This article is a part of the Inside the Huddle podcast series, which is run by the Women’s Basketball side of the Massachusetts Collective. Inside the Huddle features interviews with current players for the Massachusetts Collective’s monthly newsletters. The second edition of the series features Aleah Sorrentino, who joined the team this past offseason for the 2024-25 season.
Aleah Sorrentino is a 6’2” forward from Palm Bay, Florida. Sorrentino spent all four of her high school years at Florida Prep where she was a starter for the varsity team all four years. Through Sorrentino’s first three seasons she averaged an impressive double double with 12.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Sorrentino’s talent helped her become a four-star rated recruit by ESPN, with a 94 overall grade from the class of 2021. With how high Aleah’s grade was she found herself ranked 88th overall in the class of 2021 by ESPN, and 16th of all the forwards in the rankings. During Aleah’s senior year, she averaged 12.6 points through the first eight games before suffering a season ending injury. Though she was sidelined her final season she had already been recruited- “I committed to Ole Miss when I was 14 years old,” says Sorrentino.
With a season-ending injury, Aleah was able to graduate Florida Prep a year early and ended up joining the Ole Miss Rebels for the 2020-2021 season. Sorrentino spent that season rehabbing her injury using the resources that were provided by the team. Since Aleah was not able to play that season, she was able to gain that year of eligibility back and was marked a medical redshirt. As a redshirt freshman for the 2021-2022 season, Sorrentino appeared in eight games with the Rebels. She averaged 5.5 minutes, 2.3 points, and 1.6 rebounds in those appearances. Though her time with Ole Miss was brief it was impactful, Sorrentino says “It grew me into a woman.”
Aleah entered the transfer portal, and transferred to Lipscomb from Ole Miss. Sorrentino made an instant impact with Bisons, and started every game she was available. In Aleah’s sophomore season she averaged 26.8 minutes, 12.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists through 30 games. Her sophomore season she continued to show growth and was named Atlantic Sun Player of the week during the 2022-23 season as well as tying the Lipscomb record for the most offensive rebounds in the season with 94 offensive rebounds in that same season. During her 2023-24 season with the Bisons she was named to the Atlantic Sun All-Conference Third Team. Aleah averaged 26.8 minutes, 12.3 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, and 0.7 blocks through 29 games last season. After this past season with the Bisons, Sorrentino decided to enter the transfer portal after earning her Bachelor’s degree at Lipscomb. “It was everything, and it felt more right,” Aleah said of her time with the Bisons.
When she entered the portal for a second time, Aleah heard from Coach Yolanda Cole. “I didn’t know anyone [at UMass] but Coach YoCo [Yolanda Cole],” said Sorrentino about hearing about the Minutewomen. “She recruited me the first time out of the portal out of Ole Miss to Hofstra, her old stop. Then when I went back into the portal, [Coach Cole] randomly texted [me].” On her visit to Amherst, Aleah found the area to be beautiful. “I’m not very familiar with the area, and I got here and I was like ‘wow, there’s like cows and horses,’ and like it was really unique,” Sorrentino said of the Amherst area.
Aleah described her style of play being like art and having finesse. “I’m more of a finesse forward, so I have a lot of skill,” Sorrentino says of her playing style. “I can shoot the ball a little bit, and so that type of style is what Coach Leflar recruited me for.” Sorrentino talked about what professional player she styles her play around and she mentioned Breanna Stewart, as well as mentioning Sam Breen who is starting her second season of playing professionally overseas this fall. “Recently since coming to UMass, I’ve been studying Sam, you know the greatest player to walk out of UMass,” Aleah talks about trying to learn from Breen’s style of play. “So learning a little bit about her game, and what works in the A-10, [and] seeing there’s a lot of similarities between our games.” Breen spent the summer with the Minutewomen as a Director of Player Development, and got to work closely with the current players on the UMass roster for the upcoming season.
With the Minutewomen’s season getting closer to starting on October 28th with an exhibition game against Assumption, Aleah is calling for UMass fans to go and support the team this season. “We’re gonna be really tough this year… and we want a fan base that believes in us, a fan base that comes out and supports us because we love playing in front of you guys,” Sorrentino said about how to support the UMass Women’s Basketball team. “We have a lot of privilege and a lot of honor playing in front of you guys, and so we want that [at] every single game [and] every single event.”
Featured Graphic: Kaily “KG” Godek, A10 Talk
Image Used in Graphic: Chris Tucci and Jared Draney, UMass Athletics
Kaily “KG” Godek is a current student at Western New England University (WNE). She has been a supporter of UMass Athletics for over 15 years. Kaily focuses on both UMass Basketball teams and occasionally on the other Women’s Basketball teams in the conference. While writing for A10 Talk, she works in the athletic department at WNE. When she graduates from WNE she wants to go into either Sports Broadcasting and Journalism or Coaching. You can follow Kaily on X, formerly known as Twitter, @kgumass23.
