Alongside the many players returning to the Binghamton women’s basketball roster, many new faces are joining the lineup this year as the team expects to build on their 2023-24 campaign. One of them is freshman center Abby Misier. The Hightstown, New Jersey native was a four-year letter winner in high school, who led Hightstown to three division titles and an appearance in the Central Jersey Group IV finals her senior season. Misier, who stands at a towering 6-foot-5, adds important size to the Bearcats lineup.

“I feel like my energy, especially at practice, has been really helpful throughout the summer and then now,” Misier said. “I’m doing better on defense now. I’m learning our defense, so I feel like, with my height and just like my size, I could really bring a strong defensive presence down low in the post.”

Misier has always been tall, and this was a huge factor in her decision to start playing basketball. She began in sixth grade and grew as a player in high school. She finished high school with 1,555 points, 1,200 rebounds and 293 blocks and averaged 23.6 points and 13.6 rebounds per game as a senior. Her consistent play led her to be named the 2024 Colonial Valley Conference Player of the Year. Misier was also named to the Jersey Zone All-Area Team as a senior and was chosen All-CVC twice during her career. She is looking forward to building on this success as she enters her first season as a Bearcat.

“I would just say the speed of the game is very different from high school,” Misier said. “For me, I just have to get faster and stronger. I feel like throughout the past few weeks I have seen an improvement in the weight room and also on the court with getting faster. It’s just like a big improvement and a big step.”

Like many freshmen, Misier has been taking time to adjust to the new environment and is trying to learn from her teammates and coaches as she goes. As a freshman, it is unknown what her role will be, but she is excited to get started and continue to grow as a player as she improves.

“I would say [it has been] a little bit of a tough transition just from high school to college,” Misier said. “The level that we’re at is very different but my teammates and coaches have been very helpful with the transition. I really love Binghamton. I love the community here. I love my teammates, my coaches. Every day I feel like I get better, and I’m being supported by everyone, and I really love the academics here as well.”

Misier’s goal, like her teammates and coaches, is to win the America East championship. She continues to push herself as a player, so she can help the team get there. The support from her teammates has helped her work towards this goal and given her the motivation as she continues to contribute on and off the court.

“We want to win the America East, that’s like our biggest goal,” Misier said “[We also want to] just always support each other on the court, get better as a team and continue just to push each other at practice, so when games do come we are succeeding in the best way.”