Shannon Quigley gearing up for big scholarship move to NCAA team St. Mary’s University

SHANNON Quigley of Portlaoise Panthers is poised to take her burgeoning basketball career to the next level after securing a four-year scholarship with St Mary’s University in San Antonio, Texas, where she will compete in the NCAA Division Two ranks.

The 18-year-old post player, has shone right the way through the underage system with Panthers, making her debut for the club’s senior team at the age of 16 and helping them to promotion to the Super League that very year.

While a dislocated left hand, that she sustained when competing in an All-Ireland Cup semi-final game for her school, Scoil Chríost Rí back in November, required surgery and kept her out for much of this season, Quigley still garnered a huge amount of interest from colleges in the US.

Indeed, just two days after her profile and tapes were sent out, no less than five colleges were in touch, and after some intense decision making, Quigley opted for a summer move to St Mary’s where she will study International Business.

Explaining the reason behind her choice, Quigley told the Laois Nationalist“It was a very hard decision, but I narrowed it down to two colleges.

“I think I went with Texas in the end because there was so much more of a family feel to the place. It reminded me so much of Portlaoise Panthers.

“I got offers from junior colleges and prep schools as well, but ultimately, going to play in the NCAA, which is just a step down from the WNBA, that was definitely a no brainer.

“I was able to get on loads of video calls with the school. What I love about it also is that it’s an all-female coaching staff. The facilities are just top notch. Their weight rooms, their physio rooms, their housing, everything is just amazing.

“It just feels so surreal at the moment. Everyone's saying well done and it just hasn't hit me yet. It's still hard to believe this is happening.

“From the moment I picked up a basketball, I said to mam I want to make an Irish team and I want to play in America. They were the two goals and it's mad to say that I'm going to do that now,” she said.

Certainly Quigley is no stranger to international basketball, earning her first cap for Ireland back in 2022 when she lined out in the Under 16 European Championships in Montenegro.

The Portlaoise woman was the latest player from Panthers to represent her country, following the likes of the much-lauded Claire Melia and Ciara Byrne.

And the club now boasts more young talent coming through with Katie Rose Harrison having made the final cut for the Ireland squad that will contest this summer’s FIBA Under 16 Women's Youth EuroBasket 2025 in Istanbul.

From Under 16, Quigley progressed through to the Ireland Under 20s, where she has also garnered hugely valuable experience, scrimmaging, not only with that squad, but with a number of players from the senior international panel.

While she has fully recovered from the dislocated hand she suffered last year, Quigley is still set to miss out on this year’s FIBA Under 20 Women’s EuroBasket Division B, as the tournament’s start date in Miskolc, Hungary coincides with her move to Texas in early August.

While she is disappointed not to get the opportunity to return to the European stage, Quigley will still be eligible to compete for a place in next year’s Ireland Under 20 team.

The Portlaoise woman insists all that practice with the national team will serve her well as she embarks on the next phase of her career in August, bolstered also by her years in Portlaoise Panthers where she followed in the footsteps of her mother Dorothy.

“My mam would have played in the club for years, so I was team mascot for the senior team since I was in nappies,” laughed Quigley.

“I was playing Under 12 since I was about 9 or 10. We won loads coming through, most of the Midlands Top Fours.

“It was great being captain of most of the teams as well. I was on Midlands teams that were coached by Martin Conroy, as well as Alyssa (Velles) and Megan (Dunne) who have been my team mates on the Super League team.

“When I turned 16, I was eligible to play with the National League team and that was the season we got promoted to the Super League. That was incredible for my first year with the team.

“I really feel playing at that level will stand to me. The Women’s Super League, it's so aggressive and it's constantly changing, constantly competitive.

“Brunell won the National Cup last year and we beat them by about 20 points in the first game this season, so it's never just one set team who wins every year. It's always changing and there's always new players coming in and all that experience will really benefit me,” she said.