Three Big East teams made it to the Big Dance last season. Photo courtesy of the Big East.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
The Big East brought home the women’s basketball national championship last season with head coach Geno Auriemma continuing UConn’s dominance. Now, the rest of the conference looks to keep pace. Here is everything you need to know about each team this season.
Teams are listed alphabetically.
Butler Bulldogs
Key Additions: Samford transfer Kennedy Langham (junior), Valparaiso transfer Nevaeh Jackson (junior), Valparaiso transfer Saniya Jackson (redshirt sophomore), Maine transfer Caroline Dotsey (junior), Anna Wypych (first-year), Addison Baxter (first-year)
Key Departures: Caroline Strande (13.4 PPG), Kilyn McGuff (12.6 PPG), Sydney Jaynes (8.2 PPG), Riley Makalusky (8.1 PPG)
Key Returners: Lily Zeinstra (7.6 PPG)
After a disappointing season, the Dawgs bring back just 13.3% of their scoring output, with those points almost exclusively coming from Zeinstra. Head coach Austin Parkinson retooled, bringing in seven transfers and two first-years, including Wypych, Michigan’s Miss Basketball. Another player to watch is redshirt first-year Mckenzie Swanson. The former four-star recruit and McDonald’s All-American nominee redshirted last season after suffering an injury before the season, but she is prepared to make an impact as the Bulldogs hope to get over the hump and achieve the first winning record in the Parkinson era.
Creighton Bluejays
Key Additions: Northern Iowa transfer Grace Boffeli (graduate), Ava Zediker (first-year), Neleigh Gessert (first-year), Norah Gessert (first-year)
Key Departures: Lauren Jensen (17.8 PPG), Morgan Maly (17.3 PPG), Molly Mogensen (9.1 PPG)
Key Returners: Kiani Lockett (6.1 PPG), Kennedy Townsend (5.8 PPG)
The Bluejays face a tough task in the upcoming season: replacing three All-Big East players. Jensen and Maly were each named to the first team, while Mogensen was an honorable mention. The good news for Creighton is that head coach Jim Flanery brings in the No. 23 recruiting class in the nation, featuring three players in the top 100 for the first time in program history. The highly touted trio all knock down shots from beyond the arc with ease, slotting them perfectly onto a team that was defined by three-point shooting last season. Expect the Bluejays to experience some growing pains, but their talent should propel them towards the top of the Big East standings once again.
DePaul Blue Demons
Key Additions: Morehead State transfer Kate Novik (junior), East Carolina transfer Devin Hagemann (sophomore), Xavier transfer Aizhanique Mayo (redshirt junior), Lindenwood transfer Justis Odom (graduate)
Key Departures: Jorie Allen (20 PPG), Taylor Johnson-Matthews (14.5 PPG)
Key Returners: Kate Clarke (11.9 PPG), Meg Newman (7.8 PPG), Shakara McCline (4.4 PPG), Sumer Lee (2.6 PPG)
The Doug Bruno era has officially come to an end in Chicago, as the Blue Demons welcome Jill M. Pizzotti as their newest head coach. Pizzotti spent last season as the interim head coach after serving as associate head coach for 11 years. Now firmly at the helm, her first test will be coping with the departure of Allen. A high-ceiling crop of transfers should ease the pain, highlighted by second team All-OVC member Novik and intra-conference traveler Mayo. The newcomers should make for a competitive DePaul team that will look to move into the top half of the conference after a sixth-place finish last year.
Georgetown Hoyas
Key Additions: Central Florida transfer Laila Jewett (graduate), East Carolina transfer Khia Miller (junior), Georgia transfer Summer Davis (sophomore), Braelynn Barnett (first-year)
Key Departures: Kelsey Ransom (20.4 PPG), Ariel Jenkins (11.4 PPG),
Key Returners: Victoria Rivera (10.5 PPG), Khadee Hession (8.1 PPG), Chetanna Nweke (season-ending injury in 2024-25)
The 2024-25 season did not treat the Hoyas well. Georgetown finished 4-14 in Big East play, securing a lowly 10th-place finish. With do-it-all leader Ransom out of the picture, the team now faces an uphill battle to bring winning basketball back to the nation’s capital. The Hoyas’ transfer class will have to be exemplary, including junior forward Cristen Carter, who defected from Butler over the offseason. While year one post-Ransom may be a struggle, Georgetown now has a chance to build a well-rounded core that could win games for years to come.
Marquette Golden Eagles
Key Additions: Butler transfer Jordan Meulemans (redshirt junior), JJ Barnes (first-year), Kam Herring (first-year)
Key Departures: None
Key Returners: Skylar Forbes (15.8 PPG), Lee Volker (12.6 PPG), Halle Vice (11.5 PPG), Jaidynn Mason (8.6 PPG), Olivia Porter (6 PPG), Kennedi Perkins (5.3 PPG)
A true anomaly in modern college basketball, continuity tells the story for Marquette. Remarkably, the Golden Eagles bring back all 12 players who saw playing time for the team last year, avoiding any graduations or transfer portal losses. Not only that, head coach Cara Consuegra also brought in an impact transfer in former Butler sharpshooter Jordan Meulemans, as well as two first-years, including Barnes, a Ms. Wisconsin Basketball finalist. Marquette’s unmatched continuity should lead to equally impressive chemistry, allowing the team to start the season hot and carry that momentum into March.
Providence Friars
Key Additions: Florida A&M transfer Sabou Gueye (graduate), Fairleigh Dickinson transfer Teneisia Brown (graduate), Riley Hamburger (first-year), Olivia Rodrigues (first-year), Sami Mancini (first-year), Ashley Dinges (first-year)
Key Departures: Grace Efosa (13.4 PPG), Olivia Olsen (11.1 PPG), Brynn Farrell (8.3 PPG), Marta Morales-Romero (6.7 PPG), Emily Archibald (3.4 PPG), MacKayla Scarlett (3.3 PPG)
Key Returners: None
The Friars face a near-total rebuild going into the 2025-26 season, losing their top five scorers from the prior year. Brown and Gueye will likely assume the lead roles amidst the pack of fresh faces, but the road ahead for Providence may be rocky, as experience is lacking throughout much of the roster. A deep class of first-years is reason for future optimism, but in the short term, expect the Friars to struggle to avoid falling into the cellar of the Big East.
Seton Hall Pirates
Key Additions: Natalia Hall-Rosa (first-year), Zahara Bishop (first-year), Trishay Collins (first-year)
Key Departures: Faith Masonius (15 PPG), Yaya Lops (8.6 PPG), Kaydan Lawson (5.6 PPG), Amari Wright (3.9 PPG)
Key Returners: Jada Eads (13.8 PPG), Savannah Catalon (13.5 PPG), Shailyn Pinkney (6.4 PPG)
Eads and Catalon will be expected to shoulder the bulk of the load for Seton Hall this season after the departure of Masonius. In particular, Eads will step into a starring role after a historic season, after which named to the All-Big East first team, the first Pirate to do so in her first year. Besides the backcourt, things could be shaky for Seton Hall, and without any transfers with significant prior success, the Pirates will be leaning on youngsters to play big-time minutes. If the likes of Hall-Rosa, Bishop and Collins can adjust to the college game quickly, it would spell success in South Orange. Otherwise, Seton Hall could take a big tumble down from third place in last year’s standings.
St. John’s Red Storm
Key Additions: Wabash Valley transfer Beautiful Waheed (junior), Miami transfer Daniela Abies (senior), Liberty transfer Brooke Moore (junior), Troy transfer Shaulana Wagner (graduate), Austin Peay transfer Sa’Mya Wyatt (sophomore), Kyla Hayes (first-year)
Key Departures: Lashae Dwyer (13.4 PPG), Ber’Nyah Mayo (11.2 PPG), Phoenix Gedeon (5.5 PPG), Ariana Vanderhoop (4.7 PPG)
Key Returners: Kylie Lavelle (7.7 PPG), Skye Owen (7.7 PPG), Jailah Donald (6.1 PPG)
The Red Storm will lose their two top scorers from a season ago, but head coach Joe Tartamella retooled in a big way, attacking the transfer portal for impact players. Waheed is one of the top junior college recruits in the country this year, earning second-team NJCAA All-American honors in her sophomore season at Wabash Valley. Wagner was another quality addition, finishing fourth in the country in assists per game with Troy, while Wyatt snagged ASUN Freshman of the Year and third-team All-Conference honors. This stacked class of transfers gives the Johnnies immense depth and could push them to play meaningful games in March.
UConn Huskies
Key Additions: Wisconsin transfer Serah Williams (senior), USC transfer Kayleigh Heckel (sophomore), Kelis Fisher (first-year), Gandy Malou-Mamel (first-year), Blanca Quiñonez (first-year)
Key Departures: Paige Bueckers (19.9 PPG), Kaitlyn Chen (6.9 PPG)
Key Returners: Sarah Strong (16.4 PPG), Azzi Fudd (13.6 PPG), Ashlynn Shade (7.7 PPG), KK Arnold (5.5 PPG), Jana El Alfy (5 PPG)
Losing Bueckers will sting for Husky fans, but there is no reason to believe UConn’s dominance will fade in the upcoming season. Strong is back and ready to build on a Freshman of the Year campaign, while a host of other returning Huskies will join her. Auriemma also adds two top-75 recruits: No. 25 Fisher and No. 75 Malou-Mamel, both of whom could play significant minutes immediately. To top it all off, Williams enters the fray following a 19.2 points-per-game season at Wisconsin. Expect UConn to go undefeated in conference again; the embarrassment of riches in Storrs will be hard to stop.
Villanova Wildcats
Key Additions: Iowa State transfer Kelsey Joens (junior), Notre Dame transfer Kylee Watson (graduate), Kennedy Henry (first-year), Elise Bender (first-year), MD Ntambue (first-year)
Key Departures: Maddie Webber (13.3 PPG), Maddie Burke (6.4 PPG), Lara Edmanson (6.2 PPG), Bronagh Power-Cassidy (5.1 PPG)
Key Returners: Jasmine Bascoe (16.2 PPG), Denae Carter (8.6 PPG), Ryanne Allen (4.8 PPG)
For Villanova, one All-Big East selection — Bascoe — stayed home, while the other — Webber — hit the portal. The Wildcats are a tough team to project, with solid returning talent but relatively unknown newcomers. Watson is a veteran with NCAA Tournament experience, but missed all of last season with an injury. Joens was a solid rotational player for the Cyclones, but head coach Denise Dillon will likely be looking for more from her. Henry offers high-end talent as the No. 79 recruit in the 2025 class, but the other newbies may need more time to solidify spots in the rotation. Villanova could be a boom-or-bust team that creates havoc in the Big East.
Xavier Musketeers
Key Additions: Indiana State transfer Savannah White (senior), Payton Richards (first-year)
Key Departures: Loren Christie (7.5 PPG), Aizhanique Mayo (7.3 PPG), Tae’lor Purvis (6.2 PPG), Daniela López (5.1 PPG), Irune Orio (3.5 PPG)
Key Returners: Meri Kanerva (11.2 PPG), Petra Oborilova (4.2 PPG)
Xavier was dismal all of last season with just one conference win, and things are not looking much better this year. White should provide some veteran leadership, but the talent on this roster is simply lacking. Kanerva will need to take a sizable second-year leap to keep the Dawgs competitive, even after a rookie campaign in which she already led the Musketeers in scoring. Expect Xavier to bring up the rear in the Big East once again.
