Maddy Siegrist didn’t become a Big East star overnight.
In reality, her start as a college ball player was less than glamorous. When touring colleges,
Villanova’s veteran coach Harry Perretta was straight up with
Maddy. “You’re probably not going to play a lot. We’ll see how you do, but I’m not sure.”
At the time, every other college had given
Maddy big praise, making her big promises. Except for
Villanova. She committed to the school a few days later, taking Perretta’s rebuff and turning it into fuel. Because when it comes to success,
Maddy Siegrist isn’t looking for a sprint – she’s ready to run the marathon.
It’s her attitude of patient, dedicated practice, especially in the darkest moments, that’s made
Maddy into a star player. Just two days into Villanova preseason practice,
Maddy fractured her ankle, taking her down before her first season had even begun. But she looked for the silver lining, taking the time out to perfect her three-point shots. It paid off: the next year,
Maddy led
Villanova in scoring and rebounds and was named Big East Rookie of the Year, among other accolades.
And when the pandemic took
Maddy not just out of the game, but out of training with her team, she still kept working. If she couldn’t train on the court, she could always enlist one of her four siblings or her father, 6’ 6” former Marist basketball player George Siegrist, to daily games of one-on-one or workouts.
No longer a worried freshman,
Maddy has been credited with taking the
Wildcats to new heights. But not one to take it easy, her dedication to practicing behind the scenes never slows. Just in February,
Villanova stunned fans by taking down women’s basketball powerhouse
UConn for the first time in eighteen years, a huge achievement. When asked about the win, Maddy wasn’t too shocked: “You know how many times I beat
UConn in my backyard?”