Six years ago, the Fordham Women’s Basketball team had a zero win season, and things looked bleak for the Rams. Fast forward to last Sunday, when the Fordham Rams claimed the Women’s Basketball Atlantic 10 title for the first time in school history, beating out the Dayton Flyers 63-51, and officially heading to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1994. This crazy turnaround has so many components to it, and one of these factors is senior captain Abigail Corning. Not only is she a great basketball player, but she is also one of the nicest people you can imagine. Learn about what Abigail (pictured above with senior co-captain Erin Rooney) is like off the court, and how you can support them as they head to the “Big Dance!” Go Rams Go!
Where are you from? Wethersfield, CT
What year are you? Senior
What is your major? Marketing
When you’re not on the court, what else are you involved in? President of Student Athlete Advisory Council, Treasurer of Business of Sports Society at Fordham
How did you decide to come to Fordham? It has a great academic reputation and its proximity to my house was perfect because my family was able to come to most of my home games and it’s always been important to me that they could see me play live. I also loved the city location and the beautiful campus and it felt like a second home for me, especially with how well I clicked with my teammates.
You ladies are A10 champs, congrats! Can you describe what you were feeling during that final game, those last minutes before the buzzer officially said you won the title? My heart was racing with excitement and at about a minute left, I knew we had the game sealed but still told my teammates to play defense and get a stop. When the final buzzer sounded I could barely breathe, I was so overwhelmed. I loved just hugging all my teammates and celebrating together because we had worked so hard to get to that point.
Last year, you were so close to getting that title, losing to Saint Joe’s by 1, do you think that made the team even more determined this year? It definitely fueled us to get back to the championship again but this year’s team had different players stepping into new roles and it pieced together at the right time at the end of the season. Our experience of playing in close games, even back to last year’s championship helped us stay calm and composed throughout this year’s tournament.
With the automatic bid to the tournament, what’s next for you girls and how can Ram Fans get involved to support you guys on your run to the national title? We have to wait until Monday to see where and who we will play, but then we have a whole week to practice and prepare to win in the first round. Ram Fans can continue to support us like they have all season, and maybe if we play close enough, we can fill a fan bus to travel to the location to cheer us on.
As a student athlete, you are extremely busy all the time. Do you have any tips for students who are trying to balance schoolwork, extracurriculars, and other obligations like internships? Time management is so important. Planning ahead and keeping on track and not procrastinating are also crucial when trying to balance many activities at once. You have to be dedicated and organized, but it is not an impossible task. I also think it is helpful to have a stress-relieving activity that you like to do in order to get your mind off of pressing things.
What’s your favorite thing about New York? No matter how many times I go into the city, I always discover something new. It’s a busy and exciting place to explore.
Do you have a favorite NYC memory? Seeing my first Broadway show, The Lion King, when I was young. We had box seats and it was such a great production.
What’s on your NYC bucket list? Go ice skating at Rockefeller Center, see the ball drop on New Year’s Eve, try food from various food carts/trucks around the city.
Do you have a favorite Fordham memory? Definitely winning the A10 Championship.
What’s your favorite class you’ve taken at Fordham? I liked my Modern Irish Literature class.
What’s your least favorite class you’ve taken at Fordham? Operations and Production management.
Where’s your favorite spot on campus? Eddie’s in the spring-I am a big frisbee and Kan Jam fan, and I love having fun outside.
What’s your dream job? To work for Nike.
What do you think the best part of a Jesuit education is? Being part of a close-knit community and learning how to impact society in a beneficial way.
What’s one thing everyone would be surprised to learn about you? I have webbed toes.
Pick one!
Bronx Zoo or Botanical Gardens? Bronx Zoo
Arthur Ave/Fordham Road? Arthur Ave
Cafeteria or Grille? Grille
Conway or Dr. Jay’s? Conway
RamVan or Subway? Ram Van
Met or MoMA? MoMA
Hot Dog or Bagel? Hot Dog
Broadway or Off-Broadway? Broadway
Radio City or Madison Square Garden? MSG
Central Park or Brooklyn Bridge? Central Park