WASHINGTON -- George Mason men’s basketball student-athlete Brayden O’Connor and George Washington women’s tennis student-athlete Solange Skeene presented their experiences as Atlantic 10 Conference to the A-10 governance groups this week in conjunction with the A-10 Joint Fall Meetings.
“I thought that our SAAC representatives were so on point,” Atlantic 10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade said after the meetings concluded. “They knew the audience, and they were so polished. I felt like they were ready to walk out and start their careers.”
Skeene, a junior international affairs major, is coming off a season in which she set a career-high in singles wins (nine). Her nine singles victories also led the Revolutionaries. During A-10 conference play she posted a 4-1 record in doubles.
Skeene, GW's SAAC president, addressed the A-10 athletic directors about her experience attending the A-10 SAAC summer meeting. She and 13 A-10 SAAC representatives participated in professional development, community engagement and discussions on national collegiate issues at the Under Armour Global Headquarters.
On behalf of the A-10 SAAC members, Skeene shared how the two-day event proved beneficial to the student-athletes.
“I think it says a lot about our conference and about our leaders and how much they care about what we are experiencing,” Skeene said. “I think the best thing is for us to have a seamless relationship and for them to be accessible to us. It’s huge for me to be able to come here and let them know what we’re thinking, how we’re feeling and what we’re doing.”
O’Connor is a senior guard on a Patriots team that won a share of the 2025 A-10 Men’s Basketball regular season. Last season, he was a key contributor for the Patriots. O’Connor made all 36 starts and paced George Mason with 3.0 assists per game while ranking third in scoring (9.1 ppg).
O’Connor addressed the A-10 governance groups about his time as an A-10 student-athlete. A native of Ottawa, Ontario, he also highlighted his experience as an international student-athlete.
“The support system at George Mason and that the A-10 Conference provides for us is top notch and definitely a high-major conference,” O’Connor said.
O’Connor and Skeene both viewed their discussions as a crucial opportunity to speak on behalf of their fellow student-athletes and convey a message to A-10 leadership.
“I’m bringing back that our administrators are listening to us,” Skeene said. “I’m bringing back that our administrators care and that they are working for us. Hopefully, back at my GW SAAC we can continue to work on that relationship and continue to build with our administrators and create a more seamless communication.”