A number of top girls basketball players will not be playing for their local high schools after transferring to prep schools. This has long been an issue for public high schools in boys basketball. But this year, it’s hitting home with girls basketball teams, whose season opens Friday.
Three top players in the CCC – Bela Cucuta of Newington, who averaged almost 25 ppg last year; Callie Cosgrove of Conard, who scored her 1,000th point as a junior last year and E.O. Smith’s Jill Dingler, who helped her team to a state title two years ago, are all at prep schools. Outside of the CCC, Liana Salamone, who helped East Hampton to a state title two years ago, also left for a prep.
“I think the college transfer portal stuff has migrated down to high schools,” E.O. Smith coach Mary Roickle said.
Because of the exodus of talented players, some coaches have had to temper expectations while others are trying to figure out how to fill the positions of the players who left.
“We spoke to our kids about it – what’s this year look like, what’s changed,” Roickle said. “We lost all five starters. We have no seniors. We lost Jill. So OK, what does that mean for you? Opportunity – that’s the way we’re approaching it.”
At Conard, there are still a number of talented players back from a team that advanced to the Class LL semifinals, including senior Emily Knowles, who also scored her 1,000th point last season.
“I’m not sure why this year, but I do think the girls game is growing and there’s more opportunity for girls today to get an extra year in so they can get a better opportunity for college,” Conard coach Laurie Cersosimo said. “Maybe some kids are doing it for maturity and academics, but I think women’s basketball is taking off and a lot of these kids are being told, ‘Hey you have a great opportunity’ and they take it. And hopefully they get a better opportunity to go to college somewhere after that extra year.
“We’ll just keep going. We’re really happy for Callie, it’s a great opportunity for her. But that doesn’t change our game plan. The energy is great in the gym, the kids are fired up. We still hope to be at the finals.”
Newington, who has a new coach in Mike Forgione after former coach Marc Tancredi went to Ellington, is also ready for anything, especially since his schedule at the beginning of the season is very challenging. Newington, which lost in the Class LL semifinals to eventual champion Hamden last year, will play Conard, Glastonbury, Class M champion St. Paul, Trumbull and Northwest Catholic all before the first week in January.
“I’ve been telling them, ‘We have to play more as a team. We can’t rely on a (former Newington star) Lily (Ferguson) or a Bela to bail us out,’” Forgione said. “The season is starting so quickly. They’re trying. I think the seniors feel a little pressure. But it’ll be fine. I’m excited for it.”
There’s not much else public school coaches can do except make the best of things.
“As much as this whole prep thing is rattling a lot of people, at the end of the day, this is going to happen and with high schools, you have to work with what you have,” Cersosimo said. “You don’t have time to be upset about it. We’re public schools, you get what you get and you make it work.”
Here are some top area teams to watch:
Northwest Catholic: Northwest Catholic won its second straight state title last year, beating Sheehan for the Class MM championship, a year after the Lions won the Class S title. The core group of top players return, including juniors Maeve Staunton and Abby Casper, who both helped the girls soccer team finish as Class M runner-up this fall. Casper, a post player, had 19 points and seven rebounds and Staunton was named the Most Outstanding Player in the 42-37 win over Sheehan in the final last year. “They were not your typical freshmen two years ago and they’re not your typical juniors,” Northwest coach Alison Connors said.
Windham: The Whippets surprised a lot of people by defeating East Hampton and snapping the Bellringers’ 46-game win streak in the Class M semifinal last year and advancing to the final where they lost to St. Paul, 49-42. Coach Robert Mangual had a young team and they’re all back, including 5-foot guard Zoee Robins, a defensive game-changer who came off the bench last year; senior Jaelize Rivera, who had 14 points, including four 3-pointers, in the semifinal and senior guard Aniya Jenkins, who averaged 16 ppg. “Like I told the girls, ‘The job’s not done,’” Mangual said. “That’s one of our mottos.”
Mercy: Mercy, which lost in the Class LL quarterfinals to Hamden last year, is always a perennial contender. The Tigers return four of five starters, including junior guard Madison Benigni, who averaged 20 ppg last year, and Mercedes Artaiz, a three-year starter who is an excellent defensive player. “We have a lot of potential,” Mercy coach Tim Kohs said.
Sheehan: The Class MM runner-up opens against Fairfield Warde on Friday, the same day the school’s football team is playing for a state championship. Sheehan lost a few top players, including Liv Cassesse, from the team that lost to Northwest Catholic in the final, but return a group of top juniors, including guard Megan Wreisen.
St. Paul: The defending Class M champion Falcons lost some top players, including the championship game’s Most Outstanding Player Rebecca Kelly, and Audrey Tice, but coach Joe Mone always manages to reload and stay competitive and he returns two starters. “We have a decent core,” he said. “It’s a work in progress.
New coaches and more: Simsbury, which won the Class L state title last year with coach Sam Zullo, has a new coach in Kyle Chaves after Zullo stepped down to spend more time with his family. … Kamaria Bowens, a mid-season transfer from New Jersey who helped Windsor to the Class L quarterfinals last year, has transferred to Bristol Central, which lost in the first round of the Class L tournament last year. … Glastonbury returns senior Madison Handrahan, who is headed to Assumption, to a team that advanced to the Class LL second round last year. … East Windsor and Bloomfield have formed a co-op and are led by East Windsor senior guard Bailey Winner, who averaged 21 ppg last year.