Entering her second year with the Binghamton women’s basketball team, senior guard Kaia Goode looks to take a larger leadership role after being named co-captain. Coming off a season in which she started all 30 games for BU, leading the squad in scoring three times and in assists eight times, Goode has settled into the community of her second collegiate program.

“Honestly, it’s been a lot better for me, just the familiarity aspect of it,” Goode said. “I know a lot more people now, I feel more comfortable in this space and I feel like the community has been very good to me. And this year I feel is going to be a great year.”

After spending her freshman and sophomore campaigns at Le Moyne College, alongside the program’s transition into NCAA’s Division I, Goode transferred to Binghamton last year, following head coach Mary Grimes. Goode quickly became a regular contributor to Grimes’ first-year squad, averaging 7.2 points, 2.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

Goode also tied for third in the America East Conference in steals per game, averaging 1.8. She discussed the adjustment of transferring into a new program, both on and off the court, and she expects to continue growing her game this season.

“We’re student athletes, we have school as well and I have a lot of academic help as well,” Goode said. “And when you’re good off the court, you play better on the court.”

Alongside the returners, Binghamton has added six freshmen through its 2025 recruiting class. Goode has found that their energy has been integral to building Grimes’ desired culture, adding to the process of growth and development across the squad.

“They want to win, and I feel like that’s really been great for us,” Goode said. “They’re fresh, they’re really eager to learn and we’re eager to help them as well. So I feel that’s been a big part of their being better for us.”

Before her two-year tenure at Le Moyne, Goode was a four-year letter winner at Bishop Kearney High School in Rochester, New York. During her tenure at Bishop Kearney, Goode led the squad to four Section V Class AA titles, three of which came alongside her younger sister and Binghamton newcomer, freshman guard Klarissa Goode.

“Honestly, it’s very fun. I played with [Klarissa] for three years in high school, so I feel like this is like a little reunion, I’d say. It’s my last year and I think we want to be a championship team, and we’ve done it at the high school level, and we want to do it at the college level,” Goode said.

After suffering a narrow 66-63 defeat to No. 3 Bryant in the AE quarterfinals last year, Goode and the Bearcats are motivated to build off the early exit, as they work to develop and refine Grimes’ desired fast-paced and high-press-oriented scheme.

“Right now in practice, we’re really working on communication and it starts with the little details, like getting through drills and moving through everything fast,” Goode said. “We just had our first scrimmage and building off of that and not dipping down, we can grow and be better in the conference.”