Paul Savramis: Summer 2024 Heats Up for Rising Stars Girls Programs

Rising Stars founder Paul Savramis says the Rising Stars girls’ program has a fever, which is a really good thing.

"This summer has seen a huge uptick in interest from our younger girls looking to play basketball, and some part of that has to be because of Caitlin Clark and the Fever team this year," Paul Savramis explained. "Caitlin has transformed girls' basketball and sports in general, beginning at Iowa and ending as WNBA's 2024 Rookie of the Year."

Paul Savramis has long been a strong advocate for his foundation's girls programs, and his advocacy has only gotten stronger this year. "Our girls have taken center stage this summer in both national and local competition, and that has a great deal to do with the program's leadership," said Paul Savramis.

To begin, Savramis credits Bethany LeSueur. Bethany is Long Island's all-time scoring leader, racking up an amazing 3,200 points while at Garden City High School. Now a mother of four that includes three young girls on Rising Stars teams, Bethany has developed the Rising Stars girls program into one of the best in the country. "Bethany is amazing!" Paul Savramis agrees, "But she has had some equally amazing help."

Paul Savramis is referring to Jill Cook, Rising Stars senior team coach who also coached Sue Bird to a gold medal in the Olympics. Jill has added to her accolades by winning back-to-back Nike championships this summer! "With coaches like Bethany and Jill, you will see great things happening," continued Savramis.

Great things include girls who graduate from the program this year, like Makayla Daube, who has been with Bethany since the 3rd grade! "Makayla is everything you could want to say about Rising Stars," Savramis proudly says. "She will be the Valedictorian at Mepham HS, and she is on track to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds along the way to attending Florida's Rollins College next year!"

"There's a great deal I can look back on over the past 27 years of Rising Stars," Savramis recalled. "But, the best way to appreciate the past is to see the future continue." Concludes Savramis, "The best has yet to be seen in girls’ basketball. Caitlin has opened up the floodgates and girls’ basketball is not looking back." 

"We see it at Rising Stars from the 3rd grade and in two of our 8th-graders being added to Long Island Lutheran's varsity team this spring. (*Lutheran girls are ranked nationally in the US). That defines 'paying it forward' for our Rising Stars girls, and for all girls that now see what's possible."