Youthful Bronc newcomers bring a ‘vibe’ of toughness

By Kadie DiGiuseppe

After going 10-21 for the second year in a row, Rider women’s basketball is looking revamped and ready for the 2024-25 season with five new freshmen and two transfers. 

The Broncs moved up to the ninth spot in the Metro Athletic Atlantic Conference’s preseason poll while they were previously ranked 10th out of 13 teams. 

Ahead of her 18th season, Head Coach Lynn Milligan said she “wasn’t surprised” when asked how she felt about the Broncs’ preseason ranking. 

Last season, Rider saw a second-round exit in the MAAC tournament for a second consecutive year. Despite that, Milligan said she believes her team “finished strong last year” considering the Broncs came within six points of the nationally ranked Fairfield Stags in the semifinal round of the tournament. 

Motivating factors

When asked about the nail-biting loss they ended their season with, Milligan said, “I wouldn’t say [the loss] motivated us, but it certainly makes things real. It makes our sense of urgency a little more heightened. So, I think it helps build that chip on your shoulder and keep [it there].”

Looking forward to the upcoming season, the question looming over the Broncs was, “how will they perform without their stars from last season?” The seniors that graduated including star players were forward ToniRenee Blanford, guard Molly Lynch, forward Sofie Bruintjes, guard Makayla Firebaugh, guard Jessika Schiffer and guard Taylor Langan, Milligan looked forward to seeing her young team make an impact. 

Before the season, Milligan had been vocal about the “vibe” of this year’s team: “This has been a really fun group. They’ve got… a good, different vibe about them. … Practices have been really fun,” Milligan said. “There is a genuine care [and love] for each other. … [that] we don’t take for granted.”

Senior broncs

Milligan expressed excitement for her two transfers, junior forward Emilee Tahata and senior guard Gabby Turco, both from La Salle University, saying that they have “edge.” 

Milligan also explained that she is looking forward to welcoming two new players who have played at the D1 level before. The Broncs look to improve their 21% shooting from the field and 10% from beyond the arc with help from the transfers. Last season at La Salle, Turco shot over 20% from the three point line.  

“They have a genuine love for the game. They brought that with them. People like Gabby [Turco],Tahata have really understood why they came here and why they’re here,” said Milligan. 

Milligan also believes that her seniors will provide good leadership to the team. The Broncs have four seniors this year, compared to last season’s four seniors and two graduate students. The seniors include guard Sanaa Redmond, guard Jamia Blake, guard Mariona Cos-Morales and Turco. 

“No one on the roster has been with us for a full four years, so that’s different. But that’s college basketball these days. However, that is one of the reasons I’m excited we have five freshmen and three sophomores. So, we’ve got eight of our 14 players as underclassmen, so we are young on paper. But, I think we have a maturity about us,” said Milligan. 

New additions

Rider welcomed five freshmen this season, including guard Camryn Collins, guard Amany Lopez, guard Emmy Roach, guard Jocelyn Chavez and forward Winner Bartholomew.

“They’re incredibly talented and they want to come here and win,” Milligan said about the incomers. 

Looking forward to the upcoming season, Milligan knows this year will be extraordinary. “We haven’t won the way we want to… the past couple of years. There is an expectation there that we put on ourselves, and we are excited about that,” she added. 

Milligan described that she and her coaching staff will continue to “put all the pieces in the right places,” for the team to be successful. Milligan believes that the team has invested a lot in the program, and she really wants it to pay off. 

“They have a good way about them off the court that carries onto the court. And our job is just to make sure that that great chemistry that they have off the court… [can be seen in] results on the court,” said Milligan. 

Rider will begin its season in Alumni Gym on Nov. 4 at 6 p.m. against Navy. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.