The Lehigh women’s basketball team capped off an impressive 2024-25 season with its first Patriot League Championship title and NCAA Tournament appearance since 2021.
In the program’s third season under Addie Micir, Patriot League Coach of the Year winner, the Mountain Hawks pulled off a 10-win turnaround—finishing with a 27-7 overall record.
Their dream season came to a close in the NCAA Tournament against the Duke University Blue Devils in an 86-25 rout on Friday.
While the final score didn’t pan out as the Mountain Hawks might have hoped, Micir said she was proud of the work her team put in throughout the season to get to the tournament.
“We’d rather be in the arena, and we did all the work to get here,” she said. “It matters because the lessons that they learned throughout the year, it doesn’t get negated by the fact that we came in and we got our butts kicked flat out.”
At the beginning of the season, the Mountain Hawks took down the Northwestern University Wildcats 85-68 on the road, capturing their first win over a Big Ten team in program history. It also marked the team’s first victory over a power four opponent since defeating Mississippi State University in 2010.
In that game, the Mountain Hawks sank 18 3-pointers, the second-most in program history, at a 54.5% clip.
But the Mountain Hawk defense also stood out. Lehigh held Northwestern to 3-13 shooting from behind the arc and carried the defensive momentum throughout the season.
Micir’s team strengthened its scoring defense by allowing 58.2 points per game, an improvement from the 65.4 allowed last season. With these improvements, Lehigh finished fourth in scoring defense in the conference and 46th in the nation.
“For years, we had been an offensive team, and I thought this season we really took a step forward,” Micir said.
With its conference leading offense, the team rolled through the regular season, winning the Patriot League regular season title and finishing Patriot League play with an 18-3 record, a program record.
The team later defeated Army West Point 74-62 in the Patriot League Championship game on March 16. The Mountain Hawks showcased a strong second half, outscoring Army 44-30, which was pivotal in clinching the title.
Throughout the season, certain athletes showcased a balanced offensive attack that led to eight players scoring more than 100 total points on the year, leading to several standout performances in key victories.
For example, Maddie Albrecht, the Patriot League Championship MVP, recorded a 13-point, 10-rebound double-double in the title game.
The fifth-year wing took a significant scoring leap in her final season, averaging a team-leading 15.4 points per game, the third-highest mark in the Patriot League.
Colleen McQuillen and Ella Stemmer, senior guards and captains, joined Albrecht on the All-Tournament Team, highlighting their contributions throughout the championship run.
Beyond the senior class, junior forward Lily Fandre averaged an efficient 9.8 points per game, while sophomore standouts Whitney Lind and Gracyn Lovette also made significant contributions off the bench. Lind provided interior scoring, while Lovette shot an efficient 33.9% from beyond the arc.
Lind said her team members’ ability to not beat themselves up helped them overcome their biggest challenges and often determined their success.
“I think the biggest setbacks we have are just getting in our own ways, whether that be confidence or our own mindsets,” she said. “But once we get past ourselves and focus more on the whole team, the aspect of being the best version of ourselves for the team, that’s where we’re at our best.”
While they ultimately fell short in their first-round matchup against Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium, the senior class still made an impact in their last games donning the brown and white.
Stemmer led the Mountain Hawks with eight points, while McQuillen paced the squad with seven rebounds. Albrecht played her 136th career game, setting a new program record.
Following the game, Stemmer said she was proud of the team’s growth and leadership.
“I think the way in which we carried ourselves each and every day was very special,” she said. “We started the season choosing joy, I think, without naming it that. Next year, teams are going to come and hunt for us. We’re going to have a target on our back.”
As the team looks ahead to next season, it aims to build on this year’s success but without some familiar faces. Next season will be the first of many without McQuillen, Stemmer, Meghan O’Brien, Albrecht, Kaylee Van Eps and Remi Sisselman — all of whom will graduate this spring.
But with returning players and the experience gained from competing on the national stage, Micir said she remains confident in the team moving forward, and the Lehigh women’s basketball team is poised for continued excellence in the seasons to come.
“This is a team full of seniors and senior leadership that has absolutely set this culture and set this program up for success in the future,” Micir said. “The next time that we’re back here, we’re gonna make them really, really proud.”
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