Women’s basketball adds two student-athletes to roster

Lehigh women’s basketball had a historic season last year, winning the Patriot League and qualifying for the NCAA Women’s Tournament for the first time since 2012.

This year, after losing four starters, the journey looks different. 

The Mountain Hawks’ roster has been thinned by injuries — both minor and major — midway through the season. 

With multiple players sidelined, coach Addie Micir decided in January to add athletes from other Lehigh sports teams to the roster.

Junior women’s soccer player Cyndea Labissiere was added as a guard.

Labissiere said she played basketball since third grade but chose to pursue collegiate soccer because the recruiting process became smoother after COVID.

After committing and completing her third soccer season this fall, Labissiere said she didn’t expect to return to the basketball court.

She said Micir has a strong relationship with her soccer coach and was aware of her basketball background, so she was eager to help when the opportunity arose.

For the first time in program history, Lehigh forfeited a game against Navy on Jan. 16 because of a  lack of healthy players. The team then began mapping out its next steps and added Labissiere to the roster ahead of  the next league matchup.

Her debut came against Patriot League opponent Loyola University Maryland on Jan. 21. 

“It felt amazing to play again,” Labissiere said. “I wanted to bring the energy for the team and help as much as possible.”

Labissiere played 21 minutes against Loyola and scored a free throw to help the Mountain Hawks secure a 67-61 overtime win. 

She said the experience has contributed to her personal growth and pushed her to be more open to new ideas outside her comfort zone. 

After officially joining the women’s basketball roster for the season, Micir said Labissiere has attended every team lift and practice, and has competed when needed in games.

“Having her allows for some of our other players to rest so we can stay as healthy as possible through this time,” Micir said. “She stays ready for any situation on the court.”

Labissiere is one of two multi-sport athletes added to the roster, along with first-year track and field athlete Melani Dowling.

Micir said Dowling is currently in season for winter track and has had to split her time between basketball and track. She said Dowling must stay within NCAA hour limitations and that the staff is working closely with her to determine how she can best contribute.

NCAA athletes are limited to 20 hours per week during the season, with at least one day off. 

Micir said while the situation isn’t ideal, it’s allowed the team to connect with new athletes and support other Lehigh programs.

Senior forward and captain Lily Fandre said the team has always been ready to play through anything and has shown a strong chemistry with their new players.

“We are all so excited to have (Dowling and Labissiere’s) support,” Fandre said. “They are our teammates now and our new friends.”

Coming off a Patriot League title last season, Fandre said the team’s expectations haven’t changed. 

“Recently, we’ve been in a period where we’re trying to figure out how our lineup works best, so I want to step up more and pull through for the team as a senior,” Fandre said.

She contributed to the Loyola win with a career-high 32 points. She also remained the Patriot League’s leading scorer when Lehigh played Army on Jan. 28, scoring 21 points. 

Fandre said the team has grown more comfortable with its new players and is eager to continue competing. 

Although the injuries came just before the second round of Patriot League games to close the regular season, Fandre and Micir said they’re confident in the team’s ability to reach league  playoffs.

Micir said the team remains focused on winning the Patriot League championship and getting healthy, adding that Labissiere and Dowling have brought energy and skill during an unprecedented time. 

“We’ve learned that we can’t plan for the future, but with (Labissiere and Dowling) showing up for us, there is more juice to the roster,” Micir said.