GAME STORYLINES
The Wayne State University women's basketball team will begin the 2025-26 season at the DII CCA Tip-Off Classic, hosted by Texas Woman's University.  The Green and Gold will compete in a pair of games, beginning with the tournament's host, TWU, on Friday, November 7, followed by a contest against the University of Alabama-Huntsville on Saturday, November 8.  

The November 7 competition is the earliest game that counts against the team's record in the program's history. 

SEASON OUTLOOK
The Wayne State University women's basketball team hopes to continue the on-court success its had over the last six years during the 2025-26 campaign.  WSU compiled a 20-12 record a season ago, with seven of those setbacks coming against teams that made the NCAA Tournament, including four against the 2025 national champion squad from GVSU.  The Warriors have won 96 contests over the last six seasons.

Wayne State returns three of its top four scorers from a year ago in 5-7 junior guard McKenna Ferguson, 6-0 senior forward Taylor Thompson and senior forward Gabi Lutchka.  That trio combined for 1,025 points last season with Ferguson (11.5), Thompson (11.2) and Lutchka (9.3) all averaging over nine points per game.  Thompson was voted Preseason Second Team All-GLIAC. 

Shea Tripp, who was an All-Region selection and the 2025 John Wooden Citizenship Cup recipient for her community service work, graduated after scoring over 14 points per game, and playing nearly 31 minutes per contest.  Classmate Alyssa Leister tallied 215 points, 77 assists and 33 steals in her senior campaign, while both Ally Shagena and ZaMaria Polk contributed off the bench.

Senior forward Mackenzie Miller led last season's squad in field goal percentage (.535 / 38-of-71), while Lutchka (55 triples), Ferguson (44 triples) and 5-11 junior guard Annabel Ayrault are the top returnees from three-point range.  Thompson (8.0 RPG), Lutchka (5.0 RPG) and Ferguson (3.2 RPG) are the top returning rebounders.  Ferguson is also the top returnee in terms of assists (78) and steals (52).

Other key contributors back in the fold include 5-10 redshirt junior guard Ashley Bower, 5-10 redshirt sophomore forward Lexi Boyke, 6-0 junior guard Emily Homan, 5-7 sophomore guard Koko Sylvester, and 5-11 senior guard Jaci Tubergen.

Joining the Warriors this fall are 5-8 freshman guard DeMaya Asberry, 5-10 freshman guard Maddy Benard, 6-1 center Nour Beydoun, 5-11 graduate student guard Karrington Gordon, and 6-2 center AJ Rickli.

For the first time in program history, Wayne State will play a countable game on or before November 7th as the Warriors will compete in the DII CCA Tip-Off Classic hosted by Texas Woman's University.  WSU will face the host Pioneers on the opening day before battling the University of Alabama-Huntsville Chargers the following afternoon.  It will be WSU's first women's basketball game ever against both TWU and UAH.

The following weekend Wayne State will play a pair of road games against in-region foes Malone (Nov. 14) and Ashland (Nov. 15).  On Nov. 19, WSU hosts Hillsdale for its lone home game prior to Thanksgiving, before visiting Northwood on Nov. 26.  The league schedule commences in early December as the Warriors visit Purdue Northwest (Dec. 2), prior to hosting Ferris State on Dec. 6.  The 2025 portion of the schedule concludes with games at Tiffin (Dec. 9) and Toledo (Dec. 17 - exhibition for WSU), and a home contest vs. Findlay (Dec. 20).

The entire January and February slate will be GLIAC games starting with a road trip to Saginaw Valley State (Jan. 2) and Lake Superior State (Jan. 4).  The regular season concludes with the LSSU Lakers and the Cardinals traveling to the WSU Fieldhouse.  The GLIAC Tournament will take place March 4-7-8.

SERIES HISTORY
WSU will compete against TWU and UAH for the first time in program history.  

SCOUTING THE PIONEERS
Texas Woman's collected a 33-2 ledger during the 2024-25 campaign, advancing to the South Central Regional Championship game, falling 62-54 to Lubbock Christian.  Averee Kleinhans returns for her senior campaign after being named the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Sixth Woman of the Year and Third Team All-LSC a year ago, averaging 9.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game.  In addition, Gabby Elliott is back for TWU after scoring 5.0 points per game to go along with 4.1 boards.

Beth Jillson enters her 19th season with TWU, tallying a 305-210 ledger that includes 13 LSC Conference Tournament appearances, six South Central Regional appearances, and a National Runner-Up finish during the 2023-24 season.

SCOUTING THE CHARGERS
UAH tallied a 25-7 record last season, advancing to the South Regional Tournament before being bested 80-73 by No. 18-ranked Nova Southeastern.  D2CCA All-American Lili Wilken will begin her senior campaign for UAH after scoring 18.0 pointer per game while nabbing 6.5 rebounds and dishing out 3.2 assists per contest.

Allen Sharpe will begin his second year at the helm for the Chargers, leading the squad to a 25-7 record, which is the highest number of wins in the program's history, along with its fourth NCAA Tournament berth.

GLIAC PRESEASON POLL
1.   Grand Valley State - 100 (10)
2.   Northern Michigan - 87
3.   Ferris State - 84 (1)
4.   Parkside - 72
5.   Wayne State - 66
6.   Michigan Tech - 48
7.   Saginaw Valley State - 46
8.   Roosevelt - 43
9.   Davenport - 25
10. Lake Superior State - 21
11. Purdue Northwest - 13

LAST GAME RECAP
The Green and Gold fell 87-54 to No. 2-ranked and eventual National Champion Grand Valley State in the NCAA Tournament Round of 32.

GVSU tallied eight of the first 10 points to open the game before WSU secured five of the ensuing eight, bringing the Warriors within four points (11-7) with 7:22 remaining in the first frame.  The Lakers closed the opening stanza on a 13-8 scoring run to push the lead to nine (24-15) after 10 minutes of action.

Grand Valley State scored eight unanswered points to begin the second quarter before an Annabel Ayrault lay-in and a Taylor Thompson (Grand Blanc, Mich.) free throw put Wayne State back in the scoring column, now trailing 32-18.

The third stanza began in a similar fashion as the first and second, with the Lakers going on 9-2 surge, before a pair of Wayne State triples sandwiched between a GVSU lay-up made the score 57-29 with just over five minutes to play in the third period.  A 9-7 run in favor of the Lakers ended the third period as the Warriors trailed 66-33 with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

GVSU scored early in the fourth quarter before both teams once more went cold, as the next bucket did not come until the 7:33 mark when Mackenzie Miller found the bottom of the net.  The Lakers responded with a long-range jumper on their ensuing offensive possession, extending the gap to 36 points (71-35) with just over seven minutes left.  WSU out-paced Grand Valley State 19-16 for the remainder of the game.

FOLLOW THE WARRIORS
All Wayne State home contests and road GLIAC games will be televised on FloSports (flohoops.com).  

For road GLIAC contests, Wayne State men's basketball play-by-play voice Kevin Brechmacher will provide audio for free through the Warrior Sports Network.  Click the audio button on the WSU women's basketball schedule page on wsuathletics.com.