Conference USA WBB Preview
Predicted Order of Finish:
Middle Tennessee
Liberty
Western Kentucky
New Mexico State
FIU
Louisiana Tech
Jacksonville State
UTEP
Kennesaw State
Sam Houston State
All-Conference Team:
Mya Kone, FIU
Bella Smuda, Liberty
Emma Hess, Liberty
Asia Boone, Liberty
Jalynn Gregory, MTSU
Ta’Mia Scott, MTSU
Elina Arike, MTSU
Anastasia Boldyreva, MTSU
Molly Kaiser, NMSU
Alexis Mead, WKU
Team Previews:
Middle Tennessee
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/12 @ Tennessee
11/30 vs. Iowa State (Neutral)
12/4 vs. Kansas State (Neutral)
12/7 @ Belmont
12/29 @ Princeton
Last Year: 30-5 (16-0 in CUSA), 1st in CUSA
Offense: 71.4 ppg (1st in CUSA)
Defense: 55.5 ppg (1st)
Returning:
54% minutes played, 56% points scored
It will come as no surprise that MTSU will remain atop the favorite of CUSA for another season. Winners of 3 of the last 4 CUSA automatic bids will need to find some replacements at the top of their starting rotation after the departures of Player of the Year Savannah Wheeler and 2nd-team selection Courtney Whitson. How do you replace 26.6 ppg (17.5 from Wheeler, 9.1 from Whitson)? By picking up P4 transfer portal pickups in Elina Arike and Courtney Blakely.
Arike was the 2023 CUSA Defensive Player of the Year at UTEP before transferring to Texas Tech last season, after seeing limited playing time in Lubbock, the 11.5 ppg, 5.6 rpg Forward makes the move back to the mid major level for her final season.
Blakely is a familiar face to CUSA, too. Playing backup to Wheeler in the ‘22-’23 season has two years experience in the Rick Insell system. Not the scoring type like Wheeler, but an improvement on the defensive end with her speed – which should scare CUSA adding to a team that only allowed 55 ppg on 35% FG (both leading the league).
Now with 2 CUSA DPOY in Arike and Anastasia Boldyreva (14.5 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 61% FG), the Lady Raider frontcourt will assuredly be the best the conference has to offer. Boldyreva, will be odds on favorite to win CUSA Player of the Year with her 6’6” frame that few in CUSA can match, her shot blocking ability makes her a game changer even when she’s not scoring. On top of deep threat Jalynn Gregory (led league with 94 threes in ‘24) and return of 2nd-team Junior Guard Ta’Mia Scott (12.7 ppg, 37% 3FG), Middle Tennessee should be a threat to add to their current 29 conference game winning streak (dating back to February of ‘23).
Liberty
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/7 vs. Duke
11/9 vs. Cal Baptist
11/16 @ Tennessee
11/27 @ Grand Canyon
12/18 vs. Arkansas (Neutral)
Last Year: 18-16 (11-5), 3rd
Offense: 65.7 ppg (5th)
Defense: 66.7 ppg (7th)
Returning:
85% minutes played, 89% points scored
The Flames return the most starters and minutes of any CUSA team from ‘23-’24 season which is reason for optimism after a runner-up finish last season. The biggest setback for Carey Green’s squad was a slow start to the non conference season carried over to the beginning of conference play in ‘24. Once Liberty got their feet underneath them and behind the balanced scoring options this team has they can carry over momentum into ‘25.
The window of opportunity for Liberty to reach the NCAA Tournament again is behind a trio of Seniors – Bella Smuda, Emma Hess, and Jordan Hodges. Smuda (6’6” center) will be a contender for Player of the Year behind the leading returning scorer and rebounder in CUSA with 15 ppg and 10 rpg, respectively. Emma Hess earned first-team CUSA honor last year with 13 ppg on 39% three point shooting, adding to the challenge of guarding this front court in the half court. Point Guard Hodges rounds out the experienced group with 8.6 ppg, and 4.5 assists per game with a 2.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, both are the best returning in CUSA.
Coach Green returns a pair of Sophomore’s that earned All-Freshman team honors a season ago including Freshman of the Year Asia Boone. Boone averaged over 10 ppg her first season and shot 37% from deep. If Boone can find some scoring consistency (season high 25, but 12 games with fewer than 6 points) her career will continue to skyrocket. Fellow All-Freshman pick Elisabeth Aegisdottir saw quality minutes off the bench last year (22.6 minutes per game) in a role-playing position, but expects her role to expand into the starting lineup with the graduation of Jordan Bailey at the forward position.
Western Kentucky
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
12/9 vs. Oregon State (Neutral)
12/28 @ Kentucky
Last Year: 15-17 (6-10), 6th
Offense: 64.4 ppg (6th)
Defense: 63.5 ppg (5th)
Returning:
47% minutes played, 54% points scored
The Hilltoppers faced a lot of losses in the transfer portal from ‘24 and nearly saw their second-teamer Alexis Mead depart. The Senior Point Guard opted to remain in Bowling Green for her final season – and good thing she did. The roster turnover at the top remains intact with Acacia Hayes staying, after an injury plagued season in ‘24, she hopes to add to her 14 ppg. Josie Gilvin is another returning piece in the backcourt that played in all 32 games last season that would see an increase in playing time this season.
The frontcourt returns Destiny Salary return for her fifth season. Salary came off the bench for the majority of the season, but her 12.7 ppg production could be felt when she was out of the lineup. Greg Collins picked up some size and experience to bolster his front court with 6’3” Sophomore Zsofia Telegdy from Kansas and 6’3” Senior Mariama Sow from UTEP. Both played limited minutes in their previous stops, but Sow’s CUSA experience of 22 games played in El Paso is not an advantage to be taken lightly.
More Junior College scoring options transferred to Bowling Green. Junior Forward Tatum Boettjer averaged 10 ppg at Barton CC and Tia Shelling poured in 10 a night at Odessa College last season. Another pair of freshman signees add to the nine newcomers to Collins’ roster – 6’0” Guard Torri James and 6’1” Forward Salma Khedr. James and Khedr both averaged over 16 points in their final high school seasons. Khedr’s versatility on both ends of the floor speaks to her high ceiling (averaged 11.6 rebounds, 4.8 assists per game in high school).
New Mexico State
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/29 vs. Texas (Neutral)
12/6 @ New Mexico
12/8 vs. New Mexico
12/18 @ Kansas State
12/29 @ Oklahoma
Last Year: 13-18 (6-10), 7th
Offense: 60.5 ppg (8th)
Defense: 61.5 ppg (2nd)
Returning:
77% minutes played, 76% points scored
New Mexico State presented one of the toughest defenses in CUSA in ‘24 (second in scoring defense at 61 points allowed per game). But they look to improve on one the worst scoring offenses by returning the league’s top scoring guard in Molly Kaiser. The graduate player remained in Las Cruces after tallying 14.9 points per game and scoring 16-plus in her final six games to get NMSU to the tournament semi-finals.
The X-factor for Head Coach Jody Adams is Kaiser’s supporting cast. Senior Guard Jaila Harding returns her 9.3 ppg along with starting Point Guard Sianny Sanchez-Oliver generates continuity in the back court. Coach Adams did some work in the portal to pluck Darriah Sissoko from Sam Houston State who start 6 games for the Bearkats and averaged nearly 7 ppg. Junior College transfer Anna Csenyi (5’9” guard) also brings a scoring dynamic averaging 9.2 ppg on 49% shooting with 2 years of eligibility left.
Despite this team being undersized relative to the top of the conference, that has not stopped the Aggies on the defensive end. Returning role-player, 6’1” Fanta Gassama led the team in rebounds in ‘24 and could be a lead in the front court with a pick-up from Noah Garcia, 6’3” Senior Forward from Brandon University (Canada) that adds the needed length down low.
Florida International
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/8 vs. Abilene Christian
11/19 @ Miami (FL)
Last Year: 21-12 (11-5), 2nd
Offense: 68.6 ppg (2nd)
Defense: 64.2 ppg (6th)
Returning:
37% minutes played, 41% points scored
The surprising team in CUSA in ‘24 the Lady Golden Panthers finished 3rd in the regular season after being selected to finish 7th in the preseason poll. CUSA Coach of the Year Jesyka Burks-Wiley is tasked with building a supporting cast around her returning top two scorers in Mya Kone and Tanajah Hayes. Junior Forward Kone earned first-team honors after scoring 11.4 ppg and 8.1 rebounds per game. Hayes could be one of the best point guards in the conference after her junior campaign of 11 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per night.
The largest, aforementioned question is who will Burks-Wiley have on roster to repeat the success she had in ‘24. Returning 5’11” Junior Guard Angena Belloso who started in 31 games last year and scored over 7 points per game is a good starter. She also secured 6’0” Senior Aaliyah Pitts from Western Kentucky that started 10 games in Bowling Green, but the largest pickup, literally and figuratively, is 6' 4” Isnelle Natabou from Iowa State in the transfer portal. Natabou started 4 games for the Top 25, 7-seed Cyclones averaging 4.5 points and 3.8 rebounds per game in the Big 12.
The loss of Graduate Kaliah Henderson may be felt in Miami this year, but Burks-Wiley signed three players with college experience at the guard position to fill her role – Parris Atkins (Dodge City JC), Judit Valero Rodriguez (South Florida), and Lucia Fleta Robles (Detroit Mercy). Atkins had an impressive Sophomore campaign in Dodge City, Kansas where she scored 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists a game and could make an impact her first season at FIU.
Louisiana Tech
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/16 @ Stephen F. Austin
12/1 @ Baylor
12/15 @ TCU
Last Year: 14-19 (7-9), 4th
Offense: 62.4 ppg (7th)
Defense: 62.6 ppg (3rd)
Returning:
34% minutes played, 32% points scored
Louisiana Tech is a young team in ‘24-’25 with only 4 players on their final season of eligibility and 7 Freshmen. How does that discrepancy benefit Head Coach Brooke Stoehr? The obvious answer is it sets them up for the future. Robyn Lee (8.5 ppg, on 44% shooting) and All-Freshman selection Jianna Morris (7 ppg, 3.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists) are the only returning starters, there is plenty of opportunities for the youth of the team to receive quality minutes.
Along with the rest of the CUSA needing length to compete at the top, Stoehr made it a point on her recruiting campaign to address this point. Of the 7 incoming Freshman, 6 are over 6-feet tall. International signees Isla Airey (6’4” from Australia) and Adna Halilbasic (6’2” from Germany) are a couple of noteworthy names. Mackenzie Wurm played in 30 games last year and will experience an increase in time with the departure of team-leading scorer, CUSA first-teamer Anna Lar Roberson.
Incoming Freshman Taylor Rietveld had an impressive high school most notably averaging a double-double her senior season of 14 points, 10 rebounds per game. The lone signee with college basketball experience comes from DII Kentucky State, Sydney Thomas. The Graduate Guard is a deep threat with a 40% three point shooting percentage.
Jacksonville State
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/4 @ Arizona State
11/20 vs. UAB
12/1 @ Missouri
12/11 vs. Charleston
Last Year: 12-17 (7-9), 5th
Offense: 59.0 ppg (9th)
Defense: 63.1 ppg (4th)
Returning:
55% minutes played, 54% points scored
There isn’t a team in CUSA that needs more help on the offensive end than Jacksonville State. Rick Pietri enters his 12th season in Jacksonville and made an effort this offseason to improve his team's glaring weakness in ‘24. All things considered, the Gamecocks had one of the better defenses in CUSA allowing just over 63 points per game. With three returning starters, hopefully the transfer portal pickups can “pick up” the scoring.
Senior Forward Bre’Anna Rhodes is the leading returning scorer for the Gamecocks averaging 8 points a contest in ‘24. Rhodes should see her scoring increase with the departure of Kristol Ayson in the transfer portal (Tulsa). Their third leading scorer Keiara Griffin transferred to CUSA-newcomer Kennesaw State to add insult to injury. Senior Forward Mya Barnes should enter the starting rotation after coming off the bench last season averaging 6.7 ppg.
The single biggest impact signing for a single team in CUSA could be Maria Sanchez Ponce from NAIA, nationally ranked Reinhardt University. The 5’10” Junior Forward scored 16 ppg on 57% shooting and 41% from deep. Adding nearly 8 rebounds a night, Sanchez Ponce could be a catalyst for Pietri and the Gamecocks.
UTEP
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/16 vs. UTSA
11/26 @ Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
12/5 vs. BYU
12/8 @ Portland
12/16 @ Colorado State
Last Year: 12-19 (6-10), 8th
Offense: 67.0 ppg (3rd)
Defense: 71.5 ppg (8th)
Returning:
33% minutes played, 25% points scored
UTEP does not return many from their 6-11, 8th place team from ‘23-’24, which means there's room for improvement. Losing 16.5 ppg, 9.5 rebounds per game, first-teamer Jane Asinde will be a tough replacement for any program. Fortunately, Head Coach Keitha Adams gives her program plenty of opportunities up and down her bench with nine signees (5 High School, 4 Transfer Portal).
In regards to returning productions, the Miners return two starting Guards in Ivane Tensaie and Delma Zita. Collectively the pair scored 10 points a night, so where can the Miners expect offense to come from? Three junior college transferred that averaged double-digits may be the balanced attack Coach Adams is needing. Heaven Samayoa-Mathis scored 12 ppg at Salt Lake CC, Abby Priscilla scored 11.4 ppg and 7.9 rebounds per game at Grayson CC, and Ndack Mbengue averaged 12.5 points, and 10.4 rebounds at Cowley College.
Another intriguing addition from Lamar is Portia Adams. The 5’6” Redshirt-Junior Guard did not play last season for Southland Conference’s Lamar, but did average 13.4 points her Sophomore season.
Another question the Miners need to answer – how does this team address the defensive struggles? The Miners allowed 71.5 points per game in ‘24 on 43% shooting and a league-worst 34.6% 3-point shooting. This signing class has greater scoring prowess than previous years, but if the defense doesn’t improve it will be another year in the bottom half for UTEP.
Kennesaw State
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/14 @ Belmont
12/1 @ Clemson
12/8 @ Chattanooga
Last Year: 11-19 (7-9 in A-Sun), 8th
Offense: 58.9 ppg (11th in A-Sun)
Defense: 64.2 ppg (6th)
Returning:
74% minutes played, 89% points scored
One of the most experienced teams in CUSA this season returning 89% of their points from ‘23-’24 will need every bit of it to be competitive in their first season since joining the league. With seven Seniors/Graduate players on roster, Head Coach Octavia Blue has the pieces to do just that. Prencis Harden is a name to remember. She earned Atlantic Sun second-team honors after averaging 14.1 ppg and 7.8 rebounds per game last year. Returning Graduate Point Guard Carly Hooks for her fifth season makes Harden and Hooks a lethal 1-2 scoring punch. However, the Owls need production outside of Harden and Hooks. As a program the two guards contributed half of their points in ‘24.
Another familiar inter-CUSA transfer is Keiara Griffin signing from rival school Jacksonville State. Griffin enters her fifth season after averaging 6.6 ppg and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Gamecocks. Coach Blue hit the portal hard to find Harden and Hooks some other scoring options and did well signing Pensacola State CC’s Gabriela Bendeck-Giron who scored 14.4 ppg on 33% shooting from deep. Junior Forward Claire Davis averaged nearly 10 points a game at Division II Palm Beach Atlantic last season.
The lone Freshman on roster is 6’6” Mame Kane from Senegal. Kane’s length already puts her atop the conference as one of the tallest players, but how quickly she can transition to the American college style after playing for the U18 Senegal National Team will remain to be seen. If it transitions well, the Owls could be one of the better defensive teams in CUSA after allowing only 64 points per game in the A-Sun last year.
Sam Houston State
Noteworthy Non-Conference Schedule:
11/11 @ Kansas
11/17 @ Rice
12/7 @ UTSA
Last Year: 7-22 (2-14), 9th
Offense: 66.2 ppg (4th)
Defense: 72.3 ppg (9th)
Returning:
16% minutes played, 19% points scored
The Lady Kats need some signs of optimism after just a league-low 2 win season. Head Coach Ravon Justice has shown she can turn a program around like she did her first season in Huntsville in ‘18-’19. Justice went from 1 win in Southland play to 11 in ‘19, she followed that up with 14 wins in ‘20. However, the Kats have taken a dive since joining CUSA last year.
Sam Houston signed nine players this offseason (1 High School, 8 Transfer Portal) and can only hope the roster turnover sparks a turnaround. Luckily their leading scorer Sydnee Kemp returns after averaging 11.5 points last season. The Lady Kats have a plethora of D1 experience joining their roster with Annika Corcoran (Detroit Mercy), Deborah Ogayemi (UTRGV), Kyleigh McGuire (UTSA), Esther Rodeller (Siena), and Whitney Dunn (Alabama State).
Their Junior College signees give the offense some hope with a trio of double digit scorers. Most notably Alysia Ward-Strong averaged 8.1 points, and 7.7 rebounds for NJCAA National Runner-Up McClennan JC. Junior Forward Nyla Inmon received Conference Defensive Player of the Year at Kilgore College (JC) while averaging 11.6 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Fanta Kone averaged a double-double (11 points, 10 rebounds) at Tyler JC while only standing at 5’7”.