What does it feel like to have Braintree girls basketball back in the MIAA spotlight?
Coach Kelley Macdonald says she's not quite the town celebrity that Kristen McDonnell, who led Braintree to three state championships in the mid-2010s and who now coaches at Norwood, once was. But during Braintree's remarkable breakout 2024-25 season that culminated in a Division 1 state semifinal appearance, Macdonald noticed the buzz return over time.
"The young girls are interested and back at the games, where that wasn't really happening (before)," Macdonald said. "When the community is behind you, you see a lot more older people start coming to the games and stuff like that. More older people in the town start to recognize who you are and who the girls are and stuff like that, and talk about them. That's when you know you're kind of back, is when the it's from the young to the old people (who) are interested."
After going 21-3 in Macdonald's second year as head coach (she had previously been in the program for two decades as an assistant), what greater heights can the program achieve? Here's the outlook for this winter.
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Moving on from Frankie Spadorcia
Spadorcia, a 5-11, long shot-blocking center, anchored Braintree's stingy defense and led the team in scoring. She landed on our All-MIAA Third Team last season, averaging 14 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks per game. But Spadorcia is now at Salve Regina playing both basketball and volleyball, and her departure creates a massive void in the team's production and identity.
"My concern is more is how we're going to how we're going to make that up — her loss defensively, more than anything," Macdonald said.
Where to begin? Macdonald doesn't have a standout physical athlete to replace Spadorcia, but she's excited about the growth of junior Izzy Rotundo, a power forward-type who can drive the ball hard and play aggressive. Otherwise, it'll require a shift in approach from a squad loaded with plus defenders last season.
"I also have confidence in my girls that they're super competitive, and defense is kind of our calling card to begin with," Macdonald said. "So I just think we have to amp it up. We don't have the size and that kind of freakish athleticism, but we have a bunch of girls that can get after it defensively. I think that's where we have to put more pressure on people as opposed to having someone protect us from behind."
Frankie Mazzini enters the season ready to lead
After being part of Braintree's Division 1 quarterfinal run in soccer, Mazzini returns to the hardwood as Braintree's point guard and top defender. Macdonald believes the Connecticut College commit is among the top defensive guards in the state, and she helped earn the reputation by pestering some of the best scoring guards during last March's playoff run.
But Macdonald is also excited about Mazzini's development as a floor general. She's more confident attacking with the ball and making plays, which will help as Braintree aims to juice up its offensive output.
"She's been on varsity since she was a freshman," Macdonald said. "I saw huge growth in her last year. Her defense has always been there, but I feel like last year she really stepped up her offense as well. I think the best game she played was probably that Woburn game (in the Division 1 quarterfinals). It's not like she scored a ton of points or anything like that, but I thought her passing (and) her decision-making, was fantastic in that game last year. So if she can even just take another little step this year, I think that'd be huge for us."
Eva Downing leads breakout players with scoring potential
Mazzini has other scorers around her ready for more. Downing, a junior guard, enters her third year as a varsity member. After an inconsistent freshman year and sophomore start, Downing caught fire during the second half of last winter and showed her potential as a shooter and overall scoring threat.
"We were kind of waiting for her to have those breakout games, and halfway through the season, she had those breakout games where she can hit a bunch of big shots (and) she can go to the hoop," Macdonald said. "We have her to rely on as someone with some composure."
Braintree also has sharpshooter Kate Sweeney, who came off the bench last year, as a junior capable of ascending to a larger role. And in general, despite graduating Spadorcia and Ciara Zelano, Macdonald says the rotation doesn't turn over much by the numbers. They'll be upperclassmen-heavy and experienced as they chase a step up to Tsongas Center and a state championship appearance.
"We have a core coming back, and I think even the girls who didn't get much playing time last year are going to be more upperclassmen," she said. "I think we can really go a little bit deeper and really put some major pressure on people defensively."
