Westtown forward Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick heads to Seton Hall with a championship mentality
After being forced to switch schools and adapt to different programs, Bland-Fitzpatrick fit right in at Westtown.
During Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick’s sophomore basketball season at Trenton Catholic Preparatory Academy, it was announced that the school would close at the end of that academic year. The announcement forced Bland-Fitzpatrick to make a decision regarding her academic and athletic future.
If Bland-Fitzpatrick chose to stay at Trenton Catholic and the school did end up closing, she would have to sit out at whichever school she transferred to. Bland-Fitzpatrick was set to enter a key period for recruiting, however, and she wanted to avoid missing valuable opportunities to be seen by college coaches.
Bland-Fitzpatrick had already transferred schools once before. She played her first two seasons at New London (Conn.) High School before reclassifying and transferring to Trenton Catholic. This time, finding a new program proved more difficult. By the time it was announced that Trenton Catholic would close, many schools had already enrolled for the following year.
With limited options, Bland-Fitzpatrick ended up playing out her junior season at St. Benedict’s (N.J) Prep. Bland-Fitzpatrick didn’t let the challenges of switching schools distract her from her goals.
“That has always been me,” Bland-Fitzpatrick said. “To know that even though I go through tough transitions or change, no matter what it is, it won’t ever throw me off my track or path. … Something you love wouldn’t easily go away unless you just give it away and give up on it. I was willing to stay on the right path even though I was going through tough times.”
Bland-Fitzpatrick’s focus helped her put together a strong summer on the AAU circuit with her New Heights NYC club. In July, the 5-foot-10 forward committed to Seton Hall. It was during that same summer that Bland-Fitzpatrick’s AAU coach, Dominique Nute, reached out to Westtown School coach Fran Burbidge about Bland-Fitzpatrick’s playing her senior year with the Moose. Burbidge, who had already met Bland-Fitzpatrick and seen her play, agreed to bring her in for the season.
Entering a program with its own systems and culture, especially just for a season, is a challenge. But it wasn’t one unfamiliar to Bland-Fitzpatrick, and she leaned into her personality to help smooth her transition into Westtown.
“The person I am, and the personality I have, I felt like it was natural to me,” said Bland-Fitzpatrick, who will play in the Philadelphia All-American game Sunday at Neumann University. “If anything, I feel like I’m a natural leader, and anybody will follow just by the example I set.
“Once you understand each other, it comes very easily, and it becomes fun on and off the court once you get to know each other well. Everybody would want to work out with each other outside of basketball. Everybody would work hard for each other. … Everything was coming naturally.”
The strong relationships that Westtown girls’ basketball built within the program helped propel the team to both Friends’ School League and PAISAA championships. Bland-Fitzpatrick slotted into a Westtown rotation that featured Delaware recruit Grace Sundback and standout eighth grader Jordyn Palmer. Burbidge acknowledged that Bland-Fitzpatrick’s role looked a bit different than it might have had the Connecticut native had more time to adjust to the rhythm and dynamic of the offense.
» READ MORE: Grace Sundback’s dedication to basketball led her to Westtown and a commitment to Delaware
Although Bland-Fitzpatrick took on a more complementary role in some games, she still made her presence felt and put together a season worthy of first-team all-league honors.
“That’s a credit to how hard she competes, how tough she is, and how talented she is,” Burbidge said. “For Joniyah, coming in just for her last year, I’m sure that some things were tough about that. But [there was] always a good spirit and always a great respect from her.”
Next season, Bland-Fitzpatrick will look to replicate the winning she enjoyed at Westtown with Seton Hall. After watching the way Bland-Fitzpatrick has handled challenges so far, Burbidge is confident that she’ll have no problem making the adjustment.
“She already has the physical toughness and the competitiveness,” Burbidge said. “I think the mental toughness that some of this stuff has forced her to try to adapt to and try to come out on the other end [of] will be really beneficial for her.
“I think Seton Hall will be really good for Joniyah. Hopefully she goes there and she’s comfortable and locked in and she gets to have a continuous home, so to speak. … She’ll be a really, really good college player.”