The DII women’s basketball season is almost here. Minnesota State is well armed with talent and experience and will be looking to defend its crown. However, there are many other programs ready to make their charge to Pittsburgh for the 2025 DII Women's Elite Eight.
The bracket, of course, will have 64 teams champing at the bit trying to claim their spot in the final eight. This is not a comprehensive preview of each of those teams; however, it does take a look at some familiar faces and a few surprises that, well, should not be that much of a surprise come March.
DII WOMEN'S BASKETBALL HUB
Here's a look at some teams you should be watching right out of the gate.
The usual suspects
Minnesota State. Well, duh. The Mavs came out of one of the toughest regions in the bracket as the No. 7 seed, toppled No. 2 Missouri Western in the first round and then took down No. 3 Fort Hays State and No. 1 Southern Nazarene, all in dominant fashion, to reach the Elite Eight and then win the whole thing. They also won their first-ever NSIC conference tournament. Six players that averaged double-digit minutes are back, including Natalie Bremer and Destinee Bursch, who were second and third on the team in scoring a year ago. There is plenty of experience back that is thirsty for a repeat.
Ashland. What more do you say about the mighty Ashland Eagles? They have been such a dominant force since 2012, have the highest winning percentage over the past five seasons and have been so strong for so long that current head coach Kari Pickens has won a national championship with Ashland as a player, assistant coach and head coach. I don’t care about whom the Eagles return. This is one of the top-three teams in DII women's basketball entering any and every season.
Grand Valley State. The Lakers are a powerhouse. Full stop. But I’ll keep going to explain why. GVSU has gone 135-18 over the past five seasons, logging the third-best winning percentage (.882) over that span. They have reached at least DII’s version of the “Sweet 16” in four of those five years. Now, the Lakers return all five starters from last year’s 31-3 squad, including All-American Rylie Bisballe. This team is loaded, and quite honestly, maybe the preseason No. 2 behind only the reigning champs.
Tampa. The Spartans have the fourth-best winning percentage over the past five years. When you trail only Ashland, Drury and Grand Valley State in any DII women’s basketball statistic, you are doing quite well for yourself. The Spartans return three of their top-five scorers from a year ago — a team that made the DII Women’s Elite Eight for the second year in a row. This team is geared up for more wins in 2024-25.
Gannon. The Golden Knights have the fifth-most wins in DII women's basketball over the past five seasons, and last year that cumulated with 35-3 record and the No. 1 seed at the DII Women's Elite Eight. Three starters from that team return as well as a bevy of key reserves, including Andrea Maibach, who scored more than 6 points per game with more than 4 rebounds per game. Of course, replacing WBCA Player of the Year Sam Pirosko won't be an easy task, but this team has been pumping out 25-win seasons since 2020 — and that should continue this year.
Azusa Pacific. West Coast teams rarely get the love they deserve, but Azusa Pacific is right up there as one of the most consistent teams DII women's basketball has to offer. The Cougars have made the tournament every year since 2018, have a pair of trips to the DII Women's Elite Eight and the eighth-best winning percentage over the past five years. This year's version of the Cougars sees their top two scorers return as well as Sabrina Belquist, Audrey Sayoc and Sydney Hani, who all logged double-digit minutes in key reserve roles last year. You can predict this team will have 25 wins in August and you would be right.
2024-25 bounce-back candidates
Lubbock Christian. The Chaps have won three national titles since 2016, so if you are not watching them heading into any season, you are missing out. They have made the DII tournament in all but one year since becoming DII eligible in 2016, and many times make it quite far. Grace Foster, who led the team in scoring and rebounding, is back as well as five others who made at least six starts in this rotation last year. The South Central has some really solid teams, but when you give head coach Steve Gomez that much returning experience and talent, well you have my pick for the South Central champion right now… in mid-October.
Drury. The Panthers had seven losses last year, which is quite a significant amount for a team that had 10 total over the previous five seasons. But it was also the first year for head coach Kaci Bailey on a team that had an abundance of new faces. The Panthers are sometimes overlooked when discussing the best teams in DII women’s basketball — perhaps because of the lack of championships — but they also play in the Midwest Region, where three top-10 teams play on an annual basis (see Ashland and Grand Valley State above). The Panthers are tied with Ashland for the most wins over the past five seasons (144) and have the second-highest winning percentage over that span (.900). Drury is always a threat.Glenville State. The Pioneers struggled through an injury-plagued 2023-24 season, but despite their roster being decimated by said injuries, they were still able to finish 18-11. The Stoller sisters are entering their second season at the helm: head coach Emily is one of the program's all-time best and Abby was arguably the X-factor on the Pioneers' 2022 championship run. This team still knows how to score, has two masterminds to orchestrate the "Pioneer Way" on both sides of the court, and with a healthy roster, could return to the tournament once again in 2025.
Surprise DII Women’s Elite Eight teams?
Montana State-Billings. The Yellowjackets just missed last year, nearly pulling off the upset over Cal State San Marcos in the third round of the DII women’s basketball championship. Three starters return from that team, including reigning GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, Kortney Nelson. Top reserve Chloe Williams, who played more than 21 minutes per game, is also back, so the amount of experience is too tough to overlook.
Harding. The Bisons made their return to the DII tournament last year for the first time since 2017. Sage Hawley, Aubrey Isbell, Josie Williams (the reigning GAC freshman of the year) and Rory Geer all scored in double figures and appeared in every game last year — and all return for another go in 2024-25. The GAC will be tricky with Southern Nazarene, and the Central Region is always tough with the MIAA and NSIC always stacked, but experience matters — and Harding has it by the boatload.
Lock Haven. The Bald Eagles had the largest turnaround in DII women’s basketball last season, improving 15.5 games from an 11-17 team to 29-4 and the No. 4 seed in the Atlantic Region. That was a young team, and the advantage for Lock Haven is that so many return. Leading scorer Jenadia Jordan is back, as are leading rebounds Alana Robinson and Rhlyn Rouse. Olivia Smith started 31 games last year and returns, as does Madeline Evans, who started 29. With all that experience, this may be the team to rival Gannon in the PSAC for the 2024 crown.
Colorado Mesa. The Mavericks bounced back from a 13-win season in 2022-23 to a 25-win season last year, capturing the No. 2 seed in the South Central Region. There are two primary reasons I see the Mavericks potentially being even better than that: Olivia Reed and Mason Rowland. Reed is the reigning RMAC Player of the Year and Rowland is the reigning RMAC Freshman of the Year. Add in Second-Team RMAC-er Kylie Kravig and this team isn’t just returning experience, but elite experience.
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