By Michael Burns and Nate Shoemaker
MAAC Conference women’s basketball fans can expect to see several high-profile players taking the next steps for their squads this season.
Here is a glimpse at some of the top players throughout the conference.
Sacred Heart: junior guard Nycera Pryor
In Sacred Heart’s first year in the MAAC, junior guard Ny’Ceara Pryor is a major factor in getting the Pioneers to Atlantic City. The point guard was one of the best players in the NEC last year, averaging a career-high 18.5 points per game on 47% shooting and winning NEC Player of the Year.
This year, Pryor was nominated for the 2025 Becky Hammon watch list, an award given to the best player on a mid-major team. Although Pryor is only 5’3″, her hard work has made her one of the best mid-major players in women’s college basketball.
Sacred Heart (24-10, 15-1) comes to the MAAC after reaching March Madness before falling in the first four to Presbyterian, 49-42. Prior’s ability to score the ball off the dribble and finish through contact makes her one of the best point guards in the conferences.
Siena: graduate student guard Ahniysha Jackson
Someone who started hot for the Saints in their non-conference games has been graduate student guard Ahniysha Jackson; she averaged 14.7 points and 2.7 assists in Siena’s first few games.
Jackson was on the all-MAAC third team during her senior year and was nominated for the Preseason All-MAAC Second Team this year. The point guard led the team in 3-pointers last year with 67, claiming the title as one of the best shooters in the conference.
For Siena to have a chance to win in Atlantic City, they will need Jackson to shoot the lights out once again this year.
Niagara: senior guard Aaliyah Parker
After coming off one of the best seasons in Purple Eagles history, senior guard Aaliyah Parker leads Niagara as they work to return to the MAAC championship. Last season, Parker averaged 12 points per game and 5.4 rebounds, earning her all-MAAC second team honors. This year she was named preseason All-MAAC first team.
The superstar’s ability to score in the post and play tremendous defense makes her one of the best players in the MAAC. Parker had 15 blocks and 98 steals last season, ranking second in steals in the MAAC.
Mount St Mary’s: senior guard Jo Raflo
The Mountaineers are a very young team but one veteran that is crucial to their success is senior Jo Raflo. Last year, the guard averaged 12.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
Last year she was selected to the All-MAAC third team and this year was voted All-MAAC second team for the preseason. Raflo is one of the best shooters in the conference; she hit 67 threes last year, tied for first in the conference.
Raflo is one of two seniors at Mount St. Mary’s, making her leadership a key asset to the team’s success.
Canisius: sophomore forward Shariah Gailes
The Golden Griffins are almost a completely new team with a new head coach and several transfers. The most important transfer on the team is sophomore forward Shariah Gailes, coming in from the University of Illinois Springfield after a great freshman year.
She averaged nine points per game and 4.6 rebounds, earning the UIS Rookie of the Year award. Giles’s ability to score inside makes her a consistent scoring option for the Golden Griffins.
Iona: senior guard Judith Gomez
The Gaels have not had an easy start to their season, but one bright spot has been senior guard Judith Gomez. Gomez has averaged 10 points and six rebounds during non-conference play. The senior has had a great feel for navigating through screens, leading to easy buckets for her and her teammates.
Gomez started in all 30 games last year and is looking to step into a bigger role for the team this season.
Marist: junior center Morgan Lee
The Red Foxes have shown the ability to have everyone contribute in the early part of this season. Having said that, junior center Morgan Lee is the key piece to monitor for Marist.
Lee is in her second year with the Red Foxes after transferring from Georgetown and while the junior showed flashes last season, it was not until the final four games that we truly saw Lee shine.
Lee put up two 20-point performances while collecting 35 rebounds and nine blocks in that stretch. She has started this season averaging 11.2 points per game and 1.6 blocks over the first five games.
Lee has also shot 48% from the field while going 6/20 from beyond the arc, making her a threat from all three levels with her 6’5” frame adding a dominant presence on the court.
Manhattan: senior forward Juric Petra
The Jaspers have gotten off to quite a strong start this season, standing at 5-1 with much of that success attributed to forward Juric Petra. The senior from Croatia is coming off a season where she averaged 10.1 points and 7.6 rebounds while shooting a team-high 51.8% from the field. Her impressive performance earned her a selection to the All-MAAC second team, making her the only player from Manhattan to be named to an All-MAAC squad.
Petra has now picked up where she left off averaging 13.6 points at an exceptional 66.7% clip from the floor while snagging 6.4 boards a game for the Jaspers. Her best performance came against a 73-50 victory over LIU, where the senior scored 20 points on a near-perfect 9-of-10 shooting. Petra’s efficient shooting and rebounding ability make her the player to watch this season for Manhattan.
Rider: senior guard Gabby Turco
It has been a bit of a rough start for the Broncs to open up the 2024-25 season, but senior guard Gabby Turco has provided a reason for optimism ahead of MAAC play. Turco is the only player averaging double figures for Rider, delivering 16.4 points per game—which currently ranks third among all MAAC players—on 50.9% shooting from the field and 32% from beyond the arc.
The senior posted her best game in the most recent matchup for Rider against VCU, where she scored 18 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field while draining two triples.
Turco transferred to Rider this year having previously played at La Salle where she averaged 5.2 points across 29 games and eight starts. The increased role for Turco has already proved to be a pivotal factor for the Broncs and should continue to be the case as the season continues.
Fairfield: sophomore guard/forward Meghan Andersen
The Stags are coming off one of their best seasons in program history, where they put up a 31-2 record and earned a spot in the NCAA tournament. A big piece to that historic season was sophomore combo guard/forward–also known as a road runner–Meghan Andersen.
Andersen’s freshman year was one to remember for Fairfield, as she delivered 15.1 points per game, totaling 497 points—the most ever scored by a Fairfield rookie. The road runner led the team in 3-pointers made with 66, shooting it at a 35.9% clip on the season. Andersen’s numbers did not go unrecognized, as she earned an All-MAAC first team selection, along with being selected as the 2023-24 MAAC Rookie of the Year.
Andersen is averaging 12.8 points in the early goings of this season, once again shooting effectively at 52.5% from the field and 36.8% from beyond the arc. Last year’s performance marks Andersen as the key player to watch for the Stags and also makes her the most important player to monitor in the entire MAAC.
Merrimack: sophomore guard Paloma Garcia
The Warriors have rebounded from an early 0-2 start, winning their last four games, with sophomore guard Paloma Garcia playing an integral role in the resurgence. Garcia joined Merrimack last season and saw her minutes increase significantly towards the end of the year, averaging 6.3 points per game while compiling 53 steals—20 more than any other player on the Warriors.
The sophomore opened this season struggling with foul trouble, fouling out in each of her first three games. Since then, Garcia has gone 18-of-30 from the field, averaging 15.3 points and 3.0 steals per game over the next three contests.
Garcia has also averaged the second-most rebounds on the team with 4.7 per game, despite being just 5-foot-6. With Merrimack having lost their three leading scorers from last season, be on the lookout for Garcia to be a main factor as the Warriors attempt to improve their 10-21 record in 2023-24.
Saint Peters: sophomore forward Fatmata Janneh
Although the Peacocks are still searching for their first win of the season at 0-5, sophomore forward Fatmata Janneh has emerged as one of the top offensive talents in the MAAC.
Janneh is building on a freshman season in which she averaged 11.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in 27 games, earning her a spot on the MAAC all-rookie team. This season, the forward is averaging 17.0 points per game, tied for first with Sacred Heart’s Nycera Pryor as the most points averaged among MAAC players.
Janneh’s top showing so far came against Fordham, where she racked up 28 points on 12-of-18 shooting, drained three 3-pointers and grabbed 11 rebounds to give herself a double-double.
The offense revolves entirely around her, as she has accounted for nearly 40% of the team’s field goals through the first five games. Other players will need to step up for the Peacocks if they want to start winning, but Janneh will remain the most important player on the squad throughout the entire 2024-25 season.
Quinnipiac: sophomore forward/center Anna Foley
The Bobcats have pounced to a quick 5-0 start in non-conference play with four players averaging over 11.0 points per game, including sophomore forward/center Anna Foley.
Foley did a little bit of everything as a freshman last season, averaging 13.1 points and 7.1 rebounds while leading the team with 96 assists. Those stats guided Foley to an All-MAAC second team selection—one of just two freshmen to earn a selection to an All-MAAC team. Foley has kicked off this season averaging 11.6 points, 6.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game, with her minutes steadily increasing as the season progresses.
The sophomore most recently put up a line of 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, including two 3-pointers, in a 61-53 victory over Maine. Quinnipiac has a handful of players capable of stepping up throughout the season, but the strides that Foley can make in year two will be a defining factor for this team.
Edited by Ben Leeds, Marley Pope and Jimmy Tsiantoulas
Graphic by Raegan Van Zandt; Photos from Marist Athletics, Siena Athletics, Iona Athletics, Manhattan Athletics and Niagara Athletics
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