Former Wyomissing Star Amaya Stewart Continues Shining at UAlbany
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Amaya Stewart was one of the brightest stars to ever come through the Berks Girls Basketball League.
She scored 1,904 career points, highest in Wyomissing history and No. 7 all-time in Berks history. The Spartans won two Berks titles, three straight District 3 titles, and six PIAA playoff games during Stewart's tenure. She won three straight Berks Player of the Year awards.
If her freshman season at the University at Albany is any indication, Stewart is on her way to collecting another gauntlet of accolades for the trophy shelf.
Earlier this month, Stewart won both the Rookie of the Year and Sixth Player of the Year awards in the America East Conference after her first season with the Great Danes.
Stewart became just the second player in program history to be named America East Rookie of the Year, joining Shereesha Richards (2012-13). She also became the fifth UAlbany player to earn Sixth Player of the Year honors.
In addition to the two major conference awards, Stewart earned Third Team All-Conference honors and was named to the America East All-Rookie Team.
She averaged 12.3 points per game and 5.1 rebounds per game — each No. 2 on the team — while playing in all 30 games with three starts for UAlbany head coach Colleen Mullen.
Stewart led the team with 22 blocks and a 48.1 field goal percentage while finishing top 15 in the America East in both scoring and rebounding. She was top five in field goal percentage. She recorded 15 double-digit scoring games, including six performances of 20 points or more, highlighted by a career-high 25-point outing against NJIT on Feb. 19.
Her impact was immediate, beginning with a 17-point, four-block collegiate debut against Marist.
“Not only is she one of our best players, she’s one of our hardest workers,” Mullen said by phone Wednesday. “She immediately just created a presence on our team. Somebody that was going to drive energy.”
Stewart credited her rapid adjustment to the Division I level to her consistent work ethic when nobody was watching.
“During the dark nights, just trying to really put in the time and the effort to be better for my team and better for myself,” Stewart said by phone Tuesday.
Mullen, hired as UAlbany’s head coach in 2018, has steadily built the Great Danes into one of the America East Conference’s most consistent contenders. Under her leadership, UAlbany captured the 2021-22 America East championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
The Great Danes have reached the America East championship stage two other times during Mullen’s era.
In a collegiate athletics world where the transfer portal and NIL runs rampant, Stewart is sure to get attention after her debut season. As of right now, the expectation is that she'll be back with UAlbany next year, with the goal of lifting the program back to its championship pedigree.
“Right now, she’s told us that she’s coming back, which we’re really excited about,” Mullen said.
When asked about her future, Stewart let out a quick laugh and kept things brief.
“I think you’re just going to have to stay tuned,” she said.
The Great Danes will return a good core to build on a 14-16 final record, seventh-place finish in the America East Conference, and a loss to Vermont — the conference champ and No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament with the automatic bid — in the conference quarterfinals that ended their season.
Sophomore Delanie Hill, a Third Team All-Conference selection, led UAlbany with 13.9 points per game while ranking among the nation’s leaders with an 89.2 free-throw percentage. Fellow sophomore Martina Borrellas earned All-Defensive Team honors after averaging a team-best 6.7 rebounds per game and establishing herself as one of the league’s top defensive guards.
Junior Lara Langermann added 7.4 points per game, meaning UAlbany could realistically return its top four scorers next season.
It's a foundation Mullen believes positions the Great Danes to push back toward the top of the America East standings and contend for another championship opportunity and NCAA Tournament berth.
“We think she’s going to be a huge piece to our success next year,” Mullen said of Stewart. “With the talent we have coming back and the experience they gained this season, we expect to take another step forward.”
Stewart’s production quickly made her valuable on the court, but her personality made her invaluable to teammates and fans alike.
“She is positive, energetic, funny, smiling," Mullen said. "She plays with such joy for the game — it’s contagious to all of her teammates. She definitely became a fan favorite quickly.”
That same energy defined Stewart’s career at Wyomissing, where her enthusiasm and competitiveness made her one of Berks County’s most unforgettable players, someone who the youth looks up to.
“I think it’s honestly a blessing to be that figure for others,” Stewart said.
Despite her upbeat personality, Stewart’s on-court game is defined by toughness, relentlessness, and physicality.
"She looks like a specimen out there because she’s so strong and physically dominant,” Mullen said. “Her competitive spirit and the way she attacks and plays through contact really stood out right away.”
UAlbany tested itself early against elite competition, including a Nov. 7 matchup against Syracuse inside the JMA Wireless Dome — formerly the Carrier Dome — the largest domed stadium on any college campus and the largest on-campus basketball arena in the nation.
The Great Danes fell 64-45, while Syracuse later advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to UConn on Monday.
“You watch it on TV, and now I get to play on this court," Stewart said. "I was left in so much awe. Not everybody gets the opportunity to be on a court like that.”
Mullen said games like that accelerated Stewart’s development.
“When you’re playing against Vanderbilt and Syracuse… they’re just as strong and just as big and older, so she realized quickly she needed to expand her game,” Mullen said.
UAlbany traveled to Vanderbilt on Dec. 18, falling 64-35 against a Commodores team that has since advanced to the Sweet 16 and will face Notre Dame Friday at 2:30 p.m.
“I’m playing some of the best players in the country and it showed me where I need to improve,” Stewart said.
Stewart believes her freshman season was only the beginning. A beginning that resulted in more accomplishments in an already storied basketball career.
“I don’t think I’ve reached my entire full potential yet, but this is just some greatness for the future,” she said.
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