For This Tiger Great, It’s All About Her Team

Zoë Tomlinson ’25 will graduate this month with a degree in Mathematical Economics. She will also cross the stage as one of the best basketball players in CC history. But for this Tiger, it was all about the family she found at CC.

Tomlinson arrived on campus in 2021 ready to go, searching for normalcy in the time of Covid and recovering from a junior year ACL tear.

“One of the biggest reasons I came here was [Coach] Katherine [Auguste],” says Tomlinson. “She’s a really good recruiter and she cares about us as people and that was pretty clear. And then also talking to the team, you could tell they got along so well. It’s just kind of our team culture. It’s incredible and I could see that on my visit. I was also playing lacrosse in high school. This was the only school that said I could play both sports. That was a big draw. The lacrosse coaching staff were awesome, so it was hard to say no. Pretty much just the people drew me here.”

And those people are very glad she chose CC.

“Looking back, I’m simply thankful to have had the opportunity of coaching Zoë for four years,” says CC Women’s Basketball Head Coach Katherine Auguste. “I remember her very first practice – there was a point at which she outsprinted everyone and caught a ridiculous pass in transition, handling it and scoring it at full speed. That was the exact moment I knew her potential on the court didn’t have a limit.”

In her four years on the Women’s Basketball team, Tomlinson played in 108 games, clocking 2,557 minutes, finishing her career with 1,280 rebounds (a program record), 1,696 points (second in program history), 149 blocks, 122 assists, and 102 steals.

I joined Zoë in the arena where we each spent so much of our time, the space that meant so much to both of us during our years on campus, to reflect on her career and the legacy that she leaves behind.

MC: Let’s start with the list. You started by earning a spot on the SCAC Women’s Basketball All-Freshman Team. Then, you were named to the SCAC Academic Honor Roll three times, earned the SCAC Elite 19 Award twice, member of the CSC Academic All-Region Team twice, CSC Academic All-American Second Team, CSC Academic All-American First Team, SCAC All-Conference Honorable Mention, SCAC First Team All-Conference three times, WBCA All-American Honorable Mention twice, D3 Hoops All-American Third Team, D3 Hoops Team of the Week twice, US Basketball Writers D3 National Player of the Week, SCAC Women’s Basketball Player of the Week thirteen times, D3 Hoops All-Region First Team, SCAC All-Tournament Team twice, SCAC Player of the Year for the 2023-24 season, and, capping it all off, this season you were named SCAC Defensive Player of the Year and Player of the Year and you were a Jostens Trophy Finalist. To say you’ve had an accomplished career as a Tiger is definitely putting it mildly. How does hearing all those titles make you feel?

ZT: I don’t know. I guess I don’t think about that type of thing too much, but you know, it’s fun to hear. I think it shows how our team’s gotten a lot better over the years because, as the team gets better, everyone’s going to get more recognition. So that’s played a huge part in getting some of those achievements. We’ve won more and more games every year, which has been really cool. And it’s kind of opened the door for me to be able to get some more awards. It’s just a testament to the work we all put in.

MC: You mentioned winning more and more each year. In all those wins, what’s your favorite in-game memory?

ZT: That’s a hard one. It’s funny. I don’t think about that very often. Kind of a random game, but this year we were playing at Ozarks. It was a really close game. I don’t think we were planning on being in a really close game, but you know, it was kind of down to the wire, totally back and forth. I sat the whole third quarter in foul trouble. It got really close at the end there, and then there was one play. Laura [Strenk] was on the opposite wing. I was on the block. She just lobbed it over and I ended up scoring. Laura just ran over to me and kind of jumped like full body into me for a chest bump. It was really exciting. We were all super hyped about it, but Laura’s great like that. She brings a lot of energy. That one sticks out as a turn the tide of the game moment. And we didn’t let up after that.

MC: There is definitely something special about this team. You can see it in the way you play together on the court. You can see how close you are. So, what’s your favorite non-game team memory?

ZT: During season we can’t do too much on campus while we’re in season. So, we’ll have a lot of game nights or just watch movies at the apartment. And honestly, all my best memories are kind of sitting in a living room with my whole team. You know, we could talk about anything. Everyone is so funny. It’s just so much fun being around everyone. A more specific one, during my sophomore year, we went to Puerto Rico and did a water slide kind of jungle outing that the coaches set up for us, which was so much fun. We were going down water slides, jumping off cliffs into water. That was a ton of fun, a really cool experience.

MC: That’s definitely a common thread when you talk to CC Women’s Basketball alums across the years – the closeness of the team. Those moments being together as friends off the court really shape a lot of our CC memories. And you spoke to the culture of the team being one of the things that encouraged you to come here. How would you describe CC Basketball to someone who hasn’t been a part of it?

ZT: It’s kind of a cliché statement but, “work hard, play hard.” I mean, we put in so much work every year. Our team has worked harder and harder to get better and better. And it’s a fun environment to do that in. We’ll just text each other, “let’s go work out, let’s go shoot,” and we just get in the gym together. No one’s ever going in alone. We all kind of push each other to do more and more. We’re all really competitive but it’s never a bad competitive. Everyone wants to win, and I think that just pushes us to want to be so much better. That’s a huge part of what CC Basketball has meant to me. I’m a competitive person, so it’s been a perfect fit. But then there’s also this team culture aspect that’s even more important than any of the basketball stuff to all of us. We’re all best friends. I’ve lived with my teammates for three years now. We all spend like every minute of every day together. We’ve talked to a lot of other teams and they’re like, “that’s a lot of team time.” But that’s all we want. Yeah, we love it. And we all care about each other as people way before basketball. That starts with the coaching staff. Katherine and Lisa [Guhl] for the past four years, Drew [Mitchell] this year, every coach we’ve had. If there’s ever an academic struggle or something going on with your personal life, they’re always like, forget about basketball right now. Let’s focus on what’s important. None of us take that for granted. It’s just really a good environment with a great balance of care and team culture.

MC: You played your last game here in Reid Arena back in February. What was going on in your mind during and after that game?

ZT: Yeah, it was our senior night against Trinity. Trinity has been our rival since my freshman year. We’ve split with them the past few years, but definitely kind of the best team competition-wise in our conference. So, it’s been a lot of fun playing them. The rivalry always makes for a fun game. But kind of at the end of the game, there were definitely so many emotions. It ended up being an amazing game. It was the most crowded game I’ve ever played in, which was so awesome. A lot of energy in the stands. But it was very bittersweet, in a way. We all loved the game, but coming out of the court, Healy [Bledsoe], Laura [Strenk], Kyle [Rowland] and I, we’re definitely all pretty sad. It was all coming to an end. Thinking of everyone here, even outside our team. Everyone in the administration and training staff. They’ve helped us so much. And that’s kind of the last time we’d all play with them. We’re all going to miss it so much, but we definitely were proud of the careers we’ve had, and the bonds we’ve made with our teammates and everyone else on campus. But yeah, it was a great game. A lot of emotions.

MC: So, we started this by talking about all your individual accomplishments and the list of achievements, but what do you hope is the legacy that you leave at CC? Your individual legacy and the legacy your class left on this program?

ZT: Personally, I hope I’ve left a legacy of hard work. Obviously, when I came here, the team worked really hard. But every year that I’ve been here, there’s been more and more time spent in the gym outside of practice and that’s something that I’ve always wanted to be: someone who inspires people to work extra hard. It’s not always easy, but it’s definitely worth it in the end. As a team, I also hope we’ve left a legacy of having fun. I always like to joke, no matter what the situation, whether we’re in a close game or a tense practice. It’s always nice to lighten it up. So, I think just having a good balance of that and hard work is something that’s been important to me and something I tried to share with my teammates.

“She has achieved so much on the court, but her impact on our program goes beyond her ability,” says Auguste. “She led with hard work. She hated to lose maybe even more than she loved to win, and she would get a national accolade while still being the most self-deprecating in film that week. She infused subtle humor into almost EVERYTHING, and she loved her teammates. These are the things I’ll remember years from now when this team is all back on campus together and I see Zoë. Her sheer determination for growth and her willingness to work for it paid huge dividends for the trajectory of our program. That, when combined with the attributes of her senior classmates (Laura’s passion and motor, Healy’s determination and grace, Kyle’s grit and leadership), led us to new heights as a program. I am equally grateful and encouraged about what has been set in motion by Zoë and this group as a whole, and I know that we have so much more ahead as a program. No matter where we go from here, Zoë has proven herself to be one to remember, and her success gives others something to aspire to in their own collegiate journey. She is one of a kind and I am so glad she’s part of this Tiger Basketball family.”

After our time together in the gym, Zoë and I walked across campus, reminiscing on the non-basketball memories and stopping at some favorite campus spots – taking in the view outside The Preserve and visiting a quiet study space inside Tutt. But her favorite place outside of the gym? The front porch of the home she shares with her teammates on Weber Street.

“I could sit out here forever, spending time with them,” she says. “Just last night, it was really nice out, and we sat out here talking for three hours. It’s awesome. Yeah, I’ll miss it.”

After graduation, Tomlinson will be moving to Boston, putting her degree to work at an asset management firm working with endowments. She is eager to explore this area of finance and is looking forward to the new challenge.