MORAGA, Calif. — The "run n' gun" style of offense the Gaels Women's Basketball team has employed in recent seasons might see a balanced attack in the future. Announced last week, Saint Mary's officially welcomes the addition of 6'3" center Ali Bamberger to the Gaels family after spending her freshman season of competition at the University of Washington.
 
Making her collegiate debut as a Husky, Bamberger appeared in 27 games and made her first and only start for Washington on December 15 at San Diego (WCC rivals of the Gaels). She averaged 3.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while seeing just under 14 minutes on the floor per contest. She was one of just four Huskies to record at least 10 blocks on the season, and she shined brightest in one of the biggest wins of the year. Taking on No. 8 UCLA, Bamberger scored a season-best 12 points in a 74-68 win, after scoring 10 with eight rebounds two days prior against USC.
 
Bamberger is not your traditional center: she can shoot the three-pointer, making her an excellent fit for head coach Paul Thomas. Of the 92 shots Bamberger took during her freshman season, 46 of them came from three-point range, where she shot 34.8% (16-46). This past season, the Gaels set program records for most three-pointers attempted (776) and made (287) while ranking 13^th in the NCAA in three-point percentage (37%).
 
"Ali will be a great addition to our program," head coach Paul Thomas stated about Bamberger. "As a person, she has all the qualities we look for: unselfish, caring, and driven. These are the same qualities she possesses on the court. Ali will be a great teammate for the Gaels."
 
This is not the first time a Bamberger will be playing basketball in Moraga. Ali's father, Eric, played four seasons for the men's team at Saint Mary's, from 1988-1992. Eric averaged 11 points per game across his four years, including back-to-back first-team All-WCC honors in 1991 and 1992, where he led the Gaels in scoring each season while also leading the team in rebounding his final three years. He holds places in the Gaels record book for scoring (one of 31 with 1,000 points), steals (11^th overall) and the seventh-best scoring game in Gaels history (37 against USF in 1989).
 
It's no surprise that adding someone of Bamberger's size will be a boost in the paint for the Gaels. Last season, after a few injuries decimated the depth on the Gaels roster, they were more susceptible to teams scoring down low, a trend that will be reversed with Bamberger manning the five. 
 
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