Girls Basketball Co-Captain Emerson Buckley ’25 is a vocal captain on the court and has a welcoming presence off the court, too. She champions a mentality similar to that of the fast-paced and free-flowing sport of basketball, where you move on from mistakes quickly and constantly adapt to new situations. Buckley believes that, with this mentality, the team can make a run at the championship.
Buckley started playing basketball at a young age. She described how the game helped her connect with family and her love for the game’s flexibility.
“I started playing basketball when I was in kindergarten. It’s something I always had with my family. My dad and I always practiced together, and my sisters both played. It’s a unique sport because it’s so fast-paced and there’s such a short time. I also play softball, and when you make an error in softball, everyone knows, [but] in basketball, it’s so easy to come back. That’s something I’ve really grown to love about basketball: you can always make up for mistakes,” said Buckley.
Teammate and fellow co-captain Ava Davey ’25 spoke about how Buckley utilizes her voice to lead the team. Buckley also uses her experience as co-captain of the softball team to help lead the basketball team.
Davey said, “Buckley’s definitely a vocal leader from being Captain of Softball. She’s learned a lot of skills throughout the spring season, and she integrates that really well into being a Captain of Basketball. Her communication skills are both helpful and also productive for the team. She’s always so full of energy, and her hard work makes those around her want to be better, too.”
Buckley works to embody selflessness on the court in the hopes that it will inspire others on the team to do the same.
Buckley said, “Something I really strive to be is selfless. It’s really important to me to make sure that I’m looking past my individual successes and looking at the greater picture in the team, like playing for something bigger than myself and promoting that amongst the girls on the team as well. I’ve tried to do that all four years I’ve been here, but especially as a captain, that has a ripple effect on the rest of the team. If you’re selfless, then it promotes that amongst the team, which obviously creates just better chemistry on the court and outside, off the court.”
Chloe Abou-Ezzi ’27 is one of four new players on the team. She explained how Buckley supported her last year after she was cut from Varsity and welcomed her to the team this year.
“Last year, I also tried out [for Varsity], and I didn’t make it, but because [Buckley] had met me during the captain’s practices and during the tryouts, she was one of the people that texted me after and said, ‘Hey, I’m so sorry you didn’t make it, you’re a great player, don’t let that bring you down.’ That alone, even though she wasn’t a captain, really meant a lot to me. It really showed me just how great of a person she is and the team spirit she has,” said Abou-Ezzi.
Abou-Ezzi continued, “Even now when I got onto the team, she was one of the first people to congratulate me. She saw me, [and said], ‘I can’t wait to play with you.’ She’s always made an effort to make sure that in practice I have a partner, or make sure that I know what I’m doing. Even outside, off the court, she’s one of the people that’ll say, ‘Okay, guys, let’s all have a team dinner together, let’s all sit together!’”
The playoffs are a goal for Buckley and the team. This year, if the team bonds and plays well, Buckley hopes they will be a high seed.
“We are definitely aiming to make the playoffs and I think we definitely can. In years past, we’ve always been around a seven or eight seed, but this year, we can really push that up. There [are] a lot of games this season that will be close matches, but if we’re able to execute, we’re going to be able to win those games. I’m confident we have all the skills and I think we can win it all if we play together and play well,” said Buckley.
Buckley will play softball for Providence College next year.
