Sophia Willard ‘29

Reality shifted for the Sarah Lawrence College (SLC) Women’s Basketball team when their longtime coach stepped down before their 2025-26 season. For Ariana Spanopoulos ‘26, a three-year veteran and captain of the team, this is a gloomy reality that she is hopeful will soon be brighter.

When former head coach Bradley Alexander gave up his head staff position in May, the members of SLC’s Women’s Basketball team were left destabilized and unable to cohesively prepare for the incoming season. Spanopoulos recalled feeling mixed emotions on the change.

“It was a very inconvenient time for this to happen and it wildly changed my perspective on my senior season. I was also upset that Brad wouldn’t be here to see us off as he’s done so much for the team,” she said.

The senior explained that there wasn’t much else to do other than wait, but she lives by a mantra to remain positive. “When life takes you out of something, all you can do is hope that it gets better from there and just be happy to see it unfold.”

The loss was not just felt by veteran members of the team. First-year student Miriam Kanter-Goodell ‘29 was crushed when hearing the news of Alexander stepping down. The shooting guard notes in regard to her coach’s departure, “He was the one who sought me out to play and was a huge part of the reason behind why I chose Sarah Lawrence.” Kanter-Goodell had been looking forward to continuing to play basketball in a general setting, but especially in college.

Despite the uncertainty of the girls incoming season, things took a turn for the better at the beginning of the semester. Martin Rather, a 2024 Harvard Law alum, has dreamed of coaching basketball in a high academic environment since his own days on the court. Upon hearing the news of a position opening at Sarah Lawrence, Rather got the chance to make his dreams come true.

“I got really lucky. I have always loved basketball, and even though I was certainly not the best world’s best basketball player, I could always see the game,” he said.

In regards to the upcoming season, Rather shared a few of his plans for the women’s team. “my goal for this season is going to be getting as close as possible to perfecting the fundamentals of basketball. Strengthening them will lead to success.”

The coaching mindset has already seemed to take hold of Rather, but it has also proved itself to revolve more around the girls’ experience instead of a victory-obsessed scheme. Rather gives a unique response when asked about the potential of playoffs. “I’d love to make it to the playoffs, and who wouldn’t? However, we cannot have a results-oriented process. We have to have a process-oriented process. And what I mean by that is everybody wants a big goal, but wanting it is not, in and of itself, enough… it's wonderful to have big goals. We're going to have them. We're going to continue to have them. But I don't want to stop there.” Rather is smitten with the potential in both the girls and the school’s environment itself, and is confident in what he described as the “lack of ceiling” in what the women’s basketball team is capable of.

Rather’s sincerity towards the game shined through during his interview panel at which the seniors—including Spanopoulos—were allowed to give input. The captain explained that “she just knew” it was meant to be Rather when it came down to making the decision. “He was overly qualified, incredibly passionate about coming to coach, ambitious, and provided a clean slate—that makes me very excited!”

Spanopoulos also highlighted three key elements when asked what she was looking for in the potential candidates: organization, no-nonsense, and good communication; all of which Rather checked off. Spanopoulos admits, “As a captain, I want everyone to feel safe coming to me and safe in the game. I want us to feel like a team rather than different groups of people trying to play together… when it comes to D3 sports, it’s about being together, having fun, and winning!” The senior is confident that Rather will promote such an environment on his court and that she is leaving her girls in good hands once she graduates.

It seems that Rather is confident too. “My hope is that wherever our student athletes want to go from here, I can help them get there. You can do anything from here if you put your mind to it, if you work hard, and if you get the right support.”

New Leadership Incites Hopeful Future for Women’s Basketball Team