COLONIA, NJ – Fresh off of their first-ever ECC Championship Final appearance and first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1985, the Mercy Mavericks have been predicted to win the 2025 ECC Women's Basketball Championship, as voted on by the league's nine head coaches and announced on Monday afternoon. Additionally, Mercy senior forward Jaclyn Stanavich (Amsterdam, NY) has been selected as the league's Preseason Player of the Year.
Mercy takes the top spot in the poll with five first-place votes and 76 points. Under the direction of reigning ECC Coach of the Year Scott Lagas, Mercy returns 11 letterwinners from last year's squad that led the conference in both free throws made per game (14.43) and scoring defense (57.0).
The trio of All-ECC First Team forward Stanavich, All-ECC First Team guard Katie Wall, and ECC Defensive Player of the Year Angelina Barrera led the Mavs to a 20-10 overall record and 12-4 mark in league play last year, but the graduation of Wall leaves Stanavich and Barrera, the ECC's returning leader in double-doubles (10), to lead the charge in 2024-25.
ECC Preseason Player of the Year Stanavich helped the Mavericks earn an at-large bid into the NCAA Division II Championship with 15.7 points per game (fifth in the ECC), a 41.4 field goal percentage (second in the ECC), 189 field goals made (second in the ECC), a 76.0 free throw percentage (76.0), 60 total steals (sixth in the ECC), and 2.00 steals per game (sixth in the ECC) in 35.9 minutes per game (fifth in the ECC). Stanavich turned in 27 double-digit scoring games, including eight 20-plus point games, and six double-digit rebounding games en route to six double-doubles.
During her ECC postseason tear, Stanavich averaged a team-high 18.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.0 assists per game en route to a spot on the All-Tournament Team. She poured in a game-high and career-high 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting with six rebounds and two steals in Mercy's 59-48 win over St. Thomas Aquinas in the semifinals and added 11 points, six rebounds, four steals, and three assists in the final against Daemen.
Coming in second in the poll with three first-place votes and 71 points, three-time ECC defending champion Daemen is expected to reach its sixth consecutive ECC Championship Final this March. Leading the conference in winning percentage last year at a clip of 74.2 percent (23-8 overall, 13-3 ECC), the Wildcats defeated District of Columbia, 69-66, and Mercy, 55-50, to win their third consecutive ECC crown, took down Saint Rose, Assumption, and Jefferson to win the NCAA Division II East Regional Championship, and appeared in the NCAA Division II Championship Elite Eight. The versatile Wildcats also led the conference in field goal percentage (40.2) and ranked second in both scoring offense (63.9) and scoring defense (58.6).
Daemen loses scoring to the tune of 31.8 points per game with the graduation of ECC Player of the Year Alahna Paige (21.5 points per game, third nationally) and All-ECC Second Team forward Gabby McDuffie (10.3 points per game) but add to the mix graduate transfer Danielle DiCintio, an All-ECC Third Team guard from Roberts Wesleyan who led the ECC in three-point percentage (40.3) as a Redhawk last year. Complementing DiCintio's offensive game will be two of the top six shot blockers in the league last year in Cecilia Lapertosa (38) and All-ECC Third Teamer Claire Pikett (33), who combined for 71 rejections. The aforementioned trio will pace this year's group of nine returning Wildcats and six new ones as Daemen begins its quest of returning to the NCAA Division II Championship for their fifth straight year.
District of Columbia sat atop the conference in 13 categories last year, including blocks per game (5.5, fourth nationally), rebounds per game (42.23), steals per game (11.1), turnovers forced per game (20.03), and scoring offense (70.9 points per game), and enters the season ranked third in the poll with one first-place vote and 60 points. Looking to fill the shoes left by All-ECC First Team guard Destiny Ryles (16.8 ppg, second in the ECC), who ranked fifth nationally in total steals (100), it will be Tori Williams on whom the leadership falls in 2024-25. Williams led the Firebirds in rebounds last year (6.9) and will enter her senior season as UDC's top returning scorer (12.0 ppg). District of Columbia will look to build upon its 20-10 (11-5 ECC) season in the search for its second-ever ECC title, last won in 2014.
Rounding out the top four with 52 points is St. Thomas Aquinas, who will look to fill the shoes left by the departures of All-ECC First Team selections Sarah Ericson (16.0 ppg/8.2 rpg) and Erin Leary (14.9 ppg/8.5 rpg). Ready to make their mark are top returning scorer Trinity Cheatom (9.2 ppg) and Karolina Jaruseviciute, who shot a team-leading 49.3 percent from the field (70-for-142) a season ago. A noted addition is Syrita Faraj, a St. Rose transfer who averaged 11.1 points per game last season. After finishing 18-12 overall and 11-5 in conference play last year, the Spartans will look to return to their second ECC Championship Final in the last three years (2023) en route to their second-ever ECC crown (2018).
Staten Island earned 43 points to sit fifth in the poll. The Dolphins finished 10-18 overall (7-9 ECC) last year and return All-ECC Second Team forward Jenalyse Alarcon, who averaged 12.3 points per game (12th in the ECC) and 7.4 rebounds per game (seventh in the ECC). Returning guard Dana Phelan (9.3 ppg) returns as a threat from beyond the arc after shooting 34.7 percent from deep (fourth in the ECC) with 2.19 three-pointers per game (third in the ECC). CSI led the conference in bench points per game (21.1), and returning guard Kyra Rose averaged 10.0 per contest as a spark off the bench. Another addition of note is Amber Abusbeih, a Columbus State transfer who averaged double digits in three of her four seasons at CSU.
With 30 points, Molloy is expected to claim the sixth and final spot in the postseason field. The Lions went 10-17 overall (4-12 ECC) last year and return shot blocker Danielle Hippner, who led the ECC in blocks (86, fourth nationally) and blocks per game (3.19, third nationally). Samantha Muller (11.8 ppg) is Molloy's top returning scorer while Janel Moore will complement on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball after averaging 4.9 assists per game (fourth in the ECC) and 2.65 steals per game (third in the ECC) last year. A departure of note, Trinity Hudson posted an ECC-best 17 double-doubles last year (13.2 ppg/11.7 rpg), and Molloy, who has reached the ECC Championship Final twice in the last five years (2020, 2022), will look to new Lions to lead the way in 2024-25.
Queens, who led the ECC in rebounding margin (3.3) last year, finishes just one point shy of inside the poll's top six with 29 points. ECC Rookie of the Year and All-ECC Third Team forward Nkiru Awaka (12.3 ppg/8.8 rpg) is expected to take charge in her sophomore season after finishing second in the conference in rebounding and leading the conference in offensive rebounds per game (3.3). The Knights have won three ECC Championships, most recently in 2016.
Led by All-ECC Second Team guard Anna Jankovic (13.5 ppg/6.1 apg), D'Youville sits eighth with 27 points.
All-ECC Third Team guard Georgia Haverlock (10.7 ppg/6.7 rpg) will pace Roberts Wesleyan, who led the ECC in three pointers made per game (7.8) and rounds out the preseason poll with 17 points. The Redhawks won the 2021 ECC Championship.
ECC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. Mercy - 76 points (5 first-place votes)
(2024 Record – 20-10, 12-4 ECC)
2. Daemen - 71 points (3 first-place votes)
(2024 Record – 23-8, 13-3 ECC)
3. District of Columbia - 60 points (1 first-place vote)
(2024 Record – 20-10, 11-5 ECC)
4. St. Thomas Aquinas - 52 points
(2024 Record – 18-12, 11-5 ECC)
5. Staten Island - 43 points
(2024 Record – 10-18, 7-9 ECC)
6. Molloy - 30 points
(2024 Record – 10-17, 4-12 ECC)
7. Queens - 29 points
(2024 Record – 8-19, 4-12 ECC)
8. D'Youville - 27 points
(2024 Record – 9-18, 7-9 ECC)
9. Roberts Wesleyan - 17 points
(2024 Record – 7-17, 3-13 ECC)
( ) - first-place votes
ECC Women's Basketball Preseason Player of the Year
Jaclyn Stanavich, Mercy (Sr., F, Amsterdam, NY)