Women's Basketball
- Title:
- Women's Basketball Head Coach
- Email:
- patricia.sacca@qu.edu
- Phone:
- (203) 582-5362
The first full-time, female coach in school history, Tricia Fabbri, enters her 31st year as the coach at Quinnipiac University. Fabbri was hired in 1995 after a three-year stint as an assistant coach at her alma mater, Fairfield University. As a player under Coach Dianne Nolan, the former Tricia Sacca won two MAAC championships, scored 1,622 points, grabbed 1,037 rebounds, and earned three First-Team All-Conference selections and an All-Team selection. She was twice selected to All-Conference teams, a feat later matched by her daughter, Carly, in 2017 and 2018 at Quinnipiac.
The all-time winningest coach in Quinnipiac women’s basketball history, Fabbri enters the 2025-26 campaign with 544 career wins, ranking 12th among active Division I head coaches.
Fabbri guided the program’s transition from the Northeast 10 Conference in Division II to the Northeast Conference in Division I. In the 1998-99 season, Quinnipiac finished 9-18 and qualified for the conference playoffs. In 2000-2001, the team earned its first winning season in nine years, losing to LIU-Brooklyn in overtime in the conference semifinals; in the process, Fabbri was named the Coach of the Year.
In 2005-06, Fabbri led the Bobcats to their first 20-win season and an appearance in the NEC championship game despite featuring four freshmen, including Erin Kerner, the conference’s Rookie of the Year. It lost a thriller to top seed Sacred Heart, 69-65. For her efforts, Fabbri was again named the NEC Coach of the Year. In 2007-08, Fabbri and Quinnipiac shared the regular season championship with Robert Morris. The Bobcats earned a berth in the Women’s National Invitational, the first national postseason tournament appearance in Quinnipiac women’s basketball Division I history. It lost to Iona, 71-59. Brianna Rooney was tabbed the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year. She would win the award the following year as well.
In 2011-12, the Bobcats advanced to the NEC semifinals. Quinnipiac was selected for the WNIT, where it fell to Temple, 75-60. Felicia Barron was named the Northeast Conference’s Defensive Player of the Year and to the All-NEC First Team after leading the nation in steals throughout the season. At the beginning of the year, Quinnipiac notched its most significant win in program history at the time, beating Minnesota, 64-62, in the opening round of the Saint Mary’s (CA) Holiday Tournament, which it won the following night. During the 2012-2013 campaign, it was last in the NEC. Quinnipiac defeated St. Francis (Pa.), 72-33, in Hamden for the conference championship, earning the school’s inaugural trip to the NCAA Division 1 Tournament. The Bobcats fell to Maryland, 72-52. Fabbri led the Bobcats to the first 30-win season in both program and conference history. They were a perfect 18-0 in conference play. McQuain was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player.
Throughout the season, the team was recognized in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 Poll for 15 consecutive weeks, as the Bobcats climbed as high as seventh in the poll. The Bobcats also received votes in the National AP Polls for the first time in program history. Deservingly so, Fabbri was named the 2013 NEC Coach of the Year by her peers and accepted the Sterling House “Spirit Award” at the annual celebrity breakfast in Stratford, Conn. Under Fabbri’s tutelage, Felicia Barron earned her second consecutive NEC Defensive Player of the Year award and a trip to the NEC First Team; Brittany McQuain was named to the NEC Second Team; and Jasmine Martin was selected to the NEC Third Team.
Quinnipiac joined the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in 2013-14 and made an immediate impact in their new league as the Bobcats advanced to the MAAC Championship game before finishing runners-up to Marist. Fabbri led the Bobcats to a 21-13 overall record in 2013-14 and a 14-6 mark in their first season as a MAAC institution. As the No. 4 seed in the 2014 MAAC Tournament, Quinnipiac upended the No. 1 seed Iona Gaels in the Semifinal to make it to a second straight conference championship game appearance. The season ended with the Bobcats’ first at-large postseason tournament berth as Quinnipiac made it to the WNIT for the second time in three years, eventually falling short against Villanova. Under her tutelage, three players garnered All-Conference honors as Brittany McQuain and Jasmine Martin earned Second Team honors while Gillian Abshire made it on the All-MAAC Third Team. Maria Napolitano was awarded the Sixth Player of the Year.
Fabbri’s transformative 2014-15 season redefined the record books at Quinnipiac as her squad went 31-4 (.886-win percentage) overall and 20-0 in conference play on their way to winning the 2015 MAAC Championship and earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament. Fabbri led the Bobcats to their most wins (31) in a single season in program history as well as their second 30-win campaign in the last three seasons. Quinnipiac became the first MAAC school in conference history (est. 1980) to finish 20-0 in conference play and just the sixth squad to go undefeated in league play. As the No. 1 seed in the 2015 MAAC Tournament, Quinnipiac upended Monmouth, Siena, and ultimately the nine-time defending MAAC Champ Marist to claim their first MAAC Championship. Her record-breaking season earned Fabbri the MAAC Coach of the Year award on a unanimous vote by her peers. Throughout the season, Quinnipiac received unparalleled recognition in the national polls as Fabbri’s squad earned four votes in the Associated Press (AP) Top 25 National Poll, totaled two votes in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, ranked No. 10 in the ESPNW Mid-Major Poll and were ranked No. 6 in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll. All four distinctions in the national voting polls were good enough for program records, while the Bobcats’ votes in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll marked the first time the program had ever received recognition in that selective poll.
In 2014-15, Fabbri guided the tutelage of four All-MAAC performers, including Samantha Guastella (First Team), Val Driscoll (Second Team), Gillian Abshire (Third Team), and Nikoline Ostergaard (Third Team). In the history of the MAAC, only two teams before the 2014-15 Bobcats had four players earn All-Conference laurels, excluding the inclusion of the All-Rookie Team. During the 2015-16 season, Quinnipiac won 17 straight conference games after an 0-3 conference start to win the MAAC regular season crown, despite losing all five starters from the previous year’s team. After losing its top scorer in the conference semifinals, Quinnipiac fell to Iona, 57-41, in the championship game. Fabbri again earned MAAC Coach of the Year honors. Aryn McClure was named the Rookie of the Year. The Bobcats rebounded in the first round of the WNIT by throttling Maine, 90-44, the program’s first national postseason tournament win in Division 1.
In 2016-17, Fabbri led the Bobcats on a thrilling ride to the Sweet 16, establishing one of the greatest single seasons by any program in school history. Behind the play of the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, Adily Martucci, the Bobcats beat Rider, 64-59, in the MAAC championship game.
Quinnipiac then became just the fourth No. 12 seed in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament history to advance to the Sweet 16. The Bobcats beat No. 25 Marquette, 68-65, in Miami to earn their first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. Two nights later, they upset No. 16 Miami, 85-78. The Cinderella story ended a week later when the Bobcats were done in by eventual NCAA Champion South Carolina 100-58 in Stockton, California. Quinnipiac, which finished 29-7, was voted No. 23 in the USA Today Coaches’ Poll, its first-ever national ranking. In addition, Quinnipiac was voted the top mid-major program in the nation in the College Insider Mid-Major Poll, another first.
In the 2017-18 season, Fabbri led the Bobcats to a 28-6 record, an 18-0 mark in the MAAC, and a third MAAC title. They overcame Marist, 67-58, as Jen Fay was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. The No. 9 seed in the East Region, Quinnipiac beat Miami, 86-72, for a second consecutive year, before losing to No. 1 Connecticut in the second round. Fabbri was named the Coach of the Year for the third time.
The 2018-19 campaign featured Quinnipiac’s eighth consecutive 20-win season. The 26-7 team posted its fourth undefeated season in MAAC play and won its third consecutive MAAC title and fourth overall when it thumped Marist, 81-51. Jen Fay was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for the second year. The Bobcats eventually fell to sixth-seeded South Dakota State, 76-65, at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Fabbri won her fourth Coach of the Year honor.
During the 2020-21 season, Quinnipiac finished 13-8 and earned the second seed in the conference tournament. Mackenzie Dewees was named Quinnipiac’s first MAAC Player of the Year, and Mikala Morris was the third to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
In 2021-22, the Bobcats returned to the national postseason stage, advancing to the WNIT for the fifth time in program history. Quinnipiac finished with a 21-12 record - the program’s 11th straight winning season - and defeated Rhode Island to earn the program’s fifth-ever win in a national postseason tournament and first since the 2018 season. The program earned WBCA Division I Academic Team honors, recording a 3.405 team GPA to rank 53rd of all Division I women’s basketball programs.
Quinnipiac Women’s Basketball enjoyed another impressive season in 2022-23, going 21-9 (16-4 MAAC) to earn a first-round bye in the league tournament. The Bobcats went 12-3 in Hamden and went on a 10-game unbeaten streak from Jan. 19 – Feb. 18 during MAAC play. The Bobcats saw three players earn All-MAAC honors, led by Mary Baskerville, earning the title of 2022-23 MAAC Women’s Basketball Sixth Player of the Year. Baskerville became the third player in program history to garner the distinction, joining former Bobcats Taylor Herd (2018-19) and Maria Napolitano (2014-15) to do so.
Senior Mikala Morris received All-MAAC status for the fourth consecutive season, earning a spot on the All-MAAC Second Team. Morris joined Aryn McClure as just the second player in the program’s Division I history to earn All-League status four times. Fellow senior Cur’Tiera Haywood earned Third Team All-MAAC honors, while first-year Ella O’Donnell was named to the MAAC All-Rookie Team after her first season with the Bobcats. Haywood earned All-MAAC Third Team honors after previously earning MAAC All-Rookie Team distinction as a first-year player in 2019-20.
In 2023-24, the Bobcats were led by their young squad to the MAAC Postseason. Anna Foley earned All-MAAC Second Team honors, while she and Karson Martin were both named to the All-Rookie Team. Foley earned Rookie of the Week honors four times and was a one-time MAAC Player of the Week honoree.
The Bobcats got off to a flying start in the 2024-25 campaign, winning their first six games of the season before falling to ACC foe, Miami, in overtime. From there, the Bobcats won nine straight games, starting the season 15-1, their best start to a season in program history. Quinnipiac rolled into the MAAC Tournament with a 28-5 overall record and an 18-2 mark in conference play. The 18 MAAC wins were the program’s most wins in conference play since the 2018-19 season. The Bobcats defeated the Iona Gaels in the MAAC Quarterfinals and downed the Merrimack Warriors in the MAAC Semifinal to reach the MAAC Title game for the first time since 2019. Despite a loss in the Championship game, the Bobcats earned the program’s first invite to the WBIT.
After leading the Bobcats to their most wins (28) in a season since 2017-18 and their most wins in a conference slate (18) in six seasons, Fabbri was named the MAAC Coach of the Year for the fifth time in her coaching career.
First-year star Gal Raviv earned the conference’s Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year award, the first time in the league’s history a player has won both of those awards in the same season (men’s or women’s). Raviv’s numbers were astonishing, averaging 18.0 points per game and becoming the first player since Jasmine Martin (2013-14) to reach the 500+ point threshold in a single season. Raviv was named MAAC Rookie of the Week eleven times, tying the record for the most Rookie of the Week awards in a single season.
Three Bobcats earned All-MAAC honors after the 2024-25 season. Gal Raviv was named to the All-MAAC First Team and All-Rookie Team, Anna Foley earned All-MAAC Second Team honors for the second straight season, and Jackie Grisdale was named to the All-MAAC Third Team.
During her twelve-year MAAC tenure, Fabbri and Quinnipiac have won four MAAC championships, three NCAA Tournament games, and two WNIT games. Quinnipiac has had two Player of the Year award winners, a Defensive Player of the Year, two Rookies of the Year, and three Sixth Players of the Year. Quinnipiac has had 30+ players selected to All-Conference teams, including eight first-team selections. She has been named conference Coach of the Year five times.
During her 15-year NEC tenure, Fabbri and Quinnipiac won one title. Fabbri coached one Player of the Year, one Rookie of the Year, two Defensive Players of the Year, and 28 All-Conference selections. Fabbri was named conference Coach of the Year three times.
Since joining NCAA Division I, Coach Fabbri has distinguished herself as a premier coach in the region. Fabbri and the Bobcats left the Northeast Conference in 2013, ranking second all-time in career NEC regular season wins (177) and overall NEC wins (187).
In 1998, Fabbri was inducted into the Fairfield University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2002, she was also inducted into the Connecticut Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame and the Delran (N.J.) High School Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2006, she was named to the MAAC 25th Anniversary Team. She was inducted into the Albert Carino Basketball Club of South Jersey Hall of Fame. That year, she also received the St. Clare Award at the 22nd Annual Franciscan Sports Banquet.
Fabbri served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Competition Committee from 2016-2018.
Fabbri and her husband, Paul, have three children: Carly, Armand, and Paul Henry.
Tricia Fabbri Career Coaching Records
| Year | Overall | Conf. | Home | Road | Neutral |
| 1995–96 | 2–23 | 1–15 | 1–13 | 1–10 | 0–0 |
| 1996–97 | 6–19 | 5–13 | 4–8 | 2–11 | 0–0 |
| 1997–98 | 7–20 | 6–14 | 4–8 | 3–12 | 0–0 |
| 1998–99 | 9–18 | 9–11 | 4–6 | 5–12 | 0–0 |
| 1999–00 | 9–18 | 6–12 | 5–7 | 4–9 | 0–2 |
| 2000–01 | 16–13 | 12–6 | 8–4 | 7–8 | 1–1 |
| 2001–02 | 13–14 | 10–8 | 8–3 | 4–7 | 1–4 |
| 2002–03 | 18–10 | 14–4 | 10–1 | 8–5 | 0–4 |
| 2003–04 | 18–11 | 11–7 | 10–3 | 7–7 | 1–1 |
| 2004–05 | 16–13 | 12–6 | 6–4 | 9–8 | 1–1 |
| 2005–06 | 22–8 | 15–3 | 12–3 | 10–5 | 0–0 |
| 2006–07 | 16–12 | 10–8 | 9–4 | 6–8 | 1–0 |
| 2007–08 | 25–6 | 16–2 | 11–2 | 13–1 | 1–3 |
| 2008–09 | 18–11 | 11–7 | 10–3 | 8–6 | 0–2 |
| 2009–10 | 12–18 | 7–11 | 7–7 | 3–9 | 2–2 |
| 2010-11 | 14-16 | 11-7 | 8-4 | 6-10 | 0-2 |
| 2011-12 | 22-10 | 13-5 | 9-7 | 12-3 | 1-0 |
| 2012-13 | 30-3 | 18-0 | 15-0 | 12-1 | 3-2 |
| 2013-14 | 21-13 | 14-6 | 10-4 | 9-8 | 2-1 |
| 2014-15 | 31-4 | 20-0 | 14-0 | 13-1 | 4-3 |
| 2015-16 | 25-9 | 17-3 | 13-2 | 10-5 | 2-2 |
| 2016-17 | 29-7 | 17-3 | 12-1 | 11-4 | 6-2 |
| 2017-18 | 28-6 | 18-0 | 12-1 | 12-4 | 4-1 |
| 2018-19 | 26-7 | 18-0 | 10-2 | 12-2 | 4-3 |
| 2019-20 | 15-14 | 12-8 | 8-7 | 7-7 | 0-0 |
| 2020-21 | 13-8 | 11-5 | 8-5 | 5-3 | 0-1 |
| 2021-22 | 21-12 | 14-6 | 11-3 | 9-8 | 1-1 |
| 2022-23 | 21-9 | 16-4 | 12-3 | 9-4 | 0-2 |
| 2023-24 | 13-18 | 9-11 | 7-6 | 5-10 | 1-2 |
| 2024-25 | 28-5 | 18-2 | 13-1 | 12-2 | 3-2 |
| TOTALS | 544–355 | 371–188 | 271-122 | 234–190 | 39–45 |
Success Under Fabbri
NEC Regular Season Champs: 2007-08, 2012-13
NEC Tournament Champs: 2012-13
MAAC Regular Season Champs: 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
MAAC Tournament Champs: 2014-15, 2016-17, 2017-18, 2018-19
NCAA Tournament: 2013, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019
NCAA Tournament Second Round: 2017, 2018
NCAA Tournament Sweet 16: 2017
WNIT Tournament: 2008, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2022
WBIT Tournament: 2025
