Part of history
Waynesburg’s Basinger thrilled to be playing for Pittsburgh Riveters
Ashlyn Basinger jumped at the opportunity.
The Waynesburg Central graduate was told of the newly formed Pittsburgh Riveters pre-professional women’s soccer team and was thrilled when she was asked to be part of the roster.
Basinger, who is a member of the University of Cincinnati women’s soccer team, had a connection with the Riveters through Pittsburgh Riverhounds academy director Scott Gibson.
“When I was in high school they helped me develop and prepare me for college,” said Basinger, the 20-year-old daughter of Greg and Melissa Basinger of Waynesburg. “With my experience from there, Scott Gibson, the (Riveters) head coach, reached out and asked me, ‘Do you want to be part of the team we’re building here in Pittsburgh?’
“I said absolutely I would love to be a part of something so important and historic. I had a past with the Riverhound development academy, and them wanting to bring some local girls back to help field a team and show support around Pittsburgh, I was up for that.”
Basinger is one of two area women on the team along with Brownsville graduate and North Carolina national champion Tessa Dellarose.
“I know Tessa very well, from Brownsville. We played against her in high school,” Basinger said. “I love playing with Tessa. She’s such a humble, nice person and such a great player.”
Basinger loves the concept of the Riveters.
“The platform we’ve built for young girls, not only in the city but also around where I’ve grown up, is amazing,” she said. “I never had that, somewhere that I could look and say, ‘Hey, this local team, that could be me one day.'”
Basinger has seen some action off the bench as a forward for the Riveters who are 5-1-3 heading into their final regular season match Friday when they host Steel City. Pittsburgh can clinch a playoff spot with a victory.
The Riveters are coming off a 1-1 draw at FC Buffalo on Saturday and were in danger of losing until Minah Syam scored off a scramble in front of the net in stoppage time to tie the match. The goal was set up by Dellarose’s corner kick.
Basinger said being a member of the Riveters has helped her evolve as a player.
“Playing where I do at Cincinnati, with the Riveters I’m getting to play with some girls I’ll compete against in the Big 12 and build more connections and just learn from other athletes,” Basinger said. “I think this is such a great experience to grow my own game and to, overall, be part of something that’s so much bigger than myself.”
Riveters home games at Highmark Stadium have been a thrill to be a part of, according to Basinger.
“Honestly, the best word I can think of that describes it is electric,” she said. “The way that the city comes out and supports us is incredible. I’ve never been a part of something like it.
“My favorite part is seeing all the young girls there and how much they love it. They’re all dressed in the jerseys with the headbands, looking like the Riveter Rosie (of the team emblem) and just the excitement they have on their face to see the team take the field and maybe think that someday it’s something they could maybe do.”
Basinger was the Herald-Standard Girls Soccer Player of the Year in 2022 when she scored a WPIAL-leading 56 goals, including the 100th of her career. She helped lead Waynesburg to two WPIAL playoff wins in which she scored all three of her team’s goals – 1-0 over Aquinas Academy and 3-1 over Winchester Thurston – as the Lady Raiders advanced to the semifinals.
Unfortunately, an ACL injury took Basinger out of action and derailed her team’s goal of reaching the district final or qualifying for the PIAA tournament. Waynesburg finished with a 16-5 record.
“While it was challenging to work to recover from my ACL, I think it helped me build a lot of character, and also love for the game,” Basinger said. “Having to step away from the game for around seven or eight months before I could even practice again showed me how important it is for me to be an athlete, and only made me love it more.”
Basinger was recruited by the University of Maryland and spent her freshman year, a red-shirt season, with the Terrapins before transferring to Cincinnati.
“I red-shirted my first year at Maryland because of me coming back from the ACL,” Basinger explained. “They wanted to be sure I didn’t re-tear it early on since that’s such a common occurrence. It was precautionary. I got in a few games in the spring but none in the fall for conference play.
“I really enjoyed the university overall, but I moved on just for the sake of growing in the sport with a team I felt I could be more successful at. I love Cincinnati. I think it’s a great program that’s heading in a good direction and it’s something I wanted to be a part of.”
Basinger will be a junior academically with the Bearcats. She played in nine games during the 2024 season and recorded her first collegiate point with an assist in a 4-1 win over Houston.
“I had a really strong spring season and I think the way that we’re planning to play in the fall, the formation, I think I’m going to see a lot more of the field and will become more impactful,” Basinger said.
“I’m looking forward to playing this fall and, hopefully, scoring a few goals and becoming a starter, fingers crossed. I do know the experience I’m getting now here (with the Riveters) is giving me a boost.”