2024-25 Atlantic 10 preview

“I think what excites me most this season, about the A-10 is the parity, is how competitive the league is going to be,” Rhode Island head coach Tammi Reiss told The Next. “… There are really no easy games, and there’s quite a few teams, if you throw ’em in a hat, you pick a name, anyone could win the league this year. Although I think Richmond and St. Joe’s … they’re my preseason predictions to win the league because they return so much experience and talent. But I truly think there are six or seven or eight teams that could vie for an A-10 championship.

In the next few years, commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade hopes to increase the number of teams that make the postseason and the NCAA Tournament. “I think every student-athlete, every coach, that’s what you aspire to,” she told The Next. “They’re aspiring first, to finish very high in their league. Secondly, to win their conference championship, and then thirdly, they have the opportunity to advance into postseason, to win a national championship. So we are clearly focused on that. I think we feel great where our championship is. We feel great where all of our members are supporting our women’s basketball programs, even our … nonconference schedules, our facilities that we’re playing in. It really shows the strength of the A-10.”

Let’s break down what each team looks like heading into this season, in alphabetical order. You can click the links below to skip to specific teams. All statistics are from College Basketball Reference unless otherwise hyperlinked. 

Authors note: Leading scorers from last season references points per game, not total points.

Davidson | Dayton | Duquesne | Fordham | George Mason | George Washington | La Salle | Loyola Chicago | UMass | Rhode Island | Richmond | St. Bonaventure | Saint Joseph’s | Saint Louis | VCU

Davidson

2023-24 record: 18-11 (8-10 A-10, 8th)

Preseason ranking: 4th 

Percentage of minutes returning: 65.6% (3rd)

Percentage of points returning: 64.5% (4th)

Last season, Davidson forfeited three of its last four conference games and canceled the rest of its season on March 1. “I think we’ve got a lot of experience returning that’s really hungry. It feels like … unfinished business, just kind of with how last year ended,” head coach Gayle Fulks told The Next. “So I think [it] just really motivated a team that loves to play with each other. And I think we’ve made a couple changes just in how we go about things that I think will really help with the injury prevention side of things. But to me, it’s all about — just this group really cares about winning and wants to do it together. And I think you’re going to see just the best version of Davidson women’s basketball this year, just with how we’ve approached things, and how hungry they are to get it right this year.” 

The Wildcats return four of their top six scorers and add seven new faces; Fulks believes that the team will be deeper than previous years. Though Davidson had seven players average at least six points per game last season, just three played in all 26 games.  

Key returners (last season’s stats):

G Issy Morgan, 5’10: 8.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals  

G Charlise Dunn, 6’2: 12.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.0 blocks. All-Conference third team.  

F Millie Prior, 6’2: 9.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.9 blocks 

G Mallorie Haines, 5’10: 7.0 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.1 steals 

Key losses (last season’s stats):

F Elle Sutphin, 6’3: 12.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals (15 games). All-Conference third team.  

G Suzi-Rose Deegan, 5’10: 13.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.1 steals (15 games)

G Maddie Plank, 5’11: 6.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists 

Newcomers:

G Jasmine Timmerson, 5’7: Averaged 1.5 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 24 games at Pitt as a freshman. While at North Allegheny High School she was a part of one state title (Pennsylvania) team as a sophomore and averaged 16.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 3.0 steals as a senior. 

G Sienna Dauer, 5’11: Lettered in basketball and volleyball at IMG Academy. 

G Kyra Bruyndoncx, 5’11: Averaged 4.5 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 15.6 minutes per game in 22 games during the 2023-24 season with Kangoeroes Basket Mechelen, a team in Belgium’s top division of women’s basketball. Represented Belgium at FIBA competitions at the youth national team level since 2021 and averaged 7.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in six games of the 2023 FIBA U18 Women’s European Championship.

F Candice Lienafa, 5’11: As a senior at Champlain College Saint-Lambert averaged 14.8 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. Helped Champlain College Saint-Lambert to a bronze medal at the 2024 Canadian Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) women’s basketball national championship.

C Edina Strausz, 6’3: Graduated from Winston-Salem Christian School. Averaged 7.4 points and 6.3 rebounds at the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and has represented Hungary at FIBA competitions at the youth national team level since 2021. 

G Stephanie Gutierrez-Rodriguez, 5’6: Played four years of basketball and volleyball and one year of softball at Coleville High School. Coleville High School single-game and single-season 3-point record holder. 

G Emilie Bessell, 5’9: Averaged 4.3 points and 1.6 rebounds for the Norths Bears of the NBL1 East during the 2024 season. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 5 vs. Florida Gulf Coast

Nov. 13 at Cincinnati 

Nov. 23 at Wake Forest

Nov. 29 vs. Virginia Tech (Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off)

Nov. 30 vs. Michigan/Belmont (Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off)

Dec. 11 at NC State 

Head coach: Gayle Fulks, 8th season

Coach’s perspective:

On the team’s nonconference schedule: We’re opening up with Florida Gulf Coast which has been to the NCAA Tournament, it feels like every single year for the last gazillion years. And playing a team that I think consistently has proven to be one of the best programs in the country in our first game, I think is going to be a great test for us. From there we’ve got several Power 4 programs on the docket, going up to Cincinnati and playing those guys up there, playing Wake Forest again on the road… In addition [we’re] playing in a really great MTE down in Fort Myers, where we have the opportunity to play Virginia Tech in our first game, and then the winner, hopefully, of the Michigan-Belmont game. So just exposing us to two great games down there. … I think just understanding that we’ve got some great games on our schedule that I think will test us, along with scheduling NC State. We go up to those guys in December, and they’re coming off of a Final Four run. And last year we scheduled well with UNC and Duke,  being on the road. And the NC State game fits right into that same type of category where it’s a program that has high aspirations, they’ve been on the [biggest stages] recently, and a lot in their past. And I’m excited to see the challenge of us going up that way and being able to beat those guys. 

On what excites her the most heading into this season: We’re really balanced. I think that we could score inside, we could score outside, we could shoot, we could drive. Across the board, we just have great length, as well. So I think on the defensive end there’s been some moments where, just some really wow, defensive moments have happened by more than one person, really from everybody. 

---

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to our sister publication The IX and receive our independent women’s sports newsletter six days a week. Learn more about your favorite athletes and teams around the world competing in soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers.

Readers of The Next now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

---

Dayton

2023-24 record: 12-19 (5-13 A-10, 12th)

Preseason ranking: 11th

Percentage of minutes returning: 54.2% (7th)

Percentage of points returning: 52.9% (8th)

“More wins!” was the emphatic start to head coach Tamika Williams-Jeter’s answer to how she hopes this season will be different from last season. “I think with who we’ve added, we’ve added a lot of postseason experience,” she told The Next. “We have people who played in WNIT championships, [the] NCAA Tournament, conference championships, and Elite 8s, Sweet 16s. So adding the experience has been great.” Dayton returns its top two scorers from last season and welcomes eight new faces, including four with previous college basketball experience.  

In Williams-Jeter’s first two seasons, the Flyers were top-three in the conference in rebounds per game and last season had six players average at least 3.0 rebounds per game. “I think it was just for us where we were as a program, it was something that was a necessary, just because we didn’t have the shooting outside of Ivy [Wolf] to produce,” Williams-Jeter said. “Sometimes it was our best offense and sometimes it was our best defense, because we knew Arianna Smith was going to go [up for] the boards. I think it really paid its dues because we had people like Eve Fiala who bought into it. … [W]e did add Nicole Stephens, who’s a combo guard for us, who rebounds very well. And then we added Rikki Harris, who’s also a very good rebounder. And then we have some other ones who will probably have to come into play.” 

Key returners:

G Ivy Wolf, 5’8: 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steals 

F Arianna Smith, 6’2: 9.2 points, 10.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists. Led the A-10 in rebounds per game last season. 

Key losses:

F Mariah Perez, 6’3: 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists  

G Destiny Bohanon, 5’10: 9.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.8 assists 

G Anyssa Jones, 5’10: 8.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.9 steals 

Newcomers:

G Shantavia Dawkins, 5’8: Averaged 0.8 points and 0.5 rebounds in 22 games (two seasons) at Iowa State. 

G Rikki Harris, 5’10: Averaged 5.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 117 games (four seasons) at Ohio State. 

G Olivia Leung, 5’10: Helped Crestwood Preparatory College to Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association championships in 2023 and 2024. Averaged 8.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in six games during the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championship, as she helped Team Canada win silver. 

G Jayda Johnson, 6’1: Redshirted at Boston College last season. Prior to college, second in scoring in Hamden Hall Country Day School program history with more than 1,500 points and helped guide the team to the 2023 New England Preparatory School Athletic Council (NEPSAC) championship. 2023 McDonald’s All American Games nominee.

G/F Ajok Madol, 6’3: Averaged 2.1 points and 0.9 rebounds in 15 games at Minnesota last season. Prior to her time at Minnesota, she played basketball at Archbishop M.C. O’Neill Catholic High School and also lettered in soccer and volleyball. Represented Canada at the 2023 FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World Cup (earned a bronze medal) and the 2022 FIBA U17 Women’s Basketball World Cup, averaging 2.3 points and 2.3 rebounds over 12 combined games.  

G Nicole Stephens, 5’7: Averaged 3.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 61 games (three seasons) on the court at Columbia. 

G Kamryn Grant, 6’: Four-year varsity letter winner at Columbus Africentric Early College. Helped her team win back-to-back state championships (Ohio) in her junior and senior seasons.  

F/C Molly O’Riordan, 6’2: Scored more than 1,500 points at Barrington High School. Named second team All-State in 2023 and 2024 and third team All-State in 2022 (Illinois). 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 14 at Duke

Nov. 21 vs. Providence 

Nov. 26 vs. South Dakota (Music City Classic)

Dec. 19 vs. Vanderbilt

Head coach: Tamika Williams-Jeter, 3rd season

Coach’s perspective:

Being at Dayton, the ultimate goal is always to win the A-10 tournament, get to the NCAA Tournament. I don’t think that standard dropped just because we haven’t done it the last two years. It’s what our facilities look like, it’s what our academic level looks like, it’s what our travel looks like. We definitely have an incubator of winning. So I think that would be — that’s always the ultimate goal but for me and this program where it is, it’s just to get better every day. Our motto this year [is] 15 is greater than one, because we have 15 on our roster, and that’s something that the players took ownership of, and they picked and pulled from. And so I think just keeping them together would be a goal — is us staying in as a unit, and we’re going to have ups and downs during the season of course, just like everyone else trying to get to our final goal. And the journey is not always happy every day, but with that being said, we got to stay together.

On the nonconference schedule: We got a pretty good balance — the Duke game is a return game. It’s our last return game from the previous staff … And to go to Duke, what an experience, it’s like the kids last year when we went to Connecticut to start off the season. It’s a great experience and an opportunity. Davidson went there and beat them last year. So it gives you a little hope where the A-10 is, very strong. And then we have Vanderbilt at home, which is an SEC team, which is always fun to play. It’s usually our most physical game on our schedule. So it’s always good to bring them in. I think [Vanderbilt head coach Shea Ralph‘s] got a good freshman coming in. She’s got some players coming back. And we went to college together, so that’s always a good battle. Providence, BIG EAST team, made a little ruckus with a new coach last year. So for us, anytime we can bring those level of conference competition in that’s always good for us. And then we go to Nashville, I think we play South Dakota … they just switched it, but just getting into [that] space it’s kind of like a tournament, and playing back-to-back games is always tough.

Duquesne

2023-24 record: 21-13 (13-5 A-10, 5th)

Preseason ranking: 6th

Percentage of minutes returning: 37.0% (12th)

Percentage of points returning: 35.9% (10th)

Though five of Duquesne’s six 1,000-point scorers from last year are gone, senior Megan McConnell remains. Last season, the 5’7 guard led Division I in minutes per game (38.5) and led the Dukes in points, rebounds, assists and steals per game. Duquesne’s eight newcomers join six returners and the team will be debuting a new style of basketball that Burt described as “very fast, and … very chaotic.” 

“Certainly with Meg McConnell leading the way, I have great faith in our players being able to execute, simply the concepts of what we’re trying to do,” he said. “From there, it really becomes their decision-making and their IQ. And so it really kind of lends itself to being more of a collaborative approach with the players and giving them a lot of trust that they’re going to win us basketball games playing within the concepts that we have.”

Key returners:

G Megan McConnell, 5’7: 13.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.9 steals. All-Conference First Team. All-Defensive Team. All-Academic Team. 

G Jerni Kiaku, 5’7: 6.6 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 steals 

Key Losses:

G Tess Myers, 5’9: 7.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.5 assists 

F Precious Johnson, 6’4: 7.2 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.1 blocks

G/F Amaya Hamilton, 6’2: 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists 

G Naëlle Bernard, 5’5: 9.3 points, 2.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists 

C Ayanna Townsend, 6’2: 7.8 points and 4.1 rebounds 

Newcomers:

G Gabby Hutcherson, 6’2: Averaged 4.3 points and 3.1 rebounds per game across 55 games (two seasons) at Pitt. Spent her first two seasons at Ohio State where she averaged 3.2 points and 2.2 rebounds per game (36 games). 

G Faith Walker, 6’1: Was a 1,000 point scorer at West York Area High School. Also played volleyball. All-State second team selection (Pennsylvania) as a senior after averaging 18.2 points per game. All-State third team selection as a sophomore. 

G Fatou Sane, 6’: Played at J. Addison School (Canada). Attended the first all-girls Basketball Without Borders Global camp. 

G Reina Green, 5’8: Averaged 8.2 points and 6.0 rebounds in six games at Pensacola State College (National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA)) last season.

G Mackenzie Blackford, 5’8: Four-year starter and letter-winner at Solon High School, where she averaged 25.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.7 steals per game as a senior. Named to All-Ohio first team as a senior. 

G Kellie McConnell, 5’3: Helped North Allegheny High School to a state championship (Pennsylvania) as a freshman. Cousin Megan McConnell is entering her fifth season at Duquesne. Mother Sherri started for four years at Duquesne. 

G Nadia Moore, 5’10: Was a 1,000-point scorer at Winchester Thurston School and was a three-time All-State selection (Pennsylvania). Played one season at J. Addison School in (Canada) where she helped the team to an Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association championship. 

G Andjela Matic, 5’8: Averaged 4.8 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in 57 games (two seasons) at Vermont. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 4 vs. Princeton

Nov. 10 at Penn State

Nov. 20 at Kent State 

Dec. 4 at Pitt

Head coach: Dan Burt, 12th season

Coach’s perspective:

Our practices are incredibly physical and relentless and reckless. It is a very tough group of women. They are very physical and [the] most physical team I’ve ever coached, most competitive team I’ve ever coached. And you can teach some of that. You can have some of that ingrained in your culture, but some of that is just … what God gave them, or what they developed at previous stops, whether it’s in high school or at another university, and we’ve got a really unique group of tough kids that are very competitive. It’s gonna be a lot of fun.

We’d like to [have] 22 plus wins. We’d like to be in the conversation for an NCAA Tournament bid. We certainly would like to be playing in the finals of the Atlantic 10 Tournament. We’d like to average 77+ points a game. We’d like to shoot 35% from the 3-point line. We certainly want to have less turnovers than our opponent, and we certainly want to have more offensive rebounds. We’d really like to be plus-five on offensive rebounds against our opponents.

Fordham

2023-24 record: 13-17 (8-10 A-10, 10th)

Preseason ranking: 9th (tied)

Percentage of minutes returning: 41.5% (10th)

Percentage of points returning: 43.7% (9th)

The Rams return just two of their top six scorers from last season, but they do return the conference’s top scorer Taylor Donaldson. Fordham welcomes eight newcomers, including four with collegiate basketball experience. “The newcomers and freshmen are our team,” head coach Bridgette Mitchell told The Next. “And so when you talk about contributions, everyone’s going to have to do something. We assign roles. We need people that are going to rebound. We need people that are going to set great screens. We need people that are going to score. And so [I’m] really excited about their opportunity to come in, clean slate, everyone’s equal. And so they’ve been competing against each other every day in practice, and that’s going to bode well once the games start.” 

Key returners:

G Taylor Donaldson, 5’10: 17.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 2.3 steals. All-Conference second team. Led the A-10 in points per game last season. 

G Taya Davis, 5’7: 5.9 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals 

Key losses:

G Emy Hayford, 5’8: 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals 

G Mandy McGurk, 5’6: 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals 

C Aminata Ly, 6’4: 5.8 points and 6.0 rebounds 

G Matilda Flood, 5’9: 4.9 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.5 steals   

Newcomers:

F Karissa Antoine, 5’11: Was a 1,000-point scorer and four-year letter-winner at Schalmont High School. Helped her team win a state championship (New York) as a sophomore. 

G Chaé Harris, 5’8: Averaged 7.7 points and 3.3 rebounds over 45 games (two seasons) at Appalachian State. 

F Irene Murua Txintxurreta, 6’: Averaged 10.8 points, 7.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals in 91 games (three seasons) at Detroit Mercy. Played in 18 games as a freshman at Louisiana Tech. 

G Camila De Pool, 5’7: Averaged 3.5 points and 1.0 rebounds per game at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s Americas Championship and has represented Puerto Rico at FIBA competitions at the youth national team level since 2021. 

F Anastasija Veljovic, 5’11: Played at Fort Erie International Academy (Canada). Participated in Basketball Without Borders Americas in 2023.

F Precious Omoshola, 6’2: Attended high school in the United Kingdom, before attending The Storm King School in New York for two years. Represented Great Britain and averaged 7.0 points and 5.0 rebounds at the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket Division B. 

F Emma Wilson-Saltos, 5’11: Averaged 11.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game in 61 games (two seasons) at Monroe College (NJCAA).  

G Amiyah Ferguson, 5’8: Averaged 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals at Cal State Northridge last season. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 12 at Seton Hall

Nov. 23 vs. Siena

Dec. 21. vs. Cal (Raising the Bar Classic)

Dec. 22 vs. Temple/Xavier (Raising the Bar Classic)

Head coach: Bridgette Mitchell, 2nd season

Coach’s perspective:

On the benefits of the team’s trip to Greece in August: I definitely think it’s that sense of camaraderie. You assign roles to players every year, and then you have a chance to live them out against a competitor like you have an opponent to play against, and so you have a role. And we had a chance to see our roles exemplified before the season even starts, and why you have your role and tapping into that. So I think that that’s something that is definitely a benefit to have an opportunity to play before this season kicks off.

On how she hopes her team is able to grow this season: Definitely in our mindset and when I say grow in our mindset, it’s like the next play mentality. And I think that that’s something that, as a competitor and a baller, you can’t get hung up on the last play, and you can’t look forward to the next, you have to be in the moment. And so I’m really excited to see our growth in that area, from where we are today until the end of the season.

George Mason

2023-24 record: 23-8 (14-4 A-10, 4th)

Preseason ranking: 3rd

Percentage of minutes returning: 61.2% (4th)

Percentage of points returning: 59.3% (6th)

The Patriots recorded the program’s sixth 20-win season last season, just one win away from tying the single-season wins record. George Mason is just two years removed from a second-straight last place finish in the A-10 and being picked to finish 14th in the 2022-23 season.  “I think we’re really excited to build upon that for this season, to do better than what we’ve ever been,” head coach Vanessa Blair-Lewis told The Next. “And that’s where the slogan, Believe Big comes in. We’re believing bigger than what we had last year.”

Mason returns six of its top eight scorers from last season, including two members of the All-Rookie team in Kennedy Harris and Rookie of the Year Zahirah Walton. The team also welcomes four newcomers, including two with collegiate basketball experience.  

Key returners:

F Nalani Kaysia, 6’2: 6.2 points and 6.0 rebounds (5 games)

G Paula Suárez, 6’: 7.0 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 0.9 steals  

G Ta’Viyanna Habib, 5’11: 10.0 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.4 steals  

F Zahirah Walton, 5’11: 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 1.1 blocks in 22.4 minutes per game off the bench. 2023-24 Rookie of the Year. All-Conference third team. All-Rookie team.  

G Kennedy Harris, 5’7: 9.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.2 steals. All-Rookie team.  

Key losses:

G Taylor Jameson, 5’6: 8.9 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.0 steals

G Sonia Smith, 5’7: 15.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals. 2023-24 Most Improved Player. All-Conference First Team.  

Newcomers:

F Louis Volker, 6’1: 2.9 points and 2.0 rebounds per game as a freshman at Missouri State last year. Prior to her time at Missouri State, she finished her high school career at St. Paul VI Catholic High School where she won state championships (Virginia) as a junior and a senior. Averaged 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game as a senior. 

G Khamya McNeal, 5’7: Averaged 8.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.0 steals per game in 89 games (three seasons) at Stetson. Played in three games as a freshman at Syracuse. 

C LeAire Nicks, 6’2: Averaged 9.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.1 blocks per game over her first three years at Wylie East High School. 

C/PF Sarah Oduro, 6’3: Graduated from Virginia Academy. Brother Josh played four seasons at Mason and one at Providence before playing for the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2024 NBA Summer League. Brother Peter played one season at Mason, one season at Odessa College and is now at Coppin State. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 9 vs. Towson

Nov. 20 at Wake Forest

Nov. 30 vs. Maryland (Navy Classic)

Dec. 9 at Georgetown 

Head coach: Vanessa Blair-Lewis, 4th season

Coach’s perspective:

We’ve always had the [goal] to be in the top third of the conference, that’s definitely still a goal of ours. We have lofty goals, we want to win a championship and bring a championship to Fairfax, and we’d like to go to the NCAA Tournament. I think individual goals, I think the sky’s the limit. I think that we have a lot of talented players that are going to make it to all conference teams which is exciting for this program. It bodes well for the recruitment of this area, especially with the DMV, the talent that we’ve been able to put on this roster that’s homegrown, it’s exciting, and we want to grow our fan base. Like last year, we had record numbers. We were up 46% in attendance, and so we want to continue to grow that fan base so that the community of Fairfax knows that there is a product here we want them to come out and see.

You definitely would be remiss if you’re not talking about Zahirah Walton coming back as the Rookie of the Year. She’s put in a ton of work this summer, and we’re just building off of her amazing success from last year. Also you have Kennedy Harris, who is another All-Rookie team selection, just what she’s been able to do with the guard spot and being able to follow behind and watch Sonia Smith like that’s the typical role she’ll be playing, like a combo guard, sometimes on the ball, sometimes off the ball, but her ability to score in bunches is something that we’re going to look forward to. Nalani [Kaysia] coming back gives us an unbelievable post presence [and] we’re excited about being able to get inside, and be able to score the ball, so that we can open up those avenues on the outside. I think Paula Suárez really just came into her own last season, especially towards the end of last season, not just being such a good passer, but also being a threat offensively. So really those four right there, and then you have Ta’Viyanna [Habib], who was a starter last year for us, we’re excited about her coming back. She is just a double punch for us. She can score inside, she can score outside, she can defend, she can rebound. I think solidly we have a really good starting five that’s coming back, but with a complement of so many good players on the bench like we had last year. (Author’s Note: Mason was fifth in Division I in bench points per game last season with 29.6 per game.)

George Washington

2023-24 record: 13-18 (6-12 A-10, 11th)

Preseason ranking: 12th

Percentage of minutes returning: 14.3% (14th)

Percentage of points returning: 13.5% (14th)

The Revolutionaries return just one of their top eight scorers from last season and welcome nine new faces, including five with previous college basketball experience. Head coach Caroline McCombs is excited about all of the new players at George Washington. “To see them all come together every day, it’s a process that we’re just committed to, but it’s fun, it’s exciting,” she told The Next. “We’re teaching, they’re learning, buying [into] all of those fundamentals and just having fun together.” 

GW returns the second-smallest percentage of points and minutes in the A-10 and will look to rebound offensively after averaging just 58.5 points per game last season.  

Key losses:

F Mayowa Taiwo, 6’: 5.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.6 steals  

G Nya Lok, 5’11: 10.0 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.4 steals  

G Nya Robertson, 5’7: 16.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists. All-Conference third team.  

G Asjah Inniss, 5’9: 6.0 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals

G Essence Brown 5’11: 9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals 

Newcomers:

G Gabby Reynolds, 5’9: 2024 Michigan Miss Basketball. Averaged 29.9 points, 3.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists during her career at West Ottawa High School. 

F Miriam Diala, 6’1: Averaged 3.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in seven games at the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and has represented Germany at the youth national team level since 2021.

G Filipa Calisto, 6’: Averaged 11.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as a sophomore at New Mexico Junior College last season and 3.1 points and 2.5 rebounds per game as a freshman.  Represented Mozambique at the youth national team level from 2015-2019. 

F Kyraha Parnell, 6’3: Was a 1,000-point scorer at Virginia Episcopal School. 

G Morgan Matthews, 6’: Recorded 1,602 points in her career at The Pennington School, averaging 21.1 points per game.

G Makayla Andrews, 5’10: Averaged 11.5 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 102 games (four seasons) at Lafayette.

F Maeva Fotsa, 6’2: Averaged 12.2 points and 10.4 rebounds at South Georgia Technical College (NJCAA) last season. Averaged 3.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game as a freshman. 

F/C Mariona Planes Fortuny, 6’1: Averaged 11.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 blocks per game in 108 games (four seasons) at Bryant. Fourth on Bryant’s all-time scoring list (1,281).   

F Paige Mott, 6’1: Averaged 6.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 113 games (four seasons) at Northwestern. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 8 at Howard

Nov. 20 vs. Towson

Dec. 16 at American 

Head coach: Caroline McCombs, 4th season

Coach’s perspective:

With the way that college basketball is these days, every year it’s a whole new team. And so we’re engaged, just finished day number eight on the basketball court. And, like I said, just kind of blending this group together, it’s going to be a process. And I think we want to — obviously want to get off to a good start, November 4, but it’s a marathon, not a sprint, to be playing our best basketball in end of February, early March.

Some of those newcomers have done a terrific job already with the experience that they bring. So I’ll start with Paige Mott. She’s a transfer from Northwestern. She’s from Philadelphia. She gives us a great post presence inside, excellent communicator. So I’m really enjoying the opportunity to coach her this year. Makayla Andrews from Lafayette, she’s doing another good job at the guard position, can score in a variety of ways. So those two really kind of set the tone as far as — with the experience. Mariona [Planes Fortuny] from Bryant, she came a little bit later in the summer I guess really in the fall, because she played internationally, so she’s just getting in the mix of things. But we’re definitely expecting her to be a huge contributor for us this year. From the returners, Kamari Sims can play multiple positions. She really came on strong for us at the end of last year. Two of our first years in Gabby Reynolds and Morgan Matthews are both terrific wings, point guards that can do a variety of things for us, again, they haven’t played a wink of basketball in college, so we’ll see how they do when the lights come on. But they’re working really hard right now in practice.

La Salle

2023-24 record: 8-22 (5-13 A-10, 13th)

Preseason ranking: 15th 

Percentage of minutes returning: 14.2% (15th)

Percentage of points returning: 12.8% (15th)

The Explorers return just two players and welcome 13 new faces, including eight with collegiate basketball experience. The team returns the smallest percentage of minutes and points in the conference and will look to improve offensively after averaging just 57.6 points per game last season. 

Despite having so many new faces on campus, head coach Mountain MacGillivray has seen signs of his team having good chemistry together. “We’re really looking forward to trying to blend a lot of new faces together, and have them become a team, having them become a unit, to be willing to sacrifice for one another, to play together, to play hard, to have a common goal,” he said. 

MacGillivray believes the team has the potential to be a better defensive and rebounding team than in previous years. Last season La Salle was 14th in points allowed per game and last in scoring margin as well as 12th in the A-10 in rebounds per game and last in rebounding margin. 

Key returners:

G Aryss Macktoon, 5’11: 10.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 steals (4 games)

G Jolene Armendariz, 6’: 6.2 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.6 steals 

Key losses:

G Molly Masciantonio, 5’10: 8.3 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.6 steals 

G Makayla Miller, 5’7:  9.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals 

G Tiara Bolden, 5’11: 8.0 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.0 steals

G Nicole Melious, 5’8: 10.9 points, 2.7 rebounds and 0.9 assists. All-Rookie team.  

G Gabby Turco, 5’10: 5.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists 

F Emilee Tahata, 6’: 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.9 steals 

Newcomers:

G Lauren Patnode, 6’: Was a 1,000-point scorer at Perkiomen School. Named All-State first team (Pennsylvania) as a senior. 

G/F Diora Ressaissi, 6’: Played at Long Island Lutheran High School.

G Irene Garcia, 6’1: Played for Real Canoe in Spain’s U18 national championship.

G Alisa Blalock, 5’6: Averaged 4.9 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.3 steals in 33 games (two seasons) at Caldwell University (Division II).

F Ivy Fox, 6’: Averaged 10.8 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game last season at Coffeyville Community College. As a freshman at North Dakota State College of Science (NJCAA), she averaged 15.5 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.9 steals per game.    

G Ayisse Magassa, 6’1: Averaged 14.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game at Clarendon College (NJCAA) last season. Averaged 2.3 points and 1.1 rebounds in 4.3 minutes per game as a freshman at Northwest Florida State College (NJCAA). Sister Ténin played at both Dayton and Rhode Island, and will play at Oklahoma State this season. Brother Abou redshirted at Saint Louis last season before transferring to Wyoming prior to the 2024-25 season.

G Joan Quinn, 5’9: Won three state championships (Pennsylvania) at Cardinal O’Hara High School. Averaged 11.8 points, 2.8 assists and 3.0 steals per game as a junior. 

G Vega Gil, 6’2: Averaged 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game last season at Raritan Valley Community College. Scored two points in two games at Trinidad State College (NJCAA) as a freshman. 

G Ashleigh Connor, 5’11: Averaged 1.8 points and 1.0 rebounds as a redshirt freshman at Saint Louis last season, redshirted during the 2022-23 season.

F Anna Przyszlak, 6’1: Averaged 11.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.0 steals per game in 61 games (two seasons) at Cowley College (NJCAA). 

G Ty’Renisha Bowers, 5’8: Averaged 8.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 2.5 steals per game last season as a sophomore at Southern Arkansas University Tech. 

G Sania Jenkins, 5’11: The Australian native attended Etiwanda High School in California and won state championships as a junior and a senior. 

F Mackenzie Daleba, 6’: Averaged 2.6 points and 2.3 rebounds in 66 games (four seasons) at Fairfield. Two-time MAAC champion. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 4 at Maine

Nov. 13 at Drexel

Nov. 17 at Virginia

Dec. 17 at Texas 

Head coach: Mountain MacGillivray, 7th season

Coach’s perspective:

I’m loving the player leadership that we have in this group. It’s really strong, vocal leadership, and we’re just excited to see what it looks like when we put it all together on the court.

Our two returners, Jolene [Armendariz] and Aryss [Macktoon], certainly have embraced [a leadership role], and then Mackenzie Daleba and Ashleigh Connor have both really stepped up as well. But I’ll tell you, besides the four of them who’ve been vocal, who’ve been taking charge and holding each other accountable, I think we have a lot of young ladies on this team who are willing to speak up and willing to challenge one another, and it’s been fun to see in practice.

On how he hopes his team is able to grow this season: We’re putting in an offense that gives them a ton of freedom, and just learning to play with one another and reading off each other, and then doing that with a variety of different players. So it’ll be interesting to see how that process works. And then … seeing how we can harass people defensively.

---

The Next, a 24/7/365 women’s basketball newsroom

The Next: A basketball newsroom brought to you by The IX. 24/7/365 women’s basketball coverage, written, edited and photographed by our young, diverse staff and dedicated to breaking news, analysis, historical deep dives and projections about the game we love.

---

Loyola Chicago

2023-24 record: 15-16 (8-10 A-10, 9th)

Preseason ranking: 9th (tied)

Percentage of minutes returning: 35.5% (13th)

Percentage of points returning: 30.2% (13th)

The Ramblers welcome 10 new faces, including six freshmen and four transfers and the highlight of head coach Allison Guth’s offseason was getting to work with them in the gym. “[It was] a real exciting opportunity, just for [returners], incomers and newbies to be together,” she told The Next. “And not even so much figuring out our brand of basketball and identity that way, but just as humans connecting and building a chemistry as a team.”

Loyola Chicago returns just three of its top seven scorers from last season as the team looks to continue to increase its 3-point shooting percentage. It will need to do so without Sam Galanopoulos, who was sixth in the conference in 3-point field goal percentage (42.3%). 

Key returners:

F Sitori Tanin, 6’2: 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.5 blocks   

G Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr, 5’8: 5.6 points, 3.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steals 

Key losses:

G Sam Galanopoulos, 5’8: 13.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals. All-Conference third team.    

G Alyssa Fisher, 5’7: 13.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals  

G/F Ali Berg, 6’1: 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds 

F Emma Nolan, 6’1: 5.1 points and 2.8 rebounds 

Newcomers

F Yasmyn Palmer, 6’2: Played basketball and volleyball at Cranbrook Kingswood High School. Played club basketball for Michigan Crossover.  

F Roisin Grandberry, 6’3: 2024 McDonald’s All-American Games nominee. 2023-24 All-State honorable mention (Illinois).

G Alexa Kinas, 5’8: Earned varsity letters in basketball, golf, track and cross country at Kaukauna High School. Played AAU basketball for Wisconsin Flight Elite.

G Holly Dolny, 5’8: Played club basketball with Wyndham Basketball (Australia). Also played volleyball. 

G Rosalie Mercille, 5’9: Averaged 6.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game at Monmouth as a freshman last season. 

G/F Emma Theodorsson, 6’1: Averaged 10.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 57 games (two seasons) at Bucknell. 

G Jess Finney, 6’:  Averaged 4.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 61 games (two seasons) at San Diego after playing in 18 games in two seasons at Washington. 

G Kendall Hendrix, 5’10: Two-time state champion (Michigan) at West Bloomfield High School. Played club basketball for Michigan Crossover.  2024 McDonald’s All-American Games Nominee. Mother Nicole played basketball at Stanford. 

F Brooklyn Vaughn, 6’: Played at Central Catholic High School and with Legends U (AAU). All-Ohio first team as a junior and All-Ohio second team as a senior.  

G Naëlle Bernard, 5’5: Averaged 9.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 64 games (two seasons) at Duquesne. Started her collegiate career at South Plains College where she redshirted and then played one season at Salt Lake Community College. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 12 vs. DePaul

Nov. 23 at Eastern Illinois

Nov. 26 vs. Northwestern

Head coach: Allison Guth, 3rd season

Coach’s perspective:

Our identity since the moment we stepped into this league we were going to be true to ourselves in the way that we wanted to defend, rebound and run and score in transition, and I can tell you that we made strides in each of those areas. But when we come away from last year’s season and we’re only shooting it 34% from three, averaging 14 assists and we’re shooting it 41% from the field. We know each of those numbers [has] got to go up. And so I think the way we love the game of basketball and think it should be played, is in the opportunity, where we are gifted [in] making and celebrating the one more offense that we love. And so we’ve instituted kind of a new offensive, I would say, motion and mentality after studying over the summer. And we’re finding some real success with some of our 5-Out and off-ball screening actions and some of our false actions to create opportunities. So I’m already seeing in practice right now, the ability to get closer to our goal, which is to share it 20+ times a game, to score it from beyond the arc in a positive direction, where that moves closer to 40% and to defend with integrity, where we really can be a team that it is tough to score against, tough to find a bucket against. We know we’re a team that really thrives and believes in ourselves when we see the ball going in the bucket, and if we can deter opponents from feeling that way, we’re going to be a better team.

I hope we can, like every coach in the country right now, find a place in space where they have a consistency, like a real knowledge of themselves, of what they can depend on every day and every night. And I think that’s just going to be a work in progress for us, given we have so much talent in the gym right now, we got to see how that talent converts to who plays with who, and how we operate on the court together as a unit. So I think every coach chases consistency. And I would love to find — get a real understanding of ourselves in the noncon, so we figure out by A-10 play really, how we can show up day in and day out, with strength up the middle, like who we are. 

UMass 

2023-24 record: 5-27 (2-16 A-10, 14th)

Preseason ranking: 13th

Percentage of minutes returning: 37.5% (11th)

Percentage of points returning: 35.3% (11th)

The Minutewomen return just two of its top eight scorers from last season and welcome seven new faces, including three with collegiate basketball experience, as they look to improve an offense that scored just 58.0 points per game last season. 

UMass is entering its final year in the A-10, before moving to the MAC next season. “It’s definitely bittersweet, that we’re leaving the conference,” head coach Mike Leflar told The Next. “ It’s a conference growing up outside Philly … [I’ve been] familiar with A-10 teams, A-10 rivals, and I’m just excited to compete against everyone and make the road trips this year. And it’s my real hope — I’ve already been in some conversations about scheduling for future years to continue our rivalry with URI, to get down to Philly to play LaSalle, play St. Joe’s, to continue to play Fordham, continue to come down to DC, like these are all recruiting areas for us, and obviously long-standing rivalries that I want to continue.”

Key returners:

C Chinenye Odenigbo, 6’4: 5.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game (23 games)

G Stefanie Kulesza, 6’: 11.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.9 steals

Key losses:

G Tori Hyduke, 5’6: 5.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.1 steals

F Bre Bellamy, 6’: 6.5 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists 

G Jermany Mapp, 6’: 7.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game (9 games)

G Kristin Williams, 5’8: 11.6 points, 1.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.0 steals 

G Alexsia Rose, 5’7: 11.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game (20 games)

C/F Lilly Taulelei, 6’3: 6.7 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists. All-Rookie Team.

Newcomers:

G Taylor Derkack, 6’: Was a 1,000-point scorer at Colonia High School. Earned 2024 All-State third team honors (New Jersey). Announced she tore her ACL on Instagram on Oct. 12. 

F Aleah Sorrentino, 6’2: Averaged 12.5 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 59 games in two seasons at Lipscomb after playing in eight games as a freshman at Mississippi.

G Yahmani McKayle, 5’6: Played at South Shore High School. Averaged 17.3 points and 5.2 steals per game as a junior. 

F Megan Olbrys, 6’1: Averaged 1.9 points, and 1.6 rebounds in 43 games (two seasons) at Villanova.

G Kasey Bretones, 5’11: Helped Mainland Regional High School to a state championship (New Jersey) as a senior. 

G Momo LaClair, 5’10: Averaged 2.5 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in 39 games over two on-court seasons at Drexel (did not appear in a game during the 2022-23 season). 

F Jess Ross, 6’3: Helped Tabor Academy to its 2022 NEPSAC championship and played for the Bay State Jaguars AAU program. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 4 at Harvard

Dec. 1 at Siena 

Dec. 11 at Boston College

Head coach: Mike Leflar, 2nd season

Coach’s perspective:

We’re a lot bigger, stronger, faster and really excited about the pieces we’ve added [and] the development that we’ve made throughout the roster, from our returners and our newcomers, and I think it’s a real competitive bunch. It’s a bunch that’s been bought in. And again, I think despite our record last year, I think we got a lot of stuff right off the court, and I think we were able to really define who we want to be as a program in between the lines and outside the lines. And it was about upgrading talent from there. And for me, I talk a lot about our players’ student-athlete experience here at UMass, and part of that experience is winning games. And that urgency, I think our players have felt from me, yes, getting things right and getting better each day, but the ultimate goal is to win. And I think our players have felt that from me, and have responded really, really well.

On what excites him about this season: Everything, honestly. … [I]n many ways, I feel like this is my first real season, because it’s a team that I had a full coaching staff to recruit and I just think we have a team that’s very much in line with me and with our staff. And, I’m just really excited about the energy that they have every day, their willingness to be coached, their willingness to be pushed and I think the group connects a lot better than they have in the past.

Rhode Island

2023-24 record: 21-14 (10-8 A-10, 6th)

Preseason ranking: 8th

Percentage of minutes returning: 54% (8th)

Percentage of points returning: 34.8% (12th)

Head coach Tammi Reiss believes the biggest uncertainties facing Rhode Island this season are who will fill the scoring and rebounding production that the team lost last season. The Rams return 34.8% of their points and 33.8% of their rebounds. The team welcomes six newcomers, including two with collegiate basketball experience. 

Rhode Island’s season ended in the A-10 championship game, the team’s first title game appearance since 2003. Though the team returns just three of its top seven scorers from last season and zero of the top three, Reiss believes the returners gained valuable experience during last season’s A-10 Tournament run. “Just knowing how to maneuver through the A-10 Tournament, that experience playing three games and — or four, we had to play four games in [four] days,” she told The Next. “But they understand that anything can happen … I think they have a taste of it. They know what to expect. They know how to maneuver the tournament. And they’re hungry. They want to get back there. So experience, getting there is always extremely important, and I think that that really helped our returners, that they want that again, and they know how to maneuver it very well.”

Key returners:

G Sophie Phillips, 6’: 10.6 points, 1.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 0.9 steals. All-Academic Team. 

F Anaelle Dutat, 6’: 4.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 0.9 steals

G Ines Debroise, 5’9: 4.1 points, 1.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals  

Key losses:

C Ténin Magassa, 6’5: 7.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 2.0 blocks  

F Mayé Touré, 6’2: 12.5 points, 7.7 rebounds and 0.9 steals. All-Conference second team. 

G Dee Dee Davis, 5’8: 12.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals 

G Teisha Hyman, 5’8: 11.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals 

Newcomers:

G Ayanna Franks, 5’9: 2024 Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year and averaged 25.7 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 4.2 steals per game as a senior. 2024 McDonald’s All American Game nominee. Volunteered as a youth basketball coach; participated in Windsor High School’s marching and symphonic bands as well as the theater program; and served as a member of the school’s leadership council and student council. 

F Palmire Mbu, 6’1: Averaged 4.5 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists for Montbrison Feminines BC in Ligue Feminine 2 de Basketball (France) during the 2022-23 season. Represented France at the youth national team level from 2018-2022. 

C Albina Syla, 6’5: Averaged 7.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game in the 2024 FIBA U20 Women’s EuroBasket and has represented Finland at the youth national team level since 2022. Averaged 6.4 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 100 games (five seasons) for HBA-Märsky (a team in the Korisliiga, the highest tier of women’s basketball in Finland).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      C Harsimran “Honey” Kaur, 6’4: Averaged 4.2 points and 2.7 rebounds in 84 games (three seasons) at San Diego.  

G Cia Eklöf, 5’10: Averaged 1.6 points and 1.1 rebounds in seven games last season at Washington State after redshirting the 2022-23 season. Averaged 4.8 points and 1.2 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game for Torpan Pojat (a team in the Korisliiga, the highest tier of women’s basketball in Finland) during the 2020-21 season. Played for HBA-Märsky during the 2019-20 season.

F Mary-Kate Tshibuabua, 6’1: Has played professionally in France since 2022, and most recently played in nine games with Toulouse Metropole Basket (Ligue Feminine 2 de Basketball) and eight games with Montbrison Feminines BC during the 2023-24 season. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 17 vs. St. John’s 

Nov. 23 vs. Brown 

Nov. 28 vs. Iowa (Cancun Challenge)

Dec. 4 vs. Providence 

Dec. 7 at Harvard 

Dec. 11 at Princeton

Head coach: Tammi Reiss, 6th season  

Coach’s perspective:

On who she expects to step up or continue to shine this season: Our newcomer, Honey [Harsimran Kaur], coming in as a senior … she wants that responsibility of scoring and rebounding. She wants that role. Hawa [Komara] and AD [Anaelle Dutat] … they’re excellent rebounders. … [W]ith our rebounding, we kind of know our identity, the scoring, obviously, you’re looking at Honey. Sophie P [Sophie Phillips] has really been putting the ball in the hole and looking to score a lot more. And then [our] point guard Ines [Debroise] is looking to really be a little bit more offensive-minded. She’s really worked on her game offensively, especially her shooting. And so I’ve been really surprised and really pleased with how she’s been able to shoot the ball and score from the point guard position.

We’ve always had a pretty good nonconference that gave us the ability to make the NCAA [Tournament] if we don’t win the A-10 Tournament, we’ve been on the bubble a couple years. But I think being able to play Iowa and Princeton and teams that are ranked and are going to be very good, Harvard’s going to be very good, it’ll prepare us for our conference. … So we tried to get a schedule that really also mirrors our conference, not just play certain teams that are high, low. We want motion teams so we can be able to guard a Richmond or guard certain teams that play 5-Out, and then we want teams that are extremely athletic, that may press us. So we went out and got a schedule that I think bodes well that if we do what we’re supposed to do in conference, we have a chance to make the NCAA Tournament or the WBIT, even if we don’t win the conference tournament. That’s always the goal of our schedule.

Richmond

2023-24 record: 29-6 (16-2 A-10, 1st)

Preseason ranking: 1st

Percentage of minutes returning: 58.0% (6th)

Percentage of points returning: 60.5% (5th)

The Spiders return four of their top six scorers from the A-10 championship team a year ago and the A-10’s best offense that averaged 73.1 points per game. Richmond returns three players (Rachel Ullstrom, Maggie Doogan and Addie Budnik) in the top 10 of the A-10 in field goal percentage from last season, two of the top four free throw shooters in the conference (Doogan and Budnik) and two of the top five 3-point shooters (by percentage) in the conference (Ullstrom and Budnik). Defensively, Budnik led the A-10 in blocks last season while Doogan was 10th in the conference. 

Head coach Aaron Roussell emphasized that this season is a new experience and not a continuation of last season. “We have very high expectations of ourselves right now, but this is a build process,” he told The Next. “I think this part is fun. You’re trying to build [the] identity of your team, … maybe you get some boost from last year’s experience, but there isn’t any game that we won, there isn’t any score that counts or tallies anything for this season. It truly is a unique and new foundation with this squad.” 

Key returners:

F Addie Budnik, 6’2: 11.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 2.5 blocks. 2023-24 Defensive Player of the Year. All-Defensive Team. All-Conference second team. Led the A-10 in blocks per game last season. 

G Katie Hill, 6’0: 4.9 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists 

F Maggie Doogan, 6’2: 15.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 blocks. All-Conference first team. 

G Rachel Ullstrom, 6’1: 11.2 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.0 steals. 2023-24 Sixth Woman of the Year. 

Key losses:

G Grace Townsend, 5’5: 13.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.5 steals. All-Conference first team. All-Academic Team.   

G Siobhan Ryan, 6’0: 8.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.3 assists 

Newcomers:

G Alicia Newell, 5’9: Played at Elizabeth Seton High School. USA Track & Field Junior Olympics Championship silver medalist in the long jump. 

G Faith Alston, 5’7: Averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.3 steals per game in 112 games (four seasons) at Appalachian State. Scored 21 points against Richmond on Dec. 10, 2023. 

F Sam Dewey, 6’2: Averaged 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 17 games (two seasons) at Illinois. 

G Payton Richard, 6’: Played at The Rivers School.

G Alyssa Jimenez, 6’: Averaged 1.8 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game in four games at Florida Gulf Coast last season. Prior to her time at FGCU, she spent four years at Nevada where she averaged 6.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game in 97 games. 

F Annika Manthy, 6’3: In 95 games at John Hersey High School she averaged 9.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.2 blocks per game.

F Steph Ouderkirk, 6’1: Averaged 3.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game in 122 games (four seasons) at James Madison. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 12 at Fairfield

Nov. 30 vs. Oklahoma State (Daytona Beach Classic)

Dec. 4 vs. Georgetown 

Dec. 8 vs. Columbia (at the Henrico Sports and Events Center, host of the A-10 Tournament) 

Dec. 15 vs. Texas

Dec. 21 vs. Tennessee (West Palm Beach Classic)

Head coach: Aaron Roussell, 6th season (2023-24 Coach of the Year)

Coach’s perspective:

On his team’s trip to Spain: I mean, there was some extra practice time, I don’t know how much that was necessarily a goal of ours. I mean, I think for us, I wanted this experience for our players. … I always want to say that everybody gets at least one foreign trip experience during their four years. And really that’s completely aside from basketball. If we didn’t have a basketball schedule and all the demand that these guys have, I’d be pushing them to go study abroad. I’d be pushing them to go do all of this sort of stuff. So, I do think there’s some unique almost life highlights and cool moments that happen on a trip like that. But really, for me, it was the cultural experience of giving these guys a trip like this together [that] was a highlight.

On the team’s nonconference schedule: I think this is something that you don’t always get. Maybe you get one big game, you get one big time opponent, our schedule is littered with [them]. You got a Texas, you got Tennessee, you got all of these schools, oh, by the way, there’s a Columbia, and there’s a Fairfield, there’s a Georgetown, there’s Temple to start the season like these are all heavy hitters. And I think as you try to build [your] rosters, you’re trying to have some of those games to see what you have … This is every single night. This is going to be an opportunity for a result to help you at the end of the season, if you’re fortunate enough to be in that group that gets into the tournament, or gets a chance to be qualified for a chance to get in there and on the board. These are great opportunities, and I think hopefully we’re trying to get that across to our players right now. 

[I’m] excited for the league and where we are right now, excited for our team. There’s a newness to it right now weirdly, when you have the number of people that we do coming back from our program from last year, but I think there’s a newness to it that has definitely kind of excited us as well. 

---

Add Locked On Women’s Basketball to your daily routine

Here at The Next, in addition to the 24/7/365 written content our staff provides, we also host the daily Locked On Women’s Basketball podcast. Join us Monday through Saturday each week as we discuss all things WNBA, collegiate basketball, basketball history and much more. Listen wherever you find podcasts or watch on YouTube.

---

St. Bonaventure

2023-24 record: 4-26 (1-17 A-10, 15th)

Preseason ranking: 14th

Percentage of minutes returning: 52.2% (9th)

Percentage of points returning: 67.3% (3rd)

The Bonnies return their top four scorers from last season. While playing with just 10 players on the roster last season, the team finished last in the conference, lost its last 18 games and averaged 54.7 points per game last season, the fewest in the conference. This season head coach Jim Crowley wants his team to continue to learn how to finish games. “We had a couple games we had a good chance at, that we didn’t finish,” he told The Next. “And then we’ve got to score the ball better. Our ability with it offensively, to recognize some better shots, some taking care of the ball better, just to continue to have a better chance at more success offensively.”

Key returners:

G Dani Haskell, 5’6: 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals

F Payton Fields, 6’: 6.7 points and 3.3 rebounds

G Nadechka Laccen, 5’6: 9.4 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.3 steals 

G Isabellah Middleton, 5’9: 11.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals

Key losses:

 G Tianna Johnson, 5’10: 5.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists 

Newcomers:

G Lena Walz, 5’10: Four-year varsity starter. Earned All-State third team honors (Pennsylvania) as a junior and All-State second team honors as a senior. 

G Mackenzie Pettinelli, 5’10: As a senior at Spring-Ford Area High School, averaged 6.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 5.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.2 blocks per game and earned All-State second team honors (Pennsylvania). Set the school’s single-season assists record.

G Macy Smith, 5’6: Averaged 19.5 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 4.0 steals per game as a senior. Strasburg High School’s all-time leading scorer (boys’ or girls’ basketball). 

G Aurore Eyango, 5’9: Averaged 8.9 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game at Clarendon College (NJCAA) last season. Averaged 4.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists at Frank Phillips College (NJCAA) as a freshman. 

F Mya Davidson, 6’2: Averaged 6.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game at Three Rivers Community College during the 2023-24 season. Averaged 2.2 points and 1.8 rebounds per game (12 games) at Lindenwood during the 2022-23 season. 

F Gabby Robinson Forde, 6’2: Averaged 3.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game at Gulf Coast State College (NJCAA) as a sophomore last season. 

F Caitlin Frost, 6’1: Helped Champlain College Saint-Lambert to a bronze medal at the 2024 CCAA women’s basketball national championship. 

G Zoe Shaw, 5’7: Played in 17 games in 2023 (averaging 2.0 points, 1.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists) and two games in 2024 with the Keilor Thunder (NBL1 South).  

G Hannah Richardson, 6’1: Helped Hoosac School to the NEPSAC playoffs for the first time in school history. Sister Zoe is a freshman at Siena. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 23 vs. Colgate 

Nov. 27 vs. Loyola (MD)

Dec. 14 at UAlbany

Dec. 17 vs. Niagara

Head coach: Jim Crowley, 2nd season (second stint, previously served as head coach from 2000-2016)

Coach’s perspective:

We’re really excited about our newcomers, but obviously, for us to have success, we’ve got four fifth-year kids, and those fifth-year kids, we need [them] to play like they’re fifth-year kids, but also to show that experience off the floor, and whether that be in practice, travel, academically, socially. So, Dani Haskell and [Isabellah] Middleton and Payton Fields and Nadechka Laccen, those guys have to come through in all ways, and that’s not scoring or rebounding. Certainly, we need that stuff, but we just need them to competitively and behaviorally be the example and be the consistency and the dependable folks that you plan on fifth-year kids being. 

One thing he wants people to know about his team this season: We’ve got a lot of versatility in different ways, we have versatility with our play, but we have versatility with our personalities and where we’re from. We’ve got people from all over the world, and the fact that they come to this wonderful little place in Western New York and love basketball and want to compete and grow. I think it’s a pretty unique and cool thing to be part of.

Saint Joseph’s

2023-24 record: 28-6 (15-3 A-10, 3rd)

Preseason ranking: 2nd

Percentage of minutes returning: 84.0% (1st)

Percentage of points returning: 83.4% (1st)

The Hawks return all but two players from their WBIT quarterfinals run from last season and the winningest season in program history. The team was dominant on both ends of the floor, allowing the second-fewest points in the conference (54.5) — and fifth-fewest in Division I — while shooting the second-highest team field goal percentage (44.0%) and third-highest team 3-point percentage (33.7%) in the A-10.  Head coach Cindy Griffin is looking for her team to continue to be consistent this season and for a fourth consistent scorer to emerge. “We want Gabby Casey to fill that role, along with Emma Boslet and some other players that have at some point for us, started or contributed last year,” she told The Next. 

For the second year in a row Saint Joseph’s was picked to finish second in the conference’s preseason poll. Griffin said, “They want to be first. They want that pressure. They really want it. And they have a great deal of confidence. … [The senior class has] come from winning 13 games, [to] 20 games, [to] 28 games. So they have just gotten better and better with the addition of, obviously, [Laura] Ziegler and company every year. So, I think the pressure is self-imposed, if anything, it’s not coming from outside, but it’s a good pressure. We always say pressure is a privilege.”

Key returners:

F Talya Brugler, 6’1: 15.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. All-Conference second team. All-Academic Team.   

G Mackenzie Smith, 5’10: 12.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.3 steals. All-Conference second team.   

F Laura Ziegler, 6’2: 14.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 blocks. All-Conference first team. All-Defensive Team. 

Key losses:

G Chloe Welch, 5’9: 10.7 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists. Currently serving as graduate manager for the team. 

Newcomers:

G Rhian Stokes, 5’7: Was a 1,000-point scorer at Ewing High School and averaged 15.9 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.6 assists as a senior. 

F Meja Jägerskog, 6’2: Played for Chatham High School as a freshman (averaged 4.8 points and 4.1 rebounds per game off the bench) before returning to Sweden where she attended RIG Luleå Elite Academy. 

G Lauren Greer, 5’6: Played at Archbishop Wood High School where she won four consecutive state championships (Pennsylvania). Also played soccer and won a state championship in flag football. Joins the team as a walk-on. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 10 at Syracuse 

Nov. 15 at Penn 

Nov. 22 at Utah 

Dec. 1 vs. Villanova 

Dec. 9 vs. Maine

Head coach: Cindy Griffin, 24th season

Coach’s perspective:

On her team’s trip to Croatia and Italy: I think what it did was it got our players not only competing with the returning starters, but also with the reserves from last year. They got a lot of quality practice time in and they got a lot of quality competition minutes. So that was the real big draw for us this year.

We’re going to need more from our backcourt. I think we know what Mackenzie [Smith] and Talya [Brugler] and Laura [Ziegler] can do. And I think we just, we need more from our backcourt mates, our primary ball handlers and secondary ball handlers, Julia Nyström being more of an offensive threat. Gabby Casey obviously did a great job for us coming off the bench, especially in the nonconference, and then the conference, she had some really great production in various games. And then you look at our bench, you look at Emma Boslet, who’s a fifth-year senior. You have Paula Maurina coming off the bench. She’s a fifth-year senior who really could have — they could have left. We retained all of our players. And there’s a reason, because the culture is great at St. Joe’s, and they play with and for each other.

Saint Louis

2023-24 record: 23-18 (9-9 A-10, 7th)

Preseason ranking: 7th

Percentage of minutes returning: 61.1% (5th)

Percentage of points returning: 58.8% (7th)

The Billikens return four of their top six scorers from their WNIT championship team from last year, including Peyton Kennedy, who broke the program’s single-season scoring record last season. The team will be missing Kyla McMakin who graduated in May and was a leader on the team in her two seasons at Saint Louis, The highlight of head coach Rebecca Tillett’s offseason was seeing Kennedy Calhoun, Peyton Kennedy and her daughter Isabel Tillett step into leadership roles. 

Since 2022, Saint Louis has struggled defensively early in the season and has given up an average of 70.0 points (2023-24) and 70.4 points (2022-23) per game over the last two seasons, something Tillett is looking to improve. “We seem to figure out how to become a good defensive team, but it’s really been becoming a good defensive team halfway through conference play,” Tillett told The Next. “And we spent a lot of time researching that, trying to find what trends changed from when we didn’t consider ourselves a good defensive team to when we did consider ourselves a good defensive team. We think we found some of those trends, and are working on those. So, I think that’s the area that we’re looking for the biggest improvement right away.”

Key returners:

F Peyton Kennedy, 5’11: 16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals 

G Kennedy Calhoun, 5’5: 5.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.2 steals. All-Defensive Team. 

F Tierra Simon, 6’1: 5.3 points, 6.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.1 blocks 

G Brooklyn Gray, 5’11: 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.1 steals 

Key losses:

G Julia Martinez, 5’10: 7.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.8 steals. All-Defensive Team. Led the A-10 in assists and steals per game last season.  

G Kyla McMakin, 5’11: 16.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.0 steals. All-Conference second team.  

Newcomers:

F Mya Glanton, 6’: Averaged 7.0 points and 5.5 rebounds per game in 111 games (four seasons) at Indiana State. 

G Hannah Wallace, 6’: Averaged 11.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.6 blocks per game as a junior at Cardinal Ritter College Prep.

G Shun’teria Anumele, 5’8: Averaged 25 points, six assists and three steals per game as a junior at Legacy the School of Sport Sciences. 

C Marilena Triantafylli, 6’5: Scored five points in six games last season at Syracuse. Prior to her time at Syracuse, she played in her native country of Greece.  

G Mia Bergstrom, 5’10: Was a 1,000-point scorer at Saint Viator High School.

G Rita Nazário, 5’5: Played in two games for CRC Quinta dos Lombos (Liga Feminina de Basquetebol) in Portugal during the 2023-24 season. Averaged 6.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while representing Portugal in the 2024 FIBA U18 Women’s EuroBasket and has represented Portugal at the youth national team level since 2022. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 4 at South Dakota 

Nov. 7 at Drake 

Nov. 20 at Missouri 

Nov. 29 vs. USC (Acrisure Holiday Classic)

Dec. 7 vs. Norfolk State (Coaches vs. Racism Roundball Classic, Washington, D.C.)

Head coach: Rebecca Tillett, 3rd season

Coach’s perspective:

I think what we hope is different is just consistency of excellence throughout. We find a way to get our teams to play the best when it matters the most. And, of course, we want to continue to do that, at the same time we want to learn some of those lessons early in the season and find a way to frankly, win those games. Learn the lesson and win, I think is what we’d really like to do this season in the nonconference.

I think we’re really excited to have the return of Kennedy Calhoun as our point guard. All she’s done in her career is win championships every single year. So looking forward to having her back at that leadership role. Peyton Kennedy broke our single-season scoring record last year. So really excited to have our leading scorer return. Looking forward to what Brooklyn Gray will do — she’s such a versatile player on both offense and defense. We’re able to move her around for whatever the team needs. Tierra Simon ended the year starting all six games in the WNIT and was our leading rebounder. So really, really excited to have her back. And then just — we’ve got four freshmen … we didn’t have freshmen on our roster last year, and we really missed it. We missed not having freshmen and those people to nurture, and those people that ask questions that remind all of us about our culture and how we do things. So just really, really excited to have them on our team as well and think all four of them will contribute right away.

VCU

2023-24 record: 26-6 (15-3 A-10, 2nd)

Preseason ranking: 5th

Percentage of minutes returning: 77.0% (2nd)

Percentage of points returning: 69.7% (2nd) 

The Rams led the conference and were fourth in the nation in scoring defense, allowing just 53.2 points per game last season. This season, head coach Beth O’Boyle is most focused on how it feels when the team is playing together. “What does that connection look like? Do we help each other get great shots? Are we really digging in and defending at a high level?” she told The Next. And I think for us, being in the top — competing and being in the top of the A-10 is always the expectation. And then, again can we set marks and go after it from a defensive standpoint, can we be back in that top 10 again? And like always, we want to make sure that we’re doing it in the right way and [are] really connected as a team and a staff.”

Though VCU returns five of its top six scorers from last season’s team that set a program record with 26 wins, leading scorer and 2023-24 Player of the Year Sarah Te-Biasu transferred to Maryland in the offseason. 

Key returners:

G Timaya Lewis-Eutsey, 5’8: 12.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals. All-Conference third team. 

G Mary-Anna Asare, 5’8: 10.4 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.5 steals

F Jennifer Ezeh, 6’2:  6.1 points and 5.1 rebounds 

F Mykel Parham, 6’1: 5.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 1.1 steals. All-Defensive Team. All-Academic Team. 

Key losses:

G Sarah Te-Biasu, 5’5: 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game. 2023-24 Player of the Year. All-Conference first team.  

Newcomers:

G Cyriah Griffin, 5’7: 2024 McDonald’s All American Game nominee. Averaged 19 points, nine assists and seven steals as a junior at King’s Fork High School. 

G Alexis Black, 5’9: Averaged 7.9 points, 2.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.9 steals in 59 games (two seasons) at Appalachian State. 

F Isabel Whitelaw, 6’3: Played basketball in her hometown of Shepparton, Australia and played in AAU tournaments for ATC Academy in the United States. 

Nonconference highlights:

Nov. 28 vs. Providence (Cancun Challenge)

Nov. 29 vs. San Diego State (Cancun Challenge)

Nov. 30 vs. Wisconsin (Cancun Challenge)

Dec. 5 vs. James Madison 

Dec. 18 at East Carolina

Head coach: Beth O’Boyle, 11th season

Coach’s perspective:

I think Mykel Parham is [the] anchor of our defense. She’s incredible on the boards, one of the best I’ve ever coached. Timaya Lewis-Eutsey is just a really strong, athletic guard that was a huge part of our offense last year. And then [Mary-Anna] Asare, I think she will now transition over to the point guard position for us. And she had a great summer with the Canadian National Team … and just got a lot of great experience that way. And she’s been having a great offseason. … [W]e’re hoping to keep Jennifer Ezeh healthy. She’s a really strong post player for us on the inside, and she gives us a really strong inside presence. So I think the four of them, we expect to see have big years.

On her nonconference schedule: That fun trip to Cancun for Thanksgiving is always a good one. And we’re going to play Wisconsin, Providence [and] San Diego State there. I think that’s always a great opportunity for the team to really bond. I think we’re swimming with the dolphins, something like that. … We have our SupportHer game again on November 15 against Temple. That’s a Friday night game. And last year we had 6,000 fans at that, and we’re hoping to be able to get that many fans again this year.