SAN ANTONIO – Basketball has always been the most important thing in Siena Guttadauro’s life. But, for the first time, she enters a new season with a different priority and the most important role of her life – Mom.
Guttadauro played in only five games as a junior last year for the Roadrunners before she learned that she was pregnant and would need to sit out the season. Her son, Dante, was born this past July 24th and Guttadauro’s journey into motherhood has proven to be a life-changing experience.
“At first, getting the news was a little shocking; it was a lot to take in,” Guttadauro said. “Having to sit out the whole year was something I’ve never had to do before. It was a lot to take in. I had to talk to my family and talk to my coaches. Coach [Karen] Aston blessed me with a scholarship, and she kept it. That was the best thing that could have happened. My family was supportive, and my mom came down here. Overall, it ended up being pretty good.”
When Guttadauro told her head coach, she wasn’t sure what the reaction might be or if she would continue to have a role on the team. Aston could not have been more supportive.
“Most of it was, ‘Are you okay and where do you want to go from here?’” Aston said. “We talked about how to get through the moment of the year and what we needed to plan for her academically. I’m still an advocate of young women making sure they have a plan in life besides sports. I tried not to get too ahead of ourselves with what we thought would happen in the future. It’s a big responsibility and I wanted to give her all of the options to make sure this was a successful pregnancy and for what lay ahead in the future.”
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Guttadauro is nearly 1,700 miles away from her home in San Jose, California. It was there that she played for the storied program at Archbishop Mitty – including a state runner-up finish in 2022 - and legendary coach Sue Phillips.
Phillips had worked with former UTSA associate head coach Jamie Carey during Carey’s time as Assistant Women’s National Team Director with USA Basketball. That connection is how Guttadauro initially came on the Roadrunners’ radar.
“I actually chose to come to UTSA because my high school coach coached with Coach Jamie and she told me about Coach Jamie and Coach Aston,” Guttadauro said. “I came on a visit and met with the coaches and knew this was where I wanted to be. This is a winning program. I like what they talked about and wanted to be part of it.”
While San Antonio had become a home away from home for Guttadauro, she was far away from family during her pregnancy. Early on, her teammates filled that role and have been supportive the entire time.
“That was the hard part was that I was kind of alone during the whole process,” she said. “Obviously I had my teammates and supportive people around me, but everyone was back in California. I was dealing with a lot of shame at first, but my teammates made me quickly feel that there was nothing to be ashamed of; it’s a good thing. They made it a lot better.”
Aston, who Guttadauro praised for being “overwhelmingly supportive,” found it immediately apparent how Guttadauro’s teammates embraced her, particularly her classmate, Maya Linton. Both were part of Aston’s first recruiting class at UTSA.
“They’re two of the ones who came in first with me – they were with a whole class of people and they’re the only two left,” Aston said. “Maya and Siena have a pretty special bond. All of the returners have a lot of compassion and a lot of patience with her. They’ve seen what she’s been through and they appreciate it. The team has welcomed her and Dante with open arms.”
Six months into Guttadauro’s pregnancy, her mom, Rosella, came to be with her in San Antonio and her dad, Joe, has now also made the move. She also credits the support of her three brothers - Joey, Anthony and Dominic.
“My mom is my saving grace,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her. It’s been a good balance because of my family. If they weren’t here, I wouldn’t be playing basketball. Because of them is how I can do this.”
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Sports was a central focus of Guttadauro’s family when she was growing up in the Silicon Valley region.
Her father played collegiate soccer at Santa Clara. Her brother Anthony competed in NCAA Division III football at Linfield University in McMinnville, Ore. Watching and playing sports have been a part of daily life for as long as Guttadauro can remember.
“It’s just been my whole life,” she said. “I have three older brothers, and my dad is a sports fanatic. It’s the first thing that we did once we were able to walk – it was ‘let’s pick up a couple sports; let’s get going.’”
Guttadauro is majoring in communications within the College of Liberal and Fine Arts at UT San Antonio. She looks to pursue a career in sports following graduation and is considering a variety of paths including broadcasting, coaching and analytics.
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It is said that patience is a virtue and it’s one that Guttadauro immediately learned since becoming a parent, something she says has never been more evident than going through the process of changing diapers.
“I realized very quickly how impatient I am,” she said. “It will teach you something about patience for sure.”
Aston has noticed the transformation in Guttadauro, something she acknowledges has also proven beneficial in Guttadauro’s return to the basketball court and role on the team.
“You can’t get around how much having a child changes a life and how you get perspective on what’s important and what’s not,” Aston said. “As long as I’ve known Siena, basketball has been the most important thing in her life. She’s shifted and realizes that there are a lot bigger things than basketball and sports. What I’ve noticed most is that she’s found a different, more mature voice, even on the sideline. She’s developed some leadership skills that I thought were very necessary for growth for her.”
Guttadauro’s coach, herself a mother to eight-year-old Marilyn, sees her pupil’s journey into motherhood as a complement to her basketball and career aspirations.
“It’s part of life; it’s not an end at all,” Aston said. “You can look at players across the professional ranks that have had children. They come back and have been successful players for their teams and successful moms. What’s important for me is to show her that anything is possible and not to put limits on yourself.”
As for Guttadauro, she’s embraced the change, all with the support of her coaches, teammates and family members. She looks forward to her next chapter, focused on motherhood, her education and basketball.
“That was the best feeling ever being able to come back,” Guttadauro said. “It’s all part of the journey. My story is different than anybody else’s and that’s the whole point.”