The LMU women won their first West Coast Conference regular-season championship in 22 years last season. The Lions won’t willingly cede to the title to anyone this season.
“Hopefully, we’re competing for another banner, another championship,” coach Aarika Hughes said.
The Lions were surprise champs a year ago, picked by the coaches to finish sixth but far exceeding that by assembling a 15-3 conference ledger.
LMU was tabbed third by the coaches this season, with Santa Clara and Portland projected to finish first and second, respectively. The Broncos and Pilots each landed four first-place votes while the Lions were atop the ballots of two coaches.
“None of those teams make me excited to play them this year,” said Pepperdine coach Katie Faulkner, whose team was picked fourth in the WCC. Portland’s Michael Meek sees a deep pool of contenders. “I think there are six or seven teams that rightfully feel like it could be their year,” he said.
The Lions lose three starters but return with two others — including senior forward Maya Hernandez — who understand what it takes to assemble a championship season. Hughes said this team is the most compliant she has had at LMU.
“Everyone says, what does that mean? Is it a good thing?” she said. “I want guys to have a fire and I think we do. The hardest part is to get them to trust each other, buy in to one another.
“This is a group that has jelled really quickly, that does it not just for themselves but for one another. There hasn’t been a practice where they haven’t given us everything they have. We feel good about what this group is capable of.”
Here is our preview of the West Coast Conference women’s race, with teams ranked in order of the coaches’ poll:
1. SANTA CLARA
2025-26: 13-5/tied 3rd in West Coast Conference; 24-10 overall
Coach: Loree Payne (24-10 in 2nd season at Santa Clara; 165-126 overall in 10th season as a Division I head coach)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2005 (lost 94-75 to Stanford in the first round)
Top returning players: For now, at least, the Broncos have four full-time starters back from a team that tied a program record with 13 conference victories. Forward Sophie Glancey (14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds), who played 18 games last season before sustaining a season-ending injury, is among 76 players who received an injunction in a court case on Oct. 20, giving them eligibility for a fifth season. The NCAA is expected to appeal the decision. Obviously, Santa Clara is a much better team with Glancey available. The Broncos also feature graduate guard Maia Jones (15.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.6 steals), a New Zealander who earned first-team all-conference honors last season. Jones, who played her first two seasons at Saint Mary’s, had nine games of 20 points or more, including a career-high of 29 in an overtime win over San Francisco. “She just has a ton of experience, a high basketball IQ,” Payne said of Jones. “We’re looking forward to having her one of our top scorers and kind of that floor general that leader on the court.” Also back are 6-2 senior forward Ava Schmidt (12.4 points, 5.0 rebounds), an honorable mention all-conference pick, and senior forward Kylee Fox (9.2 points, 4.6 rebounds and just 20 turnovers in 954 minutes). Jones and Schmidt were both named to the preseason all-conference team. Key reserves include sophomore guard Delainey Miller (8.0 points, 5.7 rebounds) and junior point guard Aniya Hooker (6.0 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.8 steals).
Top newcomers: The Broncos welcome four new players, including a pair of transfers from New Mexico. Junior guard Joana Magalhoes (8.7 points, 1.6 steals), is a native of Portugal, who earned All-Mountain West freshman honors two seasons ago. Her teammate, senior forward Emma Najjuma (3.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, 65% FG), is a 6-foot-4 native of Uganda.
Key non-conference games: SCU will test itself with a slate of home games that includes Stanford on Nov. 13, Grand Canyon on Nov. 17 and San Diego State on Dec. 3. The Broncos will visit the U.S. Virgin Island for games in the Paradise Jam on Nov. 26 and 28 against Xavier and either Texas Tech or Air Force. They open their season on Nov. 2 at Wyoming and play subsequent road games at Arizona State on Nov. 20, at Boise State on Dec. 13 and at Washington on Dec. 17, when Payne will return to her alma mater.
What matters: Payne brought an aggressive offensive style to Santa Clara in her debut season and it paid off with a second-place finish in the WCC. Her 13 conference wins and 24 overall victories were the most by a first-year Santa Clara coach. The Broncos set an array of program records, including scoring average (80.2 points) and 3-pointers made (319). Given the team’s returning core and the addition of two talented transfers from New Mexico, the Broncos are poised to make another run.
Quote: “Obviously our experience. And just our offensive system and our ability to put up a large number of points. Our 3-point shooting ability. You’re going to see a lot of 3’s from us, playing at a pretty high tempo. We want to have the best pace in the league.” — Coach Loree Payne on the strengths of her team
2. PORTLAND
2025-26: 11-7/5th in West Coast Conference; 20-15 overall
Coach: Michael Meek (150-77 in 8th season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2024 (lost 78-65 to Kansas State in the first round)
Top returning players: Portland will be one of the most experienced teams in the conference with 12 returning players, including five who combined for 149 starts last season. In fact, the Pilots are the rare team in modern college basketball with no transfers, only players who arrived at Portland as freshmen. “We seem to have better cohesion and continuity this season,” Meek said. “Last year, though we did have some returners from the year before, it was really a brand new team. I felt like year was kind of a restart for us.” Leading the way are Australian senior guard Dyani Ananiev (11.4 points, 3.9 rebounds), guard Florence Dallow (9.9 points, 5.4 rebounds), a fifth-year player from New Zealand, senior forward Lainey Spear (9.7 points, 4.5 rebounds), senior guard Rhyan Mogel (9.2 points, 4.6 assists) and sophomore center/forward Julia Dalan (6.9 points, 5.0 rebounds in 21 games), who earned WCC all-freshman honors. Ananiev and Dallow both earned spots on the preseason All-WCC team. Also back are sophomore guard Aubrey Herrin (6.0 points, 4.7 rebounds in 3 games), junior guard Tiffany Barbosa (4.9 points) and 6-5 sophomore center Jada Kennedy (4.4 points, 3.4 rebounds).
Top newcomers: The Pilots bring in four freshmen, including guards Pahlyss Hokianga and Sara Mangan, wing Maddie Angus and forward Carly Gonzalez. Hokianga, who played point guard on the New Zealand senior national team, and Mangan could be early contributors to a veteran team. “Both those guards bring some things we needed to add — decision-making, ball handling, scoring. They both have a chance as freshmen to be impact players for us,” Meek said.
Key non-conference games: Portland opens its season at home against Division III Willamette on Nov. 2. Three days later, the Pilots visit a BYU team that won 26 games last season. The highlight of the schedule is a Nov. 22 home game against Stanford in the first matchup of the two programs since the Pilots scored their first-ever victory over the Cardinal in a 69-68 overtime win in the 2025 WBIT. Portland will test itself on the road with games against a pair of returning NCAA Tournament teams. The Pilots play at Princeton on Dec. 13 and at Oregon on Dec. 16.
What matters: The Pilots seem well-positioned to make a title run, returning 85.6 percent of their scoring and 80.3 percent of their rebounding. Portland led the WCC in steals (11.0 per game) blocked shots (5.49) and was second in the conference defending the 3-point shot (29.5%). Meek, whose Portland teams have won at least 20 games in six of his first seven seasons, needs the Pilots to improve their work on the boards, where they ranked second-to-last in rebounding margin (minus-5.6) in the conference last season.
Quote: “I definitely know if we can stay healthy, we have probably the most depth and talent we’ve had since we’ve been here. It helps to have so much experience. We feel like we’re in a really good place, but also genuinely feel for a lot of teams in our league this is probably the best version of some of these other programs as well.” — Coach Michael Meek
3. LMU
2025-26: 15-3/1st in West Coast Conference; 21-10 overall
Coach: Aarika Hughes (64-87 in 6th season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2004 (lost 71-60 to Baylor in the first round)
Top returning players: Senior forward Maya Hernandez, who contributed 14.2 points and 5.4 rebounds to LMU’s first regular-season conference championship season since 2004, will anchor the squad. Hernandez has improved each season and is closing in on the 1,000-point career plateau. She was a first-team all-conference pick last season and was chosen to the preseason All-WCC team. Croatia native and graduate guard Ivana Krajiva (6.1 points, 2.8 assists, 31 starts) was granted eligibility for a fifth season through the Oct. 20 court injunction in the case involving 76 players. She’s been a force in practice, Hughes said. “She has been electric. Her energy. She’s been such a positive light.” Other returnees include junior guard Allison Clarke (4.5 points) and senior forward Kalya Jones (4.5 points). Junior forward Ali’a Matavao is back after missing all of last season (knee injury) and most of the 2024-25 campaign (foot), when she produced 8.1 points and 6.0 rebounds over eight games before her season ended.
Top newcomers: Hughes brings in six new players, five of them transfers. Junior guard Danae Powell averaged 12.3 points and shot 41 percent from the 3-point arc at Fresno State last season. Senior guard Janay Bradley scored 12.4 points for Stony Brook, and Australia native Erica Finney, a redshirt freshman guard, transferred from Illinois after being rated as a top-50 national prospect. New Zealander Shawnee Nordstrom, a 5-6 junior point guard, averaged 8.7 points at Cal Baptist and made seven 3-pointers in a win over Utah Valley. Senior guard Sarah Deng, a native of Australia, saw limited opportunity last season at Florida. The Lions’ lone high school signee is guard Shanayka Ismar from Quebec.
Key non-conference games: The Lions open the season vs. Nevada at home on Nov. 2 and four days later will travel to Logan, Utah to face Utah State. LMU will play in the Hawaii MTE event on Nov. 13 and 15 and has road tests at UNLV on Nov. 25 and New Mexico on Dec. 2. The Lions host Cal on Dec. 7, then head north to take on regular NCAA Tournament participant Gonzaga on Dec. 10.
What matters: The Lions won their first regular-season conference title since 2004 before losing to Oregon State in semifinals of West Coast Conference tournament. Gone from the program’s first 20-win team since 2004 are three starters, including all-conference dynamo guard and WCC Newcomer of the Year Jess Lawson. Hughes is expecting senior forward Maya Hernandez to take another step in her leadership role. LMU may try to limit her minutes to prevent her from wearing down and Hughes needs a sometimes emotional player to show greater calm. “She has really grown and blossomed,” Hughes said. “She needs to believe that she and her teammates can get through whatever it is that we’re doing. She’s really stepped into that and I’m really proud of her.”
Quote: “They know (chemistry) is made with spending time with each other off the floor, understanding who you’re playing with, what buttons do we need to push. They have big expectations for what this group is going to do this year, for sure.” — LMU coach Aarika Hughes
4. PEPPERDINE
2025-26: 10-8/6th in West Coast Conference; 21-13 overall
Coach: Katie Faulkner (29-35 in 3rd season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2006 (lost 78-66 to Oklahoma in the first round)
Top returning players: Pepperdine brings back seven players from its 2025-26 roster, including three starting guards. Junior Elli Guiney (15.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 41.6% 3’s) started 34 games while senior Lina Falk (11.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 389.4% 3’s) was in the opening lineup 27 times. Both players secured places on the preseason All-WCC team. Guiney, who arrived at Pepperdine from UNLV before last season, scored 20 points or more nines and earned first-team All-WCC honors. Falk scored 25 points or more three times. Senior Taija Sta. Maria (7.3 points, 3.6 assists) also brings experience, having started 34 games last season. Sophomore guard Seleh Harmon (6.7 points) was a key player off the bench.
Top newcomers: With just one frontcourt player returning, the Waves recruited heavily at forward and center. Maggie Mendelson, a 6-5 senior center, began her college days playing volleyball at Nebraska, then transferred to Penn State, where she was the starting middle blocker on the Nittany Lions’ 2024 national championship team. “This is a kid who’s a pro and knows exactly what it takes to win,” Faulkner said. Mendelson switched to hoops midway through last season and produced 2.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 15 games. The Waves landed a pair of freshmen frontcourt players: 6-4 center Evelyn Martin of Australia and 6-2 forward Landrie Callahan. Keandra Koorits, a 6-2 redshirt sophomore guard from Estonia, averaged 6.7 points for Washington State and scored 23 vs. Idaho. Also on board is Freya Bijkerk, a 6-1 freshman guard from Australia.
Key non-conference games: The Waves tip off their season on Nov. 2 at Portland State and play road games against Nevada and Rice on Nov. 17 and 22, respectively. The highlight of the nonconference schedule will be come against Boise State on Dec. 6, when Pepperdine opens The Mountain at Mullin Park, the university’s new $150 million on-campus facility, which will seat 3,600 fans. “It’s just a pinnacle thing at Pepperdine, Faulkner said of the new facility. “The girls are really excited for this. It means a lot to them.”
What matters: Faulkner is seeing tangible signs that her players are shouldering responsibility for setting a tone. That’s especially the case with returnees Guiney and Falk. “Elli and Lina have just emerged as powerful leaders,” Faulkner said. “When you’re turning a program around, you have to be this hammer of culture. Now we’re in Year 3 and I find myself walking into the gym and I just smile. I see kids taking ownership of that culture and speaking it out and living it out and wanting to make it their own.”
Quote: “This is a really great team and they just want to see what they can do. `What’s possible?’ is a question I keep asking. We are wanting to pursue that West Coast Conference championship but we are a long way away from that.” — Coach Katie Faulkner
5. SAN FRANCISCO
2025-26: 9-9/7th in West Coast Conference; 19-15 overall
Coach: Molly Goodenbour (153-158 in 11th season at USF; 197-234 in 15th season in Div. I)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2016 (lost 85-58 to Stanford in the first round)
Top returning players: Junior Candy Edokpaigbe, a 6-foot guard from Naples, Italy, is the league’s top returning scorer after averaging 17.9 points to go with 4.6 rebounds. A first-team all-conference honoree, she led the Dons with 20 blocked shots, was second with 51 steals and twice scored 28 points in a game. Goodenbour calls her “100 percent” the best player in the league. “She came back better than she was last year.” Edokpaigbe is joined on the preseason all-conference team by Aina Cargol (9.4 points, 3.5 rebounds), a sophomore point guard from Spain. Also back are starters Nataša Taušová (7.4 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists), a 6-3 sophomore forward from Slovakia; and Noelia Mouriño (7.0 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists), a sophomore forward from Spain. Guard Paula Tirado (5.7 points) played 19 games before a season-ending injury.
Top newcomers: Leading the way among eight newcomers are three transfers. Senior wing Kieryn McGuff (9.6 points, 6.3 rebounds at Akron), graduate forward and Spanish product Lucia Yenes (12.6 points, 5.4 rebounds at New Mexico State) and Canadian sophomore guard Jayda Queeley (2.2 points, 2.1 assists at Pitt) all will be in the mix. Savi Mi, a junior point guard from Taiwan, shot nearly 45 percent from the 3-point arc and averaged 4.3 assists last season at Dodge City (KS) JC. “Nobody’s lost out there. They all look like they belong,” Goodenbour said. Maria Burliga, a 6-1 freshman guard from Bulgaria, “is going to be really good,” her coach predicted.
Key non-conference games: The Dons will play seven home games during their non-conference schedule, including a Dec. 4 date against Boise State, coming off a 25-win season. USF will trek to Lake Tahoe to face Cal on Nov. 8 and takes on Colorado on the road on Dec. 12. The Dons play a pair of games at Makwao, Hawaii, facing Ball State and Idaho State on Dec. 18 & 19.
What matters: Goodenbour says the Dons return essentially their entire starting lineup a year after she began the season with 11 new players and two returnees who did not play the season before. “I had to use my director of ops to demonstrate some of the drills and techniques,” she said. “This year we’re so far ahead in terms of expectations. So much more seamless.” Goodenbour met last spring with the veterans on the roster who would be returning this season, asking them to identify their goals.
“Every single one of them said we need to win and you need to recruit players who are going to have a winning mentality. They were challenging us,” she said. “We’ll be disappointed if we’re not playing on Tuesday night (at the WCC Championship), if we’re not playing for a championship.”
Quote: “USF stepped up and gave us the OK and the resources to make sure we could keep those kids. We’ve had some pleasant surprises with the new players we brought into the program. I like our depth, I love the players who came back. It’s a fun team.” — Coach Molly Goodenbour on the Dons’ ability to retain key players, including first-team all-conference guard Candy Edokpaigbe
6. SAN DIEGO
2025-26: 4-14/11th in West Coast Conference; 11-22 overall
Coach: Blanche Alverson (11-22 in 2nd season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2008 (lost 77-60 to Cal in first round)
Top returning players: Among six returning players who saw action last season are the Toreros’ top two scorers, junior guard Kylie Ray (15.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 89.5% FT) and sophomore guard Olivia Owens (11.3 points, 5.5 rebounds). Ray, a second-team all-conference selection, started 25 games in her first season at USD after transferring from Utah. She scored 20 points or more 10 times, including a career-best 29 vs. Pacific, and earned a spot on this year’s preseason All-WCC team. Owens was named to the league’s all-freshman team after starting 29 times and scoring a season-high 31 points vs. Washington State. Also back are junior forward Eva Ruse (5.5 points, 5.7 rebounds), sophomore center Ayla Williams (2.9 points, 4.4 rebounds), junior guard Lilly Amor (2.7 points) and sophomore guard Jessica Ajayi (2.7 points). Graduate guard Lauren McCall, who did not play last season after scoring 6.2 points per game in 2024-25, and Ryanne Bahnsen-Price also back after ACL
Top newcomers: Senior forward Kiera Pemberton saw limited action at Baylor last season after excelling for two years at North Dakota, where she led her team in scoring (16.7) and rebounding (7.2) as a sophomore. Graduate guard Sammie Wagner (Oregon) and sophomore forward Braelynn Barnett (Georgetown) both played little at previous Division I stops. USD brought in a pair of freshmen, in guard Rosalie Esser of Germany and forward Kate Danner, who posted a pair of 30-point games last season at Highland Park High School in Dallas.
Key non-conference games: The Toreros open their season on Nov. 2 at New Mexico State before facing future conference rival UC San Diego in the Bill Walton Classic at Perchanga Arena on Nov. 7. USD treks to Arizona State on Nov. 17 and hosts Washington State on Dec. 13.
What matters: Ray and Owens were both in their first season with the Toreros last year, but now are the club’s veteran leaders. “We talk about how they have to set the tone early. There’s no one to defer to,” Alverson said. “Success to them is going to be us winning this year. I think that’s a big reason why they both decided to come back, because they believe in what we’re doing.”
Quote: “Last year was all about growth and development. While are still focused on getting better every day, I think it’s realistic to say we have some goals and aspirations this year.” — Second-year coach Blanche Alverson
7. PACIFIC
2025-26: 6-12/tied 8th in West Coast Conference; 11-19 overall
Coach: Bradley Davis (151-186 in 12th season)
Most recent NCAA appearance: None
Top returning players: The Tigers welcome back a pair of full-time starters, 5-foot-4 junior point guard Daria Nestorov (10.4 points, 4.9 assists, 1.7 steals) and junior guard Stella Szabo (4.3 points). Nestorov led Pacific in scoring, assists and steals and scored a career-high 20 points twice in the season’s final three games. Sophomore guard Sophia Mindermann (8.9 points) and senior forward Marina Radocaj (4.1 points, 4.4 rebounds) were part-time starters.
Top newcomers: To replace departed starters Winner Bartholomew and Sydney Ward, the team’s top scorers and rebounders, the Tigers brought in three transfers and five freshmen. The most accomplished of the group is graduate guard Victoria Rivera, who started 27 games at Georgetown, averaging 10.5 points and making 62 shots from the 3-point arc. Yana Karamfilova, a 6-2 forward from Bulgaria who transferred from South Florida, also has 3-point shooting range. Jojo Nworie, a 6-5 post, hails from Nigeria and comes most recently from Colorado, where her playing time was limited. “We’re pretty fired up about them,” Bradley said of the transfer trio. Among the freshmen most likely to work their way into the rotation at some point this season are Jordyn Dyer, Bella Bursar and Payton Montgomery.
Key non-conference games: The Tigers open their season Nov. 2 at home vs. Simpson, then play five straight road games, including a Nov. 5 visit to Washington. They will play a road game vs. future conference rival UC San Diego on Dec. 4, then host San Diego State on Dec. 11.
What matters: Bradley will count on the junior guards, Nestorov and Szabo, to score and create while helping the newcomers find their roles. Radocaj, the team’s only returning frontcourt player, will get the chance to expand her role and the Tigers hope one or more of their transfers also can contribute in that area. But Pacific will rely primarily on its backcourt players, utilizing more of an open-floor concept.
Quote: “I think we definitely are going to compete for that upper-division spot. You’re going to see a different style of basketball than you have seen. We also have a little more experience. We’re going to put the ball in the hands of our point guard and spread things out a little more than we have in the past.” — Pacific coach Bradley Davis
8. SEATTLE U
2025-26: 1-17/12th in West Coast Conference; 5-25 overall
Coach: John Bonner (1st season at Seattle U; 18-14 in one season as a Division I head coach)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2018 (lost 88-45 to Oregon in the first round)
Top returning players: Sophomore guard Dylan Mogel is the team’s lone returnee. She averaged 2.6 points in 18 games before suffering an ACL injury. The Redhawks are hoping she will be ready to play by late November.
Top newcomers: The Redhawks bring in 13 new players, led by junior forward Cristina Jones, who averaged 16.5 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.9 steals while playing for Bonner at Cal State Fullerton. She had 12 games of at least 20 points, including 35 (along with 20 rebounds) vs. Cal State Bakersfield and 32 vs. Cal State Northridge. Jones also logged 10 games of at least five steals, topped by 10 thefts in a win over Pacific. Bonner said other transfers making an early impact are guards Shelley Duchemin from UC Riverside, Sophie Buzzard from Portland State and Alanna Neale from Nebraska.
Key non-conference games: The Redhawks open their season on Nov. 2 at New Mexico and make their home debut under Bonner on Nov. 6 vs. UC Riverside. A highlight of their schedule is a trip to the Great Alaska Shootout, beginning Nov. 21, where Seattle U will face Chicago State, Louisville and host Alaska-Anchorage.
What matters: Bonner takes over after 18-14 in one year at Cal State Fullerton, which had experienced five consecutive losing seasons before he arrived. He hopes to generate the same kind of boost at Seattle U, and has a built-in leader with Cristina Jones, who produces at both ends of the floor. The Redhawks intend to play uptempo and press. “We want to keep our opponents on their heels,” Bonner said. “We just want to create as many mismatch opportunities as we can on both ends of the floor.”
Quote: “She’s so incredible. She went from Division II, averaging six (points) and seven (rebounds), to having her first Division I opportunity and averaging almost 17 and 10. She does it through her relentless work ethic. One of the benefits of having her here is that she helps establish our culture. She understands what I’m looking for so she can communicate to players in a way that’s not coach to player talk.” — First-year coach John Bonner on junior forward Cristina Jones, who played for him last season at Cal State Fullerton
9. SAINT MARY’S
2025-26: 6-12/tied 8th in West Coast Conference; 15-17 overall
Coach: Jeff Cammon (42-52 in 4th season at SMC; 126-142 in 10th season in Div. I)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2001 (lost 82-65 to Tennessee in the second round)
Top returning players: The Gaels are led by senior forward Abigail Shoff, who earned honorable mention All-WCC honors last season after leading the team in scoring (9.4 points) and ranking second in rebounding (4.0). Cammon expects her to embrace a larger leadership role and anticipates her statistical contributions will grow. Other key returnees are senior guards Emily Foy (7.7 points) and Addi Wedin (7.6 points). The Gaels expect 6-1 senior guard Charlece Ohiaeri (3.5 points) to take a big step. “Our younger girls are talented. But our older kids have to be older kids, they have to carry the load,” Cammon said of his returnees. “They’ve been here before and they need to settle us when we need it.”
Top newcomers: The Gaels brought in nine newcomers, including a pair of transfers in senior guard Niveya Henley and sophomore guard Lihi Azouri. Henley saw limited action due to health issues in her one season at Idaho, but averaged 11.1 points over the two previous seasons at Furman. Azouri, a native of Israel, averaged 10.6 points and shot 39 percent from the 3-point arc last season at Southeastern Louisiana. Freshman forward Evelyn Tounkara of Ontario, Canada, and freshman guard Audrey Bhesania both have shown early promise.
Key non-conference games: The Gaels open their season at Stanford on Nov. 4 and play their first home game on Nov. 10 vs. Chico State. They play participate in the Bank of Hawaii Classic in Honolulu on Nov. 13 and 15 and trek to Frisco, Texas for two games at the Hoopfest Challenge on Nov. 23 and 25. The Gaels welcome San Diego State to Moraga on Dec. 9.
What matters: The Gaels have relied on defense under coach Jeff Cammon and last season led the conference, allowing just 59.4 points per game. But Cammon is taking a different approach with this team. “We haven’t scored the ball as well as we’ve needed to,” he said alluding to the fact that the Gaels ranked 11th among teams in the conference in scoring at 59.9 points per game. “I’m pretty confident that we can get them there defensively. All we’ve been doing since last spring is offense. They’re playing more free. It’s been good.”
Quote: “I’m expecting us to surprise everyone. We have the pieces to really capitalize on what we built last year and grow into this year. Some might think the youthfulness is a hindrance but we look at it as a huge growing opportunity. They push us every day. There’s a ton of young energy.” — Senior forward Abigail Shoff on the Gaels’ goals for the season
10. DENVER
2025-26: 5-11/6th in Summit League; 11-19 overall
Coach: Erik Johnson (1st season of second stint at Denver; 72-52 in four seasons in first stint; 140-167 in 11th season overall)
Most recent NCAA appearance: 2001 (lost 77-57 to Virginia Tech in the first round)
Top returning players: Guard Laia Monclova of Spain returns for her senior season after starting 28 games last year and contributing 9.4 points and 4.9 rebounds. “A high IQ player,” Johnson called her. Sophomore point guard Tori Baker (7.3 points) started 28 times and is the team’s vocal and emotional leader, according to Johnson. Senior forward Brooke Murrell (5.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 20 starts) is expected to be improved offensively. Also among eight returnees is junior forward Ana Conde (4.4 points), another Spaniard who started 25 times. Junior forward Anna Rosenberger, who saw limited time off the bench last year, is shelved for the season after hip surgery.
Top newcomers: Denver brought in three new players, including senior forward Mallory McQuietor, a transfer from Incarnate Word, and a pair of freshmen point guards Safiyah Sugapong and Emma Hart. A native of Houston, Hart played played three seasons for the IMG Academy national team and helped the squad win the national title in 2025. Because the Pioneers will play position-less basketball, Johnson said he can envision having Sugapong or Hart on the floor alongside Baker so the freshmen don’t feel the pressure of being the sole ball handlers.
Key non-conference games: The Pioneers open their season at Air Force on Nov. 2, and that’s just one of five nonconference games they play against Colorado schools. They are on the road vs. Colorado State and have home matchups against Colorado, Northern Colorado and Colorado Christian. They also play at LSU on Nov. 13 and at Utah on Dec. 6. During his first stint at Denver, the Pioneers scored victories over the likes of Colorado, Oregon, Minnesota and Vanderbilt. “We’re going to start establishing that we’ll play against anybody,” Johnson said. “We’re not just little Denver. We’re here to become a big-time basketball program and we’re going to keep making strides toward that.”
What matters: Taking over a new program, Johnson said a key is to establish confidence among his players that they compete. For now, he is less focused on win totals. “If you can do certain things and do them consistently and do them together, we can go compete with anybody,” he said. “We’re going to be in a lot of close games. Then it’s a matter of can we finish that play? We’re going to fight to be who we are. Let’s go compete.”
Quote: “She’s our most talented defender. Still just learning as a freshman all the off-ball stuff and rotations. In terms of locking somebody down, you don’t want to dribble the ball if she’s anywhere near you.” — Johnson on freshman guard Emma Hart.