Dear Panther Alumni,

This Spring has been an exciting time of growth as we continued to build the foundation for the future of our program. As you know, our staff has focused on creating a culture centered around accountability, toughness, unity, and excellence both on and off the court. We are excited about the direction of Panther Basketball and grateful for the alumni and supporters who continue to pour into this program.

As we continue building for the future, we are equally committed to honoring the incredible history of Florida Tech Women's Basketball and the players who helped shape it.

This year, we are especially proud to celebrate Felicia Brown on her induction into the Florida Tech Hall of Fame on October 24 - a tremendously deserving honor.

Felicia (Bell) Brown concluded her outstanding career from 1998-2002 with 1,955 points and 741 made field goals, both ranking second all-time in program history. She also ranks among the Panthers' all-time leaders in points per game (16.5), free throws made (411), games played (118), and steals (194). She also owns three of the top ten single-season field goal marks in program history.

Felicia was instrumental in leading the Panthers during the historic 2001-02 season that resulted in Sunshine State Conference regular season and tournament championships, along with an unforgettable run to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. Her accomplishments earned her D2 Bulletin Honorable Mention All-American honors, SSC Freshman of the Year recognition, and multiple All-SSC selections throughout her career.

On behalf of our entire program, congratulations to Felicia and her family on this incredible recognition. Her impact on Florida Tech Women's Basketball helped shape the standard of excellence that we continue striving toward today.

We are also incredibly excited to announce that our staff will host its first Elite Camp on June 27. This is a major step forward for our program and an important part of our long-term recruiting vision.

Elite Camps provide us with an opportunity to bring talented prospective Scholar-Athletes to campus, introduce them to the Florida Tech experience, and allow them to interact directly with our coaching staff. Recruiting is ultimately about relationships and fit, and there is no better way to evaluate and connect with student-athletes than by having them in our gym, on our campus, and competing in our environment.

Our staff is especially excited about the opportunity to work hands-on with recruits on the court. Camp settings allow us to teach, communicate, and evaluate in real time while giving players the chance to experience the intensity, energy, and culture we are building inside our program. We want recruits to leave campus understanding exactly what Panther Basketball represents.

Beyond basketball, we are excited for these young women and their families to see everything Florida Tech has to offer academically, athletically, and personally. Melbourne is a special place, and we believe Florida Tech provides an elite experience for Scholar-Athletes who want to compete at a high level while earning a tremendous education.

This camp is only the beginning of what we hope will become an important tradition for our program and a strong recruiting tool as we continue building for sustained success in the Sunshine State Conference and beyond.

As we close, I also want to share how important our alumni remain to everything we are building. Our staff would truly love to strengthen the connection between our former players and our current program. We would welcome more opportunities for alumni to engage with our team, visit practices, attend games, and share their experiences with our student-athletes.

It is incredibly important to us that our current players understand and appreciate the women who built the foundation of Florida Tech Women's Basketball. The standard they are working to uphold was set by generations of Panthers who wore the jersey before them, and we want that legacy to remain present and alive within our program every day.

We hope to continue creating meaningful ways for alumni and current players to interact, learn from one another, and strengthen the bond that makes Panther Basketball so special.

We hope you have a wonderful Summer! Please feel free to reach out to me anytime

Go Panthers!

Ashley Raley-Ross
Head Women's Basketball Coach
Florida Tech Panthers Women's Basketball