The FGCU women’s basketball program added a key piece to next year’s team on Tuesday with the signing of Ashli O’Neal, a graduate transfer from Indiana State.
The 5-3 point guard was named to the Missouri Valley Conference’s (MVC) All-Defensive team last year after averaging 13.1 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals per game. She finished the season ranked 52nd and 58th in the nation, respectively, in steals per game and total steals and drew a team-high 25 charges.
“Ashli can really push the tempo,” FGCU head coach Karl Smesko said. “She attacks the paint, gets to the foul line and can shoot the three. Defensively, she can apply pressure and make plays. She should make major contributions this season.”
O’Neal, who will look to help fill the void left at the position by the graduations of Lisa Zderadicka (Vienna, Austria/HAK Korneuburg) and Keri Jewett-Giles, graduated from Indiana State in three years. She will join the Green and Blue with 857 career points. In regard to her defensive ability, her 68 steals in 2018-19 would have led FGCU as the next closest player was Jewett-Giles (Fort Myers, Fla./Dunbar HS) with 50.
As a sophomore, O’Neal was named Honorable Mention All-MVC and garnered MVC Player of the Week recognition on Jan. 29. She played and started in all 30 games. She saw action in 23 games as a freshman, tallying 4.5 points per contest along with 23 total steals.
O’Neal is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio, where she was a two-time Cincinnati Hills League player of the year at Wyoming High School.
The FGCU women’s basketball team finished 28-5 overall and 16-0 in ASUN play in 2018-19, capturing the program’s ninth ASUN regular season championship and its sixth tournament championship. The team advanced to the NCAA Tournament before seeing their 19-game winning streak snapped by Miami (Fla.) in the first round. It was the program’s third straight appearance in the Big Dance, including its sixth over the past eight years.
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SUPPORT THE WOMEN’S BASKETBALL PROGRAM
Do you enjoy watching or following the FGCU women’s basketball program? Would you like to play a role in the growth of the program and help take it to heights never before experienced? If so, you can reach out to Director of Advancement, Matt Ring, about opportunities to make an impact on the experiences of our student-athletes. He can be reached by email atmring@fgcu.edu or by office phone at 239-745-4434.