When she’s not splashing threes on the court, redshirt sophomore Ella Wanzer’s forte is painting up and down the canvas. Last season, Wanzer started in 29 of the Bearcats’ 30-game slate and was the Bearcats’ second-leading scorer. However, the start of Wanzer’s collegiate career did not begin this way. Wanzer’s campaign as a true freshman at Binghamton was cut short after only eight games due to an injury early on in the season.

“Being injured was hard,” Wanzer said. “I never really experienced an injury until I got to college … I think it really motivated me. I learned a lot while watching.”

Throughout the 2022-23 campaign, Wanzer was able to do more than just bounce back. She was named to the America East (AE) all-rookie team, awarded the AE rookie of the week distinction three times and ranked second on the team in scoring, averaging 11 points in 25.4 minutes per game. In six games throughout the season, Wanzer led the team in scoring. She reached double figures in scoring 13 times — including a team-best four games with at least 20 points.

“It feels awesome [being named to the AE all-rookie team],” Wanzer said. “I was really happy to come back and have the season that I did. I felt like I was pretty proud of myself for bouncing back after being injured.”

All of this could not have been accomplished without the support of her teammates who helped her in practice and during her recovery from her injury — notably, redshirt sophomore Jadyn Weltz, Wanzer’s roommate and teammate. Both Weltz and Wanzer relied on each other throughout their freshman year, and they were able to encourage each other off the court before getting the chance to work off of each other’s energy in the 2022-23 season. Wanzer credited their shared experience as helping to push each other through adversity.

“[Weltz and I] were both leaning on each other to get through [injuries] our freshman year,” Wanzer said. ”[All of my teammates] push me in practice. Having to play against such great defenders every day … really pushes you to get open in games.”

Wanzer shot a team-leading .398 from the three-point line last season, knocking down 70 three-pointers in total on the season, which she attributes to her natural ability to knock down shots from the arc.

“It’s something I’ve been pretty good at since I was really young and a pretty big reason why I’m here where I am today,” Wanzer said. “And it’s from getting a lot of shots up in high school, and now working with my coaches.”

The Bearcat continues to think basketball even when not on the court, as Wanzer finds her graphic design major to be very comparable to her life on the court with her teammates.

“One of the big things about art is critique,” Wanzer said. “You spend 20-30 hours on a painting … Your classmates will still find something to critique, and being able to be strong in your work despite all of that negative feedback is very similar to having a bad game and hearing people doubt you. Regardless of how others view your performance, the main point is you being you. Handling criticism in the arts has helped me handle criticism in basketball.”

The foremost message that Wanzer wants to relay to all Bearcats fans for this upcoming season is straightforward yet crucial.

“Support women’s basketball,” Wanzer said. “Women’s basketball is exciting, and I hope that people give us a chance and support us throughout the season. I promise that we’re going to give [the fans] a good show throughout the season.”