With the women’s basketball season officially over, junior guard Erin Rooney’s, Fordham College at Rose Hill (FCLC)  ’13, long wait for eligibility to play has ended.

Rooney, a transfer student from Monmouth University, had to sit out the 2011-2012 season as per National Collegiate Athletic Association rules.

At Monmouth, the junior guard was one of the leaders on a young successful team. Rooney was named a team captain her sophomore year and did not disappoint, finishing second on the team in scoring (11.1 points per game).

She was a driving force on the team that fell short to St. Francis University 72-57 in the Northeastern Conference Finals. Rooney’s efforts earned her the Northeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year award.

Hailing from New Zealand, Rooney began playing basketball at the age of 10. “I started playing basketball because it was one of the sports offered in my school,” Rooney said. “I played every sport: netball, cricket, touch rugby, track and field and soccer.”

Rooney continued to be a multi-sport athlete until midway through high school. “I had to choose one sport and basketball was the one I had the most fun with, playing and training,” Rooney said.

Because of her strong play, Rooney was added to New Zealand’s Under 19 women’s basketball squad. After gaining recognition, she played in an American Athletic Union basketball tournament in Las Vegas. Rooney’s play in Vegas caught the eye of Coach Stephanie Gaitley, which led to her recruitment to Monmouth.

“I loved Monmouth basketball-wise and I loved the coaches,” Rooney said. “It was hard being away from home, but basketball kept me here. If it wasn’t for basketball I would’ve gone home. I was really homesick, but there is so much more opportunity here than at home.”

Rooney’s decision to leave Monmouth came after Gaitley decided to coach at Fordham. She wanted to transfer to a school that had a basketball program and good academics. Gaitley’s choice to coach the Rams gave Rooney the extra incentive to transfer to Fordham.

“I feel like Fordham has more to do because of the city,” Rooney said. “Also it’s great because I get to stay with coach Gaitley. The academics are good and I need that because I like to challenge myself.”

Gaitley has been a huge part of Rooney’s life and is the person she considers her greatest inspiration. “I was really close with family but now they’re thousands of mile away,” Rooney said.  “Coach Gaitley has been great stepping into that role. On and off the floor, I can go to her for anything.”

The decision to transfer left Rooney on the Fordham bench for the duration of the season.

“I knew I was going to have to do it and I mentally prepared myself,” Rooney said. “But after more and more games on the bench, I really wanted to be on floor. It got really tough and it was hard to watch close loses. Eventually I embraced it and took the time to train and work on other aspects of my game.”

Next season Rooney is hoping to step into a role similar to her role at Monmouth. “ I want to continue being a leader,” Rooney said. “It’s important because in a championship game you really need someone to hold everyone together.”

This offseason Rooney will return to New Zealand to play in qualifying games for the Olympics. It was playing for her national team that Rooney had her greatest basketball memory.

“I was on the senior team and my first game was in my hometown,” Rooney said. “There was a full crowd and when I got into the game, everyone went crazy. That was my favorite basketball moment.”

When Rooney isn’t playing basketball one of her hobbies is surfing. “The house behind us was on the sand dunes, so we lived right on the beach,” Rooney said. “I would surf with my sister and friends. I love just being out in water and the feeling of being on my own. Surfing when the sun rises makes you feel like nothing can get you down. It’s a great way to start my day.”