From the Newsstands: This story appeared in The Eagle's April 2025 print edition. You can find the digital version here.
The American University women’s basketball team had a less than stellar season, securing only one win. But their recent record does not show the whole story.
The team showed growth and maintained a strong willingness to compete week in and week out, which is impressive considering six of the 12 players are playing in their first season.
“When I recruited them, they all came from winning. They win in everything they do — academics, basketball — they’re high achievers,” then head coach Tiffany Coll said. “They’re really setting the culture right.”
Of those players, guard Molly Driscoll from Allentown, Pennsylvania, and forward Cecilia Kay from Melrose, Massachusetts, earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
Driscoll received the honor after dropping a career-high 24 points against Winthrop during the team’s Puerto Rico trip. She hit 5 three-pointers and notched 3 steals in the contest.
Kay has earned the honor three times this season. Her most recent award came on Feb. 10, where she recorded her sixth double-double of the season.
“Everyone jokes that she plays harder when her dad is in the stands,” Coll said of Kay. “I think she always plays hard.”
Kay also notched the honor during the first week of the season after stellar performances against the University of Virginia and Fairleigh Dickinson. The honor motivated her early on to continue playing at a high level, Kay said.
Kay was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie team following the 2024-2025 season.
American made a quick impression on Kay and Driscoll, as both received their first Division I offers from American. Both were impressed with the program’s history and the location of campus right near the heart of D.C.
Veteran leadership has been a big part of helping the freshmen players settle into their new roles. Driscoll said she often seeks advice from fellow guards sophomore Lexi Salazar and junior Laura Nogues for tips on elevating her play.
“They helped me adjust to a new dynamic that we’re not used to like high school was,” Driscoll said. “It really helped me settle into the game.”
Three other freshmen guards accompany Driscoll: Elizabeth Archer, Madisyn Moore-Nicholson and Mary Bolesky have all shown considerable growth this season.
Of the three forwards on the roster, sophomore Grace Koepke is the oldest in the group. Kay credits Koepke with helping her adjust her offense and defense in the post.
One-third of the forward trio is freshman Ellie Pingree from Bow, New Hampshire. Pingree has recently seen more minutes on the floor, which she rewarded with a 17-point performance against Navy on Jan. 2.
Before coming to American, Driscoll excelled playing high school basketball at Allentown Central Catholic, where she averaged 19.4 points in her senior year. She also played club basketball under Dean Reiman for the Lehigh Valley Fever. Driscoll said that she committed to AU because she wanted to play under a similar culture to her club team.
Kay played at Bishop Fenwick, where during her tenure she scored over 1,000 points and notched over 1,000 rebounds. In her senior season she was named the Catholic Central League’s Most Valuable Player.
While playing club basketball under Dan Beauchemin for the Mass Huskies, Kay played on multiple different squads against various age groups.
“When I was younger I was practicing against really great players, many of whom later went on to play in D1,” Kay said. “That kind of stuff helped me grow and develop as a player.”
Despite the hardships this season has brought, the players have managed to find plenty of sources of enjoyment. Whether it’s singing on the team bus after a game or hyping up fellow teammates on the sidelines, the freshmen class has brought much-needed positive energy to the team.
“We do lots of little stuff, lots of dancing, lots of singing, lots of tomfoolery some may say,” Driscoll said. “This group brings a lot of life to this team and keeps everyone afloat when the going gets hard.”
The highlight of this season for the Eagles was when they got their first and only win against the Lafayette Leopards on Jan. 29 at Bender Arena.
A hard-fought battle eventually saw American hold off the Leopards to break their 19 game losing-streak, winning 54-52. Kay dominated the boards, securing 9 rebounds to help lift the Eagles to victory.
Kay’s offense picked up in the final quarter, scoring 6 crucial points in the first five minutes. She stepped up and guided the team to victory after Koepke fouled out with under five to go.
While American has not had a season to remember, the blueprint has been set by the class of 2028. The talent is there for the Eagles, as shown by the accolades players have received this season.
The record isn’t flattering, but the team has slowly started to come together and form an identity that can help carry the team into future success.
The Eagles will look to claw their way back into the big dance next year, as they last appeared in the March Madness tournament in 2022 after winning the Patriot League Tournament for the third time.
“It’s about coming in every time, giving our best effort, and then with that the wins will come,” Kay said. “I think we have a really solid group, and I’m excited to see where we can go in the next few years.”
This article was edited by Connor Sturniolo, Penelope Jennings and Abigail Turner. Copy editing done by Luna Jinks, Olivia Citarella, Sabine Kanter-Huchting, Hannah Langenfeld and Jaden Anderson.
