Fairfield enters 2026-27 as the three-time defending tournament champion, and the Stags bring back the core that won it. The rest of the 13-team Metro looks very different. Quinnipiac went 19-1 in league play and lost the final, Merrimack won 15 conference games, and Iona won 12, but all three programs have lost most of their top players. Quinnipiac, Merrimack, and Niagara will also have new head coaches. The top of this league has been stable for years, and the rosters underneath it have been rebuilt this year as the conference transitions from the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) to the Metro.
The Big Picture
Fairfield and Quinnipiac both finished 19-1 in conference play last season. Merrimack finished third at 15-5, three games ahead of Iona at 12-8. Fairfield beat Sacred Heart 69-53 and Merrimack 65-48 to reach the final, then beat Quinnipiac 51-44 for its third straight title. Quinnipiac needed overtime to get past Iona 63-62 in the semifinals.
Roster turnover is the story in the conference this year. Of the 192 players on the 13 rosters, 117 are new to their teams this season, and no team brings in fewer than five. Merrimack has 13 new players and only two returners; Manhattan has 12; Quinnipiac and Mount St. Mary’s each have 11; and Niagara has 10. Fairfield kept its four leading scorers and added Paige Kohler, who led Bowling Green in scoring. Quinnipiac lost six of its top seven scorers, Merrimack lost almost its entire rotation, and Iona lost five of its top six. Siena, Sacred Heart and Marist return enough of their best players to be the teams I trust most behind Fairfield.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Fairfield
2 - Siena
3 - Sacred Heart
4 - Marist
5 - Iona
6 - Mount St. Mary’s
7 - Quinnipiac
8 - Merrimack
9 - Rider
10 - Canisius
11 - Saint Peter’s
12 - Manhattan
13 - Niagara
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-Metro Team
Shariah Gailes, F, Canisius
Jillian Huerter, G, Fairfield
Kaety L’Amoreaux, G, Fairfield
Meghan Andersen, F, Fairfield
Paige Kohler, G, Fairfield
Mya Zaccagnini, G, Iona
Danielle Williamsen, G, Marist
Justine Henry, F, Marist
Alana Powell, F, Mount St. Mary’s
Aliya McIver, G, Rider
Nalyce Dudley, F, Sacred Heart
Oralye Kiefer, F, Sacred Heart
Francesca Schiro, G, Siena
Kaiya Rain Tucker, G, Siena
Nicole Melious, G, Siena
Fairfield
Record: 28-5, 19-1 Metro (1st, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Carly Thibault-DuDonis, 5th season, 102-27
Fairfield shared the regular-season title with Quinnipiac, beat Sacred Heart, Merrimack and Quinnipiac in Atlantic City for a third straight tournament championship, and then lost 79-60 to Notre Dame in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The Stags lose Janelle Brown, a senior guard who started 15 games and averaged 6.1 points and 3.1 assists, along with Christina Pham, who averaged 5.1 points; Sydni Scott, who averaged 5.0; Lauren Beach, a senior forward who averaged 3.6; and Alli Campbell, who averaged 2.6.
The four best players return. Kaety L’Amoreaux was the Metro Player of the Year and a first-team selection, averaging 17.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 2.1 steals, and she was also on the All-Defensive team. Meghan Andersen also made the first team, averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks. Jillian Huerter started 28 games, averaged 9.3 points, and shot 43.6 percent from three. Cyanne Coe made the third team at 8.9 points and 5.8 rebounds. Milou van Vliet averaged 3.5 points, Keyarah Gregory averaged 2.1, and Casey Prior is also back after not appearing in a game last season.
Paige Kohler is the biggest addition. She averaged 14.8 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for Bowling Green and started all 27 games. Nia Green averaged 14.8 points and 7.6 rebounds at UNC Asheville, and Lana McCarthy averaged 7.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 14 starts at Purdue. The freshmen are Addison Rhodes, Emma Rogers, Caterina Ravosa, and Gabrielle Vaughn.
Fairfield is first because it has the Player of the Year, another first-team player, and two transfers who each scored 14.8 points a game at their previous schools. No other team returns two first-team players, let alone adds that kind of scoring. The one open question is how the team shares the ball among so many proven scorers, and the Stags have enough depth to answer it. A fourth straight title is the expectation.
Players to watch: Kaety L’Amoreaux, Meghan Andersen, Paige Kohler, Nia Green
Siena
Record: 13-17, 11-9 Metro (5th, tie)
Coach: Terry Primm, 3rd season, 30-31
Siena lost 59-50 to Iona in the quarterfinals last year and ended their year on a sour note, losing five of their last seven. The Saints lost Genevive Wedemeyer, who started 19 of 20 games and averaged 9.1 points, along with Valencia Fontenelle-Posson, who averaged 6.2 points, as well as Alden Yergey, Jamariah Turner, and Garrisen Freeman.
Francesca Schiro is the main reason Siena is second. She was the Rookie of the Year and a second-team All-Metro guard, averaging 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.9 steals in 24 games, all as a starter. Nicole Melious started 30 games and averaged 10.7 points and 4.2 rebounds. Kaiya Rain Tucker, who was also on the All-Rookie team, averaged 8.1 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks. Caydence Hadley added 7.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23 starts.
Nila Giraud transferred in from UAlbany, Grace Sundback from Delaware, Karissa Antoine from Fordham, and Dani Garcia Gasco from Northeastern Junior College. Stella Ziogas, Dany Diaz, Alazne Canales, Ashari Emuze, and Myanna Hatchette are the freshmen.
Siena has three of its four leading scorers back and two All-Rookie players. That is the best returning core in the league outside Fairfield, and it is why I have the Saints second despite a 13-17 record. The question is who will play alongside Schiro, Melious, and Tucker, since Wedemeyer was a fixture in the lineup. If the new guards cannot fill that role, Schiro will carry too much of the load.
Players to watch: Francesca Schiro, Kaiya Rain Tucker, Nicole Melious, Caydence Hadley
Sacred Heart
Record: 13-18, 10-10 Metro (7th, tie)
Coach: Jessica Mannetti, 14th season, 192-195
Sacred Heart beat Saint Peter’s 47-34 in the first round and then lost 69-53 to Fairfield. The Pioneers lose Amelia Wood, a second-team All-Metro guard who averaged 13.0 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.1 steals, along with Sierra Johnson, who started 30 games and averaged 3.0 points and 2.0 assists, and reserves Esther Kursite and Faith Pappas, who each averaged more than 3 points.
Nalyce Dudley is back after averaging 12.4 points and 5.2 rebounds in 30 starts. Emma Kirby averaged 9.2 points and 7.1 rebounds; Sophie Nascimento made the All-Rookie team with 7.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.4 steals; and Missy Nuku averaged 5.1 points and 2.3 assists. Jordanna Schrecker, Kristen Phelan, and Montana Nicks return as reserves.
The best addition is Oralye Kiefer, a graduate forward who was on Merrimack’s All-Defensive team and averaged 10.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 24 starts. Katie Ledden comes from New Hampshire, Angelina Hodgens from Northwestern, and Mercedes Artaiz from Wilkes. Taia McMechan, Alexia Lauzon, and Selah Prignano are the freshmen.
I have Sacred Heart third because it brings back Dudley and Kirby and adds Kiefer, which gives the Pioneers three forwards who can score and rebound. Dudley and Kirby combined for 21.6 points and 12.3 rebounds per game, and Nascimento should take another step as a sophomore. Sacred Heart also finished two wins ahead of Marist in the league last season. The guard spots are the question, since Wood and Johnson were fixtures in the starting lineup, and that is the gap between third and fourth.
Players to watch: Nalyce Dudley, Emma Kirby, Oralye Kiefer, Sophie Nascimento
Marist
Record: 11-20, 8-12 Metro (9th)
Coach: Erin Doughty, 4th season, 33-60
Marist lost to Manhattan 64-55 in the first round of last year’s conference tournament. The Red Foxes lost three seniors who started most of the year. Lexie Tarul, a third-team All-Metro guard, averaged 12.3 points and 5.1 rebounds; Jackie Piddock started 31 games and averaged 7.0 points and 3.3 assists; and Ciara Croker averaged 6.2 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Ten players return, and the two best are young. Justine Henry was on the All-Rookie team after averaging 12.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 26 starts, and Danielle Williamsen averaged 9.8 points and started 21 of 22 games. Karly Fischer and Kasey Bretones each averaged 5.0 points, and Malea Egan, Chloe Escanillas, Julia Corsentino, Kate Robbins, Elle Bruschuk and Morgan Tompkins also return.
Claudia Clement Marsan, a senior forward, transferred in from Delaware, and Dilan Tubbs, a sophomore forward, comes from TCU, where she did not play last season. Catie Klemm, Madison Ohm, and Ryan Oldaker are Marist’s freshmen this year.
I have Marist fourth because Henry and Williamsen are a good pair, and eight other players return. The losses will show early, though, and the Red Foxes were 8-12 in the league, so the top four depends on how Henry handles a bigger role and who replaces Tarul’s 12.3 points per game.
Players to watch: Justine Henry, Danielle Williamsen, Karly Fischer, Kasey Bretones
Iona
Record: 20-12, 12-8 Metro (4th)
Coach: Angelika Szumilo, 4th season, 42-52 (8th overall, 114-97)
Iona beat Siena 59-50 in the quarterfinals and lost to Quinnipiac 63-62 in overtime in the semifinals. The Gaels lost five of their top six scorers. Zoey Ward, a second-team All-Metro forward, started 31 games and averaged 14.0 points and 8.9 rebounds. Isabellah Middleton, also a second-team and an All-Defensive pick, averaged 13.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.4 steals. Ella Fajardo averaged 8.2 points and 2.9 assists, Naomi Barnwell averaged 5.3 points and 4.2 rebounds, and Ale Civera averaged 4.0 points.
Mya Zaccagnini is the lone established scorer. She started 31 games and averaged 8.4 points and 2.3 assists. Claudia Fiel averaged 3.0 points and 2.0 assists; Adrianna Gonzalez averaged 2.9 points, and Arianna Davis, Chloe Vasquez, Nevaeh Stone, and Johanna Flores also return.
Anyla Herbert comes from Kilgore College, and Taylor Smith, a senior forward, comes from Wallace State and LaGrange. Kaitlynn Kenna, Olivia White, Giselle Grant, Sophia Hickey, Wilma Tuomi, Leah Matos Jimenez, and Alana Wells are the freshmen.
Iona has only one experienced scorer left and nine new players. I put the Gaels fifth because they won 12 league games last year and still have Zaccagnini. Ward and Middleton averaged more than 15 rebounds a game combined, and Smith and Herbert are the two forwards in the new group with college experience, so the front line will decide whether Iona stays in the top half.
Players to watch: Mya Zaccagnini, Taylor Smith, Claudia Fiel, Adrianna Gonzalez
Mount St. Mary’s
Record: 15-15, 11-9 Metro (5th, tie)
Coach: Antoine White, 6th season, 72-80
Mount St. Mary’s lost to Merrimack 62-48 in the quarterfinals, and now the Mountaineers lose most of their rotation. Gabrielle Kennerly averaged 15.1 points in 16 games; Amber Bullard averaged 9.2 points and 6.2 rebounds; freshman Berlynn Carlson averaged 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds; and Jaedyn Jamison started 30 games and averaged 5.1 points and 4.5 rebounds. Giana Hoddinott, who started 30 games, transferred to Rider, and Zaria Harleaux, Kayla Lindsey, and Erin Edmonds are also gone.
Alana Powell averaged 8.4 points and is the best returner. Wesleigh Ferguson started 17 games, Nyodie Guerard averaged 2.8 points, Teodora Ivanovic averaged 2.5, and Lenora Nkangwen is also back, which gives them a few players who know the league after so many departures.
Thelma Barbitch averaged 5.8 points at Charleston Southern; Nevaeh Ferrara Horne comes from San Francisco, Valentina Saric from Northern Arizona, Yacine Ndiaye from Rutgers, and Eva Andrews from N.C. A&T. The freshmen are Karmen McDuffie, Jayla Koser, Severyn Ferrara Horne, Kiyla Fowler, Giselle Wyche, and Rachael Chilicki.
Last year’s 11 league wins came with a different roster, and I do not think this one can match them. I have the Mountaineers sixth because they tied for fifth in the league last season, and Powell and Barbitch give them a starting point. Five transfers is a lot to integrate at once, though, and how quickly they produce will decide whether sixth holds.
Players to watch: Alana Powell, Thelma Barbitch, Wesleigh Ferguson, Nyodie Guerard
Quinnipiac
Record: 27-7, 19-1 Metro (1st, tie, WBIT appearance)
Coach: Roman Owen, 1st season, 0-0
Quinnipiac matched Fairfield’s 19-1 league record, beat Manhattan 59-43 and Iona 63-62 in overtime, and lost the final 51-44 to Fairfield. The Bobcats then beat George Mason in the WBIT before losing at Stanford. Six players who scored in double figures or close to it are gone. Jackie Grisdale averaged 12.5 points, and Ella O’Donnell averaged 11.4 points and 5.7 rebounds, and both made the first team. Anna Foley made the third team, Ella Ryan was on the All-Rookie team, Karson Martin was the Sixth Player of the Year, and Sydney Ryan averaged 8.2 points and 5.2 rebounds.
Paige Girardi started 28 games and averaged 4.2 points and 3.1 assists. Maria Kealy and Ava Sollenne also return.
Elle Snyder started 33 games at Evansville and averaged 3.8 points and 5.4 rebounds, and Payton Dulin comes from George Washington. Ana Ramos Pires is from Georgia State, Lilly Thomas from Missouri Southern State, Leila Washington from Cloud County Community College, and Kayla Hopson from Gulf Coast State College. Ava Thomas, Alanna Benoit, Imani Mullings, Mya Alston, and Uliana Doronina are the freshmen.
The Bobcats tied for the league’s best record and are now the hardest team to project. Tricia Fabbri retired after 31 years and 570 wins, and Roman Owen, UNLV’s associate head coach, inherits a roster made up mostly of transfers and freshmen. I have them seventh because they return only three role players, and the new coach has to turn the group into a team right away. The ceiling is higher than seventh if the transfers adapt quickly.
Players to watch: Paige Girardi, Elle Snyder, Maria Kealy, Ana Ramos Pires
Merrimack
Record: 19-13, 15-5 Metro (3rd, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Missy Traversi, 1st season, 0-0 (10th overall, 148-91)
Merrimack beat Mount St. Mary’s 62-48 in the quarterfinals, lost to Fairfield 65-48 in the semifinals, and then lost 68-65 to NJIT in the first round of the WNIT. Kelly Morrone was Coach of the Year and has left, and Missy Traversi, who spent four seasons at Army, takes over. Nearly all of Morrone’s best players are gone, too. Madison Roman, a first-team All-Metro forward, averaged 13.6 points and 10.9 rebounds; Paloma Garcia was the Defensive Player of the Year with 8.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 2.7 steals; and Lydia Melashenko was on the third team at 10.7 points. Oralye Kiefer is now at Sacred Heart, and Se’Lah Reddick, Molly Manion, and Daria Shishkina are also gone. Mia Fiore, who averaged 14.7 points in nine games, also left, transferring to Rhode Island.
Joi Williams, who averaged 4.7 points in 30 games as a freshman, is the only returner who played significant minutes. She started four games and shot 31.3 percent from three. Kristen Kelley, who appeared in 13 games and averaged 0.4 points, is the only other returner, making this a huge rebuild.
Naomi Wilson started 14 games at Winthrop and averaged 4.7 points and 4.0 rebounds. Emma Dibarboure transferred in from Western Michigan, Jamie Kent from New Hampshire, Kelsey Miller from High Point, Claudia Marina from FIU, Csenge Szomszed from Casper College, Olivia Borsutzki from Nebraska, and Olivia Vick from Trinity College. The freshmen are Abriel Grant-Caracas, Claudia Crespo, Mia Carmody, Samantha Grella, and Jenna Mishou. They have 13 new players on the roster this year, which is the most newcomers in the conference.
This is close to a full reset, with Williams and Kelley the only players back from last year. I have the Warriors eighth because they won 15 league games last year, and Traversi arrives after a 25-win season at Army in 2024-25 and two 27-win seasons at Adelphi, but 13 new players and a new coach is a lot to figure out at once. If some of the transfers are better than expected, Merrimack can move up toward the middle of the conference.
Players to watch: Joi Williams, Naomi Wilson, Emma Dibarboure, Jamie Kent
Rider
Record: 7-22, 5-15 Metro (11th)
Coach: Jackie Hartzell, 2nd season, 7-22 (13th overall, 247-105)
Rider missed the Metro Tournament last season. The Broncs lose Kristina Ekofo Yomane, a senior forward who started 29 games and averaged 11.7 points; Deb Okechukwu, who averaged 6.8 points and 5.4 rebounds; Emmy Roach, who averaged 6.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks; and Kaylan Deveney, who averaged 3.9 points.
Aliya McIver is the best returner. She made the All-Defensive team and averaged 9.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.2 steals in 37.8 minutes a game. Alena Cofield averaged 6.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 26 starts, and Aina Perez Mesquida averaged 5.6 points and 2.4 assists in 28 starts. Sam Richardson is also back, bringing the total to four returners.
Giana Hoddinott started 30 games at Mount St. Mary’s and averaged 6.7 points and 2.5 assists. Gabby Sweeney comes from Mercyhurst and Julia Karpell from Fairfield. Rebekah Hartzell, Millie Perry, Ainsley Gibson, Jordan Barnes, and Colleen Besachio are the squad’s freshmen this season.
Rider won five league games, so the bar is low. McIver and Hoddinott make a good backcourt, and Cofield and Perez Mesquida both started most of last season and should improve with another year in the league. I have the Broncs ninth, up from 11th, because McIver, Cofield, and Perez Mesquida give them a core that has played together, but five freshmen on a 12-player roster is a lot of the rotation to count on. If some of the freshmen can make an impact early, Rider can climb higher.
Players to watch: Aliya McIver, Alena Cofield, Aina Perez Mesquida, Giana Hoddinott
Canisius
Record: 5-24, 3-17 Metro (12th)
Coach: Tiffany Swoffard, 3rd season, 15-45
Canisius finished 3-17 in league play and missed the Metro Tournament. Franka Wittenberg, a senior who started 29 games and averaged 9.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, and Irene Rey Pineda, who averaged 5.9 points, are gone, along with Antionique Auston and Ileana Feliz, who each averaged 3.2 points.
Shariah Gailes led the Golden Griffins, averaging 12.4 points and 8.4 rebounds in 25 starts. Yasmine Djibril averaged 8.9 points and 4.7 rebounds in 28 starts; Corniya Clay started 23 games and averaged 4.8 points; and Mary Copple, Kelsey Bess, Molly Mescall, Alex Moses, Ari Parker, and Saige Randolph are also back, bringing the total to nine returners.
Maria Sánchez Pitarch averaged 3.0 points in 28 games at Northeastern; Jania Akins comes from Mercer, Sofia Vitucci from Harcum College, and Suzane Wembandjonga from Northeast Oklahoma A&M. Aubree Hupp and Celena Grant are the freshmen.
Gailes and Djibril are the two leading returners, and they will be the reason Canisius wins more games than last year. I have the Golden Griffins 10th because they return more players than any other team in the bottom four, but I do not see enough new talent for a big jump.
Players to watch: Shariah Gailes, Yasmine Djibril, Corniya Clay, Suzane Wembandjonga
Saint Peter’s
Record: 7-23, 6-14 Metro (10th)
Coach: Jennifer Leedham, 5th season, 25-95 (8th overall, 78-129)
Saint Peter’s lost 47-34 to Sacred Heart in the first round. De’Naya Rippey, a third-team All-Metro forward, averaged 13.6 points and 7.8 rebounds, and she is gone, along with Jayshlynn Vega, who averaged 5.8 points; Layla Laws, who averaged 4.6; Laila Grant; Reilly Sunday; and Louella Allana, who started 29 games and averaged 3.2 points and 3.1 assists.
Carys Roy averaged 7.6 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22 starts, and Nikola Zdenkova started 29 games and averaged 6.3 points. Eszter Turi, Jada Mills, Sierra Patricio, and Emily O’Connell are also back for this upcoming season from last year’s group.
Ineivi Plata started nine games at Florida Atlantic; Ebere Egbirika is from Stony Brook, Aniyah Neal from Quinnipiac, Bree Riley from Abilene Christian, and Lamaria Estridge from Shepherd. Soreya Yilmaz, Sophie Staunton, Layla Christopher, and Alexandra Wilson are the freshmen.
The Peacocks have a few role players back, but nobody who scored more than 7.6 points a game, and losing Rippey is a hit. I have them 11th, a spot ahead of Manhattan, because Roy, Zdenkova, and Turi give them a few players who know the league. The newcomers will be key to whether the Peacocks climb out of the bottom of the league.
Players to watch: Carys Roy, Nikola Zdenkova, Ineivi Plata, Eszter Turi
Manhattan
Record: 11-20, 10-10 Metro (7th, tie)
Coach: Heather Vulin, 11th season, 141-157
Manhattan beat Marist 64-55 in the first round of the conference tournament and then lost 59-43 to Quinnipiac. The Jaspers lost five seniors who accounted for most of their offense. Brianna Davis, a second-team All-Metro guard, averaged 15.7 points; Colette Mulderig averaged 10.6 points and 5.0 rebounds; Elisa Solé Sanchez averaged 8.5 points; Hana Mühl averaged 7.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists; and Agar Farres Garcia averaged 8.4 rebounds.
Kristina Juric averaged 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 17 starts, and underclassmen Celeste Harper and Ella Chandler return. With only three returners, Manhattan will look much different this season.
The new players will be the story of the season. Olivia Grgicevich Lassey comes from Collin College; Ruzgar Christina Boyle from American International; Jaelyn Choi from Bridgeport; Taylah Murtagh from Williston State College; Ana Zesati from Lamar Community College; Amanda Baumgarte from Western Wyoming; Laura Ring from Central Wyoming; and Laia Izquierdo Altimira from McCook. Bleu Kerr, Cortney Howell, Nisan Sel, and Kennedy Brown are all freshmen.
This is a complete rebuild, and Juric is the only established player. Most transfers come from junior colleges, so there will be a learning curve. I have Manhattan 12th, ahead of only Niagara. Vulin will need the junior college transfers to adjust quickly to the Division I level to avoid finishing last.
Players to watch: Kristina Juric, Celeste Harper, Taylah Murtagh, Laia Izquierdo Altimira
Niagara
Record: 1-28, 1-19 Metro (13th)
Coach: Tiara Johnson, 1st season, 0-0
Niagara won one game all season, and it came in league play. Jada Pierce stepped down in April after 11 years. Tiara Johnson, an associate head coach at St. Bonaventure, replaces her. The Purple Eagles lose Talia Dial, who averaged 11.7 points; Chasity Wilson, who averaged 8.5; Caliana Fenceroy, who averaged 5.5; Tyasia Freeman, who averaged 4.8 points and 4.8 rebounds; Jordyn Williams, who averaged 4.6; and Jade Rutledge, who averaged 3.9.
Kenedie Haruna averaged 6.1 points and 4.0 rebounds as a freshman; Katarina Veljovic averaged 4.3 points in 18 starts; and Jade Campbell and Jisca Bila are also back on the team under new direction.
Kimora Berry transferred from Holy Cross, Violeta Rojas from Ball State, and Liem Bastekar from Cisco College. Freshmen Kennedy Coles, Lauren Cooper, Lily Deng-Lual, Ava Jean Williams, Jalyn Moore, and Tania Barredo, along with sophomore forward Alejandra Rioja from Madrid, are also new. The newcomers will have to help lay the foundation for the future of Niagara basketball.
Veljovic has starting experience, but the Purple Eagles have a long way to go. I have them last again, with a new coach and a roster assembled over a few months. Rojas and Berry are transfers from Division I programs, and the guard group around them will determine whether Niagara can compete in league play.
Players to watch: Kenedie Haruna, Katarina Veljovic, Jade Campbell, Kimora Berry
Metro Round-Up
Fairfield is the clear favorite to win a fourth straight tournament title. Siena, Sacred Heart, and Marist have the best returning groups behind the Stags, while Quinnipiac, Merrimack, and Iona, three of last season’s top four teams, lost the most from their rosters. The bottom of the league is in rebuild mode for almost everyone, and three programs will show how their new head coaches handle it.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 Metro regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 13 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 18th. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 18th. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
