MAAC_Program_2025_V4_Pages

2024–25 CANISIUS WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

®

QUICK FACTS LOCATION BUFFALO, NY NICKNAME GOLDEN GRIFFINS COLORS BLUE AND GOLD YEAR FOUNDED 1870 PRESIDENT STEVE K. STOUTE ATHLETIC DIRECTOR BILL MAHER HOME ARENA KOESSLER ATHLETIC CENTER (2,196)

WOMEN’S ROSTER

No.

Name

Cl. Gr. Fr. Fr. So.

Pos.

Ht.

Hometown/High School/Previous School

0 1 2 3 4 5

Jaela Johnson

G 5-5

Louisville, KY/IU Indy

Ari Parker

G 5-10 Detroit, MI/Cass Technical

Alex Moses

G 5-9 G 5-7 G 5-5

Delanson, NY/Duanesburg

Mary Copple Corniya Clay

Brighton, MI/Brighton

Fr. Fr.

Toledo, OH/Central Catholic

Irene Rey Pineda Mariam Sanogo Saige Randolph

F F

5-10 Madrid, Spain/Movistar Estudiantes B.C.

11 12 13 14 15 22 23 33 34

Jr.

6-2

Paris, France/Odessa College (TX)

So.

G 5-5 G 5-9 G 5-5

Albany, NY/Albany Academy for Girls

Xanthippi Karatasiou Sr.

Katerini, Greece/High School of Kontariotissa

Cory Santoro

Sr. Sr.

Bellevue, OH/Lander University

Sara Carvajal Caro

F

6-3

Sevilla, Spain/Troy University

Franka Wittenberg Jr.

G 5-8

Hildesheim, Germany/Fresno State

PLAYER TO WATCH Junior guard Franka Wittenberg is having a career year after transferring to Canisius from Fresno State, averaging 9.7 points per game, 3.8 rebounds per game and 2.4 assists as of Jan. 23, 2025. Wittenberg has posted multiple career highs this season which include a career-high 26 points and 8 rebounds at Saint Peter’s on Jan. 11, 2025 and earned MAAC Player of the Week Honors for her 13 point, seven rebound effort against Colgate on Dec. 29, 2024. In conference play, Wittenberg has stepped up her game offensively and on the boards. She is scoring 11.5 points per game, while averaging five rebounds per game. Wittenberg is also one of the most effeciaent scorers in the conference, shooting 50.8 percent from the field. This marks the fourth best in conference play with a minimum of 70 shot attempts. NOTABLE ALUMNI Kara (Haun) Rehbaum earned four varsity letters as a member of the Canisius women's basketball team from 1980-84. During her time as a student-athlete at Canisius, Rehbaum played a key role in helping the Golden Griffins post a 90-21 overall record during her four years, and she was a part of the 1982-83 team that went 28-5 overall and advanced to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. The program's all-time career rebounding leader with 1,075 boards, Rehbaum was a three-time All American and ended her career with 1,661 points. Rehbaum would later coach the Canisius women's program for five seasons from 1993-98, and she was named the MAAC Coach of the Year in 1994.

Jordan Day

Fr. Fr.

F F F

6-3 6-1 6-0

Cincinnati, OH/Purcell Marian

Yasmine Djibril Shariah Gailes

Montreal, Quebec/Montmorency College

So.

Brooklyn, OH/University of Illinois Springfield

Head Coach: Tiffany Swoffard (Austin Peay, ’02) – First Season at Canisius, First Season Overall Assistant Coaches: Lindsay Hieronymus (Transylvania, ’16) – First Season at Canisius, Stephan Walton (Manitoba, ’10) – First Season at Canisius, Courtney Roman (Penn State, ’21) – First Season at Canisius Graduate Assistant Manager: Jasper Torres (Canisius, ’23) – First Season at Canisius Director of Basketball Operations: Ja’Kye Womack (Canisius ’23) – Second Season at Canisius

HEAD COACH TIFFANY SWOFFARD Tiffany Swoffard was named the 11 th head coach in women’s basketball program history on April 17, 2024. A long-time assistant coach with 14 years of NCAA Division I coaching experience at both the Power 5 and mid-major levels, Swoffard takes over the Golden Griffin program after spending the 2023-24 campaign as a member of the Penn State women’s basketball coaching staff. Swoffard earned her first win as a head coach on the road at Saint Francis (PA) on Nov. 15, beating the Red Flash 48-46. After a difficult non-conference schedule, the Griffs have rounded into form in conference play, with a 3-5 record as of Jan. 24 and a 3-7 road record overall. Swoffard was tasked with rebuilding the Canisius roster after adding 12 newcomers to the 2024-25 squad. Throughout the season, Swoffard has employed a winning by committee appoach, using 11 to 12 players on her bench in 17-of-18 games this season. This has allowed her bench to score 20.3 points per game, the second best mark in the MAAC and 134 th in the nation.

66

JIM WHELAN BOARDWALK HALL | ATLANTIC CITY