Hofstra women's basketball preview: Chloe Sterling's return a key piece

The hurt was still evident in Danielle Santos Atkinson’s voice eight months later.

The ache that the head coach of the Hofstra Pride’s women’s basketball team felt was not for herself. The pain was for guard Chloe Sterling, whose 2024-25 season ended prematurely in February with a knee injury.

“She’s meant everything to our program. Seeing her go down was one of the hardest parts of being a coach. To see great players — not only a great player but [also] a great person — have something just so devastating happen to them,” Santos Atkinson said during CAA media day.

But then, in the next breath, she expressed her belief in Sterling. In her character. Her mental makeup.

“If it [were] to happen to anyone, I knew she [would be] the one to handle it,” Santos Atkinson said. “To be able to put herself in a position to come back not only stronger and better on the floor from a basketball standpoint, [but] also mentally.”

For a team that finished last season with a 14-16 record overall and 9-9 in the CAA, the return of Sterling could be a difference-maker.

Before she was lost for the season, Sterling was averaging 13 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 33.3 minutes per game while starting 21.

“I’m happy and excited to get back on the court,” said Sterling. who called the experience “a blessing.”

How? Why?

“It’s [caused] me a little bit of growth,” Sterling said. “On what it’s like outside of playing in terms of patience and really leadership. I’m more of an I can show you better than I can tell you [player, and now] I don't have to. It's been good just to sit back and see and not always just rush to say anything or really rush to fix things. It’s been good to let other players get a first seat.

“I think, [for] my game, knowing that I’m more than just a player and more than what I can do, I can still bring something to the team even when I’m not on the court.”

Essentially, Sterling was talking about intangibles, which may be significant for a squad that has seven newcomers, including transfers Nevaeh Brown (UCF), Sana’a Garrett (Jacksonville), Deivejon Harris (Texas Southern), and Sandra Magolico (SMU).

The trio of Garrett, Harris and Brown have already earned praise from Santos Atkinson.

“They just all worked extremely hard,” Santos Atkinson said. “Sana’a, she’s done a great job of coming out there in the point guard standpoint and really getting in the flow, learning our system and understanding where we [want to be] and how we want to be able to play on the floor. She does a great job pushing the ball, attacking and getting to the basket. …

“[Deivejon] has done a great job. Dee has come in and worked extremely hard. She is a physical force in the paint. I don't think that there’s going to be anybody that can keep her — when she gets two feet in the paint — from putting the ball in the basket. That's what we want to continue to see from her.

“Nevaeh has come in and she is working extremely hard. [A] great leader for us, [she] has been so vocal in continuing to build our chemistry and bring this team together.

“Having all of that crew here this summer and this preseason has been a lot of fun. Great additions.”