Third-year Head Coach Jody Adams brings in five new Aggies.
LAS CRUCES, N.M. - After reaching the 2024 Conference USA Championship Semifinals, Jody Adams and company revamped in preparation for the 2024-25 season. Three transfers and two incoming freshmen join the Crimson & White, bringing the preseason roster tally up to 14 student-athletes.
After spending the 2023-24 campaign with CUSA foe Sam Houston, Diarra Sissoko is prepped to spend her fifth and final season of collegiate basketball with NM State. Noah Garcia joins the Crimson & White after two seasons in Canada and a year in her native country of Spain. Anna Csenyi spent two campaigns at Casper College in Wyoming and is gearing up for her first season with the Crimson & White. The two incoming freshmen are Emma Dasovich of Surprise, Ariz. and Madi Gewirtz from Gilbert, Ariz.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on the 2024-25 roster additions: "I love our pieces, and these additions might just be the best overall group of newcomers we've had! They work hard, they compete, they are curious and they are great teammates."
#6 | Diarrah Sissoko | 5-Sr. | Guard | 5-10 | Sam Houston (2023-24), Grayson College (2022-23), Salt Lake CC (2020-22) | Ecole Fondamentale HS | Bamako, Mali
After two head-to-head matchups with NM State last year, Diarrah Sissoko will don the Crimson & White in 2024-25. The former Bearkat saw the Aggies first-hand as Sam Houston split the season series with the Aggies, including a 15-point, six-rebound performance in Sam Houston's win on Feb. 22. The Mali native shot 8-for-11 from the free-throw line in the win, as part of a 68.6% mark for the season. Sissoko finished the year with six starts across 24 appearances, but an injury two days after the win over NM State kept her out for the remainder of the season. Across the campaign, she averaged 6.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on Diarrah Sissoko: "Diarrah is athletic, and she competes at every position. She will get better every day because of her mentality."
#27 | Noah Garcia | Sr. | F | 6-3 | Real Canoe NC (2023-24), Brandon University (2021-23) | Madrid, Spain
As a 6-foot-3 forward, Noah Garcia brings three years of international experience to Las Cruces. The Madrid native began her collegiate career with two years at Brandon University in Manitoba, Canada. Garcia appeared in 37 games, making 11 starts for the Bobcats. In 2022-23, she averaged 16.4 minutes per game and started nine times, averaging 5.0 points per game and 5.4 per start. Garcia also averaged 4.3 rebounds per game, nearly doubling her rebounding total (86) from the year prior (44). At 6-foot-3, Garcia will be among the tallest on the 2024-25 roster, and her willingness to shoot from distance makes her a threat to stretch the floor.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on Noah Garcia: "Noah has great hands and feet. She's skilled at the rim, hits the three with ease and has solid vision on decision-making situations. Her ability to crash the boards means Noah and Fanta [Gassama] will be great together!"
#30 | Anna Csenyi | Jr. | Guard | 5-9 | Casper College (2022-24) | Szolnok, Hungary
After two campaigns at Casper College in Wyoming, Anna Csenyi joins Jody Adams' roster for the 2024-25 season with two years of eligibility remaining. The Hungarian saw substantial improvement in her sophom*ore outing, appearing in 35 games and making seven starts. The 5-foot-9 guard averaged 21.7 minutes per contest, posting 9.2 points and more than 1.1 3-pointers per contest on 36.4% shooting from beyond the arc. In 12 conference games, her numbers jumped to 11.8 points, 2.5 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.7 combined blocks and steals per night. Additionally, Cseyni's shooting splits climbed to 54.5% from the field and 38.2% from distance in conference matchups.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on Anna Csenyi: "She has a high, high IQ and is a vocal leader! Anna brings vision, a vertical at the rim and a strong, quick trigger from the three-point line. She is a true competitor."
#11 | Madi Gewirtz | Fr. | Guard | 5-11 | Highland HS | Gilbert, Ariz.
Madi Gewirtz simply does it all. As a senior at Highland High School, the 5-foot-11 guard led the Varsity squad in points (424), points per game (15.7), field-goal percentage (53.0), three-point percentage (39.5), free-throw percentage (79.0), rebounds (217), rebounds per game (8.0), assists (73), assists per game (2.7), steals (86), steals per game (3.2), blocks (43) and blocks per game (1.6). The Gilbert, Ariz. native brings serious versatility to the Crimson & White. Her elite shooting and nearly 5.0 combined blocks/steals per game make Gewirtz a nearly perfect prototypical guard under the Jody Adams system. In 2023-24, the Aggies led CUSA in opponent 3-point percentage, but will look to improve on what was the seventh-best 3-point percentage and sixth-best field goal percentage in conference games a year ago.
Head Coach Jody Adams, on Madi Gewirtz: "She has an extremely high ceiling. Madi plays hard, she competes at every position, is physical and long at the rim. On top of that, not only can she hit the three well and see the whole floor, but she's curious."
#25 | Emma Dasovich | Fr. | Forward | 6-0 | Valley Vista HS | Surprise, Ariz.
At Valley Vista High School, Emma Dasovich excelled in the frontcourt and announced her commitment to NM State in November 2023. As a senior, Dasovich poured in 13.4 points, 7.1 rebounds (3.0 offensive), 3.5 assists and 3.0 combined blocks/steals per game. Across her varsity career, Dasovich shot 55.8% from the field and sank 24 3-pointers. Valley Vista advanced to the Arizona Open State Championship Quarterfinals, before falling to Pinnacle. In the first round of the postseason, Dasovich posted 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting, hauling in eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and a block. Dasovich provides a solid 6-foot frame that is ready to step into a provide for roster that saw two centers graduate in 2024.
Who They Join
NM State went 13-18 a year ago, advancing to the CUSA Championship Semifinals. The Aggies were one of the final three teams remaining in the tournament, after a masterful defensive performance propelled them past No. 3-seeded FIU in the quarterfinals a day prior. With the graduation of frontcourt duo Femme Sikuzani Masudi and Ene Adams (2023-24 All-CUSA Honorable Mention), the Aggies will look to supplement their departure.
However, nearly every rotational guard and wing will be back in action in 2024-25, with 75.66% of the 2023-24 point production still on the roster. Additionally, the returning Aggies accounted for 85.14% of all assists and 97.71% of 3-pointers made (128 of 131) a season ago.
The 2024-25 roster will consist of two freshmen, one sophom*ore and 11 upperclassmen. Of those 11, nine student-athletes are entering their fourth season or later of collegiate basketball.
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