Thursday, October 1, 2026
Hewlett native Riley Weiss has always believed in being the best female athlete she can be, both for herself, and young female athletes. Weiss’ drive is why she won the Dolph Schayes Outstanding Performance by a Jewish Athlete Award.
It’s given by the Jewish Sports Heritage Association, and honors Jewish athletes who show exceptional dedication and achievement in sports.
Weiss, a junior guard, built on her success from high school with a record-setting season She was named Ivy League Player of the Year, earning a spot on the league’s all-tournament team, and broke Columbia’s single-season scoring record. She averaged 17.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.1 steals over 31 games.
“Part of the reason why I came to Columbia was to play tough teams,” Weiss said. “Playing in those games and being an impact player is an incredible feeling.”
Weiss has also excelled academically. She has earned Dean’s List honors in all but two semesters while pursuing a degree in psychology. She said her interest in the subject began after taking an introductory class during her freshman year.
“I wanted to get a better understanding of how people work and how the brain works,” she said. “It has helped me read people and understand them better.”
At Hewlett High School, Weiss joined the varsity team as a seventh grader and became the program’s all-time leading scorer. She averaged 40.8 points per game as a sophomore and 39.9 as a junior. She was a four-year captain, a four-time all-county selection, a two-time All-Long Island honoree, and a member of the 2021-22 New York All-State Team. That season, she was named both the conference and Nassau County Player of the Year.
For her senior year, Weiss transferred to North Broward Prep in South Florida. She broke seven school records, won a district championship and earned a gold medal at the 2022 Maccabiah Games with Team USA.
She finished her high school career with 2,906 points and received the Michael Freedman Outstanding Jewish High School Athlete of the Year — another association award.
“We knew back then that she was not only going to be an outstanding basketball player, but someone who was going to go places,” Alan Freedman, the association’s executive director said.
Weiss has drawn inspiration from Golden State Warriors point guard, Stephen Curry and his development as a player. She also credits competing against her twin brother, Ryan Weiss — now a forward at Brandeis University — with helping shape her game.
“It was inspiring for me and pushed me to be better,” Riley Weiss said.
Entering her senior year, Weiss hopes to lead Columbia to an NCAA Tournament berth.
“Winning the Ivy League and getting an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament is the main goal.”
