Madison and Michaela Cloonan, twin sisters on NSU’s women’s basketball team and graduate business administration students, are ready to compete together as Sharks.
The Kirtland, Ohio, natives both began playing basketball at 8, and have played together since.
“Our older sister and brother both played basketball, so I think just being around it got us into it, and since then we’ve been playing together on the same team,” Madison Cloonan said.
After they graduated from high school, the Cloonan sisters played at Ursuline College in Pepper Pike, Ohio, from 2020-2024. They both saw success at Ursuline, most notably in their senior year, when Michaela Cloonan led the team in points and Madison Cloonan led the team in rebounds and assists. Although they valued their time there, they knew they wanted something new for their last season.
“I think we really wanted a fresh change,” Michaela Cloonan said. “We had a great four years at Ursuline, but we wanted to go further away and find new experiences and opportunities for success.”
They eventually chose to come to NSU after seeing the women’s basketball team’s recent success. The Sharks are coming off a historic 25-6 season, where they set a program record with 20 consecutive wins.
“Looking at what the NSU team has been able to achieve in the past few years, we wanted to be part of a winning culture,” Madison Cloonan said. “Even looking at other sports teams on campus, winning is the standard here, so we love that and wanted to be a part of this environment.”
NSU women’s basketball head coach LeAnn Freeland-Curry is excited about what the sisters will bring to the team this season.
“They have a lot of toughness and fight in them, and they really want to win,” Freeland-Curry said. “They work extremely hard and have a fiery enthusiasm for the game, so I’m looking forward to seeing them in action this season.”
The Cloonan sisters have witnessed each other’s growth simultaneously, resulting in strong chemistry on the court.
“Over time we’ve really learned how to play off each other’s strengths and gotten used to each other’s playing style,” Madison Cloonan said. “We always know where the other is on the court and we use that to our advantage.”
Their shared experiences on the basketball court have created a bond that extends beyond the game.
“There are challenges and adversities that come with being a college basketball player, so being able to face those and go through them together has been helpful and has made our bond and relationship stronger,” Michaela Cloonan said.
Living through this basketball journey together has also affected the sisters’ passion for the sport itself.
“We love basketball so much already, so being able to play with my sister and closest person to me has elevated that love even more,” Michaela Cloonan said. “Playing with my sister has made the sport so much more fun.”
After graduating from NSU, the Cloonan sisters plan to continue their basketball career, though they may not be able to stay on the same team.
“We do want to play professional basketball overseas at some point, that would be really cool,” Michaela Cloonan said. “We would probably have to separate though, it is unlikely that there would be two spots on the same team for both of us.”
The Cloonan sisters reflect on their unique circumstances and experiences as they prepare for what may be their last season playing basketball together.
“We feel so blessed to be able to do this. A lot of people don’t have this privilege and opportunity, so it’s really cool to be able to look back at what we’ve been through together and be grateful for all of it while also excited for what’s to come,” Madison Cloonan said.
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