A Golden Age of Hoops for RIC Women’s Basketball

Since 2017 the trajectory of the Rhode Island College Women’s Basketball team has been on the rise.

Before that time, the team had notched 20 wins only twice – in 2010 and 1997. Under the helm of Jenna Cosgrove, who is kicking off her eighth year this fall as head coach, the team has racked up four 20-plus win seasons, a Final Four appearance in the NCAA Women’s Div. III championship and its first undefeated regular season in 2023-24.

It’s a remarkable run of success that Cosgrove says has exceeded her wildest expectations.

“This shows what can be accomplished when you bring the right people together,” Cosgrove says. “We’ve got a staff and a group of players who work hard. I didn’t imagine we would receive the kind of attention we’ve gotten on a national scale. But once you’re at the top, the goal is to stay there.”

Cosgrove, a native of Sharon, Massachusetts, has been at the top of her game for several years, earning Little East Conference (LEC) Coach of the Year honors four times and being named a finalist for the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s National Coach of the Year in 2023 and 2024. She was also named the New England Women’s Basketball Coach of the Year in 2024.

In September the Jewish Sports Heritage Association announced that Cosgrove will be its 2025 recipient of the Marty Riger Outstanding Jewish Coach of the Year, an award the association presents to those who possess the qualities of Riger, a championship-winning basketball coach in New York.

During Cosgrove’s tenure, the team has produced two LEC Rookies of the Year, three LEC Defensive Players of the Year and two overall LEC Players of the Year.

And for good measure, the online news outlet GoLocalProv in April ran a story about Coach Cos with the headline, “Maybe No One in RI Is Better at Their Job Than This Woman.”

Accolades notwithstanding, Cosgrove says she has changed in innumerable ways since her arrival at RIC in 2017.

“I’m in a different place,” she says. “The community and administrative support I’ve received has been indescribable. I feel a different sense of pride not just for the college but for our women’s basketball program.”

When the team reached the Final Four during the 2022-23 season, Cosgrove says that outcome surprised many onlookers.

“There’s a confidence that winning instills in you once you get a taste of success,” Cosgrove says.

Two season-ending polls validated her team’s rise, ranking them fifth in the D3hoops.com poll and seventh in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association poll.

Due to that success, Cosgrove says expectations grew exponentially for the team’s 2023-24 season.

“Before, we were upsetting teams. Now we were favored to win,” she says.

The team’s winning spirit soared as they defeated every opponent during last year’s regular season.

“When I reflect on that, it was a remarkable accomplishment,” Cosgrove says. “It was a huge deal for the college, and we’ve now set the bar very high. It doesn’t mean we’ve failed if we don’t get back to that point. However, that is now the standard we want to reach.”

The team was peaking before falling to Washington and Lee University in an emotionally charged playoff game hosted by RIC. The very next day, Cosgrove gave birth to her son, Casey John Cosgrove.

“Giving birth so soon after our last game didn’t give me much time to process the Sweet 16 [regional semifinal] loss,” she says. “It was hard to face that loss, especially since we had high hopes of advancing further. That game taught us a lesson. We experienced our lowest shooting percentage of the season. It was a reminder that any team can come out on top on any given night.”

Nonetheless, Cosgrove says being pregnant during the team’s first undefeated season was a special experience.

“It was wonderful for my team to share in my pregnancy journey,” she says. “Throughout the season, there were moments when I became so focused on our goal of winning games and enjoying the camaraderie of such a fantastic group, that I forgot I was pregnant.”

She says the birth of her son will undoubtedly influence the way she coaches.

“Having a child will make me slow down, be more intentional and treasure every moment, big or small,” she says. “I’m lucky to share such a big part of my life with my team, who I consider my family.”

As the 2024-25 season approaches, Cosgrove says the team may be viewed in a different light as well.

“It’s going to be a new look for our roster,” she says. “The team will be a lot younger, with six freshmen and two sophomore transfers. That’s eight newcomers and six returnees. I’m confident we have a very talented group.”

That group includes guard Jaina Yekelchik, the 2023-24 Gatorade girls’ basketball player of the year. As a player at Ponaganset High School, Yekelchik averaged 16 points, 4.7 rebounds and three steals per game. She led Ponaganset to a 15-3 record and a quarterfinal spot in the state tournament.

Yekelchik and her fellow freshmen teammates will be guided by Angelina Nardolillo and Madison Medbury, seasoned veterans who will serve as captains for a second consecutive year.

“Having those two on the court and in the locker room provides a sense of stability that’s needed,” Cosgrove says. Other returnees include Jayda Bing, Claire Green and the team’s two Maggies: Schwab and McKitchen.

“I feel a sense of excitement thinking about this new identity for us this season,” Cosgrove says. “While we have several new faces, our returning core is strong, and that means our culture will be stable and even more contagious. When you have players who have been to a Final Four and a Sweet 16, they’re not going to settle for anything less.”

However, Cosgrove anticipates that the team will have stiff competition, particularly from the University of Massachusetts-Dartmouth.

“Everybody on that team is returning and they are loaded with talent,” she says. “They’re like our team was last season when we were a heavy favorite. Nonetheless, our goal is to win the Little East Conference championship and move on to the NCAA tournament.”

Sophia Guerrier, a key leader on last season’s team who graduated with her master’s degree, says she believes the squad will remain a force to be reckoned with under Cosgrove’s leadership.

“I don’t see this team being anything but successful,” Guerrier says. “Coach Cosgrove definitely has a vision in place for RIC to be among the best women’s teams nationally.”

Izabelle “Izzy” Booth, another senior who graduated last year, agrees: “As long as everyone shares their love and passion for the game, this team will still be a powerhouse.”