Madison, N.J. (April 16)- In preparation for our Devils Athletics Giving Day, The FDU Devils Athletic Department is spotlighting student-athletes who have played a pivotal role in their team's success and how they have impacted the department and campus community as a whole. We spotlight these student-athletes to show the success of the department is having through its student-athletes and how a donation to this department can only further help them continue to have success in the future for FDU Devils Athletics and inspire more student-athletes to come and grow with this department.
 
If you would like to donate to one of our FDU Devils Athletics teams or to the Department as a whole, please go to https://fdudevils.com/givingday. Any donation made is greatly appreciated and goes directly to the enhancement of our student-athlete experience.
 
For today's spotlight, we look into the sensational rookie season of Neysa Aguilar (Middlesex, N.J.)
 
Coming off a 2022-23 season that saw the Devils Women's Basketball team finish winless at 0-20, Head Coach Van Johnson set out to rebuild the women's basketball program "brick-by-brick" and he did exactly that, expanding his roster from only six players in 2022-23 to 17 this season. At the epicenter of this "brick-by-brick" rebuild, is Aguilar, who did as much as you could possibly ask from a first-year guard and more. Aguilar impressed countless teammates, coaches, opponents, and spectators with her play on the court and her work ethic off of it.
 
Aguilar also had the opportunity to shine in front of returning alumni at two different special occasions this season. The first being the return of the 2013-14 Division III National Championship team on December 16, 2023, which was celebrating the 10^th anniversary of their historic achievement. With almost the full national championship team and coaching staff in attendance, Aguilar put together her third-highest point total of the season with 29 points that went along with six rebounds, five assists, and three steals en route to a 76-69 Devils win against Madison Avenue rival Drew. The second big event was the court dedication to the late great FDU Devils Hall of Famer Roger Kindel which took place on January 28, 2024. With a packed Ferguson Rec Center Gym in attendance to support both Devil's basketball programs and Roger's legacy, Neysa exploded for her highest point total of the season. She dropped 35 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals to help lead the Devils to a double-overtime victory against MAC Freedom foe King's (Pa.), 94-88.
 
Her incredible performance on the court led to a mountain of accolades. She led the conference in scoring with 20.3 points per game became the fifth best single-season points per game mark in Devils history and was top 20 in all of Division III. She became the first Devils women's basketball player to be named MAC Freedom Rookie of the Year and ECAC Rookie of the Year since the 2016-17. She also received Second Team All-MAC Freedom, Second Team All-ECAC, and Third Team All-Met. Neysa was one of only three student-athletes in the MAC Freedom to receive more than one MAC Freedom Player of the Week honor.
 
While the women's basketball fell short of a post-season appearance, the season was still a success as the Devils flipped a 0-20 season into an 11-13 finish with a lineup of mostly first-year students. Building the program back to where it was as a perennial playoff contender is no easy task, but the "brick-by-brick" rebuild is on and with a centerpiece like Aguilar at the helm, it makes the future of the program look incredibly promising.
 
A donation to for Devils Athletics Giving Day would ensure that student-athletes like Neysa get the best experience possible and help them achieve these special feats on and off the court. Please consider a donation for our Devils Athletics Giving Day at https://fdudevils.com/givingday.