2025-26 Patriot League preview

Three new coaches join the mix, and one could make their debut with a championship season as the Black Knights aim for a return to the final after falling to Lehigh this spring.

Navy and Army are each primed for a championship run, picked to finish first and second, respectively, atop the league. The last time the service academies finished the season 1-2 in the league was in 2013-14. Although each squad returns experienced line-ups and depth, both have some early-season questions.

Navy returns Patriot League Women’s Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year in guard Zanai Barnett-Gay. The dynamic junior playmaker placed second in the conference in scoring last season at 19 points per game. 

The Mids will have an experienced rotation but will be missing point guard Kyah Smith. The junior transferred to William and Mary in the off-season. Can Navy put its talented pieces together and bring the trophy back to Annapolis?

Army, on the other hand, brings back four starters from a team that reached the league final a year ago. Senior guard Reese Ericson will lead a veteran Black Knights team under the direction of first-year head coach Katie Kuester.

Loyola finished third in the preseason voting but received the most first-place votes. Picked to win it all in 2024-25, last year’s championship optimism faded early with injuries to two key starters in Lex Therien and Kimmie Hicks. This season, forwards Therien and Koi Simms return for a graduate year and a healthy Greyhounds team will be looking to run it back in Baltimore.

Senior forward Lily Fandre will aim to keep Lehigh in the title mix with new faces expected to fill in key roles. The defending champions graduated four starters. Can head coach Addie Micir keep the momentum going?

Can Bucknell bounce back after losing junior forward Ashley Sofilkanich — last season’s Player of the Year — to the University of Michigan via the transfer portal?

Let’s break down each team, followed by the league’s preseason poll. Here are the details in alphabetical order. You can read about every team or skip to your favorite using these links:

American | Army | Boston University | Bucknell | Colgate | Holy Cross | Lafayette | Lehigh | Loyola | Navy

AMERICAN UNIVERSITY EAGLES
2024-25 record: 1-29

Conference record: 1-17 (No. 10 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Kelly Killion, Year 1

Record at American: 0-0

Career NCAA record: 0-0

Kelly Killion was named the 15^th coach in Eagles’ history in April after spending 11 seasons on the bench as an assistant coach, then associate head coach, over two tenures at the University of Pennsylvania.

Killion previously served as an assistant coach at Sacred Heart (one season) and William & Mary (three seasons).

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)

G – Anna Rescifina, 6’0, SR: 4.9 PPG, 0.8 RPG, 0.5 APG, 32.4% FG, 22.2 MPG, 30 GP, 25 starts

G – Laura Nogues, 5’7, SR: 7.3 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 2.7 APG, 35.7% FG, 26.1 MPG, 29 GP, 26 starts

G – Molly Driscoll, 5’8, SO: 5.8 PPG, 1.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, 35.3% FG, 16.2 MPG, 30 GP, 4 starts

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
F – Cecilia Kay, 6’2, SO: 11.5 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 41.3% FG, 43 blocks, 33.2 MPG, 30 GP, 30 starts, Patriot League All-Rookie Team (transfer to Saint Joseph’s University)

G – Ivy Bales, 5’10, GR: 5.4 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 38.1% FG, 25.6 MPG, 30 GP, 24 starts (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
G – Andrea Jude, 5’9, (Dublin, Ireland), FR

G – Kayla Greyvensteyn, 5’9, (Parkland, FL), FR

F – Charlotte Tuhy, 6’1 (Madison, NJ) FR

G – Vienn Sheng, 5’6 (Palo Alto, CA) FR

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OUTLOOK: The Eagles are in full rebuild mode. Following a difficult 1-29 season, American moved on from head coach Tiffany Coll whose three seasons produced a 20-71 mark. 

New head coach Kelly Killion comes over from an assistant role at the University of Pennsylvania and inherits a program in need of revitalization.  

American’s top scorer and rebounder, freshman forward Cecilia Kay, transferred to Saint Joseph’s University. Kay’s departure leaves the roster without an established go-to scorer and steady post presence.

Killion will need senior guards Laura Nogues (7.3 ppg) and Anna Rescifina to help re-set a team culture that struggled with consistency and competitive work ethic a year ago. 

American was last in the league on both offense and defense last season. The Eagles scored 54 points per game and gave up 72.5. The team’s effective field goal percentage (field goal percentage taking into account the additional point from threes) was at the bottom of the league at 39.9%.

The good news? The Eagles’ non-conference schedule should provide some opportunities to build confidence and buy-in for a new staff and team looking for a different direction. 

Killion steps into a storied program with a high ceiling and work to do. So, what to watch this season? The coaching, of course. The manner in which Killion approaches the program’s recruiting and culture rebuild is the focus this season and should provide some optimism for Eagle followers.

Fans will need to stay patient. There are no easy answers in D.C. 

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Killion inspires a culture change that leads to a more competitive Eagles team. American earns enough conference wins to avoid a last-place finish.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: The Eagles land in the No. 10 seed for the second consecutive season. 

ARMY BLACK KNIGHTS

2024-25 record: 25-8 

Conference record: 14-4 (No. 2 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Katie Kuester, Year 1

Record at Army: 0-0

Career NCAA record: 0-0

Katie Kuester was named the 10^th coach in Army history in May after spending 10 seasons on the bench as an assistant coach at Saint Joseph’s University.

Kuester also served on the staffs at Loyola (Md.), Lehigh, and the University of North Carolina.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
G – Reese Ericson, 5’6, SR: 10.4 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.3 APG, 36.6% FG, 36.2% 3PT FG, 31.7 MPG, 32 GP, 32 starts, Second-Team All-Patriot League Team

G – Fiona Hastick, 5’11, JR: 10.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 35.5% FG, team-high 22 blocks, 32.3 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts, Third-Team All-Patriot League Team

F – Kya Smith, 6’1, JR: 7.7 PPG, 7.4 RPG, 44.3% FG, team-high 94 offensive rebounds, 26.4 MPG, 31 GP, 30 starts

G – Camryn Tade, 5’9, JR: 8.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 46.3% FG, 38.5% 3PT FG, 48 steals, 32.5 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
G – Trinity Hardy, 5’8, SR: 13.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 41.9% FG, team-high 67 steals, 32.8 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts, First-Team All-Patriot League Team, Patriot League All-Defensive Team (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
F – Reganne Reardon, 6’1, (Chicago, IL), FR

G – Kelly Cramer, 5’8, (Ponte Vedra, FL), FR

F – Jane Preston, 6’2, (Berwyn, PA), FR

G – Landry Sherrer 5’8, (Coppell, TX), FR

OUTLOOK: The Black Knights have a new coach, a veteran roster and high expectations.

Last season Army fell to Lehigh, 74-62, in the championship final and ended its campaign in the second round of the WNIT. 

The off-season was a bit unusual for a team coming off a 25-8 year.

In May, Army announced it was parting ways with its head coach, Missy Traversi, after four seasons. She finished her tenure with a 66-55 record. 

Enter Katie Kuester, a veteran assistant coach who lands in West Point after 10 seasons on the bench with Saint Joseph’s University. 

The new mentor inherits four returners who each started 30 games or more. Led by point guard Reese Ericson, Army brings back the bulk of its offense and a physical defense that held teams to a league-best 56.6 points per game. 

The Black Knights will need to replace a dynamic two-way playmaker in Trinity Hardy, the team’s leading scorer (13.4 ppg) and its best defender (second in the league with 67 steals), who graduated.

Junior wing Fiona Hastick (10.9 ppg), a Third-Team All-Patriot League team selection, returns along with Camryn Tade (8.3 ppg) and forward Kya Smith (7.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg) to anchor a deep and athletic rotation.

Could a talented Navy team — and preseason number one — stand in Army’s way? The Black Knights hold a seven-game winning streak versus the Mids.

Expect a new culture and a championship run.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: The Black Knights embrace their new coach and a change in the X’s and O’s brings more shooting efficiency to the offensive end of the floor. The squad earns the top seed for the playoffs and hosts Navy for the trophy at West Point.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Army takes a step back on defense without its stopper in Hardy and has difficulty shutting down the best guards in the league in the playoffs. The team falls short of a return to the final.

BOSTON UNIVERSITY TERRIERS

2024-25 record: 12-19

Conference record: 5-13 (No. 8 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Melissa Graves, Year 5

Record at Boston University: 73-54

Career NCAA record: 73-54

Graves enters her fifth season as head coach. Her presence on the bench marks a second appearance in the Patriot League. She spent two seasons (2013-15) as an assistant coach at Colgate. The Raiders went 8-22 and 9-22 in those two campaigns.

She played four years at Notre Dame under Hall of Fame coach — and former Lehigh mentor — Muffet McGraw.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)

G – Aoibhe Gormley, 5’8, JR: 5.6 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 3.2 APG, 42.1% FG, 48 steals, 27.8 MPG, 29 GP, 27 starts

F – Anastasiia Semenova, 6’2, SR: [Injured, DNP in 2024-2025. 2023-2024 statistics listed] 8.0 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 45.7% FG, 26.5 MPG, 28 GP, 18 starts

G – Audrey Ericksen, 6’0, JR: 5.7 PPG, 3.1 RPG, 1.2 APG, 39.7% FG, 26.0 MPG, 31 GP, 30 starts

F – Allison Schwertner, 6’3, SO: 8.2 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.1 APG, 46.4% FG, 23.8 MPG, 31GP, 31 starts, Patriot League All-Rookie Team

F – Sisi Bentley, 6’0, JR: 5.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 48.1% FG, 22.2 MPG, 26 GP, 19 starts

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
G – Alex Giannaros, 5’5, SR: 13.1 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 36.6% 3PT FG, team-high 71 3PT FGs made, 32.8 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts, Second-Team All-Patriot League Team (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
F – Kate Allard, 6’2, (Bedford, NH), FR

OUTLOOK: The Terriers will look to bounce back after a difficult run through the conference schedule last year. The five wins represented the program’s worst outcome in league play since 2017-18.

Familiar faces bring a different element to this season’s squad. It’s a veteran group. After bringing in seven new players a season ago — and eight in the prior year — BU welcomes just one new player into the mix for the 2025-26 campaign.

6’2 forward Kate Allard joins an already established rotation of bigs for one of the tallest teams in the conference.

The Terriers struggled with ball control last season, committing 20 or more turnovers four times in conference play in 2024-25. They were also last in the conference in turnover percentage — 22.4% of the team’s possessions ended in a turnover — and will need to find an answer in personnel or scheme to address it.

Junior Aoibhe Gormley will be the Terriers’ lead playmaker, ready for a breakout season. She returns after a season-high 94 assists.

Sophomore forward Allison Schwertner had an impressive debut season in Boston, earning Patriot League All-Rookie Team honors after posting 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds per game over 31 starts.

Coach Melissa Graves’ group will need to improve offensively to make a push back into the top half of the league. BU was seventh in scoring at 57.7 per game last season.

Replacing the impact of the squad’s top scorer in Alex Giannaros, will be a top priority. The prolific shooting guard led the team with 71 made threes and 13.1 points per game.

Junior guard Audrey Ericksen will step into a larger perimeter scoring role. The six-footer converted 35 makes from beyond the arc (36-for-103).

If the Terriers can find some consistent scoring, they may be a surprise team down the stretch.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: The Terriers earn a top-four seed and a home game for the quarterfinals. Schwertner anchors a strong inside game, Gormley expertly runs the offense and BU emerges as a surprise contender.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Despite a favorable non-conference schedule, BU struggles to find early wins and consistent scoring, and falls in the first round of playoffs.

BUCKNELL BISON
2024-25 record: 17-14 

Conference record: 11-7 (No. 6 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Trevor Woodruff, year 7

Record at Bucknell: 100-66

Career NCAA record: 372-211 (159-135 at D3 Misericordia Men’s Basketball, 113-10 at D3 University of Scranton Women’s Basketball)

Woodruff was named the league’s Coach of the Year in each of his first two seasons as head coach for the Bison.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
G – Reese Zemitis, 6’0, SO: 9.6 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 40.6% FG, 36.7% 3PT FG, 33.2 MPG, 29 GP, 21 starts, Patriot League All-Rookie Team

F – Tuana Coskun, 6’0 JR: 7.5 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 1.7 APG, 42.1% FG, 44.6% 3PT FG, 28.5 MPG, 31 GP, 30 starts

F – Elana Weisman, 6’2 SO: 3.2 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 2.6 APG, 36.9% FG, 12.2 MPG, 31 GP, 1 start

G – Anna Kunzwiler, 5’9, JR: 2.7 PPG, 2.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 29.3% FG, 19.9 MPG, 24 GP, 8 starts

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
F – Ashley Sofilkanich, 6’3, JR: 19.7 PPG, 8.4 RPG, 3.0 APG, 50.3% FG, team-high 69 blocks, 32.0 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts, Patriot League Player of the Year, First-Team All-Patriot League Team, All-Defensive Team (transfer to Michigan)

G – Isabella King, 6’0, SR: 8.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 2.0 APG, 42.5% FG, 38.7% 3PT FG, 33.4 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts (graduated)

G – Sophia Sabino, 5’9, SR: 7.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.4 APG, 39.6% FG, team-high 34 steals, 30.6 MPG, 30 GP, 29 starts (transfer to University of New Hampshire)

NEWCOMERS:
G – Kaila Richards, 5’6, (Far Rockaway, NY), FR

G – Grace Backus, 5’7, (Ithaca, NY), FR

F – Mariah Hardy, 6’1, (Baltimore, MD) FR

G – Ella Kreuzer, 5’10, (Chatham, NJ) FR

F – Marisa Smith, 6’3, (Johnson City, NY) SO (transfer from Binghamton University)

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OUTLOOK: How will the Bison replace last season’s Player of the Year in Ashley Sofilkanich? The 6’3 junior forward was the team’s leading scorer and a defensive presence in the paint. She transferred to the University of Michigan in the off-season.

The loss of point guard Sophia Sabino will be equally impactful. Her steady shooting (39.6% FG) and presence as director of the offense and its tempo will be missed.

While Sabino was a strong defender (team-high 34 steals) and Sofilkanich an elite rim protector in the conference (league-high 69 blocks, All-Defensive Team), it’s their roles on offense that leave the biggest shoes to fill.

The absence of Sofilkanich (19.7 ppg, 94 assists) and Sabino (101 assists) opens up key roles on offense for a young squad.

Who will play point guard for the Bison offense?

Look for veteran play from Anna Kunzwiler or Hope Masonius (injured last season), but freshman Kaila Richards may make the leap into the lineup in that role. Richards is a lefty guard whose attacking style will bring a different element to the Bison offense.

Bison ball is controlling tempo and offensive efficiency. The squad’s pace was last in the league at 62.8 possessions per game. 

In Lewisburg, it’s about pace, execution and shot selection. Can a freshman take over and succeed in running the offense?

Sofilkanich’s departure leaves a void in the post. While the team’s percentage of points in the paint (43.9%) was middle of the pack in league play, it was the presence of Sofilkanich and her gravity that helped open up shots on the perimeter.

Can the Bison still get those open catch-and-shoot threes? Bucknell was tops in the league for three-point shooting at 35.3% and posted a 48.3% effective field goal percentage (the team’s field goal percentage taking in account the additional point from threes), good for second in the conference. 

As for the forwards, look for Elana Weisman to play a larger role in the paint this season. She played in 31 games and averaged 17.1 minutes over the last six games of the season, including playoffs.

Junior Tuana Coskun may also see an expanded role at forward. The Turkey native made 30 starts last season (7.5 ppg, 3.9 rpg). Both Coskun (44.6% FG 3PT) and Weisman (30.0% FG 3PT) are capable of stretching the floor from the forward spot.

Bucknell fans can expect an impact season from wing Reese Zemitis. The sophomore was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team after posting 9.6 points per game in her debut season.

A new face to keep your eye on is freshman Ella Kreuzer. The 5’10 guard brings perimeter shooting to a young team in need of confident scorers.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Bucknell takes advantage of the league’s parity and its youthful roster grabs enough wins to finish in the top four. The Bison emerge as a surprise contender.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Youthful mistakes and changing lineup combinations slow the Bison’s development. The team falls into the last four spots and the first round of the playoffs.

COLGATE RAIDERS

2024-25 record: 23-10

Conference record: 13-5 (No. 3 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Shannon Bush, Year 1

Record at Colgate: 0-0 

Career NCAA record: 0-0 

Bush begins her first season on the bench for the Raiders. She comes to Colgate after serving last season as associate head coach at Cornell. Bush previously served on staff at Fresno State, Siena, Vermont and Sacred Heart.
 
Bush played four years for Holy Cross, graduating in 2006.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
G – Madison Schiller, 5’8, SR: 7.7 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.0 APG, 43.8% FG, 32.7% 3PT FG, 30 steals, 31.3 MPG, 26 GP, 26 starts

G – Anne Bair, 5’8, SR: 12.4 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 3.5 APG, 40.8% FG, 37.1% 3PT FG, team-high 54 steals, 33.6 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts, Third-Team All-Patriot League Team

F – Christina Midgette, 6’0, SR: 5.2 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 52.1% FG, 22.2 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts (graduated)

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)

G – Taylor Golembiewski, 5’8, SR: 14.0 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.6 APG, 45.2% FG, 47 steals, 25.6 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts, First-Team All-Patriot League Team (graduated)

F – Sophia Diehl, 6’1, SR: 9.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.4 APG, 44.7% FG, 28.9 MPG, 33 GP, 33 starts (graduated)

G – Morgan McMahon, 5’10, SR: 10.9 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 45.6% FG, 41.1% 3PT FG, 80.9% FT, 22.7 MPG, 32 GP, 7 starts, Third-Team All-Patriot League Team (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
G – Kennedy Parrott, 5’9, (Centreville, VA), FR

G – Ellie Cronin, 6’1, (Raleigh, NC) FR

F – Karena Eberts, 6’1, (Orinda, CA) SO (transfer from UC Santa Barbara)

OUTLOOK: The Raiders return senior guards Madison Schiller and Anne Bair, a third-team All-Patriot League selection last year. Can they lead a retooled rotation under new coach Shannon Bush to a top-four finish?

Former head coach Ganiyat Adeduntan left for the top spot at George Washington University after four seasons for the Raiders, posting a record of 65-61 at the helm.

Adeduntan, who signed a contract extension through 2029 to stay in Hamilton, returns to the Revolutionaries after serving as an assistant there under former coach Jen Rizzotti.

Three players with starting experience return, but Bush inherits a roster with some holes to fill. The three departing seniors combined for 33.9 points per game for an offense that put up 68.1 points an outing. 

Last year’s veteran rotation produced one of the most efficient offenses in the league and earned an offensive rating (points scored per 100 possessions) that was tops in the Patriot League.

The Raiders were also number one in assist-to-turnover ratio, led by a league-best 3.0/1.0 from Schiller.

Can Bair and Schiller carry the bulk of the offense?

Senior forward Christina Midgette returns after a strong junior campaign, starting all 33 games and shooting an efficient 52.1% from the floor.

Midgette’s veteran presence will help (45 career starts), but developing depth will be key for the Raiders and fans can expect to see some new faces in the rotation under Bush.

The parity throughout the league will give the Raiders an opportunity to finish in the top half of the league for the fourth consecutive season.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Senior guards Bair and Schiller lead Colgate to a top-four finish and a home game at Cotterell Court for the quarterfinals. 

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Colgate struggles to find a consistent rotation and an undersized roster can’t challenge the top half of the league. They land in a first-round playoff matchup.

HOLY CROSS CRUSADERS
2024-25 record: 19-12

Conference record: 11-7 (No. 5 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Candice Green, year 2

Record at Holy Cross: 19-12

Career NCAA record: 38-25 (interim head coach for Fordham University in 2022-23)

Green enters her second season as head coach with the Crusaders. Green served as interim head coach when Maureen Magarity stepped down in August 2024. She was named permanently to the role in February.

Prior to joining Holy Cross as an assistant in 2023, the Colgate graduate spent the previous four years as an assistant coach at Fordham, including a season as interim head coach in 2022-23. Green led the Rams to a 19-13 record and an appearance in the WNIT.

Green spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Colgate. As a player, she was a two-time captain for the Raiders.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)

G-Kaitlyn Flanagan, 5’8, SR: 9.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 5.2 APG, 38.2% FG, led team in assists (160), 32.4 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts, Second-Team All-Patriot League Team

G-Simone Foreman, 5’9, SR: 13.9 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 1.0 APG, 41.4% FG, 28.0 MPG, 22 GP, 14 starts

F-Meg Cahalan, 6’2, SR: 10.5 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 1.0 APG, 42.3% FG, 26.7 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts

G-Kendall Eddy, 5’7, JR: 7.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.7 APG, 35.1% FG, 24.3 MPG, 30 GP, 8 starts

G-Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly, 5’11, SR: 6.7 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 39.8% FG, 29.1 MPG, 31 GP, 29 starts

BIGGEST LOSSES (last season’s stats)
F-Lindsay Berger, 6’2, SR: 12.4 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 53.5% FG, 74.6% FT, 28.2 MPG, 29 GP, 29 starts, Second-Team All-Patriot League Team, Patriot League All-Defensive Team (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
G-Kimora Berry, 5’8, (Buffalo, NY) FR

G-Brianna McDermott, 5’6, (Yonkers, NY) FR 

G-Asia Wilson, 5’5, (Rochester, NY) FR

F-Mackenzie Teevan 6’4, (Holmdel, NJ) FR

G-Megan Roche, 5’6, (Millis, MA) FR

OUTLOOK: Holy Cross earned two first-place votes and a fourth-place projection in the preseason poll. Do they have the pieces for a championship run?

You bet they do.

Holy Cross returns five players with starting experience, including its senior point guard Kaitlyn Flanagan, a Second-Team All-Patriot League selection. She’s started all 98 games in her career and has logged over 30 minutes per game each season.

Flanagan led conference play with 5.6 assists per game last year and finished with a career-high 160 helpers. She’s a consistent performer and steady leader for coach Candice Green.

A pass-first point guard, Flanagan has evolved her game. Last season, she was more aggressive in looking to shoot and score, taking a career-high 268 shots and converting at a 41.4% rate — a career best.

The aggressiveness on the offensive end opened up more opportunities for Flanagan to do what she does best: find teammates for open shots. Expect the evolution of her offense to continue this season.

The Crusaders also return their leading scorer in 5’9 guard Simone Foreman. The dynamic senior is also the team’s leading rebounder (568 career rebounds) and motivator on the defensive end.

A healthy Foreman is a difference-maker in Worcester. She was limited to just 22 games a year ago due to injury, but bounced back to play a career high 28 minutes per game.

Seniors Meg Cahalan and Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly join junior playmaker Kendall Eddy with starting experience and lend more balance to the line-up. They’ll need to be more consistent shooters for the Crusaders to finish on top.

The season may turn on how coach Green remedies the absence of forward Lindsay Berger, who graduated. The intangibles Berger brought to the floor made her the most valuable player on the court last season and one of the best forwards in the league. 

The Crusaders’ recent rise back to an elite team in the Patriot over the last four years has centered around its rotation of posts and their presence as an anchor to a stellar defense. 

Is there a forward that will emerge as the paint protector and anchor of the Crusaders’ interior defense?

The veteran group of guards will be fun to watch this season, but who emerges in the frontcourt may determine how far this team can go.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: The Crusaders’ veteran core leads the team back on top to the conference final and Flanagan — and her now three titles — becomes a legend on the Hill.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: The defense can’t consistently stop teams with a strong inside game. Holy Cross finds itself on the wrong end of too many close games and falls into the lower half of the league.

LAFAYETTE LEOPARDS

2024-25 record: 10-21 

Conference record: 6-12 (No. 7 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Kia Damon-Olson, Year 9

Record at Lafayette: 81-142

Career NCAA record: 81-142

Coach Damon-Olson enters her ninth season in Easton. She has 19 years of assistant coaching experience at the D1 level with stops at Wisconsin-Green Bay, Fairleigh Dickinson, UMass, Penn State, and Cincinnati.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
G – Sauda Ntaconayigize, 5’11, SR: 7.6 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 39.3% FG, 42.0% 3PT FG, 30.4 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts

F – Tasha Chudy, 6’2, JR: 5.4 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 41.6% FG, 76.3% FT, 22.2 MPG, 31 GP, 30 starts

G – Teresa Kiewiet, 5’10, JR: 9.3 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 44.2% FG, 41.9% 3PT FG, 26.3 MPG, 31 GP, 20 starts

G – Talia Zurinskas, 5’7, SO: 4.4 PPG, 0.5 RPG, 1.0 APG, 38.6% FG, 41.9% 3PT FG, 15.6 MPG, 30 GP, 0 starts, Patriot League All-Rookie Team

G – Kay Donahue, 5’10, SR: 9.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 1.9 APG, 39.1% FG, 25.7 MPG, 21 GP, 12 starts [Suffered season-ending injury in February]

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
G – Abby Antognoli, 5’7, SR: 12.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 37.4% FG, 33.5% 3PT FG, 38 steals, team-high 61 3PT FGs, 36.1 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts, Third-Team All-Patriot League (graduated)

G – Halee Smith, 5’10, SR: 5.7 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 1.7 APG, 39.6% FG, 30.3% 3PT FG, 27.3 MPG, 30 GP, 30 starts (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
G-Haley Poser, 5’8, (Monmouth Beach, NJ), FR

G-Haylie Adamski, 6’0, (Media, PA), FR

F-Maddison Krug, 6’3, (North Kingstown, RI), FR

G-Emma Heaney, 6’0, (Plainview, NY), FR

F-Sofia Valente, 5’11, (Paramus, NJ), FR

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OUTLOOK: Lafayette lost starting guards Abby Antognoli (12.5 ppg) and Halee Smith (5.7 ppg) to graduation but begins the season with three available players with starting experience.

The Leopards have reason for optimism despite coming off a seventh-place finish. Last year, the squad posted sweeps over BU and Loyola and grabbed a road win over Navy. Lafayette split its last 10 contests, including a playoff win.

To make a step forward this season, they’ll need to improve their offense (56.7 ppg and last in the conference) and take advantage of the league’s parity.

Lafayette’s strength is its backcourt. Guards Sauda Ntaconayigize and Teresa Kiewiet bring a veteran presence to the perimeter. 

Ntaconayigize is coming off her best season and is growing into a consistent scoring threat for the Leopards. The senior had eight double-digit scoring games in league play and posted 17 points versus nationally-ranked Notre Dame during its visit to Easton in November.

Junior Kiewiet emerged as the team’s top scorer down the stretch of last season. She averaged 15.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing over their last 10 contests. She’s ready for a breakout year.

Junior forward Tasha Chudy anchors the inside play. She made 30 starts and added 5.4 points per game.

The challenge ahead is the team’s lack of offensive punch, particularly inside. For the second consecutive season, the Leopards struggled to find favorable post matchups and to challenge opponents down low. Consequently, they failed to get to the free-throw line (ranked 351 out of 353 teams) and were last in the league in paint points per game (20.3 ppg).

A rotation of healthy bigs would help. 6’3 forward Mingaile Urmuleviciute missed last season due to injury. Forward Emma Shields played in 18 games (16.3 mpg) but missed time due to injury as well. 

If freshman post players 6’3 Maddison Krug and 5’11 Sofia Valente can contribute and the upperclassmen return to healthy form, the Leopards could have a post rotation they haven’t had since Naomi Ganpo and Natalie Kucowski called the Kirby Sports Center home.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: The Leopards’ unit of post players develops on both ends of the floor. Kiewiet’s consistency shows she is one of the best guards in the league. Lafayette stays in the fight all year for a top-five finish.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Lafayette struggles on offense and can’t find enough wins to avoid the first round of the playoffs.

LEHIGH MOUNTAIN HAWKS

2024-25 record: 27-7 

Conference record: 15-3 (No. 1 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Addie Micir, Year 4

Record at Lehigh: 61-34

Career NCAA record: 61-34

Micir returns for her fourth season as head coach and seventh overall on the Lehigh bench. She coached five years as an assistant with Dartmouth College, one season at Princeton, and three campaigns with Lehigh before being named head coach in April 2022.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
F – Lily Fandre, 6’1, SR: 9.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 1.3 APG, 44.6% FG, 40.2% 3PT FG, 24.6 MPG, 33 GP, 32 starts

F – Whitney Lind, 6’2, JR: 5.7 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 43.4% FG, 23.3% 3PT FG, 15.7 MPG, 33 GP, 0 starts

G – Gracyn Lovette, 5’10, JR: 4.1 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.3 APG, 41.7% FG, 33.9% 3PT FG, 22.4 MPG, 34 GP, 7 starts

F – Belle Bramer, 6’1, SO: 4.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 49.5% FG, 25.0% 3PT FG, 10.9 MPG, 31 GP, 0 starts, Patriot League All-Rookie Team

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
G – Ella Stemmer, 5’10, SR: 11.2 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 1.1 APG, 37.3% FG, 31.7% 3PT FG (77-for-243) 25.1 MPG, 34 GP, 34 starts, Second-Team All-Patriot League Team (graduated)

G – Maddie Albrecht, 6’0, SR: 15.4 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 2.2 APG, 52.4% FG, 37.9% 3PT FG, 29.0 MPG, 34 GP, 33 starts, First-Team All-Patriot League Team, Patriot League All-Defensive Team (graduated)

G – Colleen McQuillen, 5’10, SR: 6.1 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 3.5 APG, 39.4% FG, 25.0% 3PT FG, 61 steals, 26.4 MPG, 34 GP, 31 starts (graduated)

F – Meghan O’Brien, 6’1, SR: 6.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 1.3 APG, 47.7% FG, 22.6 MPG, 32 GP, 31 starts (graduated)

NEWCOMERS:
G – Alana Reddy, 5’9, (Sydney, Australia), FR

G – Myrto Lianoudi, 5’10, (Athens, Greece), FR

G – Leia Edwards, 6’0, (London, England), FR

F – Ellie Mjaanes, 6’2, (Cary, IL), FR

OUTLOOK: The defending champions lost four starters to graduation but return one of the league’s best players in forward Lily Fandre. Can the Mountain Hawks find a way to stay on top?

Last year, head coach Addie Micir expertly guided her veteran group to the top seed and wrapped up the program’s fifth overall title — and its first trip to the NCAA Tournament since 2021. 

Micir takes on a different challenge in 2025-26. This year will be her first in which the roster doesn’t return a double-digit scorer from the previous campaign. In the three prior years, the team returned two double-digit scorers each season.

Lehigh was the league’s top offense last year, averaging 69.9 points per game behind a league-best 247 three-pointers. 

Just one of the program’s top five scorers returns. Where will Lehigh get its scoring?

Coach Micir will look to the versatile Fandre (9.8 ppg, 44.6% FG) to take on an expanded scoring role and lead a group of eight returners and four newcomers. 

Expect to see more of sophomore Belle Bramer in the rotation. The 6’1 forward was named to the Patriot League All-Rookie Team and saw her court time increase down the stretch. She played 14.4 minutes a game over its last seven league games, including playoffs. Bramer was second in the team in field goal percentage (49.5% FG).

Junior guard Gracyn Lovette will see a larger role as well. She played in 34 games and made seven starts. Lovette averaged 4.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game and was second on the team with 79 assists.

Expect the Mountain Hawks to lean into their defense in the absence of last season’s offensive firepower. Lehigh was tops in the league in steals last year and posted the second-best defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) of 87.7 points.

Micir’s club was picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll and garnered a first-place vote. 

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Lehigh gets significant contributions from its freshmen and embraces a defensive identity all the way to a top-four finish. The Mountain Hawks pull an upset in the semifinal and get to defend their crown in the championship.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: The Mountain Hawks’ offense struggles to shoot it well or score consistently. The team falls into the bottom five and drops a quarterfinal match-up in the playoffs.

LOYOLA GREYHOUNDS

2024-25 record: 9-21 

Conference record: 3-15 (No. 9 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Danielle O’Banion, Year 5

Record at Loyola: 40-81

Career NCAA record: 61-179 (21-98 at D1 Kent State University)

O’Banion heads into her fifth year guiding the Greyhounds. She was named Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2023-24. She brings over 20 years of coaching experience at the Division 1 level with assistant coaching stops at Minnesota, Memphis, Kent State and Harvard. She adds head coaching experience from a four-year run at Kent State from 2012-16. Her teams went 21-98 during her tenure.

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
F – Lex Therien, 6’1, GR: 13.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 48.5% FG, 27.7 MPG, 3 GP, 3 starts (Missed most of season due to injury)

G – Kimmie Hicks, 5’9, JR: 14.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.2 APG, 44.9% FG, 83.7% FT, 29.8 MPG, 9 GP, 9 starts (Missed most of season due to injury)

G – Cristina Garcia, 5’9, SR: 1.7 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.7 APG, 31.6% FG, 18.7 MPG, 10 GP, 9 starts (Missed most of season due to injury)

G – Meliah Van-Otoo, 5’4, SR: 3.9 PPG, 1.3 RPG, 1.4 APG, 32.4% FG, 15.3 MPG, 27 GP, 2 starts  

F – Koi Sims, 6’0, GR: 9.5 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 50.0% FG, team-high 31 blocks, 28.0 MPG, 30 GP, 28 starts

G – Amandine Amorich, 5’11, JR: 10.0 PPG, 3.0 RPG, 1.7 APG, 40.7% FG, 40 steals, 27.7 MPG, 30 GP, 22 starts  

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
G – Laura Salmeron, 5’8, SR: 13.7 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 2.4 APG, 39.8% FG, 33.7 MPG, 30 GP, 30 starts (graduated)

G – Kelly Ratigan, 5’8, JR: 6.0 PPG, 0.7 RPG, 43.8% FG, 33.3% 3PT FG, 14.3 MPG, 3 GP, 0 starts (transfer to Notre Dame)

NEWCOMERS:
G – Olivia Shaughnessy, 5’7, (Freehold, NJ), FR

G – Sydney Bass, 5’10, (Strongsville, OH), FR

F – Whitley Watkins, 6’2, (Strongsville, OH), FR

OUTLOOK: Injuries derailed a promising season a year ago for a team positioned for a championship run.

Last season’s Patriot League Preseason Player of the Year, Lex Therien, appeared in just three games for the Greyhounds before missing the remainder of the season due to injury. Guards Kimmie Hicks and Cristina Garcia also had their respective seasons end due to injury just five weeks later. 

A challenging 3-15 conference season came to an end in the first round of playoffs with a 75-51 road loss to Boston University.

The good news? The Greyhounds look healthy and are ready to hit the reset button. They’re running it back in Baltimore, and the league should take notice.

A forward duo of Therien and 6’0 graduate student Koi Sims represents the best and most experienced frontline in the league. Physical defenders and efficient scorers around the rim, the pair has the potential to dominate opponents down low.

Koi nearly averaged a double-double last season (9.5 ppg, 10.2 rpg) and in 93 games played (90 career starts), Therien has averaged a double-double.

While Loyola picked up three first-place votes in the preseason poll, the squad was predicted to finish third overall. If you’re a non-believer, you won’t be for long. A healthy Greyhound team will be one of the league’s top teams.

Although the team lost the talented scoring skills of outgoing senior guard Laura Salmeron (13.7 ppg, 39.8% FG), the return of playmaker Kimmie Hicks to the mix adds a perimeter attacker to coach Danielle O’Banion’s line-up. A healthy Therien in the post could mean a very big season for Hicks.

Injuries were a significant factor last season, but a persistent concern for Loyola is its scoring, especially on the perimeter. The squad shot just 29.0% from three-point range in conference play and scored just 54.4 points — good for ninth in the league.

The production was similar in 2023-24 from behind the arc at 30.5%. The double-teams expected this season for Therien will no doubt offer the Greyhound guards better looks from deep. If they can convert from distance at a steady rate, there’s no stopping Loyola.

The Greyhounds are a strong contender and the championship is again within reach.

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Therien and Sims emerge as a powerful inside presence and anchor a healthy Greyhound team with the league’s best inside-outside scoring punch. Loyola rides a physical defense straight into the conference final and brings the title to Baltimore.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: The Greyhounds have a resurgent season but can’t find the consistency from the perimeter to win against another top contender in the playoffs.

NAVY MIDS

2024-25 record: 19-12 

Conference record: 11-7 (No. 4 seed in playoffs)

Head Coach: Tim Taylor, Year 6

Record at Navy: 49-86

Career NCAA record: 49-86

Taylor heads into his sixth season in Annapolis. He brings 12 seasons of experience as a D1 assistant coach with a two-year stop at Furman University (1998-2000), three stints at the University of Virginia (2000-05, 2009-12, 2016-2018), and a season at the University of North Carolina (2019-20).

KEY RETURNERS: (last season’s stats)
G – Zanai Barnett-Gay, 5’8, JR: 19.0 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 3.1 APG, 41.1% FG, team-high 72 steals, 34.7 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts, First-Team All-Patriot League, Patriot League All-Defensive Team

G – Julianna Almeida, 5’9, SO: 9.2 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 40.1% FG, 36.7% 3PT FG, 30.7 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts, Patriot League Rookie of the Year

G – Toni Papahronis, 6’1, SR: 3.1 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 1.5 APG, 27.2% FG, 21.0 MPG, 31 GP, 27 starts

G – Maren Louridas, 6’0, SR: 4.5 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.3 APG, 29.6% FG, 24.6 MPG, 31 GP, 31 starts 

F – Kate Samson, 6’4, SR: 9.0 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.4 APG, 49.5% FG, 21.6 MPG, 11 GP, 11 starts [Missed most of season due to injury]

BIGGEST LOSSES: (last season’s stats)
G – Kyah Smith, 5’9, JR: 6.7 PPG, 2.0 RPG, 1.5 APG, 27.3% FG, 26.2% 3PT FG, 21.5 MPG, 31 GP, 3 starts (transfer to William & Mary)

NEWCOMERS:
F – Quinn Boettinger, 6’3, (Schwenksville, PA), FR

F – Sidney Quinn, 6’2, (Verona, NJ), FR

G – Zoe Mesuch, 5’5, (Clintondale, NY), FR

G – Grace Minihane, 6’0, (Colorado Springs, CO), FR

G – Christina Liggio, 5’8, (Colts Neck, NJ), FR

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OUTLOOK: Last season, four-seed Navy hosted its first home Patriot League Quarterfinal game since 2018. The Mids return four starters and nine of its 10 top scorers from that group.

Head coach Tim Taylor has seen some ups and downs in his tenure in Annapolis. There was the high of reaching the semifinal round in 2021-22 on a Jennifer Coleman performance and buzzer-beater for the ages, and the low of the Mids’ 1-29 season in the following year. 

Taylor’s optimism has never wavered and now the Mids are the league’s preseason pick to win the Patriot.

Navy returns Patriot League Preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year, Zanai Barnett-Gay. The junior guard is already a career 1,000-point scorer and was recently named to the watch list for the 2026 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award by Her Hoop Stats.

Six seniors anchor this experienced group, including three starters in forward Kate Samson (49.5% FG, 11 starts), and guards Maren Louridas (5.7 rpg, 31 starts) and Toni Papahronis (27 starts).

Samson, the team’s top post player, is returning from an injury that limited her to just 11 games a year ago. She’s started 56 out of 69 games and posted career-highs of 9.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season.

Guard Julianna Almeida returns after earning Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors for an impressive freshman campaign.

Almeida started all 31 games and ranked among the league’s top three-point shooters. She is Navy’s best shooter from the three-point line and second on the team in overall shooting percentage at 40.1%.

Expect Navy’s physicality and length to continue to be disruptive on the defensive end. The group’s defensive rating (points allowed per 100 possessions) was third in the league at 87.9. They produced 15.2 points per game on points off turnovers — also good for third in the conference.

Navy can wear opponents down. The team’s pace last year was best in the conference at 69 possessions per 40 minutes.

Ball pressure remains a strength of coach Taylor’s group, which was second in league play with 7.7 steals per game. Barnett-Gay led the attack and was tops with 72 swipes on the year. 

Where must Navy improve to win the program’s first title since 2013?

Navy’s shooting has to get better. The squad finished ninth in the league in field goal percentage for the second consecutive season at 36.7%, slightly less than its performance a year earlier at 37.4%. 

Its effective FG% (the team’s shooting percentage taking into account the additional point from threes) was 41.8%, good for ninth in league play.

Despite the shooting woes, the Mids are capable of winning the championship and now carry the title of favorite. 

BEST CASE SCENARIO: Led by the dynamic guard play of Barnett-Gay, Navy navigates its way to a first-place finish. Coach Taylor’s team brings home the championship to Annapolis.

WORST CASE SCENARIO: Navy earns a high seed but its shooting woes continue and it falls in the semifinals. 

2025-26 Patriot League Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll

1. Navy – 71 (2 first-place votes)
2. Army West Point – 68 (2)
3. Loyola Maryland – 63 (3)
4. Holy Cross – 60 (2)
5. Lehigh – 57 (1)
6. Colgate – 34
7. Bucknell – 33
8. Boston University – 32
9. Lafayette – 21
10. American – 11

Note: Statistics provided by CBB Analytics and Her Hoops Stats.