Some of the most dominant players in Division 3 women’s basketball compete at New England schools, and the region will produce some of the most notable players in Division 3 this winter.
There are reigning league Player of the Year and reigning league Rookie of the Year competitors to watch among New England players. Some ranked among the top-10 in the nation in scoring.
Though some schools are led by stars who grew up outside the region, several New England natives also figure to lead programs at this level.
Here are 12 players across the New England Div. 3 level who we expect to make a large impact on their squads this winter.
DIV. 3 PREVIEW:Â 10 teams that could make national noise
Cyriah Coleman, Clark
Sophomore, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Los Angeles, Calif.
Coleman was a bright spot for the 11-14 Cougars in the 2024-25 season. She led not only Clark in points per game (13.3) and steals per game (2.2), but she also led all NEWMAC rookies in those categories to secure NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. She led the Cougars in assists as well (67). Coleman scored a season-high 24 points and earned MVP in the Worcester City Tournament as Clark secured a tournament title over WPI. She also earned a NEWMAC Defensive Athlete of the Week honor during the season and led the Cougars in defensive rebounds (101).
Coleman has logged 21 points and 13 points in two wins to start this season.
Elsa Daulerio, Bates
Senior, 6-3 center
Hometown: Harpswell, Maine
Daulerio will be captaining the Bobcats for her senior season after leading the team in points per game (14.7), rebounds per game (9.0) and blocks (47) last season. She had eight double-doubles in the 2024-25 season and put up a career-high 28 points over Williams in January in NESCAC play.
The senior was named WBCA NCAA Division 3 Coaches’ All-America honorable mention, First Team All-NESCAC and First Team All-State in Maine, all for the second season in a row. Daulerio will look to help Bates make deeper runs in both the NESCAC conference and NCAA tournaments.
Melanie DeMeo, UMass Dartmouth
Senior, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Mahopac, N.Y.
DeMeo was one of three players on the UMass Dartmouth squad to play in all 28 games in the 2024-25 season, averaging 26.6 minutes. While DeMeo did not put up a ton of points for the Corsairs, averaging 5.6, the senior led the team in assists (74) and will have the opportunity to take on a larger role within the team as UMass Dartmouth lost seven players to graduation.
After the Corsairs won their first Little East championship in program history, DeMeo’s experience on the court may help lead UMass Dartmouth to a back-to-back conference title. DeMeo posted 19 points and three assists in the Corsairs' season-opening loss to Johnson & Wales last Saturday.
Bri Frongillo, Emerson
Senior, 5-3 guard
Hometown: Hopedale, Mass.
Frongillo was named the NEWMAC Athlete of the Year — the first in Emerson program history — as she led the conference in points per game (22.5), assists per game (5.2) and rebounds per game (5.0). Despite missing a handful of games at the beginning of the 2024-25 season, Frongillo was named NEWMAC Offensive Athlete of the Week four times. The Lions’ point guard also led the conference in free-throw percentage (87 percent) and was selected for first team All-NEWMAC.
Frongillo is entering her third season with Emerson after transferring from Bryant after her freshman year. She has remained consistent throughout the previous two seasons at Emerson, averaging 21.9 points in her sophomore season.
Ernidia Goncalves, Salem State
Senior, 5-11 forward
Hometown: Everett, Mass.
Goncalves has been a model of consistency, averaging at least 12 points per game in every college season and 14.6 last year. She also grabbed a whopping 13.9 rebounds per game last year to go with 1.8 steals and 1.6 blocks. Goncalves earned MASCAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year honors and landed on the All-MASCAC First Team, and her 904 career rebounds rank second in program history.
Grace Jaffray, Johnson & Wales
Sophomore, 5-9 forward
Hometown: Blue Hill, Maine
Jaffray kicked off her collegiate career with a 39-point effort in her debut, but that wasn’t even her season best. The forward put up 20-plus points 17 times and 30-plus points nine times throughout her freshman season, and Jaffray hit her career best (43) against Wheaton. She ranked fourth among all Division 3 women’s basketball players in points per game (25.4) in the 2024-25 season.
Jaffray was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year for her efforts and set a JWU single-season record with 610 points. She's already off to a stellar start this season with a 35-point eruption in a season-opening win against UMass Dartmouth last Saturday.
Hannah Martin, Smith
Junior, 5-7 guard
Hometown: North Andover, Mass.
Martin helped support Smith’s back-to-back national championship appearances and fifth straight NEWMAC conference championship.
After being named the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year in the 2023-2024 season, Martin started all 34 games as a sophomore. Martin stepped up in big games and scored 22 points in Smith’s Round of 64 win over SUNY-Cobleskill.
With two of the top three leading scorers graduating from Smith (Ally Landau and Jane Loo), Martin will have the chance to make an even larger impact on the court for the Pioneers.
Kate Olenik, Colby
Junior, 5-8 guard
Hometown: Medfield, Mass.
Olenik led Colby in points per game (19.6) in her sophomore season, which resulted in a First Team All-NESCAC nod. She also led the team in assists (62), and she helped Colby to the conference title game.
The former Medfield High star wrapped up the season second in total points, fourth in total steals, fourth in shooting percentage (48.3%) and 10th in total assists among the NESCAC. Olenik was named NESCAC Rookie of the Year after her freshman 2023-24 season, when she averaged 15.3 points and 49 assists.
Emma Shinney, Endicott
Junior, 5-6 guard
Hometown: Wakefield, Mass.
Shinney took another step forward as a sophomore, reaching All-CNE First Team status. She collected 14.1 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 1.6 steals per game, including a season-high 26 points against Roger Williams. Shinney is already off to a strong start this season with 19-point and 22-point efforts. She'll look to lead a Gulls squad that went 22-6 before falling to Cortland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Maddy Werner, University of New England
Sophomore, 5-11 forward
Hometown: West Bath, Maine
The Conference of New England Rookie of the Year earned six Rookie of the Week honors throughout her first season on the Nor’easters. Werner was third in scoring (9.1 per game) and led in rebounding (5.9 per game) for UNE.
She scored double digits in the Nor’easters’ first-round win in the CNE tournament and had a career-high 22 points against Nichols during the regular season.
Werner ranked among the best in free-throw percentage (75.5 percent) across UNE’s roster. With fellow forward Faye Veilleux (Wrentham, Mass.) graduated, Werner may become a larger presence in the paint for UNE.
Lucy Wiles, Southern Maine
Sophomore, 5-9 guard
Hometown: Glenburn, Maine
Wiles led Southern Maine in scoring (13 points per game), assists (84) and steals (43), and ranked among the best across the Little East in assists and steals. For her efforts, Wiles was awarded Little East Rookie of the Year and received recognition for her standout rookie season with Rookie of the Year nods from both the Maine Women’s Basketball Coaches Association and the New England Women’s Basketball Association.
Wiles scored a season-high 29 points in the LEC semifinals last season against Rhode Island College to help Southern Maine advance to the Little East Conference championship game.
Monet Witherspoon, Tufts
Sophomore, 5-8 guard
Hometown: St. Louis, Mo.
Witherspoon earned 2025 NESCAC Rookie of the Year honors — the fourth ever for Tufts — for her freshman campaign that saw her rank among the best in scoring (11.5 points per game), rebounds (4.2 per game) and at least an assist and a block per game.
In their NESCAC quarterfinal matchup against Trinity, Witherspoon put up a team-high 20 points and nine rebounds to help the Jumbos force double overtime. Witherspoon will look to continue her success at Tufts in her sophomore season and help the Jumbos potentially make their 15th appearance in the NCAA Tournament.
