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2021 Pirate Player Preview: Mya Bembry

Date: August 18, 2021

By: Jonathan Heite

Seton Hall women's basketball's Mya Bembry poses for a photo with a basketball before the regular season begins.

Seton Hall Athletics

There is much to talk about for many players on this upcoming Seton Hall women’s basketball squad that will take the court in 2021-22, but only a few have already made their mark in South Orange, N.J. after just one season.

Mya Bembry, the former West Orange High School graduate and Penn State Nittany Lion, was a vital piece of head coach Tony Bozzella’s roster for much of the 2020-21 campaign. After a quick but impactful year at Penn State as a freshman, her sophomore season at Seton Hall (transferred in and played immediately) helped establish her as an important part of the team for the years to come.

With 21 games under her belt as a Pirate, she made the most of her 21.3 minutes-per-game, averaging a respectable 4.3 points and 4.9 rebounds. The sample size may be smaller as compared to players like Andra Espinoza-Hunter or Lauren Park-Lane, but every time Bembry appeared in a game, she immediately helped the team in numerous ways.

While she did contribute some scoring to help add extra points off the bench (also started eight games) and had her career-high of 14 points earlier last season against Wagner, the 6-foot-1 forward also maintained a constant presence in the rebounding and defensive categories.

Bembry delivered some monster rebounding performances throughout the year, including a 10-rebound game on the road against ranked DePaul (Feb. 15) and a career best 11-rebound day against Providence (Feb. 20). The rising junior also tacked on multiple games with five rebounds or more, and she became one of the most dominant rebounders on the squad alongside Espinoza-Hunter and former Pirate, Desiree Elmore.

Coach Bozzella will always be able to count on Bembry for her consistency on the offensive and defensive glass. In addition, she was also very disruptive in the passing lanes and in the paint, ending the season with a total of 11 blocks and 19 steals. Some of these performances included two or more of these respective stats, which only showcases even more of Bembry’s versatility on both sides of the ball.

Looking ahead to this season, Bembry’s role will only increase as one of the best veterans currently on the squad, with her two-way play likely earning even more playing time. Whether this means more time off the bench or a potential spot in the starting lineup, look for her to increase her scoring with the additional minutes.

She shot 43.2% from the floor last season, and with a year into the offensive system that will run through Park-Lane, Espinoza-Hunter, and maybe some of the new transfers, Bembry will have to continue her success near the paint and from three. The forward made eight out of her 30 attempted three pointers last season, and again with the increased time spent on the floor, look for her shooting (which was already a bright spot) to become even better.

One area on offense to look out for an increase in production is free throw shooting, as she only shot nine times, converting on six through the 21 games played. Because Bembry has this success rebounding the basketball, be on the lookout for an uptick in shots from the charity stripe that will in turn potentially add to her season scoring.

The excitement will certainly be palpable in 2021-22 for the women’s basketball team after red-hot stretches of play last season. In order for this type of regular season success and to hopefully advance farther into the Big East Tournament/a potential NCAA Tournament appearance, the team will rely on Bembry for her big-time contributions.

Jonathan Heite is the Web Editor for WSOU Sports and can be reached at wsousportswebeditor@gmail.com.

Posted in: Women's Basketball, Sports, WSOU

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