RAE OF HOPE: Princeton Day School girls’ basketball player Sophia Rae Barber looks to unload the ball in a game this season. Senior guard Barber called a team-high 54 3-pointers to help the Panthers go 16-9 as they won the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Valley Division title and advanced to the semifinals of the CVC Tournament. (Photo by Frank Jacobs III)
By Bill Alden
Although the Princeton Day School girls’ basketball team lost to Union Catholic in New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association (NJSIAA) South Jersey Non-Public A Tournament to end its season, the setback couldn’t dim what the squad accomplished this winter.
“We took the Colonial Valley Conference (CVC) Valley division championship which was great, we were 6-0 in the division,” said PDS head coach Pat Reddington, who guided the Panthers to a 16-9 record, an improvement on the 13-10 mark the program posted in 2024-25. “They won some more games this year and that is great but I think we progressed the culture along with that. You could see it during the season and the going into the end of the season. Right away girls are already starting to work on what they need to work on going into next year. It is a good sign for next year.”
Competing in the state tourney, ninth-seeded PDS ran into a very good team in eighth-seeded Union Catholic as it fell behind 33-18 at halftime on the way to a 69-48 defeat.
“Union Catholic played hard, they got up and down,” said Reddington, reflecting on the setback. “Honestly we just didn’t match their energy that day. They were just playing at a faster pace than we were. They looked a little more aggressive on both sides of the ball. They showed that they deserved to win that game.”
The Panthers tried to get back into the game as they were only outscored 20-19 in the third quarter.
“We came out and tried to press them a little bit and in moments we do well there,” said Reddington. “It was hard to sustain. They took their timeout and figured it out and then started executing again in the half court. It was definitely cool to go out there and experience that. We wanted to win that one.”
The squad’s senior group, which included Juliana Hartman, Nica Martin, Sophia Rae Barber, Ella McLaren, MacKenzie Brodel, and Anya Grusteser, played hard to the end.
“They are winners. I know a lot of them are soccer players and they do the same thing on the soccer end,” said Reddington. “They came into basketball and did the same thing. They are not only winning athletes but they are just winning people. I am very excited to be able to brag about them when they do big things in the real world of adult life.”
Soccer standout Hartman (114 points, 115 rebounds in 2025-26) provided athleticism and grit for the Panthers.
“Jules is a college basketball player that doesn’t know it,” said Reddington. “In my mind, if she dedicated herself to basketball and wanted it, she could play next year. She was our glue girl all year. She did every little thing that we needed at the time that we needed it. We are definitely going to miss her next year.”
Another soccer star, Martin (159 points, 104 rebounds), thrived on the perimeter.
“Nica has always been one of our better shooters and we wanted to take advantage of that this year as much as humanly possible,” said Reddington. “We took her off the ball a little bit. more than we did last year. She thrived and then she flourished. She was a great captain and leader for the younger girls, including her sister.”
Sharp-shooting Barber (175 points, 30 rebounds) drained a team-high 54 3-pointers.
“Sophia gave me everything she had this year — she was a great leader for the younger girls,” said Reddington. “She is the first kid in the gym every day in practice and the last kid to leave. You see that by her 3-point shooting, every single year she improved on that. I know a lot of times in the box score you just see 3-pointers from her, but I want to make that clear that is me telling her to stay out there on the 3-point line. In those big wins that we had, a lot of time it was because Barber was shooting well. She did what was needed to this year and I am very thankful to coach her.”
The three other seniors — Brodel (10 points, 4 rebounds), McLaren (30 points, 74 rebounds), and Grusteser (3 rebounds) — gave the Panthers reserve strength.
“With the three of them, their energy on the bench is infectious,” said Reddington. “When MacKenzie went in and made plays, you never saw a team happier. Ella was a kid who when she got in the game, she helped us, especially in the glass. Anya fractured her finger halfway through the season. We are going to be miss all three of them.”
Freshman point guard Alana Williams displayed plenty of game in her debut season, scoring 338 points with 125 rebounds, 117 assists, and 101 steals.
“Alana was huge as a freshman coming to a new school with a bunch of new girls,” said Reddington. “She has a very impressive demeanor and composure. Even in the biggest moments, she seems to be even-keeled. We are constantly learning. That is the thing about her, she is never going to stop. We talk about the offseason, she is taking that seriously. She plays for Philly Rise. She is putting in time on her own. I am very excited for what the future holds for her. She is just scratching the surface now of the type of the player she could be. She impacts the game in so many ways.”
A second freshman, Reilly Malin (131 points, 190 rebounds), made an impact in the paint for the Panthers.
“We are excited about Reilly, we are trying to find more opportunities for her to make inside moves,” said Reddington. “It is tough in there a lot of times, you have a bunch of bodies around you. It is not like dribbling the ball where you might have more space to be able to do some more things. She had a tough job, coming in as a freshman and sometimes playing against 17- and 18-year-old girls down in the paint. Between her and Alana, besides basketball, they are such great kids. They are easy to work with and the girls loved them. There was no animosity. They earned it and the kids see it. They are humble. They are willing to seek advice from seniors.”
The Panthers also return some other promising players in freshman Mia Martin (42 points), sophomore Mae Braswell (59 points), and sophomore Ellie Lesaca (26 points).
“We are very excited about the group that we have coming back,” said Reddington. “As we continue to grow, we have more experienced basketball players at the younger classes. We are going to be a little more experienced as we continue to get older.”
In order for the program to keep growing, it will require hard work from top to bottom.
“I am excited about us moving forward, it is constant progress,” said Reddington. “It is all about the work we do and how we can get better going into next year. I am going to sit down and see how I can get better going into next year. It is whatever we can do to put us in better position and close out some of those playoff runs.”