HACKENSACK, N.J. – The FDU women's basketball roster for the 2025-26 season is complete with six new additions. Knights head coach Stephanie Gaitley announced the full class on Tuesday afternoon.
"We are very excited to welcome such a talented group to the Knights," said Gaitley. "We have added experience and depth at the forward position with Madlena Gerke from Latvia. She is athletic, versatile, and a great addition to our defensive style of play. Reese Downey is a sharpshooting, record-breaking guard from Absegami who I saw 3 years ago when I coached at Ocean City High School. She has outstanding skills and will be a much needed addition to our backcourt. Leah Crosby will be a difficult match up in the NEC. She can shoot, drive and post up. She is an outstanding rebounder, and best of all, a tenacious defender. Akeelah (KeKe) Lafleur has the potential to be a major contributor. KeKe has outstanding shot-blocking skills that will anchor our defense. She is a 6'3 post player who can shoot the 3 as well as push the ball to start the break. She has only been playing basketball for a few years so her best is still ahead! Madison Stuart is another talented South Jersey product from Eastern High School. Madison had an all-star senior year and adds versatility to our forwards. Lauren Donaghy is a sharpshooting guard with a relentless work ethic. We would like to continue to put an emphasis on our perimeter game and Lauren is a great fit for our style of play!"
The six newcomers will join a Knights team looking to defend the 2024-25 NEC Championship. The Knights finished the 2024-25 season with the best record in program history at 29-4. The team ended a 33 year championship drought, and made their first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The six additions will add extra firepower to a team looking to go back-to-back.
FDU's 2025-26 incoming class is comprised of five freshman, and one graduate transfer. The Knights expand their homegrown talent base with four incoming freshmen from the state of New Jersey. The roster now features eight players from the Garden State.
2025-26 FDU Women's Basketball Signing Class
#0 Madlena Gerke - (Riga, Latvia/Evansville) - G/F, Graduate Student, 5'10"
Notes on Gerke:
- Spent the past two seasons at Evansville, making 12 starts in 24 games across two seasons.
- Attended Eastern Florida College for her sophomore season, helping the team finish with a 33-2 record.
- Began her collegiate career at Florida Southern College, making two starts across 27 games.
- Three-time Latvian Regular Championship MVP prior to college.
#2 Akeelah Lafleur - (Willingboro, N.J./Burlington County Institute of Technology) - F, Freshman, 6'3"
Notes on Lafleur:
- Was named the 2025 BCSL Player of the Year.
- One of eight New Jersey residents on the Knights' 2025-26 roster.
#11 Lauren Donaghy - (Huntington, N.Y./Huntington) - G, Freshman
Notes on Donaghy:
- Was named a 2024-2025 NYS All-State Honorable Mention.
- 2024-2025 All-County. 2023-2024 All-Classification.
- Played AAU ball for the Long Island Renegades.
#15 Leah Crosby - (Plainfield, N.J./St. Thomas Aquinas) - G, Freshman, 6'0"
Notes on Crosby:
- 2025 County Conference MVP.
- 2022-2023 GMC Championship MVP.
- 2025 Jersey Sports Zone MVP.
- 2024 State Championship Semifinalist.
#20 Madison Stuart - (Voorhees, N.J./Eastern Regional) - F, Freshman, 5'11"
Notes on Stuart:
- All-South Jersey Group 4.
- First Team All-Olympic Conference.
- South Jersey All Star Team.
#25 Reese Downey - (Galloway, N.J./Absegami) - G, Freshman, 5'6"
Notes on Downey:
- Absegami High School's All-Time leading scorer (boys and girls) with 2,092 points.
- 2025 NJ.com Group III Player of the Year.
- 2025 Al Carino South Jersey Player of the Year.
- 2025 Atlantic City Press Player of the Year.
- 4x All-Cape Atlantic League First Team.
The 2025-26 season will be the third in the Stephanie Gaitley era for FDU.
Connect with FDU Women's Basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsWBB.
