Conference USA (CUSA) shrinks from 12 teams to 10 for 2026-27, and the departures go beyond just two schools. Louisiana Tech, which won the regular season at 17-1, moved to the Sun Belt, and UTEP joined the Mountain West. FIU’s Player of the Year, Rhema Collins, transferred to Texas Tech. Four of the remaining ten teams have new head coaches. Missouri State, the tournament champion, returns its three leading scorers and is the clear favorite, with Liberty and Middle Tennessee chasing.
The Big Picture
The league lost most of its best players along with its best team. Collins left FIU, and so did first-team All-CUSA guard Parris Atkins, Denika Lightbourne, and Judit Valero, the Panthers’ top four scorers. Sam Houston lost four of its five starters, including Defensive Player of the Year Fanta Koné. Delaware lost second-team All-CUSA selection Ande’a Cherisier to Pittsburgh and All-Freshman guard Kailah Correa to Monmouth, and Liberty lost first-team guard Avery Mills to Tennessee. Jacksonville State and Kennesaw State both lost their three leading scorers.
The best-positioned teams kept their cores from last year. Missouri State brings back Kaemyn Bekemeier, Lainie Douglas, and Maiesha Washington; Liberty has Emmy Stout and Ify Nwaobi and added Sophia Gregory from Youngstown State, and Middle Tennessee has Freshman of the Year Blair Baugus. FIU has Grecia Ferrer Leal, Sam Houston has Deborah Ogayemi, and many teams are building around just one proven player.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Missouri State
2 - Liberty
3 - Middle Tennessee
4 - FIU
5 - Sam Houston
6 - Western Kentucky
7 - Delaware
8 - Kennesaw State
9 - Jacksonville State
10 - New Mexico State
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-Conference Team
Frances Ulysse, F, Delaware
Safi Kolliegbo, G, Delaware
Grecia Ferrer Leal, G, FIU
Shorna Preston, F, FIU
Emmy Stout, C, Liberty
Ify Nwaobi, F, Liberty
Sophia Gregory, F, Liberty
Blair Baugus, G, Middle Tennessee
Xai Whitfield, G, Middle Tennessee
Kaemyn Bekemeier, G, Missouri State
Lainie Douglas, F, Missouri State
Maiesha Washington, F, Missouri State
Jana Vesic, G, New Mexico State
Deborah Ogayemi, F, Sam Houston
Trinity Rowe, G, Western Kentucky
Missouri State
Record: 23-13, 11-7 CUSA (3rd, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Beth Cunningham, 5th season, 92-44 (14th overall, 259-159)
Missouri State won the CUSA Tournament in its first season in the league. The Lady Bears beat Middle Tennessee 69-66, FIU 74-69, and Louisiana Tech 43-38 in the final, then beat Stephen F. Austin 85-75 in the First Four before Texas ended the run in the first round. Beth Cunningham, entering her fifth season, loses starters Faith Lee, Maycee James, and Cady Pauley, but none were among the team’s top three scorers. James, an All-Defensive Team pick who averaged 2.4 steals, will be the hardest to replace.
Kaemyn Bekemeier was the tournament MVP and a first-team All-CUSA pick with 17.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game, and she’s the best player on the best team. Lainie Douglas made the second team with 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds, led the league in field goal percentage in conference play, and blocked 55 shots. Sophomore forward Maiesha Washington made the All-Freshman Team with 7.9 points and 6.1 rebounds, giving Cunningham a third proven piece up front. The guards behind them are young and mostly all return, as Kendal Brueggen, JaNyla Bush, and Audrey Hopkins were all solid pieces of the rotation a year ago.
Cunningham added three players with experience. Hannah Linthacum, a 6-foot-4 senior forward, comes over from Missouri. Macie Mays averaged 13.7 points and made third-team All-MIAA at Pittsburg State in 2024-25 but missed last year due to injury, and Landon Forbes, a senior guard from Morehead State, put up 7.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Antil Snoddy, Chloe Howe, Zha Harris, and Nevaeh Lucious are the freshmen, and senior forward Blake O’Grady rounds out the roster. I’m picking Missouri State first because it’s the only team in the league with three returning players who earned CUSA honors. Replacing James’ defense is the main question, and it’s a small one given the team's firepower.
Players to watch: Kaemyn Bekemeier, Lainie Douglas, Maiesha Washington, Hannah Linthacum
Liberty
Record: 18-13, 11-7 CUSA (3rd, tie)
Coach: Alexis Sherard, 2nd season, 18-13
Alexis Sherard stepped in for the retiring Carey Green last August, and her first team went 18-13 and reached the conference tournament semifinals before losing. Sherard’s second year starts with a hole at guard. Avery Mills, a first-team All-CUSA selection who set the school record with 82 three-pointers, transferred to Tennessee.
Liberty’s strength is up front. Emmy Stout, a 6-foot-3 center, made first-team All-Conference last year with 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, and Ify Nwaobi made the All-Freshman Team at 9.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Sophia Gregory comes from Youngstown State after winning the Horizon League’s Defensive Player of the Year award, posting 10.7 points and 8.7 rebounds. Layla Scott, a two-time NJCAA Division II first-team All-American from Johnson County Community College, could be the scoring guard Sherard needs after losing Mills. Claudia Acin led the team with 4.0 assists, Elisabeth Aegisdottir started all 29 games she played at about 32 minutes a night, and JaKayla Thompson started 18 games last year, rounding out a solid group of returners. Emma Leon, Lynn Peters, Zeynep Avci, and Maleah Alexander are back, and freshmen Trinity Holsinger, Peace Ashina, Kendyl Smith, and Amari Worsham complete the roster.
Liberty has the best frontcourt in the conference, but they have a few questions on the perimeter. The scoring that left with Mills will need to be replaced, and Scott seems like a viable candidate after making 233 threes at 37.8 percent over two seasons at Johnson County. Stout and Gregory should make the Lady Flames hard to score against inside, and that’s why I have them second, right behind Missouri State.
Players to watch: Emmy Stout, Ify Nwaobi, Sophia Gregory, Layla Scott
Middle Tennessee
Record: 17-16, 11-7 CUSA (3rd, tie, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Matt Insell, 1st season, 0-0 (6th overall, 70-87)
Rick Insell retired on March 19 after 21 seasons and 505 wins, the most of any head coach in school history, and his son Matt, the associate head coach and a former Ole Miss head coach, took over. The Blue Raiders finished 17-16 last season and reached the WNIT before losing in the Super 16.
Blair Baugus is the reason I have this team third. She was Freshman of the Year, a first-team All-CUSA pick, and an All-Freshman selection, averaging 13.5 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.8 steals. However, she has less help than last year. Alayna Contreras, a second-team All-CUSA guard at 14.3 points, ran out of eligibility. Macie Phifer, who made the All-Freshman Team at 11.4 points and 5.8 rebounds, transferred to Mississippi State, and Savannah Davis went to Tennessee Tech, so three of the top four scorers are gone. Yu Han Lin also left for Marquette.
Matt Insell’s answer in the portal was Xai Whitfield, a Tennessee State guard who averaged 9.3 points a game and shot better than 45 percent from three, and Miami’s Mya Kone, who averaged 11.4 points and 8.1 rebounds at FIU in 2023-24. Kirston Verhulst started 27 games as a freshman and averaged 5.8 points and 2.0 assists, and Carsyn Swaney is back at guard. The size is Nicole Dominguez, a 6-foot-10 sophomore center, plus Jenna McClendon, Elisa Mehyar, who transferred in from Oregon State, and Stanislava Kabernick up front. Returners Gracie Hamby and Nora Ahamadi, Lynn transfer Kennedi Neale, and freshmen Maayan Cohen, McLayne Bobo, and Aaliyah Blanchard round out the roster.
The transition from one Insell to another probably goes smoothly because Matt has been on the staff since 2018. Baugus and Whitfield give the Blue Raiders a legitimate top-two shot, and Dominguez is the biggest unknown that could shift the team's outlook. I like them to finish in the top three this season.
Players to watch: Blair Baugus, Xai Whitfield, Kirston Verhulst, Nicole Dominguez
FIU
Record: 21-12, 12-6 CUSA (2nd, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Jesyka Burks-Wiley, 7th season, 97-91
FIU finished second in the conference last year at 12-6, beat Jacksonville State 76-66 in the quarterfinals, and lost 74-69 to Missouri State in the semifinals. The Panthers then won their WNIT opener at home before falling in the second round. Twelve conference wins is the most FIU has had since joining CUSA, and most of that team is gone. Collins averaged 17.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 2.1 steals and went to Texas Tech. Atkins, a senior who scored 17.0 a night, is gone too. Lightbourne transferred to Florida Gulf Coast, and Valero went to Butler a season after both averaged nine or more points a game.
Grecia Ferrer Leal is the starting point. As a freshman, she averaged 6.7 points, 3.8 assists, and 1.6 steals, and she’ll run the offense. Adama Badjie Coly averaged 6.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals, and Fantasia James added 5.9 points and 4.1 rebounds. Riley Burd played about 15 minutes a game.
Burks-Wiley rebuilt around size and experience. Shorna Preston, a 6-foot-1 forward, averaged 7.2 points and 8.3 rebounds at Pepperdine; Chloe Emanga comes from Seattle U, and BreAunna Ward scored 6.7 points at Evansville. Mable Doumbia arrives from Arizona Western, Frode Flos van der Schans from Chattanooga, Malia Tharpe from San Diego, and Mio Sakano from Miami (Ohio). Madussou Bamba, Paula Acin, and Mariss Miekountima are the freshmen, and 12 of the 14 players on the roster are from outside the United States.
The Panthers lost their top four scorers, and nobody on this roster has shown she can score the way Collins and Atkins did. Ferrer Leal running the offense and Preston rebounding should be enough to keep the group in the top half. Fourth feels about right for them, but if they miss Collins more than I think, a bottom half finish may be in order.
Players to watch: Grecia Ferrer Leal, Shorna Preston, Adama Badjie Coly, Chloe Emanga
Sam Houston
Record: 18-13, 11-7 CUSA (3rd, tie, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Ravon Justice, 9th season, 116-116 (11th overall, 144-150)
Sam Houston earned the #4 seed, its highest in the league, and won 18 games before losing in the CUSA quarterfinals and 62-59 at Portland in the WNIT. That team built its success on taking the ball away. Koné led CUSA in assists and steals, averaging 5.0 and 3.8 a game, and set a CUSA single-game record with 12 steals in a win at Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Deborah Ogayemi and Aysia Ward-Strong each averaged at least 2.2 steals. Koné, Ward-Strong, Nyla Inmon, and Whitney Dunn started most of the games, and all four are gone.
Ogayemi is back as a graduate student after making second-team All-CUSA with 12.5 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.7 steals, and she’s the one proven piece. Esther Rodellar, a senior guard, is the only other returner who played last season, and she averaged about 10 minutes a game.
Nearly everyone else is new. Kylah McCullers scored 7.8 points a game at Mississippi Valley State, Maci Quiller averaged 5.5 points and 3.9 rebounds at Texas Southern, and Mar’Cyah Willis, Hannah Wallace, Ruke Ogbevire, and Laila Harrison came from Tarleton State, Saint Louis, Penn, and Bowling Green. Taylor Spencer, Leanna Pabst, Alani Owens, and Lanaijha Johnson are the junior college additions. Tianna Mathis, a fifth-year guard, played at Blinn College and Texas Southern before Sam Houston, and Amya Hall is the lone freshman. That’s 11 newcomers on the roster.
Most of the production in this group came at the junior college level or in small roles at bigger programs so the early going will be bumpy. Justice’s teams have defended, and Ogayemi keeps the Bearkats from a freefall, which is why I have them in the middle of the pack.
Players to watch: Deborah Ogayemi, Kylah McCullers, Maci Quiller, Mar’Cyah Willis
Western Kentucky
Record: 8-21, 4-14 CUSA (12th)
Coach: Greg Collins, 9th season, 132-111
Western Kentucky fell from 23-9 to 8-21 and missed the 10-team CUSA Tournament, though it lost by five points or fewer in eight games. The 2025-26 team was inconsistent, with nine different players leading it in scoring in a game. Western Kentucky did get support from donors over the offseason, and comes into the year with a bit of a rejuvenation.
Trinity Rowe is the best player on the roster. She earned an All-CUSA honorable mention after averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 assists, shooting 43 percent from three, and playing 20 games at almost 35 minutes a night. Torri James added 8.2 points and 3.7 rebounds. Salma Khedr, who averaged 10.4 points per game, transferred to UIC, and seniors Zsófia Telegdy and Tia Shelling are gone, so three of the top five scorers have left. Tatum Boettjer, a redshirt senior forward, and sophomore guards Lola Bond and Enni Ahervuo are the other players back from last year.
Collins added size in Ellery Minch, a junior forward from Murray State, and Hayven Smith, a 6-foot-6 Illinois transfer. Kamille Brown, a senior guard, comes from UL Monroe, and the freshmen are Jamila Ray, Ava Moore, Mafalda Fontan, Elise Coleman, and redshirt freshman Elif Naz Dal. There is also an outside chance of adding Josie Gilvin back into the fold, as she planned to play for Western Kentucky this year, but her eligibility depends on ongoing litigation.
Western Kentucky has a point guard who can carry an offense and little else that’s proven. The newcomers are mostly role players and freshmen, so the Lady Toppers’ improvement will come from Rowe and James staying healthy and from a younger group maturing. I have them sixth, which is a big step from last place, but depending on how some of their transfers acclimate, they could easily finish in the top half of the league.
Players to watch: Trinity Rowe, Torri James, Hayven Smith, Ellery Minch
Delaware
Record: 13-19, 6-12 CUSA (8th, tie)
Coach: Sarah Jenkins, 5th season, 53-70
Delaware went 13-19 in its first year in Conference USA, and the 66-47 win over Kennesaw State in the first round was the program’s first CUSA Tournament victory. After the second-round loss, most of the roster left. Cherisier, a second-team All-CUSA pick who averaged 13.2 points and 7.9 rebounds, went to Pittsburgh, and Lay Fantroy, an honorable mention pick who scored 10.1 points and grabbed 8.1 rebounds, went to Texas State. Correa is at Monmouth, Trinity Vance went to Old Dominion, and Ella Wanzer used up her eligibility. That’s five of Delaware’s top six scorers.
Safi Kolliegbo is the one who returns from their top six scorers. The senior guard scored 9.7 points and averaged 1.9 steals while starting 23 games. Jenkins rebuilt around transfers and a junior college scorer. Frances Ulysse, a fifth-year forward from Longwood, averaged 9.6 points and 6.3 rebounds, and Regina Donanu scored 17.1 points a game at Barton Community College. Iowa transfer Kennise Johnson, a senior guard, spent three seasons with the Hawkeyes; Sanyiah Littlejohn comes from George Mason, and Daniella Matus from Loyola Chicago. Jordyn Coleman, a senior forward, comes from Abilene Christian and was Triton College’s all-time leading rebounder.
The rest of the roster is Milena Bigovic, a senior forward from Montenegro; returning juniors Kendall Scott and Gianna Johnson; sophomores Elle Stone and Ava Andrews; and freshmen London Caldwell, Amalia Fruchtman, and Ema Rychtecka, who is from the Czech Republic.
There isn’t a clear go-to scorer here, and the group has little experience playing together. Ulysse and Donanu are the best bets to make a quick impression, and the Blue Hens don’t have to climb far to beat last year’s 6-12. The bottom third is a fair pick for a team that needs a few months to figure out who it is.
Players to watch: Frances Ulysse, Regina Donanu, Safi Kolliegbo, Kennise Johnson
Kennesaw State
Record: 13-17, 6-12 CUSA (8th, tie)
Coach: Tianni Kelly, 1st season, 0-0 (5th overall, 85-32)
Kennesaw State lost 66-47 to Delaware in the first round of the conference tournament as the #9 seed, and the next day the school removed Octavia Blue after five seasons. Tianni Kelly was named head coach on March 30. She was Chattanooga’s associate head coach for two seasons and went 85-32 as head coach at the University of Charleston in Division II from 2020 to 2024.
Kelly takes over a program that lost its top three scorers. Keyarah Berry, a second-team All-CUSA guard averaging 14.4 points, is gone; Trynce Taylor, who averaged 10.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, went to James Madison; and Latazia Williamson, who averaged 9.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game, transferred to South Dakota. Kailyn Fields also left for Radford. Four players are back from last year: Shania Nichols, a senior guard who scored 8.3 points, Kaelyn Flowers, who averaged 6.0 points and 1.9 steals, Madyson Elliott, and Emaya Lewis.
That means 10 newcomers, and it’s a roster overhaul. Toni Warren comes from Wofford after averaging 7.7 points and 4.5 rebounds, and Tracey Bershers, a graduate forward, arrives from Minnesota with earlier stops at UAB and Oklahoma State. Kayla Sullivan comes from Valparaiso, and Lamarah Cleaves put up 11.6 points and 7.8 rebounds at Jones College. Arissa Jenkins played at Shelton State, Riley Talbert at UAB, and Camryn Register and Cameron Wade are from Samford and Augusta. Nyjae Malikali-El and Uliana Kolesnyk, from Baltimore and Munich, are the freshmen.
Kelly has size, a winning record at the Division II level, and a roster full of players who haven’t carried a team in this league. Nobody here is a proven star, and 10 new players need time to learn what she wants. I expect Kennesaw State near the bottom of the standings in year one.
Players to watch: Shania Nichols, Toni Warren, Lamarah Cleaves, Tracey Bershers
Jacksonville State
Record: 16-16, 9-9 CUSA (7th)
Coach: Ricky Austin, 1st season, 0-0
Rick Pietri retired on March 12 after 13 seasons and 197 wins at Jacksonville State, the most in school history. His last team went 9-9 as the #7 seed, led CUSA in scoring defense at 58.2 points per game, and lost 76-66 to FIU in the quarterfinals. The school hired Ricky Austin on March 30. He coached Spring Garden High School in Alabama for 29 seasons, won nine state titles, and has never been a college head coach. His wife, Dana, played at Jacksonville State and later coached the program.
Austin doesn’t get much back from last year’s group. Mya Barnes, a second-team All-CUSA and All-Defensive Team forward, averaged 11.5 points and 8.1 rebounds, and Brooklyn McDaniel (9.6 points), Adriana Jones (9.5), and Maria Sanchez Ponce (7.9) were seniors too, so the top four scorers are gone. Makala Hobdy transferred to Alabama State. Kyera Thornsbury, who started 12 games and averaged 6.4 points and 2.4 assists, and Mina Djurdjevic, a sophomore forward from Belgrade, are the two returning players.
The rest is completely new. Gabby Morales averaged 12.7 points per game at Collin College, and Kamryn Corporan averaged 7.3 points, 5.6 assists, and 5.2 rebounds at Northwest Florida State. Lillian Jackson, a senior forward, comes from West Virginia State; Emily Monson, a Murfreesboro native, comes from Middle Tennessee; and Rocío Jiménez, a 6-foot-7 center, comes from Mississippi State. Meja Hänsel arrives from UCF and Camden Ward from UT Martin, where she scored 4.1 points a game as a freshman. Anna Skog, Nahia Fernandez, Solene Jackson, and Kayna Chnina are the freshmen, and all are international players.
The coach, the roster, and the system are all new this year at Jacksonville State. Austin’s high school coaching career shows that he knows how to win, and we’ll know more about how he translates by January. For now, I have the Gamecocks ninth.
Players to watch: Kyera Thornsbury, Gabby Morales, Kamryn Corporan, Mina Djurdjevic
New Mexico State
Record: 9-21, 5-13 CUSA (10th, tie)
Coach: Adeniyi Amadou, 1st season, 0-0
New Mexico State missed the 10-team CUSA Tournament, and the school fired Jody Adams on March 8 after four seasons and a 57-71 record. The school announced Adeniyi Amadou as the 13th head coach on March 12. He spent seven years as Rhode Island’s associate head coach, and the Rams won the Atlantic 10 Tournament and reached the NCAA Tournament in 2026. This is his first head coaching job.
The roster Amadou inherited is gone. Lucía Yenes, the leading scorer, transferred to San Francisco, and Imani Warren, who averaged 12.0 points, went to UTEP. Morane Dossou went to UT Arlington, and Loes Rozing and Anna Csenyi are gone too. Emma Christiano, a senior guard, is the only holdover. She scored 2.9 points with 2.6 assists and started 18 games.
The new group is French. Eleven of the 14 players on the roster are from France. Eva Agba, Aimée Michel, and Lilyana Fontcha came over from Rhode Island, and the freshmen are Aissatou Keita Cissoko, Fanta Keita, Justine Mouyokolo, Imane Loubibet, Eva Hamlil, Sena Sert, and Julia Saillard. Talia Kavoka transferred in from Texas A&M. Jana Vesic, from Belgrade, averaged 8.1 points and 2.3 assists in 28.7 minutes a game as a freshman at Seattle U, and Raina Tomasicka, from Latvia, arrives from South Florida.
The French pipeline is obvious with Amadou’s background, but almost nobody here has played much at this level. Vesic and Christiano are the only players who were regulars last season, and a team this young and international needs time to learn how CUSA is played. I have the Aggies rounding out the pack, and a year for Amadou to set his culture will do wonders for the program.
Players to watch: Jana Vesic, Raina Tomasicka, Emma Christiano, Lilyana Fontcha
Conference USA Round-Up
Conference USA is down to 10 teams and has lost most of its stars, and Missouri State looks like the clear favorite. Liberty and Middle Tennessee have the best chances of catching it, and the Lady Flames’ frontcourt and Baugus are the strongest cores outside Springfield. Four programs changed coaches, and three of them, Jacksonville State, Kennesaw State, and New Mexico State, rebuilt almost entirely through the portal and recruiting. FIU, Sam Houston, and Delaware all lost their top players and have to figure out who will carry the load. With Collins gone, the Player of the Year race is wide open, and Bekemeier, Baugus, Stout, and Douglas are the early favorites.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 CUSA regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 10 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 6th. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 6th. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
