March 13, 2025
Missouri Valley Tournament preview: Top four teams just one game apart in regular season
By Angie Holmes
Murray State, Missouri State, Belmont and Drake all strong contenders
Just as the regular season in the Missouri Valley Conference came down to the wire, the 2025 Credit Union 1 MVC Women’s Basketball Tournament starting Thursday in Evansville, Ind., is also up for grabs.
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“This has been an incredibly competitive year in the league. Top to bottom — the parity — I don’t think there’s a lot of separation between a lot of the teams,” Belmont head coach Bart Brooks said in a MVC coaches’ Zoom call with reporters Monday. “I would not be surprised to see upsets in the first round. That’s exciting as a fan and miserable as a coach.”
Murray State and Missouri State were co-champions of the regular season, each with a 16-4 conference record. They both clinched a share of the title by winning their final games of the season March 8. Murray State cruised past Indiana State 109-70, while Missouri State defeated Bradley 64-54.
The two teams split their series during the regular season. In Sunday morning’s issue of the NET, Murray State checked in at 56 while Missouri State was 66 to break the tie, giving Murray State the top seed in the tournament.
Both teams are at opposite ends of their stages in the MVC, with Murray State still relatively new to the conference and Missouri State on its way out after a storied 35 years.
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Murray State joined the MVC in the 2022-23 season after 74 years in the Ohio Valley Conference, in which it was a founding member. In their first season in the MVC, the Racers were eighth in the 12-team conference with a 7-13 record. Last season they climbed to sixth in the regular season with a 12-8 record.
Head coach Rechelle Turner discussed the adjustments she made after joining the more physical MVC.
“After going through Year 1, we realized we had to make some changes, and our players have just done a great job of trusting and accepting how we wanted them to play, buying into it, next play mentality,” she told reporters Monday. “We finished off our regular season the top scoring team in the nation. I think that says a lot about what our kids have been able to do and how the system change has helped us get to this point.”
Murray State is led by fifth-year senior forward Katelyn Young, who was named to the 2025 All Missouri Valley Conference first team for the third straight year. Her freshman and sophomore years, she was named to the Ohio Valley Conference’s first team.
With 2,946 career points, Young ranked 18th on the Division I all-time scoring list as of Wednesday. This season, the Oakwood, Illinois native is averaging 21.9 points and 6.5 rebounds while shooting 55% from the field.
“She definitely saved her best for last. We put the ball in her hands in late games, and she’s come through for us every single time,” Turner said of her marquee player. “Katelyn is always MVP in my eyes, not because of who the player she is, but the human that she is and her willingness to help lead us to this championship.”
The Racers will play at noon CT on Friday against the winner of No. 8 Valparaiso and No. 9 Bradley, who play in the tournament’s first game on Thursday.
After being picked to finish fifth in this year’s MVC Preseason Poll, Missouri State won its 15th MVC regular-season championship in its final year in the league. Missouri State will join Conference USA in July 2025.
Head coach Beth Cunningham, who was named MVC Coach of the Year, is proud of her team’s resilience and consistency this season.
“Regardless of whether it’s our last year [in the MVC] or not, just to be able to win the regular season is certainly a goal that you set out for and early on in the season and understand it’s gonna be a tough road ahead,” she told reporters Monday. “One of the things we always talk about is to be able to compete at the top, just consistently, you have to be really good every night. We certainly had some bumps in the road, but I thought for the most part, we were very consistent with our approach, and whether it was on the road or at home.”
Cunningham becomes the fourth different head coach in program history to take home MVC Coach of the Year, joining Cheryl Burnett (who led the team to two Final Fours), Kellie Harper and Amaka Agugua-Hamilton.
Missouri State is led by senior Lacy Stokes, who was named MVC Defensive Player of the Year as well as earning a spot on the All-MVC first team and All-Defensive Team.
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In 20 conference games, Stokes averaged 14.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.6 steals per game. She also averaged 34.4 minutes per game while shooting 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 76 percent at the free throw line.
“The thing that I just appreciate about her so much is she plays with the same sense of urgency every single possession that she’s out there on the court. I rarely take her out, but the kid never takes a break, and she is often tasked with the toughest assignment of guarding another team’s best player,” Cunningham said of Stokes.
The Lady Bears will play the third game on Friday against the winner of No. 7 UIC and No. 10 Evansville.
Don’t forget Belmont and Drake
Although reigning MVC Tournament champion and preseason favorite Drake is seeded fourth, the Bulldogs are right in the mix of contenders.
With a 15-5 conference record each, Drake and Belmont tied for third place in the regular season, going 1-1 in their series. On Sunday, Belmont checked in at 61 in the NET, securing the No. 3 seed in the MVC Tournament, while Drake earned the No. 4 seed with a 68 NET ranking.
“I think at any given moment what you ultimately want to do in March is be playing your best basketball and I also think continuing to build momentum,” Drake coach Allison Pohlman said Monday of her team’s chance to win its third consecutive MVC Tournament and automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Drake is led by senior guard Katie Dinnebier, who was named the Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year, winning the Jackie Stiles Trophy for the second consecutive season.
Dinnebier leads the league in scoring (22.7 ppg) and assists (7.5 apg) and is the only player in the country averaging at least 20 points and seven assists per game this season. She was recently named a finalist for the 2025 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award, presented by Her Hoop Stats.
Scoring 30 or more points in each of Drake’s last five games, Dinnebier has drawn national attention, including from a few WNBA scouts who have reached out to Pohlman.
“I’ve had a couple people reach out just to talk about, I think, more than anything, Katie’s interest level or what she would be thinking in next steps and all of that sort of stuff,” Pohlman said Monday. “She’s considering going to her fifth year of pharmacy school. We’re still kind of navigating that process.”
“She should be in the conversation. I think she should be talked about,” Pohlman added about Dinnebier’s WNBA prospects. “I think what she’s proven is, not only does she have the range and the ability to make decisions, but to get downhill. She plays on both ends of the floor.”
Drake will play the winner of No. 5 Illinois State vs. No. 12 Southern Illinois at 2:30 p.m. CT Friday.
After an uncharacteristic four-game losing streak, Belmont won its last four games of the regular season, heading into the conference tournament.
“Hopefully we’re moving in the right direction. I think, like everyone, we’re all limping our way to the finish line with health and bodies and all the things. … A 20-game league schedule is a grind, but I think we’re in a good place, and I’m excited about where our team is and the direction we’re headed,” Brooks said.
The Bruins are led by senior forward Kendal Cheesman, who was named to the All-MVC First Team. Cheesman nearly averaged a double-double during the MVC regular season with 14.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Belmont will play the last game Friday against the winner of No. 6 UNI and No. 11 Indiana State.
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New location in rotating schedule
After eight years at Vibrant Arena at The MARK in Moline, Ill., the 2025 MVC Tournament will be held at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind. This begins a three-year rotation with Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa (2026) and Vibrant Arena at The MARK (2027).
While Evansville is obviously excited about playing in an arena across town from its campus, it also is much closer for teams like Nashville-based Belmont and Murray, Ky.-based Murray State.
“It will be a great opportunity for the fanbase; the more southern schools will have a chance to get to these games a little bit easier,“ Belmont’s Brooks said.
Belmont’s travel is cut from 538 miles to Moline to 154 miles to Evansville, while Murray’s is cut from 448 miles to Moline to 162 miles to Evansville.
The Ford Center is no stranger to several MVC teams. Murray State and Belmont played there in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, and Drake opened up this year’s conference season against Evansville in Ford Center.
“I think it has great energy,” Drake’s Pohlman said. “I’m really hopeful that not only we bring all of our fans, but the community embraces us.”
The tournament, which begins at noon CT Thursday, will conclude with the championship game at 1 p.m. CT Sunday.
Written by Angie Holmes
Based in the Midwest, Angie Holmes covers the Big Ten, Big 12 and the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) for The Next.
