The Butler women’s basketball team huddles up during practice on Oct. 6. Photo by Lauren Hough.
NICK ORR | SPORTS REPORTER | nporr@butler.edu
After an offseason full of changes and new faces in new places, it is time to look ahead to the 2022-23 Big East women’s basketball season.
11. Georgetown Hoyas
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Kelsey Ransom
SG: Kristina Moore
SF: Jada Claude
PF: Graceann Bennett
C: Ariel Jenkins
KEY ADDITIONS: Victoria Rivera (first-year), Modesti McConnell (first-year), Kennedy Fauntleroy (first-year), Morgan Lee (first-year), Jada Claude (transfer from Morehead State), Kristina Moore (transfer from Florida)
KEY DEPARTURES: Milan Bolden-Morris (12.6 ppg), Jillian Archer (8 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Kelsey Ransom (12 ppg), Graceann Bennett (7.1 ppg)
Georgetown had a disappointing season in 2021-22, finishing ninth in the Big East with a 4-15 record. The Hoyas lost Bolden-Morris, their leading scorer, but will look to find contributions from new first-years who have been brought in.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Shaila Beeler
SG: Aanaya Harris
SF: Kaysia Woods
PF: Nila Blackford
C: Megan Harkey
KEY ADDITIONS: Fernanda Ovalle (first-year), Kaleigh Addie (first-year), Bella Ward (first-year), June Ruiz Azkue (first-year), Nila Blackford (Transfer from Kent State)
KEY DEPARTURES: Nia Clark (11.7 ppg), Kae Satterfield (11 ppg), Ayanna Townsend (9.1 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Aanaya Harris (9.2 ppg), Shaila Beeler (8.2 ppg)
Xavier comes into the 2022-23 season with new hopes after a disappointing 2021-22 season. The Musketeers brought in four first years. They are looking to improve on their 10th place finish in 2021.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Janai Brooms
SG: Kylee Sheppard
SF: Brynn Farrell
PF: Logan Cook
C: Olivia Olsen
KEY ADDITIONS: Kammie Ludwig (first-year), Logan Cook (Transfer from Iowa), Brynn Farrell (Transfer from Florida)
KEY DEPARTURES: Alyssa Geary (9.5 ppg), Mary Baskerville (7 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Janai Crooms (13.8 ppg), Kylee Sheppard (9.4 ppg), Olivia Olsen (6.8 ppg)
Providence returns mostly the same team as last year — a season in which they finished 6-14 in Big East play. Head coach Jim Crowley will look to utilize the team’s familiarity to improve on that record in 2022.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Unique Drake
SG: Kadja Bailey
SF: Danielle Patterson
PF: Rayven Peeples
C: Danielle Cosgrove
KEY ADDITIONS: Jialah Donald (first-year), Skye Owen (first-year), JaKayla Brown (Transfer from Hofstra), Jayla Everett (Transfer from Pitt), Mimi Reid (Transfer from Ole Miss)
KEY DEPARTURES: Leilani Correa (17.3 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Kadaja Bailey (14.2 ppg), Unique Drake (9.1 ppg), Rayven Peeples (8.8 ppg), Danielle Patterson (8.2 ppg)
St. John’s returned a lot of players from last year’s team. Four of the top five scorers from last year’s roster return for the 2022-23 season and will look to build continuity with the rest of the roster. In addition, the Red Storm were active in the transfer portal, securing three transfers from other programs. St. John’s will look to improve on their seventh place finish.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Jordan King
SG: Nia Clark
SF: Chloe Marotta
PF: Liza Karlin
C: Julianna Okosun
KEY ADDITIONS: Aizhaniquye Mayo (first-year), Charia Smith (first-year), Mackenzie Hare (first-year), Emily La Chapell (first-year),
KEY DEPARTURES: Lauren Van Leunen (13.7 ppg), Karissa McLaughlin (13.1 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Jordan King (11.5 ppg), Liza Karlin (10.2 ppg), Chloe Marotta (6.9 ppg)
Marquette had a successful 2021-22 season, finishing 13-7 in Big East play and 23-11 overall. The Golden Eagles lost their two leading scorers, Van Leunen and McLaughlin, so it will be interesting to see if they can replicate the scoring with the first-years that head coach Megan Duffy brought in.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Lauren Park-Lane
SG: Kae Satterfield
SF: Azana Baines
PF: Mya Bembry
C: Sidney Cooks
KEY ADDITIONS: Shailyn Pinkey (first-year), Allie Palmieri (transfer from Boston College), Azana Baines (transfer from Virginia Tech), Kae Satterfield (transfer from Xavier), Jala Jordan (transfer from Auburn), Sha’Lynn Hagans (transfer from Penn State), Alexia Allesch (transfer from App State)
KEY DEPARTURES: Andra Espinoza-Hunter (15 ppg), Mya Jackson (9 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Lauren Park-Lane (18.3 ppg), Sidney Cooks (15.9 ppg), Mya Bembry (4.3 ppg)
The Pirates improved their roster during the offseason, retaining two of their top three scorers including All-Big East first team selection Lauren Park-Lane. In addition to bringing back their leading scorer, Seton Hall was active in the transfer portal, bringing in six transfers. The Pirates will look to climb to the top of the Big East.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Trinity White
SG: Tenley Dowell
SF: Rachel McLimore
PF: Kelsy Taylor
C: Sydney Jaynes
KEY ADDITIONS: Jessica Carrothers (first-year), Chloe Jeffers (first-year), Jordan Meulemans (first-year), Anna Mortag (transfer from IUPUI), Rachel McLimore (transfer from IUPUI), Kelsey Taylor (transfer from Trine), Caroline Strande (transfer from Minnesota), Austin Parkinson (Head Coach from IUPUI)
KEY DEPARTURES: Celena Taborn (12.8 ppg), Alex Richard (7.4 ppg), Zoe Jackson (6.8 ppg).
KEY RETURNING: Trinity White (7.5 ppg), Tenley Dowell (6.5 ppg)
The Bulldogs are coming off of a disappointing season in which they only won one game. The result of last season sparked Butler to make a coaching change, parting ways with Kurt Godlevske and bringing in Austin Parkinson to coach. It will be interesting to see how the new-look Bulldogs gel and play on the court.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Keirra Collier
SG: Tara Daye
SF: Darrione Rogers
PF: Nazlah Morrow
C: Annesah Morrow
KEY ADDITIONS: Tara Daye (first-year), Madisen Wardell (first-year), Haley Walker (first-year), Maeve McErlane (first-year)
KEY DEPARTURES: Sonya Morris (17.6 ppg), Deja Church (14 ppg), Lexi Held (12.7 ppg),
KEY RETURNING: Aneesah Morrow (21.9 ppg), Darrione Rogers (9.9 ppg), Kierra Collier (7 ppg)
The Blue Demons lost a lot of production from last season, as three of their top four scorers left the program. They were able to retain one of the most productive players in the Big East in Aneesah Morrow, who averaged 21.9 points and 13.8 rebounds per game. With the new additions and returning players, head coach Doug Bruno looks to match their fourth place finish from a season ago.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Molly Morgensen
SG: Lauren Jensen
SF: Carly Bachelor
PF: Morgan Maly
C: Emma Ronsiek
KEY ADDITIONS: Lexi Unruh (first-year), Kiani Lockett (first-year), Brittany Harshaw (first-year)
KEY DEPARTURES: Tatum Rembao (7.1 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Emma Ronsiek (13.9 ppg), Lauren Jensen (12.5 ppg), Morgan Maly (12.3 ppg), Carly Bachelor (7.5 ppg)
Creighton finished the 2021-22 campaign third in the Big East standings with a 15-5 conference record. The Blue Jays will return mostly the same lineup and will look to continue the success they found last season.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Azzi Fudd
SG: Nika Mühl
SF: Caroline Ducharme
PF: Aaliyah Edwards
C: Dorka Juhász
KEY ADDITIONS: Inês Bettencourt (first-year), Ice Brady (first-year), Ayanna Patterson (first-year), Lou Lopez Sénéchal (transfer from Fairfield)
KEY DEPARTURES: Christyn Williams (14.2 ppg), Olivia Nelson-Ododa (9.2 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Paige Bueckers (14.6 ppg), Azzi Fudd (12.1 ppg), Caroline Ducharme (9.8 ppg), Aaliyah Edwards (7.9 ppg), Dorka Juhász (7.3 ppg)
For the second straight season, UConn finished on top of the Big East, going 16-1 to secure their spot in the NCAA Tournament. They built off this success by advancing all the way to the National Championship game, where they lost to South Carolina 64-49. Geno Auriemma will have to somehow replace the production of star guard Paige Bueckers, who will miss the entire 2022-23 season due to a torn ACL. Bueckers led the Huskies in scoring last year. Despite this, with a mix of youth, veteran and transfer players, the Huskies should be right back in the thick of the Big East race.
Potential Starting Lineup:
PG: Lucy Olsen
SG: Brooke Mullin
SF: Anahi-Lee Cauley
PF: Maddy Siegrist
C: Christina Dalce
KEY ADDITIONS: Megan Olbrys (first-year), Abigail Jegede (first-year), Annie Welde (first-year), Maggie Grant (first-year)
KEY DEPARTURES: Lior Garzon (13.1 ppg), Brianna Herlihy (10.7 ppg)
KEY RETURNING: Maddy Siegrist (25.3 ppg), Lucy Olsen (7 ppg), Brooke Mullin (4.8 ppg)
The Wildcats are in line for a big season. After winning Big East player of the year, Maddy Siegrist is back for her senior season. Villanova will be looking to their returning sophomores and four first years to help the team stay on top. With the reigning coach of the year in Denise Dillon, the Big East title is up for grabs for the Wildcats.
