For the Binghamton women’s basketball team, it’s in with the new and out with the old. The 2024-25 season marks a year of extensive changes to the coaching staff and the overall roster. With the newness of the team, there are still many question marks that remain for this mix of young and experienced Bearcats.
“They’re really hard workers,” said Binghamton head coach Mary Grimes. “Day in and day out, they come in and they work. Everything that I present to them, they’re embracing it.”
On the coaching side, BU parted ways with Bethann Shapiro Ord after the end of the 2023-24 season and hired Grimes, who spent the past three years as the head coach at Le Moyne, where she spearheaded the program as it made the leap to Division I just this past season. Grimes was named the Northeast Conference coach of the year, leading the program to the NEC title game in its inaugural season at the Division I level.
“I come in with energy and excitement every single day, and I think that carries over,” Grimes said. “I don’t think they want somebody coming in, moping around, you know. So if I can bring that energy, it’s contagious.”
Binghamton has had its fair share of players coming in and out of the program. Notably, the Bearcats lost star guard Denai Bowman, who graduated this past spring after completing her fifth and final season. Bowman was a staple in BU’s lineup during her time with the program, racking up four America East all-conference honors. She was also named to the AE all-defensive team four times throughout her career.
BU also lost junior guard Ella Wanzer to the transfer portal. Wanzer, who committed to Delaware for the upcoming season, led BU in three-pointers during the 2023-24 campaign with 72.
“It’s just whatever game that they can be successful at,” Grimes said. “That’s how we’re going to approach it. As long as we have a team understanding, or team feel, that at the end of the day, it says, ‘Bearcats won,’ then I think we’ll be successful.”
After losing Bowman and Wanzer, Binghamton has brought in three freshman newcomers — guard Samantha Baker, forward Marisa Smith and center Abby Misier. At 6-foot-5, Misier will provide much-needed height for BU. Bolstering the incoming class, Grimes also brought with her sophomore guard Leah Middleton and junior guard Kaia Goode, who both played under her at Le Moyne. The pair of transfers will look to impact the team immediately.
“We kind of just said, ‘Okay, Abby, you’re a freshman, but you’re like, [6-foot-5], and now you got to be in the post,’” Grimes said. “It just creates a lot of mismatches and then defensively, whatever is going to work to help us win — man, zone. [Goode] has been the starting point guard for me for the past two years, and she probably didn’t think she was going to start as a freshman, but she’s a winner, and that’s what I love about her the most.”
BU returners include redshirt junior guard Jadyn Weltz, who was named to the preseason all-conference first team late in October after averaging 10.7 points, 4.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds a game in the 2023-24 season. Another notable returner is senior forward Genevieve Coleman, who earned a third-team all-conference selection last season. Expect both players to be a staple in the 2024-25 lineup.
“We’re just going to take it game by game and figure out what’s our best matchup,” Grimes said. “Some games it might be [junior forward Camryn Fauria] at the five. It might be [Coleman] at the four. We’re just trying to figure out what works best.”
The Bearcats’ success in 2024-25 will depend on underclassmen stepping up and playing bigger roles. This includes sophomore guards Yanniah Boyd and Bella Pucci, who are poised to see more minutes on the court as BU looks to replace the production of Bowman and Wanzer in the backcourt.
“I just think what I’ve learned in these past few months is that the community really comes out and supports,” Grimes said. “I’m just hoping to put out a good product that they can cheer on.”
Binghamton will open its season against the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown on Monday, Nov. 4. Tip-off is set for 6:07 p.m. at the Events Center in Vestal, New York.