Thirteen miles southwest of downtown Pittsburgh lies the borough of Bridgeville, PA. To most, it is a small suburb of the Steel City. But to sophomore guard Maddie Webber, it’s home. Bridgeville is the place that helped Webber become one of the rising stars of college basketball.

At 5’11”, Webber can shoot, defend, rebound and create for others.

With the departure of former Wildcat guard Lucy Olsen to Iowa this offseason, Webber has had a chance to step into an even larger role than she had previously on head coach Denise Dillon’s Wildcats. Webber, who earned a Big East all-freshman nod after posting 7.7 points per contest in 2023-24, is now the Wildcats’ second-leading scorer through the first nine games of the season.

In her senior season at South Fayette High, Webber led her team to the state championship game. She was named the 2023 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Player of the Year and was named to the 2023 First Team All-State after finishing her high school career with 1,387 points.

“It’s cool being able to say I’m from across the state,” Webber said. “Playing [in Pittsburgh] was great. Basketball there was not huge, but everyone knows everyone that plays basketball, so that was cool and representing it here has also been great.”

Bridgeville and Pittsburgh were key to her development, but Villanova was a place that Webber knew could help her achieve her dreams.

“Culture was a huge thing,” Webber said. “The support for women’s basketball here is amazing and the support I have from the staff and teammates was also huge. Knowing they believe in me so much and knowing that we have a certain trust and relationship is something I knew would be hard to build at another place.”

An instant impact

Webber stood out in the program as a rookie. In her freshman season, Webber averaged 24 minutes of playing time along with 7.7 points, and 2.7 rebounds per game. She had 11 double figure scoring games and also made the Big East All-Rookie Team and earned Big East Rookie of the Week accolades on Jan. 29.

“I feel really great about this season,” Webber said. “Coming back from an injury from last year I was super excited to take the floor this year. I feel like my position has grown as a leader on the team and so has my confidence in myself to make big plays. As for the team I think we’re improving with each game we play so that’s a huge step for us.” 

Last season Webber’s breakout games both came on the road. On Jan. 24, head coach Denise Dillion gave Webber the start against Providence. Despite a 82-76 overtime defeat, Webber finished the game with 20 points.

Five days later in the Windy City, Webber made her second career start and dropped 18 points and four assists against DePaul and was named Big East Rookie of the Week.

“That was a big moment because it was one of my first Big East starts,” Webber said. “Being able to help the team and score 18 was awesome, and I think it just showed that I can compete at that level. It gave me confidence, especially going into the rest of Big East play.”

Webber’s Big East Rookie of the Week honor on Jan. 29 marked the first time a Villanova player had won since Wildcat legend Maddy Siegrist in 2019-2020. 

Transfer portal changes

Although Webber had a successful freshman season, offseason changes showed her the new reality of college athletics. 

From the time the season ended in March to the start of summer practices in June, Webber watched six of her teammates enter the transfer portal. These players included her roommate and some of her closest friends.

The two biggest portal departures for the ‘Cats were Olsen and forward Christina Dalce. The two left Webber key words of encouragement after her freshman season. The two players had served as invaluable mentors to Webber in her freshman season and left her words of encouragement. 

“They told me to always be confident in myself and in my game, ” Webber said. “They told me to control what I can control and to always play for your team and for yourself, as well.” 

The departure of almost half the roster meant that plenty of new players would arrive on campus for summer workouts. Seeing familiar faces leave was hard for Webber but the new faces have made up for the voids left by last season departures. 

“It’s always sad seeing your friends leave,” Webber said. “If it was meant to happen, it would happen, but we got a lot of great new additions as well. We all really like each other so it’s a great dynamic on the court.”

Team bonding

In August, head coach Denise Dillion and her staff scheduled a foreign tour across Italy. While playing games was important, Dillion and her staff also saved time for team bonding. Ahead of the season in October, Dillion referenced the European trip as the time this team began to gel. 

“We were really fortunate to have our foreign tour back in August in Italy,” Dillon said. “That time together really expedited the chemistry of getting to know each other off the court and having some games on the court.”

From a player’s perspective, Webber feels the same way. She credits the days spent in Rome, Milan and Venice as the moments that brought her and the team of newcomers and few returners closer together. 

“Being able to experience something like that alone is amazing, and then being able to do it with my teammates helped us get closer quicker,” Webber said. “We got to play a few games out there and that was our first time playing. We didn’t have any [plays] or anything so it was more about getting a feel for each other. Off the court we got to experience some amazing stuff together so that was also super fun.” 

In late November, the Wildcats took another trip, this time to the Bahamas for the Battle4Atlantis. 

After an impressive comeback win against Texas A&M, Webber and the Wildcats matched up with nationally-ranked North Carolina. The defeat to North Carolina in the semi-finals and Baylor in the consolation game were learning experiences and games that Webber will take with her going into her second season of conference play. 

“It was a really great opportunity. The physicality and the way an SEC plays is much different than what we do,” Webber said. “Being able to play a top ranked team like UNC was also a great opportunity to learn what we need to fix. I think it helped us learn a lot and I think we made a big step coming back and having that statement game against Saint Joe’s.”

Whether it was the statement victory over Saint Joe’s, or the dramatic finish against Columbia, Webber and her teammates have brought excitement to Villanova’s campus.

Webber’s inspiration

This season, the interest in women’s basketball around the country is growing, and Villanova and Webber are also seeing these effects at home and on the road. 

Ahead of the 2024-2025 season, the program set a new record for season ticket sales. For Webber, the bigger crowds and larger following are a reward for the work she puts in.

“The representation of women’s basketball growing is amazing,” Webber said. “Knowing some people are here to watch me play is super cool and helps everytime I step on the court.” 

Webber was once the little kid wanting an autograph, picture and wearing her favorite player’s jersey. As a sophomore leader, she is now the player that people are often most excited to meet. 

“Seeing little girls with my jersey is awesome,” Webber said. “It makes me remember why I’m doing this and it’s also a reminder to inspire younger kids. Sometimes I train younger kids as well, so I like being able to do that and also help them chase their dreams.”

Being an inspiration is something Webber does not take lightly. After a successful freshman season she had options. She could have followed six of her closest friends and transferred to a bigger school but she chose to stay in a place that has become her second home. 

Webber has unfinished business on the Main Line. It’s why she came back as a sophomore.

“I want to leave a positive image of myself while I’m here,” Webber said. “I want to win championships.”