BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Three members of the Bridgewater State University women's basketball program have been selected to the 2023-2024 Academic All-District® One Division III Women's Basketball Team by the College Sports Communicators (CSC).
Earning the honor from Bridgewater State are graduate guard Sydney Bradbury, senior forward Sophia Gaucher and junior guard Kylie Grassi. All three are making their second straight appearance on the CSC Academic All-District® One Division III Women's Basketball Team.
Joining the three Bears on the Academic All-District® One Division III Women's Basketball Team from the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) are Framingam State senior Gwendolyn Carpenter, Westfield State senior Jess Gardner and sophomore Kristie Zator of MCLA.
The 2023-2024 Academic All-District® Women’s Basketball Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the court and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes basketball honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.
To be eligible for all-academic honors, a student-athlete must be a starter or a key reserve, maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.50 on a scale of 4.00, have reached sophomore athletic and academic standings at his/her current institution and be nominated by his/her sports information director. A student-athlete must have also played in at least 50% of her team's contests for the 2023-2024 season.
Academic All-District® honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First, second and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced in mid-April.
Bradbury, a health studies major, wrapped up her undergraduate academic career this past fall with a 3.67 grade point average. The East Bridgewater, Massachusetts product averaged a career-high 14.3 points this season to go along with 3.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.5 steals in 24 games. She also shot 35.8% (83-232) from the floor and 86.5% (32-37) at the free throw line. Her 83 three-pointers set the Bears' single-season record.
Bradbury led the MASCAC in made three-pointers in 2023-2024, and ranked fourth in three-point shootng percentage as well as tenth in scoring. On a national level, Bradbury led all of Division III in made three-pointers per game (3.46).
In 98 games over four seasons at Bridgewater State, Bradbury accumulated 1,076 points, 358 rebounds, 231 assists, 118 steals, and 22 blocked shots. She is second all-time in program history in made three-pointers (205), third in free throw shooting percentage (77.0%) and 13th in points.
Bradbury garnered All-MASCAC Second Team honors earlier this month and was selected to play in the NEWBA Senior All-Star Game.
Gaucher, who hails from Lakeville, Massachusetts, currently sports a 3.54 GPA while majoring in psychology. She played in 25 games this season with 24 starts and averaged 9.8 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting 45.9% (94-205) from the floor. Gaucher ranked fifth in the MASCAC in field goal percentage and tied for ninth in blocked shots (0.7 bpg).
In 86 games over four season with the Bears, Gaucher amassed 667 points, 425 rebounds, 148 assists, 31 blocks and 80 steals. She was named to the All-MASCAC First Team in 2022-2023 and was chosen as the MASCAC Defensive Player of the Year.
A Plymouth, Massachusetts product, Grassi is majoring in health science and checks in with a 3.61 GPA. She averaged a school record 20.6 points in 26 games this season as well as 4.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.3 steals. Grassi also shot 43.8% (182-416) from the field, 30.3% (30-99) from behind the arc and 75.4% (141-187) at the free throw line.
Grassi led the MASCAC in scoring, made field goals and made free throws. She also ranked third among the conference leaders in minutes played (36.0 mpg), fourth in free throw percentage, sixth in field goal percentage, seventh in assists, steals and blocked shots (0.7 bpg), eighth in made three-pointers and ninth in three-point percentage.
On a national level, Grassi finished the season 11th in all of Division III in made free throws and 16th in scoring.
Grassi, a two-time MASCAC Player of the Year and All-MASCAC First Team selection, has amassed 1,202 points, 314 rebounds, 179 assists, 46 blocks and 151 steals in 75 career games. She is currently tied for fifth on the Bears' all-time scoring list.
Bradbury, Gaucher and Grassi helped the BSU women's basketball team post a 15-12 record in 2023-2024 including a 10-2 mark in MASCAC play. Seeded second in the MASCAC Tournament, the Bears posted a 105-94 semifinal round win over #3 Westfield State before dropping a 74-62 decision to top-seeded Framingham State in the conference championship game.
2023-2024 CSC Academic All-District® Division III Women's Basketball Teams (PDF)