Junior women’s basketball player Ketsia Athias is heading into the Metro Athletic Atlantic Conference championships with a standout season under her belt. 

Athias became a Gael just last season when she transferred from New York Institute of Technology. She was drawn to Iona by the welcoming coaching staff and the nursing program, according to her profile on icgaels.com. At NYIT she averaged 9.3 points a game in 61 appearances.  

Athias joined the Gaels in the middle of the season and immediately started to make an impact, playing in six games with five starts. In her debut weekend against Manhattan, she scored 12 points on Feb. 13 and achieved a season-best of 10 rebounds on Feb.14. 

Athias came out hot during the 2021 MAAC championship game against Saint Peter’s University on Mar. 11, 2021, scoring 10 points, six rebounds, with an assist and two blocks to close out her first season at Iona. 

The 6’2” center started off the 2022 season with three blocks against Bryant University, helping the Gaels win 60-56 on Nov. 9, 2021. She followed up the next game with seven rebounds and 10 points against Winthrop University on Nov. 13, 2021. Athias also had 14 points against the University of Massachusetts on Nov. 16, 2021. 

She had a season-high of six blocks against Monmouth University on Feb. 26, with three turnovers. Athias’ best game this season was against Canisius College on Feb. 3, where she had a total of 24 points and 15 rebounds. This performance by Athias allowed the Gaels to cruise to a 66-55 win over the Griffins. 

Athias was named a Met Basketball Writers Association Honorable Mention after her standout performance during the week of Feb. 21-27, averaging 11 rebounds, five blocks, and 12 points per game. This is her second MBWA award of her college career, having earned her first during her time at NYIT. 

This season, Athias has scored double-figures in 12 of her 21 appearances. She finished the season with 264 total points, 18 steals and 32 blocks. She currently stands first in the MAAC and 18th in the country for field goal percentage at 56.6%.  

Athias has helped the Gaels reach an overall regular season record of 10-15. They have won four out of their last six games, including a MAAC tournament win over Rider on Tuesday morning.