Jess Willerson pledges to Cornell women’s basketball
6’1 McAuley senior standout will play in the Ivy League next season
On the same day fellow Firecrackers Sierra Tapley (Maine) and Kelsey Shaw (Stonehill) signed their national letters of intent, Jess Willerson made her college choice official. After carefully considering Army, Bowdoin, and Amherst, Willerson called Cornell head coach Dayna Smith, Wednesday, and announced her intention to play for the Big Red.
In just her sophomore season, Willerson was the second leading scorer in the SMAA at 17.9 points per game and was named second team all-conference. In her junior year she averaged 14 points and 8 rebounds while leading McAuley to the Western Maine final and being named second team all-conference again.
Willerson first played for the Firecrackers in 7th grade for coaches Jim Seavey and Carolyn Ewald before being moved to the freshman team in her 8th grade season. A versatile post player at 6’1″, she has excellent range on her jump shot and is an outstanding free throw shooter.
For the past four seasons, the Falmouth native has played for Brian Clement, who commented, “this is a special moment for Jess, her parents, and the Firecracker program. Jess worked very hard in the classroom and on the court. Though she was later in committing, it was worth the wait because she is realizing her dream of getting an Ivy education and playing Division I basketball. I am very proud of her and know she has a bright future.”
Firecracker co-founder Don Briggs added, “Jess is our third Ivy League commitment after Olivia Smith (Dartmouth) and Mary Butler (Brown) in the last three years. This is a special moment for the Firecrackers.”
A highly selective member of the Ivy League, Cornell finished 15-13 last year and was 8-8 in conference.