The Fordham women’s basketball team’s home opener against Fairleigh Dickinson has been canceled shortly before tip-off after head coach Stephanie Gaitley came into contact with someone who had tested positive for COVID-19 outside the program. Both teams’ medical staffs agreed to cancel Thursday night’s game, and Gaitley will now quarantine for the next two weeks, per both New York state and Fordham University protocol.

According to Fordham’s press release, both teams will look into the possibility of playing the game later in the season, even though both teams begin their conference schedules next week. All of Fordham’s COVID-19 tests within their Tier 1 personnel — players, coaches and staff — have come back negative. 

Tuesday night’s game was set to be a homecoming for Fairleigh Dickinson head coach Ang Szumilo, who spent 17 years under Gaitley as an assistant coach. One of Szumilo’s assistants, Lauren Holden, played for Gaitley at Fordham from 2015-19.

Gaitley told the Ram, “We are disappointed about not playing against FDU and seeing Coach Ang and Lauren Holden back at Rose Hill- but we understand the fluidity of what we are dealing with and the health and welfare of everyone involved takes priority!”