Staff Directory

Grace Heeps

Title:
Director of Operations / Assistant Coach
Email:

Grace Heeps was hired as the Wildcats' director of women's basketball operations/assistant coach in August 2026 by head coach Megan Shoniker.

In her role, Grace oversees the day-to-day operations of the women's basketball program while also contributing to player development, recruiting efforts, and other aspects of the Wildcats' coaching staff.

The East Greenbush, N.Y., native brings a unique blend of Division I playing experience, leadership and student-athlete development expertise to the Wildcats. A standout performer at UAlbany from 2020-23, Grace helped lead the Great Danes to the 2022 NCAA Tournament and the 2023 WNIT while starting 82 of 84 games during her three seasons with the program. A team captain as both a junior and senior, she ranked among conference leaders in assists and minutes played during her senior season and earned the prestigious America East Elite 18 Award in 2022-23.

Grace also excelled in the classroom throughout her collegiate career, earning CSC Academic All-District honors and graduating summa cum laude from UAlbany with a bachelor's degree in communications and minors in psychology and leadership.

After graduating from UAlbany, Grace completed her playing career as a graduate student at Canisius in 2023-24, starting all 31 games while finishing tied for the team lead in steals and ranking among the program's single-season leaders in minutes played. She earned a Master of Science in Sport Administration.

She previously served in academic support roles at UMass, most recently as an academic counselor. She worked closely with student-athletes on academic success, NCAA eligibility and personal development while helping coordinate support services and resources.

Prior to her work in collegiate athletics, Grace was the director of Havoc Academy youth basketball development, where she organized basketball clinics, practices, and games for girls ages 8-15 while overseeing a staff of coaches. She also worked with Zero Gravity Basketball, supporting tournament operations and event management.