FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After a successful playing career, the four-member of the Fairfield University women's basketball Class of 2025 have found success since their graduation and all have taken the next step in their basketball journeys. The trio of Emina Selimovic, Izabela Nicoletti-Leite, and Raiana Brown all signed professional contracts overseas while Kendall McGruder will get her first step in her coaching journey as a Graduate Assistant at Charleston Southern.
 
"This senior class is so special and truly left a legacy here at Fairfield," Head Coach Carly Thibault-DuDonis said. "All four women transferred in from different universities for different lengths of time, but ultimately made Fairfield their home and found so much love and joy in the game and in this community - so much so that they all have chosen to stay in the game!"
 
Selimovic will continue her playing career with the Basket Namur Capitale, a member of the top division in Belgium. Selimovic was a two-time All-MAAC Third Team selection in her seasons with Fairfield while averaging 9.8 points and shooting nearly 50 percent from the field. She also earned a spot on the All-MAAC Tournament team he junior season, helping the Stags to the first of their back-to-back MAAC Championships.
 
In the classroom, Selimovic was a two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District selection and a two-time D1 AAA-ADA Scholar Athlete recipient. She earned a perfect 4.0 GPA and was awarded the Fairfield University Bellarmine Medal as the highest grade point average in the graduating class.
 
Coach Thibault-Dudonis on Selimovic: "Emina is one of the most meticulous and thorough human beings I've ever met. When she sets a goal, she is going to plan and do everything she can to achieve it which is exactly how she has worked to give herself the chance to play at the highest level in Europe on a Eurocup team. I have no doubt in my mind Emina will thrive!"
 
Nicoletti-Leite will return to her home country and compete for the Unimed Campinas Basquete, the reigning Sao Paulo Champions. Nicoletti-Leite played three years for the Stags, leading the team in assists in her last two seasons. She finished with 368 helpers as a Stag, the 13th-most in program history. She capped her Fairfield playing career with 168 assists during her final season, ranking in the top-40 in the nation and finishing fourth in Division I with a 3.23 assist-turnover ratio.
 
Coach Thibault-Dudonis on Nicoletti-Leite: "Iza, my first ever recruit here at Fairfield, will continue to make Brazil proud by playing at home.  I am happy that her family will get to see her play regularly and make an impact on one of the best teams in Brazil!"
 
McGruder will begin her coaching career as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Charleston Southern. McGruder played in 63 games over her two-year Stag career, connecting on 90 3-pointers while scoring over 400 points. She was listed on the WBCA So You Want to be a Coach Class, a program that increases the understanding and application of skills necessary to secure coaching positions in women's basketball. McGruder will join a Buccaneers team who finished 10-6 in the Big South, the second-straight season they have reached double-digit conference victories.  
 
Coach Thibault-Dudonis on McGruder: 'Coach Ken' as we called her has always had an IQ and a mind for the game. She was always helping get her teammates in the right spots and saw the game a step or two ahead, in addition to a heart for helping those in need. I am excited to watch her give back to the next generation of college basketball players!"
 
Brown will also continue her basketball career after signing a professional contract for Kouvottarien in Finland. The squad plays in the Korisliiga league, the top league in Finland which comprises the top-12 teams in the country. In her graduate season with the Stags, Brown was the top reserve in the conference earning the MAAC Sixth Player of the Year after averaging 7.9 points and 3.7 rebounds. She had one of the best offensive game in Fairfield history as she shot a perfect 11-for-11 from the field and netted 31 points in a win against Sacred Heart, earning her a National Player of the Week honor. In her five-year collegiate career, Brown scored over 2,200 points and over 800 rebounds.
 
Coach Thibault-Dudonis on Brown: "Since my very first conversation with Rai a little over a year ago, it was her goal to continue to play basketball and eventually play professionally overseas. It brings me so much joy to have seen her growth and now see her living her dreams. She is going to make a career in Europe as long as she wants!"
 
The quartet helped the Stags to back-to-back MAAC Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances while holding the best winning percentage in the nation over the last two seasons. The Stags also tallied votes in the Associated Press Top-25 Poll in both seasons for the first time in program history.