Ending the 2024-25 season with a 24-10 record and losing in the Atlantic 10 Tournament, the St. Joe’s women’s basketball team is ready to hit the ground running for the 2025-26 season. The 15-woman roster features ten players between the first-year and sophomore classes. Junior guards Gabby Casey and Aleah Snead swept A-10 preseason honors again for the 2025-26 season. With the addition of two new staff members and a promotion made on the coaching staff, the team is ready to take on West Chester Nov. 4 at 7 p.m. in Hagan Arena.
No stranger to Hawk Hill, sophomore guard Jill Jekot signed to the team in April after entering the transfer portal following her rookie season at Penn State. Jekot’s older sister was former St. Joe’s player Katie Jekot ’20, MBA ’22, who ranked eighth in program history in assists. Coming from a strong basketball background with three sisters who played collegiate basketball, Jekot will bring an intelligent skill set to games. The former Nittany Lion’s rookie season wrapped up with 21 appearances and 18 points.
As a member of Lebanon’s senior national team since 2021, sophomore guard Amar Mansour is sure to add points to the scoreboard this season. Last season at Azour Sporting Club, Mansour added double figure scoring in 18 of 21 games. In five games, Mansour had double-digit rebounds. Mansour also had three appearances in the International Basketball Federation and, most recently, added seven rebounds and five assists against Japan at the 2025 International Basketball Federation Women’s Asia Cup.
Philadelphia natives Snead and Casey are on the rise to continue in the A-10 spotlight. In addition to earning A-10 Sixth Woman of the Year last season, Snead became the first Hawk since 2018 to have eight offensive boards in a single game. Snead earned a spot on the A-10 Preseason Second Team and All-Defensive Team Sept. 30. Similarly, Casey was named to the A-10 Preseason Third Team after earning two A-10 Rookie of the Week honors. Averaging 7.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, Casey provides steady scoring on the court.
A notable acquisition of the team is sophomore forward Cecilia Kay. The former Eagle at American University ended the 2024-25 season recording 268 rebounds and setting a first-year program record. As a three-time earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week, Kay’s season finished with 344 points. Alongside these three players, four experienced first-years are joining the team. First-year forwards Olivia Lutterodt and Rian Dotsey and first-year guards Kaylinn Bethea and Emily Knouse all share diverse skill sets, allowing for shots to be made at any point on the court.
