WBB: More realignment news, a mailbag and more
WBB: More realignment news, a mailbag and more
Entries into the transfer portal have closed and signings have slowed for a bit with a recruiting shutdown but there's still plenty to discuss.
Just like you, I thought the middle of May was a dead spot in college basketball’s news cycle.
Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong. We touch on the latest realignment news and what it means for women’s basketball along with answering your questions in this week’s WAC Hoops Nation newsletter.
Lopes, Redhawks, and Ladyjacks announce departures:
On May 10 it was announced that GCU and Seattle will depart the WAC for the WCC in 2025. They will also have to pay an unknown exit fee.
Meanwhile, just after the Memorial Day weekend, Stephen F. Austin announced their departure for the Southland Conference effective July 1, 2024. SFA, like UTRGV, will have to pay a nearly $2 million exit fee for giving less than a year’s notice prior to departing.
SFA and GCU no doubt will be the bigger losses for the WAC.
Under Molly Miller, the Lopes have reached a pair of tournament finals with another pair of semifinals. The Lopes have been ranked in College Insider’s Top-25 mid-major poll for much of these last two years and this past year finished 93rd in the NET. After a fourth place finish in the regular season standings in 2022-23 they moved up two spots, and finished two games behind CBU in second place.
Last year the Ladyjacks were tournament runners-up in Leonard Bishop’s first season at the helm after Mark Kellogg’s departure for West Virginia. Before that SFA was 32-4 in their previous two seasons of WAC regular season action, winning regular season and tournament titles in ‘21-’22. They were 147th in the final NET rankings from last year.
Although it has been a struggle for Seattle the last few years, they are not that far removed from being a women’s basketball power.
The Redhawks finished third in regular season play during the 2017-18 campaign and won a WAC tournament title, earning an NCAA tournament game against Oregon.
Since that point it has just been a struggle, with the Redhawks posting a combined mark of 50-123 overall record, 32-69 in WAC play. They have also qualified for the WAC tournament in four of the last six years.
Seattle was 313th in the NET last year.
There are currently six WAC women’s basketball programs in the Top-250 in NET rankings. Last year, the WAC finished 21st out of 32 (14th among mid-majors) conferences nationally in conference NET according to warrenolan.com.
San Antonio competes in exhibition against WNBA champs:
Last Friday, GCU’s Trinity San Antonio played in an exhibition game for the Puerto Rican National Team against the defending WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces.
In just over 15 minutes of game time, San Antonio went 4-5 from the field for 10 points to lead Puerto Rico in a 102-50 loss at Colonial Life Arena, home of defending NCAA champion South Carolina.
Brown returns to GCU for one last ride:
After a second place finish in 2023-24, and a loss in the WAC tournament semifinal, GCU was looking at returning only one returning starter in Trinity San Antonio.
On Friday, May 17, it was announced that Tiarra Brown is coming back for one last go around, giving a Lopes side looking to leave the WAC with a bang another proven player going into next season.
Brown is coming up on 1,200 career points with 201 career steals and just shy of 600 career rebounds in a GCU uniform.
Olson promotes Chambers to Associate Head Coach:
On May 29, it was announced that CBU women’s basketball head coach Jarrod Olson promoted Brittany Chambers to Associate Head Coach.
Chambers fills the position vacated when Angie Ned left for the head coaching position at Cal State Northridge.
As a player Chambers was part of the 2015 Division 2 national runner-up team. She joined the Olson staff in 2017.
Mailbag:
Here are the WAC/CUSA scheduling initiative matchups for this year (excluding SFA’s scheduled two games)…
Saturday, November 9:
Grand Canyon at Middle Tennessee
California Baptist University at Liberty
UT Arlington at Louisiana Tech
Abilene Christian at FIU
Utah Tech at New Mexico State
Tarleton State at UTEP
Southern Utah at Jacksonville State
Utah Valley at Kennesaw State
Seattle at Sam Houston
Monday, December 16:
Liberty at Grand Canyon
Middle Tennessee at California Baptist
Western Kentucky at Abilene Christian
FIU at UT Arlington
UTEP at Utah Tech
New Mexico State at Tarleton State
Sam Houston State at Southern Utah
Jacksonville State at Utah Valley
Kennesaw State at Seattle
CUSA schools will host games on November 9 while WAC schools host games on December 16.
All currently active members of the WAC will play two games in this initiative, one home and one away.
Last year, everybody except Tarleton and Seattle participated in this initiative with CUSA.
At this point there is still a lot unknown with a lot of teams. I will say that this portal class, based on what has been announced, is one of the more impressive across the conference.
UT Arlington has positioned themselves to challenge CBU with their additions in the portal, and I expect them to be one and two come preseason poll time in October.
While I like what GCU has added thus far, I need to see how the group of Asha Sra, Kristyna Jesekova, Callie Cooper, and Anna Ostile have progressed this offseason before I’ll call the Lopes contenders. Losing Olivia Lane, Naudia Evans, Sydney Palma, the Erikstrup twins, Shay Fano and Jada Holland is a lot to replace.
ACU’s additions are solid but I feel like the Wildcats will need a little more to keep up with those top three.
Portal Corner:
A few former WAC women’s basketball players announced their new destinations last week.
*Kenadi Rising is going from ACU to Emporia State
*Malgorzata Byczkowska is moving from Tarleton to Missouri Western
*Asta Blauenfeldt is going from Seattle to Maine
There were also a few signings of incoming players announced that have not been previously reported.
On Sunday, GCU announced the signing of Bridget Mullings, a 6-3 junior forward from Utah State. Last year she appeared in 27 games/12 starts, 10.8 Minutes Per Game and shot 48%. 3.9 PPG & 3.3 RPG.
Also at the end of April, CBU announced the signing of Emma Johansson, a 6-3 junior forward from South Florida. She entered 21 games last year with four starts and shot 43 percent from the field while averaging 10 minutes of playing time per night.
Utah Tech announced the signings of Brie Crittendon and Chardonay Hartley. Crittendon appeared in 33 games last year at Eastern Kentucky (making 16 starts) and in 18.8 minutes per game averaged 5.9 points a contest, shooting 33 percent from the field. Hartley is a transfer from Niagra who appeared in 34 games (starting 17) and in 26.0 minutes per game averaged 8.5 points a contest while recording a team leading 110 assists.