Last year was Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh’s first in Ypsilanti after spending the previous four seasons at Canisius University.
Nusseibeh’s tenure at Canisius was highlighted by a marketable turnaround in her final campaign with the institution in 2023-24, leading the Golden Griffins to their first winning season since 2009.
Now entering her second season leading the Eastern Michigan University women’s basketball team, Nusseibeh faces a similar uphill climb.
At the helm of an Eagles program that has not posted a winning record since 2019-20, the 38-year-old led the green and white to a 2-27 record a year ago but now carries a refined squad into 2025-26 with just two players returning from the previous season.
“With who we recruited and who [transferred], what we really were looking for was three things: winners, workers and believers,” Nusseibeh said.
“Everybody we recruited, we talked about the fact that you’ve gotta be a worker, you’ve gotta be a winner, and you’ve gotta be a believer to be here. The women that looked me back in the eye and I could tell they were excited about being those three things — those are the ones in our locker room today,” she added, further elaborating on her roster overhaul.
One of the key building blocks for Nusseibeh’s program entering the new campaign is one of her two returning players from last year: preseason first team All-MAC selection Sisi Eleko.
Eleko, who paced the conference in double doubles a year ago while also finishing first in rebounds/game (10.1) and second in scoring (17.9), will likely headline the Eagles’ offensive efforts once again this season according to Nusseibeh.
“[Eleko] is a pro in how she approaches her craft — I’m excited for her to show herself and anyone who tunes in how she’s developed her game further,” she said.
Joining Eleko as a returning player to the group is Brooklyn Thrash, a senior from Wayne, Ohio, who started 28 of 29 games for the Eagles last year and averaged 6.8 points per game. Both Eleko and Thrash transferred from Canisius to Eastern Michigan when Nusseibeh took over as head coach in 2024.
“With [Thrash], I’m excited to see more consistent production,” Nusseibeh said.
“I know [Thrash] is capable of more consistent play, and I think she’s ready to meet that this year,” she added.
New to the green and white in the 2024-25 season will be nine international players, with notable names such as Fernanda Ovalle and Ainhoa Cea.
Ovalle, a former Big East All-Freshmen Team member hailing from Chile, returns to collegiate athletics this season after competing for her home country’s under 23 International Basketball Federation squad throughout the course of 2024-25.
Cea, who started every game at Lipscomb University and led the Atlantic Sun Conference in assists per game last year (4.6), originates from Irun, Spain.
Nusseibeh boasts an equal amount of faith in all 13 of her new players on the roster to contribute in 2025-26.
“I think this is a team where anyone can step up and show you and surprise you in terms of what they can do on the floor. I’m excited for all of them,” she said.
Catch the Eastern Michigan women’s basketball team on the hardwood for the first time this season on the road against the University of Louisiana Monroe as a part of the MAC-Sun Belt Conference Challenge on Monday, Nov. 3 at 7:30 p.m. streamed live on ESPN+.
