, the Wings were the team to beat in the WNBA, making the championship in six straight years while winning it three times. The Saints enjoyed similar success winning the conference every year from 2001-2004, while also making a trip to the NCAA tournament.
Ever since then, it has been a downhill spiral for both teams. Since their last MAAC championship in 2004, the Saints have only finished top three in the conference once. Similarly, the Dallas Wings have been in the same boat. They have managed to put together one season over .500 in the past eight years, and usually find themselves at the bottom of the standings.
As the 2023-2024 season rolls around there may be some sunshine ahead. Siena is coming off one of their most successful seasons with a 12-8 record. Finishing 4th in the conference and having a bye in the first round of the MAAC tournament. Identical to the Saints, the Wings capped off last season with a 4th place finish, and their first winning season since 2015. They also won a playoff series which should give them nice momentum heading into the season.
Although recent success has been hard to find for both teams, they each look to change the tide with a successful 2023-2024 season.
-Tommy Jacobellis
Fairfield Stags: Chicago Sky
Based on where both teams stand, the Fairfield Stags remind me of the Chicago Sky. Both the Sky and Stags have only won one championship in this decade. Chicago took home their title in 2021, while Fairfield claimed the MAAC a year later in 2022.
Both championship squads featured arguably the league’s biggest names. Chicago took down the Phoenix Mercury in the 2021 Finals, thanks to the help of offseason signing Candace Parker. Parker became a WNBA legend during her 12 years with the Los Angeles Sparks, but before the season, she inked a two-year deal with the Sky. After her contract expired in Chicago, Parker signed with the Las Vegas Aces, where she won another championship in 2023.
As for Fairfield, they were led by MAAC Player of the Year Lou Lopez Sénéchal.
Lopez Sénéchal scored 24 points in Fairfield’s 73-68 win over Manhattan in the championship game, earning her the distinction of tournament MVP. Following the championship run, Lopez Sénéchal took the I-95 up to Storrs, transferring to UConn, where she used her fifth year of eligibility at one of the nation’s most prestigious women’s basketball programs. She started every game for the Huskies averaging 15.5 points a night, and the Dallas Wings selected her with the 5th overall pick in the 2023 WNBA Draft.
Since their last banner years, both teams’ biggest names have departed, and neither have reached the finals. Ranked third in this year’s preseason poll, there is reason to believe that the Stags can make it back there this March.
-Ben Leeds
Marist Red Foxes: Minnesota Lynx
The team that stuck out to me for the Marist women’s basketball team was the Minnesota Lynx. Both of these teams were considered dynasties in their respective conferences. Red Fox head coach Brian Giorgis (a hall of fame coach) led the Red Foxes to 9 straight NCAA tournaments from 2005-2013. This is easily compared to what the Lynx used to be able to do in the WNBA.
Minnesota won four titles in seven seasons from 2011-2017 as well as making the championship game in two of those games. Lynx head coach Cheryl Reeve is considered to be a hall of fame head coach, leading her team to four league championships. Reeve is easily compared to Giorgis.
Now let’s jump to more recent times. After winning four championships, the Lynx have been in a sort of rebuilding phase. The Marist Red Foxes also finished towards the bottom of the conference last season, Both teams finished with a sub .500 record last season. In 2021 both teams’ records were fairly similar as both reached 18 or more wins. Last season, both teams lost in the first rounds of their conference tournaments.
Both teams look to return to their old winning ways for this upcoming season, and each team has the star power in their lineup to make it happen.
-Danny Destler
Quinnipiac Bobcats: Seattle Storm
Quinnipiac stacks up well with the Seattle Storm, in nearly all aspects. When the Seattle Sonics moved to Oklahoma City in 2008, the Storm became the lone basketball franchise in town. From then on, the city was fully bought into the team that was unknowingly on the verge of a dynasty led by the legendary Sue Bird.
The Bobcats also have a large following, thanks to a fellow in-state university. Quinnipiac is located less than 50 miles from the University of Connecticut, widely renowned as a women’s basketball powerhouse. The consistency and legacy of these UConn teams have built a strong interest in women’s basketball in the state, consequently drawing solid attendance and attention for the Bobcats.
There are also glaring similarities on the court, with both squads totaling four championships in their history. The Storm won three of their four titles from 2010-2020, while the Bobcats won all four of theirs in the same time frame. Now, most members of both teams’ last league winners have departed, and it’s time to move forward.
For Quinnipiac, it should be easier. The Storm missed the playoffs this past season while the Bobcats put together a great year, 21-9 overall, and 16-4 in conference play. They were knocked out of the playoffs by the eventual runner-up Manhattan Jaspers, but rank 5th place in this year’s preseason coaches poll, a contender for the title once more.
-Ben Leeds
Manhattan Jaspers: Connecticut Sun
The Manhattan Jaspers have had four unsuccessful runs at a championship. The same thing goes along with the Connecticut Sun. Both teams have had the right pieces for success but were incapable of performing well enough to succeed in that goal.
The Connecticut Sun made sense when considering a comparison to the Manhattan Lady Jaspers due to their shared aspect of having highly skilled coaches. Both teams encounter a similar issue of collapsing toward the end of their seasons. Initially excelling and rising in their conference rankings, they struggle to maintain this momentum, underperforming when it matters most.
The Connecticut Sun recently challenged the reigning back-to-back WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, in a four-game series for the 2022 championship. Despite this recent success, the Sun had not reached such heights for a significant period. Prior to the 2019 season, they hadn’t contended for a title in 14 years, with their last appearance dating back to 2005.
The Lady Jaspers have not been in a position to take the championship for their conference since 2003. The Lady Jaspers haven’t been as lucky as the Connecticut Sun as of late but have an equal amount of similarities in one another’s history.
Recently, the Sun’s prospects have improved, hinting at a potential change in their future. The Lady Jaspers might need a breakthrough season to prove themselves as strong contenders for the conference championship.
–Stefan Duncan
Iona Gaels: Minnesota Lynx
The Iona Gaels had a season to remember in 2022-23. Only losing 2 games, topping the Metro Atlantic Conference, and making an appearance in the NCAAW tournament, the Gaels were a force to be reckoned with. Before this, Iona always seemed to struggle to get over the hump, as they were stuck in the middle of the pack from 2019 to 2021. They were second-place MAAC finishers in 2016, though.
Much like the Gaels, the Minnesota Lynx are always a well-coached team who struggle at the tail end of a season. The Lynx have had their fair share of player movement, much like the Gaels. Maya Moore, 2014 WNBA MVP, is a prime example of seeing a player become a star of your franchise, and then depart for a bigger market. Rebekkah Brunson, who is known as one of the best defenders in team history, also departed for more cash, very similar to Iona’s struggles to keep players within the program.
The Gaels have a new face at the helm in old FDU Knights coach, Angelika Szumilo. She has been in the women’s basketball business for a while and we could see another great year for Iona. The Lynx brought back Cheryl Reeve, resigning her this offseason to coach the squad. Similar to Szumilo, Reeve has been around basketball her entire life, and we may see a nice season for the Lynx who brought in some talent this offseason.
However, the question is still the same: Will these two well-rounded teams continue their mediocracy, or will Minnesota and Iona kickstart a new dynasty?
-Hayden Shapiro
Mount St. Mary’s Mountaineers: Atlanta Dream
Mount St. Mary’s, the MAAC’s newest program, can be compared with the WNBA’s newest team, the Atlanta Dream. In their short history, the Dream have appeared in three WNBA Finals, but have never won. The Mountaineers have won their conference four times, but are yet to win a game in the “Big Dance.”
Mount St. Mary’s finished MAAC play last season at 7-13, defeated Canisius in the opening round of the MAAC Tournament, but then lost a heartbreaker to the eventual champion Iona Gaels in a 39-37 defensive battle. They’re expected to place around the same area this year, as the coaches poll saw them land in eighth place, the same spot in which they finished last season.
The Dream made their first postseason appearance since 2018 last year, but also suffered an early exit, getting bounced by the Dallas Wings in the first round. Though it was a solid year to build off of for Atlanta, they are still not on the level of the WNBA’s top squads, such as the Liberty and Aces. Both teams sit in the middle of the pack of their respective leagues, both looking to take home their first championship.
-Ben Leeds
Canisius Golden Griffins: Washington Mystics
The Canisius Golden Griffins women’s basketball team can be compared to the Washington Mystics in terms of the WNBA. Throughout history, both teams have had various tournament runs and have each won one championship in their respective leagues. Canisius has made a total of three final appearances, winning the championship in 2005 against Marist, a team that has won two finals against the Golden Griffins. On the other hand, the Washington Mystics have appeared in two WNBA Finals, winning one in 2019 against the Connecticut Sun.
Now, you may rightly ask why these teams are comparable when the Mystics have a more recent championship win. The answer lies in the present. Both teams were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, facing early exits. They have faced struggles in their recent playoff runs, with neither team reaching the semi-finals in the past three seasons. Additionally, both teams finished last season with a winning percentage below .500, which is a major concern for any sports team and is considered as important as winning.
However, the ultimate question remains: Do both teams have the mentality this season to win more games and avoid being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs?
-Finnegan Corcoran-Doolin
Rider Broncs: Chicago Sky
The Rider Broncs have seen better days, as they finished in the bottom half of the conference in each of the last three years. Before this stretch, there was success with four straight seasons of top-four finishes in the MAAC. The Broncs were at the top of the MAAC just a few seasons ago, with a regular season title in the 2019-20 COVID season. The playoffs were cut off after Rider advanced to the semi-finals, making that season the biggest “What-If” for the Broncs. They do not draw the same amount of hype heading into the preseason poll, power ranked at 10th out of 11 teams in the MAAC.
This Broncs team lines up perfectly with that of the Chicago Sky. The Sky have also seen recent success and took the glory of a WNBA championship in 2021. They have only made the finals one other time, losing in a sweep to the Mercury. Although the title was recent, the Sky quickly fell off along with the Broncs. They finished 9th out of 12 WNBA teams, just as Rider finished 9th in the MAAC. Currently, the Chicago Sky are projected to finish 11th in the “way-too-early” rankings for next season. With the modern picture of the Broncs, along with their one regular season title and one championship loss in 2016-17, Rider fits the mold of the Sky.
–Tommy Armstrong
Saint Peter’s Peacocks: Phoenix Mercury
The women’s St. Peter’s squad is a bit of an easier comparison, as one team in the WNBA sticks out to me, that being the Phoenix Mercury.
The Mercury used to be one of the most dominant forces in the league, as they won three titles during the late 2000s and early 2010s. The Peacocks had their own dynasty–albeit much earlier–winning nine in a 20-year span starting in 1982.
But neither team has seen much success in recent history, with both teams reaching their respective championships in 2021, but lost handedly.
Since then both the Mercury and Peacocks have hit the bottom of their leagues.
In the 2021-2022 season, St. Peter’s went 9-11 in the conference, and in the 2022-2023 season, they went an abysmal 0-20 in the MAAC. And right before the season, the coaches’ poll had them ranked dead last once again.
The Mercury also finished last in their league this past season, and are most likely projected to be last once again once the 2024 season starts in the summer.
Both teams have such a rich history that is being tarnished by these poor showings, but with all the talk surrounding the top teams in their leagues, this year could be the one they shock everyone.
-Jimmy Tsiantoulas
Edited by Ben Leeds, Dan Aulbach and Luke Sassa
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo; Photos via Creative Commons
For more coverage of Marist athletics, follow @cfmarist on Instagram, X and TikTok, and sign up to receive daily alerts here.