ORLANDO- UCF women’s basketball added three signees for the 2024-25 season, head coach Sytia Messer announced on Wednesday.
The signees include rising seniors Hannah Gusters and Alley Stedman and incoming freshman Emely Rodriguez will all suit up in black and gold for the Knights next season.
Gusters, a transfer from Oklahoma State, will join the Knights’ 2024-25 roster as a center. The Dallas, Texas native led the Cowgirls in scoring averaging 14.3 points per game, playing in 21 games. As a junior, she recorded 17 games with double-digit scoring.
“We’re excited to add an experienced and proven post player like Hannah to our roster,” added Coach Messer. “I’m a firm believer that in life it’s all about the relationships you make as I’ve known Hannah since the 8th grade. She is someone I believe in and know she’ll take our program to new heights. She is an elite player with the ability to face up, drive and play with her back to the basket. We’re excited to start this next chapter with Hannah.”
The 6-5 center is familiar with Coach Messer and the Big 12 conference as she spent the 2020-21 season at Baylor and the 2021-22 season at LSU. The MacArthur High School graduate was tabbed as a McDonald’s All-American in 2020, marking the first recruit in UCF women’s basketball history to earn that honor. Out of high school she was ranked 16th overall and No. 2 center by ESPNW.
“I’m super excited to be back with Coach Messer,” said Gusters. “She started recruiting me in the 8th grade and we’ve always had a close relationship. Coming to UCF is special to me and it’s a full circle moment as I trust her and know she is going to take care of me.”
Stedman spent the last season at Miami (Fla.) following two seasons at Pepperdine. The 5-9 guard played in 26 games earning a start as a junior for the Hurricanes.
“Ally brings a unique skillset to our program as she is able to shoot and score at a high level, said Coach Messer. “She is an important piece of the puzzle as we continue to build the culture and direction of where our program is headed. We are excited for Ally to be a part of the family and we can’t wait for her to do great things here.”
In her two seasons at Pepperdine, she started in 41 games averaging 13.7 points per game to earn All-WCC Honorable Mention (2022-23) and WCC All-Freshman team (2021-22). The Phoenix, Ariz., native comes to UCF as a rising senior.
Rodriguez joins the incoming freshman class as a 6-0 guard/forward from Miami, Florida. In her senior season at Central Pointe Academy, she helped lead her team to bring home the SIAA State Championship and the NISAA Championship. She is one of the top guards in the nation and received offers from UConn, South Carolina and Florida State.
Previously, she was named the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Girls’ Basketball Player of the Year after her junior season where she averaged 26.5 points per game and led Horeb Christian with 15.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game.
“Emely is one of the best high school players in the 2024 class, said Coach Messer. “She is a versatile player who can score the ball at all three levels and can defend multiple positions. Throughout her high school career she has shown that she is a proven scorer and has the competitive edge to win championships. We were able to sign Emely over some of the top schools in the country. The sky is the limit and we can’t wait to tap into this next level of Emely’s basketball journey.”
The Dominican Republic native came to the United States in 2021 to chase her basketball dreams as she helped lead the Horeb Christian Mustangs to their first-ever state championship game in 2023.