In Issue 4 of the 2025–2026 school year, this article was mistakingly published in print with the incorrect byline. The story was written by Logan Mullins. We regret the error.
The Women’s Basketball Club at the University of Tampa (UTampa), one of this year’s new Registered Student Organizations, didn’t start with a coach, a gym, or even a budget. It began with five players in a group chat.
By Logan Mullins
TAMPA, Fla. — “All we need is girls and a court,” said Mallory Rosen, a sophomore at the University of Tampa and the treasurer of the Women’s Basketball Club. “We can play in random Walmart T-shirts if we have to.”
Rosen’s comment, half a joke and half a declaration, sums up the entire story of the club. The Women’s Basketball Club didn’t start as an offshoot of the women’s basketball team or a coordinated university effort — it started because a handful of students had too much passion not to play.
Logo created by Mallory Rosen
When Carmen Aguilera, the current club president, received her acceptance letter to UTampa, she assumed there had to be a women’s basketball club waiting for her on campus. There wasn’t.
“I thought it was a mistake,” Aguilera explained. “I kept scrolling through the student [organizations] list looking for it.”
There was no mistake: the club simply didn’t exist. So she decided to fix that.
In a cycling class, Carmen met Libby Henry, a former high school basketball player, and shared her vision.
Addy Walden, a transfer student from Maryland, heard about Carmen through her sister and fell in love with the idea.
The trio eventually connected with Alla Oskarsdottir and Mallory Rosen, both lifelong basketball fanatics, and their starting lineup was complete. Beginning not on the court, but on FaceTime calls, piecing together the foundations for something real.
Over the summer, they spent hours drafting constitutions, finding an advisor, and learning how the university’s RSO recognition process worked — the Involve application, the presentation to the Student Government Senate, the bylaws, the sustainability plans, Spartan Ready competencies, and layers of paperwork.
“We were meeting over the summer — some of us had multiple internships,” Oskarsdottir said. “But we were determined. Getting that approval email two days after presenting to Student Government… it made everything worth it.”
Oskarsdottir, who spearheaded the application process, remembers the nerves of presentation day.
“We were the first club to present,” she said. “It’s a big conference room and they’re all staring at you, grading you in real time. It was intimidating.”
Approval came quickly, but reality hit soon after.
“Student Government doesn’t cover uniforms, travel, or equipment — literally the three things we need most,” Rosen said. “So we’ll just raise the money ourselves. That’s how it’s always been. But we find a way.”
Until spring, the club is unable to apply for Student Government funding. For now, they’re focused on scrimmages, open runs, and getting their name out there.
“We’ll use the time to build our community first,” said Aguilera.
Image courtesy of the UTampa Women’s Basketball Club Instagram
They refuse to let the hurdles discourage them. Ask anyone on the executive board what makes this club different, and they’ll all say the same thing — it’s not just about basketball.
“Basketball helped shape me as a person,” said Aguilera. “It’s how I connected with my dad. It taught me how to handle life.”
For secretary Libby Henry, the club is about balance.
“I played all through high school,” she said. “I even wanted to play in college, but I didn’t want basketball to define me anymore. This lets me keep playing without losing myself in it.”
Inclusivity is baked into everything they do.
“You don’t have to be the best player in the room,” Libby said. “You can be someone who just wants to try. Everyone deserves to play.”
Merely a few weeks into the semester, Oskarsdottir is planning social events off the court.
“If we can bond outside the gym, we’ll play better inside it,” she said. “We’ve done dinners, talked about beach days, even volleyball nights. It’s supposed to feel like a family.”
For Addy Walden, the club’s Student Government representative, the motivation came from frustration and hope.
“I transferred here from Maryland, where I played on a women’s club team,” she said. “I just assumed every school had one. When I found out Tampa didn’t, I was like, ‘How is that possible?’”
Walden helped advance the idea of the club. She met Carmen, and they played a pickup game together. Within weeks, they were holding full 5v5 scrimmages with students who’d been waiting for something like this.
“I was new and didn’t know anyone,” she said. “Starting this club gave me a place to belong. Now we’re giving that to other girls too.”
The Women’s Basketball Club isn’t done building. They plan to host tournaments and fundraisers through the spring, grow their membership, and eventually apply for Club Sport status, which would allow them to compete with other universities. Several schools have already reached out, including LSU, USF, and Ohio State, all of which are interested in potential matchups down the line.
But for now, success is something much simpler — it’s showing up, it’s seeing more girls at practice every week, and it’s building something that outlasts the founding members.
“Every time someone new walks in, I see the same spark I felt when I first started,” Aguilera said. “That’s what this is about.”
And as the sound of basketballs fades and laughter echoes through the gym, their story comes full circle — proof that sometimes, all you really need is girls and a court.
Photo courtesy of Carmen Aguilera
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Thumbnail Photo Caption: Photo courtesy of Carmen Aguilera.