WOODBURY — As this year’s girls basketball season comes to a close, Chiefs fans were deprived of another varsity season from Nonnewaug junior Olivia Gwiazdoski, the team’s point guard and vocal leader. 

Gwiazdoski’s freshman year she transitioned between playing JV but was on the varsity bench. Enter her sophomore year and Gwiazdoski was expected to be a major part of the team but a sprained ACL put her season to a halt. As this year’s season started, the third year guard was slated to be a varsity starter and a leader on the team, but a surgery due to inflammation near the meniscus has her sidelined for this season.

“It’s very frustrating because it’s a lot of my basketball career that I’m missing,¨ said Gwiazdoski. ¨Next year will be my last season to play varsity since I was on JV my freshman year.¨

Missing so much time doesn’t just affect an athlete’s body but also their mind and mental health. 

¨Mentally I’ve been very upset that I haven’t been able to play,¨ says Gwiazdoski who relished her new role as pseudo player-coach, helping from the sidelines throughout this past season.  ¨Last year when I came back at the end of the season to play I was frustrated because I wasn’t playing up to my expectations due to not being able to play for so long. Even now I’m scared that when I can play I’ll get injured again or not play like myself before I got injured.¨ 

Gwiazdoski’s absence this season caused other and newer players to step up during the season and be leaders for the team. 

¨It’s difficult to lose people who already were on the team and knew how things worked like our plays and our culture,¨ said Nonnewaug junior McKenna Hardisty, starting guard. ¨It’s pushed some of the newer players to step up and they’ve done a great job of doing that.¨

Being out for the season didn’t mean Gwiazdoski didn’t have a role on the team, rather her teammates held her in high regard for her energy and dedication. 

¨Just by her support in general helps the team,¨ says senior Emma Jackson, a captain. ¨She comes to all our practices and most of our games always cheering for us; her energy is infectious and really helps keep the team positive.¨

While this season’s team didn’t make a state tournament appearance, the group is already preparing for the offseason, which will give Gwiazdoski another opportunity: prepare her teammates for a memorable season ahead in 2025-26. 

“Over the summer, my coaches will be doing practices to prepare us for next season,” said Gwiazdoski. ”I will definitely be attending those practices, not only to benefit myself but to build more chemistry as a team.”