The award is presented annually by the Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies program.
On Tuesday, Oct. 29, the Fairfield University Women’s Basketball program received the 2024 Lucy Katz Award. The honor, presented annually by the College of Arts & Sciences' Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies program, was awarded “in recognition of their public commitment to women, LGBTQ+ and Black lives, [their] abiding respect for one another, and [their] extraordinary impact on the Fairfield community and beyond.”
Led by 2024 Kay Yow National Coach of the Year Carly Thibault-DuDonis, the Fairfield women’s basketball team hosted games celebrating themes of pride and Black excellence last season, with each game drawing more than 900 fans to the Leo D. Mahoney Arena. The Stags also used their social media to amplify their own voices as female student-athletes and to highlight people of color and women who have made an impact on the Fairfield Basketball program, the University, and the world.
“It’s something our program takes seriously, to be a space and a group of people where all are welcome,” said Coach Carly. “I love that our team has embraced standing for that and has been seen for the strength of our diversity.”
On the court, Fairfield posted a historic season in 2023-24. The Stags recorded a 31-2 overall record and a perfect 23-0 clip against MAAC opponents last season, culminating in a MAAC Championship and NCAA Tournament appearance. The campaign was highlighted by a conference-record 29-game winning streak, which was the second-longest in the nation, behind only #1 nationally ranked and eventual undefeated National Champion South Carolina.
Fairfield was ranked #25 in the nation by the AP – the first national ranking in program history – for the final three weeks of the 2023-24 season. The Stags will begin the 2024-25 campaign unranked but receiving votes from both the AP and in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll.
Fairfield women’s basketball will open their season on Monday, Nov. 4 at Arkansas. The Stags will make their first appearance at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 12 for a 7 p.m. game vs. Richmond.
Season and single-game tickets are on sale now at FairfieldStags.com/TIX.
