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Women’s Basketball Announces 2024 Signing Class
11/8/2023 6:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball
BUFFALO, NY – University at Buffalo women's basketball head coach Becky Burke announced her 2024 signing class on Wednesday. The Bulls welcome three student-athletes to a team that advanced to the Mid-American Conference Tournament in the first season under Burke.
Brianna Barr-Budday is a 6'2" forward who is no stranger to the Buffalo area as she is a standout at nearby Nichols School where she was a walking double-double as a junior, averaging a team-high 16.2 points, 12.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game with 22 double-doubles to help lead the Vikings to a 21-5 overall record, a Monsignor Martin regular season and playoff championship and advance to the New York State Catholic High School Athletic Association's Class AA championship game. She was named to All-Catholic A first team, the All-Western New York large schools first team and all-state second team in Class AA. Barr-Budday spent the summer playing for the XGEN Elite program on the AAU circuit and attended the NCAA College Basketball for Women Academy in Memphis.
Burke on Barr-Budday: "Bri is Buffalo through and through. She wanted to stay home and represent for her city, and we are so thankful for that. Bri has an extremely high motor and an ability to rebound that you can't teach. She embraces playing back to the basket and enjoys being a physical presence in the paint, which is hard to find. Bri's toughness and competitiveness will rub off on everyone she's surrounded by and will make our team better."
Mallory Daly is a 5'8" guard from Pittsburgh, PA. She stars at Seton LaSalle High School where she had a dominant junior season, averaging a double-double with 21.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game while also adding 5.3 steals and 3.3 assists per contest. She was named to the 3A Section 2 All-Section Team and was a Third Team All-State selection. Over the summer, Daly led AMD Industries to its third Mon Valley Independent Summer Basketball League girls' division championship, scoring a game-high 26 points in the finals. The Melanie Greco Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year led the division in scoring, averaging 22.4 points per game across eight contests.
Burke on Daly: "Mal is one of the toughest, most active players I have ever watched. She is absolutely everywhere, both offensively and defensively which will make her a problem for opponents. She controls the tempo of the game, makes the right plays, and can score at all three levels. I'm excited to coach Mal because I really feel like the sky is the limit for her and she fits our identity extremely well."
Aniya Rowe is a 5'9" guard from Rochester, NY. She starred at Bishop Kearney where she led the Kings to a state championship in 2022, scoring a team-high 20 points in the final, as a sophomore before transferring to Royal Crown in Canada for the 2023-24 season. Selected for the 2023 Canletes All Canadian Games and the 2023 Biosteel All Canadian Next One Up Games, both recognizing the top young talents in Canada. Also competed for the XGen Elite AAU program.
Burke on Rowe: "Aniya is a savvy three level scorer that will be able to play multiple positions for us. She plays with great pace and keeps defenders on their heels every time she touches the ball. She is a Western New York kid that is excited to stay here and play at Buffalo. Aniya's natural ability and instincts are very special, and I'm excited to have her here with us and integrate her into our system to see her continue to grow and shine."
