Mountain MacGillivray had a pretty strong feeling about Ashleigh Connor several years ago.

Then when the sixth-year La Salle women’s basketball coach saw Connor’s name appear in the NCAA transfer portal last spring, the same premonition returned.

MacGillivray said he knew Connor, a 2022 Mt. Lebanon graduate, would excel in his system since first recruiting her as one of the WPIAL’s top players.

Although Connor initially chose to attend Saint Louis over La Salle, her decision to give MacGillivray a second shot has paid off.

The 5-foot-11 redshirt sophomore guard is making the most of her first chance to regularly crack an NCAA Division I starting lineup. She is averaging 11.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game since transferring to La Salle, and she leads her new program in all three categories.

“I was expecting it three years ago when I tried to get her the first time,” said MacGillivray of Connor’s quick success with the Explorers. “Yes, I expected her to come in and have a major impact right away, and she’s done that. I didn’t put numbers on the board and say, ‘I think she’s going to lead us in scoring and rebounding and assists.’ I wasn’t planning any of that out, but I knew that she was going to have a major impact and be on the floor.”

Connor said the fit in Philadelphia with her new Atlantic 10 Conference team is perfect.

“I’ve really been enjoying it,” Connor said. “Going to Saint Louis, obviously, was not what I expected when I got there, not playing for two years. Once I entered the portal and [La Salle] called me, I was like, you know what, ‘They really liked me out of high school and I really liked them.’

“You can’t make things happen twice,” she added. “So I was like, ‘I might as well go with somebody that feels me, values me and knows my importance.’ I’ve loved it every second that I’ve been here.”

After taking a redshirt season for her first year at Saint Louis, Connor returned to action and functioned as a reserve for the Billikens the following season. She averaged just 1.8 points and 3.6 minutes per game as a redshirt freshman at Saint Louis.

“I definitely learned a lot, both good and bad,” Connor said. “You go in your freshman year, obviously, it’s different. There are a lot of people older than you, so you just fight for as much as you can get. When I knew that I wasn’t going to be playing as much as I wanted to, I kind of just took on that bench role and made myself be the best that I could be for my teammates on and off the court.”

La Salle point guard Ashleigh Connor, a Mt. Lebanon product, takes a shot during a game against George Mason on Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025. (Courtesy of La Salle athletics)

While her time in Saint Louis did not go as she expected, Connor said she is grateful for the experience she gained there.

“I think it worked out best for me,” she said. “It taught me a lot more than if I would’ve went into college and played right away. I got to see things from a different perspective.”

Connor’s impact on her new program was nearly immediate. She scored a career-high 21 points in her second game of the season against Delaware and has eclipsed double figures in scoring in 13 of her 20 games this season.

“On the physical side, she is a big guard,” MacGillivray said. “She’s strong. She can handle the ball. She can see the court. She has good passing angles and can see over people. She is difficult to stop going to the basket, playing around the basket, but I would say what probably is the biggest strength is she’s got a great motor. She just keeps pushing, and typically she doesn’t let mistakes affect the next play.”

Connor is shooting 39% from the field and 79% from the free-throw line. She has garnered a team-high 61 assists with 30 steals.

MacGillivray said he is most pleased with his point guard’s ability to manage the stress of serving as La Salle’s floor general.

“As a point guard you need to be able to take a lot of input,” MacGillivray said. “You’ve got your teammates calling for the ball. Your coaches are calling a play. You’ve got a game plan you’re trying to implement. For being a rookie doing it in college, she’s been amazing.

“The reality is,” he added, “she’s been able to not shrink as it’s gotten hard.”

Connor said she welcomes the challenge.

Aside from maturing as a player, Connor said she is looking to play a major role in rebuilding La Salle’s program.

The Explorers (7-15, 1-8) currently reside at the bottom of the Atlantic 10 standings, but Connor said there is plenty of reason to believe that could change sooner rather than later.

“Going into A-10 play we knew that everybody was going to be a hard-fought night,” she said. “As I told the team the other day, ‘It’s not about the best team that’s right now, it’s later more toward when March comes.’ We’ve seen growth from when we started A-10 play to right now. As long as we keep taking those steps forward and keep improving each game, it’s going to be different.

“We’ve just got to stay focused.”

And, as far as MacGillivray is concerned, La Salle has a cornerstone player to build its future around.

“She has the talent and the tenacity and the demeanor to be one of the best players in this league,” MacGillivray said. “It’ll be nice when she’s able to do that on a team that’s competing in the top half of the conference as well.”

John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.

John Santa

John is a copy editor and page designer at the Post-Gazette, but he's currently on strike. Email him at jsanta@unionprogress.com.