Photo Courtesy of Montclair State Bloomfield College Women’s Basketball
The Bloomfield College women’s basketball team concluded a historic 2025–26 season by winning the championship. In their inaugural year competing in the United States Collegiate Athletic Association (USCAA), the Bears achieved an impressive overall record of 19–6, including a perfect undefeated regular season in the NACIA.
After a challenging 2024–25 season, where they finished with a record of 6–19 overall and 3–13 in the CACC, the team entered the 2025–26 season in a new conference.
They were strengthened by a mix of experienced returning veterans, including senior twins Mia and Ania Martinez, whose leadership was instrumental to the team’s success. Senior forward Anisha Able also played a crucial role during the championship run.
Sophomore Bianca Ellis continued her strong performance from the previous season, averaging 15.5 points per game and establishing herself as the team’s leading deep shooter, making 50 three-pointers in just 15 games.
New additions to the team made significant contributions to their championship success. Junior guard Kaleigh Valle finished second on the team with 48 three-pointers, shooting 36.9% from beyond the arc. Kayla Lewis, a transfer from Bowie State University, provided valuable support as a secondary playmaker and made important defensive contributions, including her first double-double.
However, the key to the team’s championship run was Nia Mallette, who played a significant role for the Bears, especially given her remarkable journey. Three years earlier, she had walked away from basketball with no intention of returning.
Two years later, she emerged from retirement to play at Union Community College. Her talent was quickly noticed by Coach Anthony Green, who recruited her to Bloomfield College, where she thrived. Her impact on the team was widely recognized.
Throughout practice and the preseason, Mallette’s exceptional work ethic was evident, especially as the season progressed. As a junior transfer, her influence was immediate and historic. She became nearly unguardable and served as the cornerstone of the Bears’ transformation during the 2025–26 season, recording three triple-doubles—the first player to achieve this under Coach Anthony Green.
In the team’s home opener, Mallette nearly achieved a quadruple-double, scoring 27 points, grabbing 16 rebounds, dishing out 10 assists and recording 8 steals. Averaging 23.2 points per game (second in the nation), 11.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 3.3 steals, she continued her impressive performance throughout the postseason. She set a USCAA tournament single-game scoring record with 36 points in the semifinals against Bryant & Stratton Buffalo.
Nia sealed the national title by going 5-of-6 from the free-throw line in the final 76 seconds of the championship game, scoring 26 points in the win over Paul Quinn College. She received several honors, including First-Team All-American, USCAA Division I National Player of the Year and USCAA Tournament Most Valuable Player (MVP), awarded for leading the top-seeded Bears to the national title, highlighted by her 26-point performance in the championship game.
Mallette was also selected for the All-Tournament Team for her consistent performance throughout the three-game national championship run. She recorded the first-ever triple-double in program history under Head Coach Anthony Green, ultimately finishing the season with three such instances.
Bloomfield College’s one-year turnaround was nothing short of remarkable. A new conference and rejuvenated roster powered the Bears to their first national championship in program history.
Despite just four traditional varsity programs surviving an athletic realignment just last year, the school can now hang a championship banner after a miraculous season.
