The MAC went from 13 teams to 12 this summer when Northern Illinois left for the Horizon League, and nearly every remaining program looks different than it did in March. Miami (OH) and Ball State shared the regular-season title at 16-2, and Miami won the tournament as the top seed before losing to West Virginia in the NCAA first round. Player of the Year Madi Morson is now at Arizona State, Miami lost three of its five starters, and Kent State has a new head coach. Does this league end up as top-heavy as it was a year ago, or does the middle finally move closer to the top?
The Big Picture
Only five of the 15 players on last year’s All-MAC first, second, and third teams are back with their teams: Ball State’s Tessa Towers, Miami’s Amber Tretter, UMass’s Yahmani McKayle, Ohio’s Bailey Tabeling, and Toledo’s Kendall Carruthers. Ball State, Toledo, and Ohio each kept most of their rotations, and I have those three at the top. Miami lost 37.7 points a game from three starters, and UMass lost its second and third-leading scorers, so both slide down a little from where they finished.
The bottom half is far less settled. Akron, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, and Central Michigan each lost more than half their scoring; Eastern Michigan lost its top rebounder and point guard; and Kent State is starting over under a first-year head coach. Akron, Western Michigan, and Buffalo combined for 19 wins last year, so this order will come down to which transfer classes help right away. Buffalo went 3-27, and Central Michigan went 18-12 and finished fourth, and I picked Central Michigan below Buffalo, which shows how much that roster changed.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Ball State
2 - Toledo
3 - Ohio
4 - Miami (OH)
5 - UMass
6 - Kent State
7 - Eastern Michigan
8 - Akron
9 - Western Michigan
10 - Bowling Green
11 - Buffalo
12 - Central Michigan
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-MAC Team
Grace Kingery, G, Ball State
Karsyn Norman, G, Ball State
Tessa Towers, F, Ball State
Aniya Rowe, G, Buffalo
Meg Lucas, F, Buffalo
Peyton Hill, G, Eastern Michigan
Fernanda Ovalle, F, Eastern Michigan
Julianna LaMendola, F, Miami (OH)
Amber Tretter, F, Miami (OH)
Bella Ranallo, G, Ohio
Bailey Tabeling, G, Ohio
Kendall Carruthers, G, Toledo
Faith Fedd-Robinson, G, Toledo
Yahmani McKayle, G, UMass
Kailey Starks, G, Western Michigan
Ball State
Record: 26-7, 16-2 MAC (1st, tie)
Coach: Brady Sallee, 15th season, 290-162 (23rd overall, 426-272)
Ball State shared the regular-season title with Miami, beat Bowling Green 75-63 in the quarterfinals, and lost to Toledo in the semifinals. The Cardinals lost Bree Salenbien, a first-team All-MAC guard who averaged 15.5 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals while starting 31 games. She led the team in scoring, so someone will have to step up and shoulder more of the scoring load. Alba Caballero, who averaged 4.1 points and 4.8 rebounds as a freshman, is now at UMass, and Zuri Ransom, a reserve guard, is at Western Michigan. Four other bench players are also off the roster.
The top four returners are the best in the league. Towers, a first-team pick, averaged 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds in just 22.6 minutes a game, so she could get more if her minutes increase. Grace Kingery earned honorable mention, averaging 13.3 points and shooting 41 percent from three, and Karsyn Norman started all 32 games, averaging 9.5 points and 4.9 assists. Aniss Tagayi made both the All-Defensive and All-Freshman teams, averaging 8.2 points, 5.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.6 steals, which is a great sign heading into her second year. Zhen Verburgt averaged 5.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, and Giorgia Gorini had 1.5 assists in 9.9 minutes.
Helen Holley, a junior from San Diego who averaged 3.1 points and 4.0 rebounds with 19 starts, is the most proven of the newcomers. Faith Walker, a junior guard from Duquesne who averaged 2.2 points, adds some backcourt depth. Klaske Miedema and Lilli Barnes are freshmen. I expect Barnes to make an impact early. Ball State has a small roster with only 10 players, which is a bit of a concern for me heading into the season.
I’m picking Ball State first because four players who helped carry the team to a share of the title are all back, and three of them have league honors to show for it. The big question is who runs the offense now that Salenbien is gone. Norman and Tagayi can split it, but they’ll need a few players to give them real bench minutes. Towers did what she did in under 23 minutes a game, so I’d expect more from her. Stay healthy, and I think the Cardinals share the title again, maybe even win it outright.
Players to watch: Tessa Towers, Grace Kingery, Aniss Tagayi, Karsyn Norman
Toledo
Record: 17-15, 9-9 MAC (6th, tie)
Coach: Ginny Boggess, 3rd season, 41-23 (6th overall, 95-66)
Toledo finished 9-9 in the regular season and then reached the tournament final as the sixth seed, beating UMass 67-56 in the quarterfinals and Ball State in the semifinals before losing to Miami 68-58. The Rockets lose Patricia Anumgba, a third-team All-MAC guard who averaged 13.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.9 steals while starting all 31 games. She’s the one real loss. Evyn Carrier, Alexa Hocevar, and Cadence Dykstra are also gone.
Five of the top six scorers are back. Kendall Carruthers was a third-team pick at 11.8 points and 2.9 assists, and Faith Fedd-Robinson earned honorable mention after averaging 11.5 points and 7.0 rebounds in 22 starts. Ella Weaver averaged 8.7 points in 26.8 minutes, Evalyse Cole averaged 7.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 22 starts, and Miriam Diala started all 29 games, averaging 6.9 points and 4.8 rebounds. Lizzy Puot and Camryn VandenBosch are back for depth. The group is balanced, and Toledo has plenty of depth.
Natiah Nelson is the best addition. She started 29 games at DePaul and averaged 8.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists. Judit Oliva comes from Long Beach State, where she averaged 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in 17 games, and Jyah LoVett played 35 games at Arizona State. Kiera Edmonds comes from Boston College, where she averaged 2.1 points in 24 games, and Reagan Wilson comes from Iowa State, where she averaged 2.5 points in 28 games. Destiny Robinson and Gabby Helsom are new to the program.
Toledo finished 9-9 and still made the final, so I don’t think this team was ever as average as that record suggests. Only one starter is gone, and Nelson arrives with 29 starts at DePaul. What I’m not sure about is who will be relied on to get a bucket when they need one. Nobody on this roster is a true go-to scorer, and that matters in a close March game, but the roster is full of players who could develop into reliable crunch-time options. Boggess won 24 games in her first year, and if this group plays like that, Toledo is right there at the top.
Players to watch: Kendall Carruthers, Faith Fedd-Robinson, Natiah Nelson, Miriam Diala
Ohio
Record: 18-14, 11-7 MAC (5th, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Bob Boldon, 14th season, 220-179 (20th overall, 318-267)
As the fifth seed, Ohio beat fourth-seeded Central Michigan 89-88 in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals behind a career-high 33 points from Bailey Tabeling, then lost to Miami in the semifinals and 62-58 in overtime to UMBC in the first round of the WNIT. The Bobcats lost two senior starters. Elli Garnett started 30 games and averaged 8.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, and Aliah McWhorter started 29 and averaged 7.6 points.
Everyone else is back. Tabeling made the All-MAC second team with 14.7 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.4 steals, and Bella Ranallo averaged 11.2 points and 1.9 steals, giving Tabeling a running mate and a very solid duo in the MAC. Monica Williams averaged 7.3 points and shot 42 percent from three off the bench, and Asiah Baxter started all 31 games for 7.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. ReRe Jennings had 5.8 points as a freshman, Gigi Bower scored 5.1 points, Danni Scully had 4.6 points and 3.5 rebounds, and Antonicia Moultrie had 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds. Vivienne Macheck, Madison Lim, and Cassidy Lafler are also back.
Irene Asensio Mañosa, a junior guard from UTEP who averaged 0.6 points in 24 games, is the only transfer. Kamie Ellis, Sienna Allen, Aubrey Pepper, and Blossom Wallace are freshmen, and I expect to see a few of them in the rotation early on.
Ohio is back almost intact from a team that won 18 games, and Tabeling and Ranallo give Boldon two guards he can count on every night. Rebounding is my worry. Garnett led the team with 5.7 a game, and no returning player averaged more than Baxter’s 4.6. If somebody emerges on the glass, the Bobcats can finish higher than third. If not, they’ll live and die with their guards, and I don’t think that is a bad recipe for success.
Players to watch: Bailey Tabeling, Bella Ranallo, Monica Williams, ReRe Jennings
Miami (OH)
Record: 28-7, 16-2 MAC (1st, tie, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Glenn Box, 4th season, 56-39 (7th overall, 120-70)
Miami shared the regular-season title, Glenn Box was named MAC Coach of the Year, and the RedHawks beat Kent State, Ohio, and Toledo to win the tournament. Amber Scalia was the tournament MVP. As a 13 seed, Miami then lost 82-54 to fourth-seeded West Virginia in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Scalia averaged 13.8 points, Ilse De Vries averaged 12.6 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks, and Tamar Singer averaged 11.3 points, 6.8 assists, and 2.6 steals. All three started all 33 games, and De Vries and Singer made the All-Defensive team, so the RedHawks lost their best defenders along with their scoring. Clara Gonzalez Planella and Macie Taylor, two reserves, are also gone. Scalia isn’t on the current roster, though she could return with a fifth year of eligibility; I’m not taking that into this projection.
Amber Tretter is the key returner. She was a first-team All-MAC pick at 14.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Núria Jurjo started 30 games and averaged 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds while shooting 42 percent from three, and Brooke Blumenfeld is back after playing five games.
Julianna LaMendola, a senior guard from Grand Canyon, is the best newcomer. She averaged 11.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 32 starts. Addison Baxter, a sophomore guard from Butler, averaged 5.9 points and 2.4 assists. Jaya McClure, a senior guard from UIC, missed last season with an injury and did not play at Ohio in 2024-25. Audrey Biggs (Pittsburgh), Lucía Martínez López (Xavier), and Jade Ondineme (Indiana) each played at least 18 games last season but averaged under two points. Brooke Zartman, Laia Jové, Dominika Ullmann, and Adela Plans Bellavista are freshmen.
Fourth is a fair spot for a team that just lost the three players who ran it. Scalia, De Vries, and Singer were most of the identity of this team, and one transfer class won’t replace them all at once. LaMendola has to become the second option next to Tretter, and someone has to run the offense the way Singer did. Baxter is my best guess, since McClure hasn’t played in a game in two years. I’d still never bet against Box, who just won Coach of the Year with a tournament championship. Fourth would be a good result, and if Scalia returns, they could finish higher.
Players to watch: Amber Tretter, Julianna LaMendola, Núria Jurjo, Addison Baxter
UMass
Record: 23-7, 15-3 MAC (3rd)
Coach: Mike Leflar, 4th season, 45-49
UMass finished 15-3 in its first MAC season and lost to Toledo 67-56 in the quarterfinals. The Minutewomen lost their second and third-leading scorers. Megan Olbrys was a second-team All-MAC forward at 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.7 steals, and Allie Palmieri earned honorable mention with 12.9 points in 28 starts. Lilly Ferguson, who averaged 5.1 points and 6.2 rebounds, is also gone.
Yahmani McKayle earned first-team honors after averaging 16.5 points, 4.9 assists, and 1.7 steals in 34.9 minutes. Ayanna Franks earned All-Defensive honors with 7.3 points and 2.5 steals in 29 starts. Chinenye Odenigbo averaged 6.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks, and Aiyanna Perkins shot 41 percent from three. Taylor Derkack, Jess Ross, Brooke Pulpi, and Eva Hannon return as depth.
Transfer Reagan Hurst started 25 games at Tennessee Tech and averaged 11.8 points, so she’s the most likely second option behind McKayle. Caroline Dotsey started 27 games at Butler and averaged 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds, and Caballero comes over from Ball State. Kiki Scott, Kylie Sooley, Tessa Gladieux, and Imani Shelton are freshmen.
McKayle is the main reason to take this team seriously. She’s one of the league’s best guards, and she played almost 35 minutes a game. UMass’s trouble is what fills in around her this season after losing some key contributors. Olbrys and Palmieri combined for 26.8 points a game, and Hurst and Dotsey will have to replace a good chunk of that. I’m a little worried about who will step up in the post, too, but UMass has a ton of options to sort through this year. If a few UMass players step up in the post, they should stay above the teams below them here.
Players to watch: Yahmani McKayle, Reagan Hurst, Ayanna Franks, Chinenye Odenigbo
Kent State
Record: 15-16, 9-9 MAC (6th, tie)
Coach: Fran Recchia, 1st season, 0-0
Kent State lost to Miami in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals, and then lost its head coach when Todd Starkey left for an associate head coach job at Arizona. Recchia, on staff since 2016 and associate head coach since 2018, was promoted to head coach. On the floor, Mya Babbitt, a second-team All-MAC guard, averaged 15.7 points and started all 28 games. Tatiana Thomas averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds; Dionna Gray started all 29 games and averaged 5.9 points and 4.9 assists; and freshman Rylee Kalocay averaged 4.5 points. All of those players are gone this year.
Some talent remains in the returning group. Janae Tyler averaged 11.2 points and 5.0 rebounds but played only nine games, and Corynne Hauser averaged 7.9 points in 16 games. Riley Rismiller averaged 8.1 points and 5.8 rebounds; Emory Klatt was the MAC Sixth Player of the Year with 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds; and Journey Hildebrand averaged 5.0 points. Anna Campanelli shot 42 percent from three, and Caitlyn Holmes returns.
Talia Harris comes from Mercer, where she averaged 3.6 points, and Da’Nia McClain comes from Robert Morris. Whitney Stafford, Lauren Bain, Sini Luukkonen, and Maddie Kiper are freshmen. I don’t think anyone here can replace Babbitt and her ability to stretch the defense sideline to sideline.
Kent State’s season comes down to health. Tyler and Hauser played 25 games combined last year, and when they were on the floor, they scored 19.1 points between them, more than Babbitt scored on her own. The point guard spot is also up for grabs, and I don’t see an obvious answer after Gray. Recchia has been in the building since 2016, so the transition should be smoother than most. If Tyler and Hauser stay on the floor, the Golden Flashes finish in the middle of the league again, and maybe a little better.
Players to watch: Janae Tyler, Riley Rismiller, Emory Klatt, Corynne Hauser
Eastern Michigan
Record: 13-16, 6-12 MAC (9th)
Coach: Sahar Nusseibeh, 3rd season, 15-43 (6th overall, 47-103)
Eastern Michigan improved from 2-27 to 13-16 in Nusseibeh’s second season. The Eagles lose Sisi Eleko, a second-team All-MAC forward who averaged 17.5 points and 9.9 rebounds, along with Brooklyn Thrash, who averaged 8.0 points and 4.8 rebounds, and Ainhoa Cea, who averaged 6.9 points and 5.9 assists in 38.3 minutes a game. All three were senior starters.
The Freshman of the Year is back. Peyton Hill averaged 14.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.1 steals, made the All-Freshman team, and earned honorable mention. Fernanda Ovalle averaged 12.5 points and started 27 games. Believe Tshibangu averaged 3.2 points and 3.5 rebounds; Oliwia Pelka and Alli Zajac were reserves; and Paula Balada and Sarah Rekowski return.
Ni’Rah Clark, who averaged 11.4 points and 5.1 rebounds at Akron, is the biggest addition. Zoe Guice, a guard from Division II Clarion, averaged 14.4 points, 4.3 assists, and 2.7 steals and made the second team in the PSAC West. She could be a key player on this squad. Chey McEvans, a Nevada graduate student, missed last season with an injury but will look to carve out a role this season. Molly Sisson and Anna Habra are freshmen. Ruby Brannon and Adrena Gordon also fill out the roster.
I like what Eastern Michigan has on the perimeter. Hill and Ovalle combined for 27.2 points a game, and Guice and Clark both bring scoring ability from their last stops. Rebounding is the concern because Eleko averaged 9.9 last year, and no one on this roster has come close. The Eagles also won 11 more games than the year before, so a letdown is a real risk. If they can hold their own on the glass, they move into the top half.
Players to watch: Peyton Hill, Fernanda Ovalle, Ni’Rah Clark, Believe Tshibangu
Akron
Record: 7-24, 4-14 MAC (11th, tie)
Coach: Ryan Gensler, 4th season, 27-62
Akron lost six of its top nine scorers. Ni’Rah Clark, who averaged 11.4 points and 5.1 rebounds, transferred to Eastern Michigan, and Keiryn McGuff averaged 9.5 points and 6.2 rebounds. Izzy Callaway, Liz Murphy, Natalie Johnson, and Maddie Vejsicky each averaged between 3.5 and 6.7 points, and none are returning, which puts pressure on Akron to find go-to scorers while also building depth behind them.
Shaena Brew made the All-Freshman team after averaging 11.2 points and 3.9 assists. Monique Mitchell averaged 9.3 points in 24 starts, Corinne Reed averaged 6.0 points and 2.0 assists, and Kam’Ren Rhodes and Teniesha Clarke are also back.
The transfer class is large. Macey Fegan started 34 games at Cleveland State and averaged 9.1 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. Jazzy Owens-Barnett averaged 8.0 points at North Texas, and Jessie Joaquim averaged 4.0 points and 6.9 rebounds at New Mexico. Ofir Parpara comes from Eastern Florida State, where she averaged 11.3 points and 5.9 rebounds after a year at UNC Wilmington. Tyla Heard comes from Oklahoma State, where she played 17 games. Annika Manthy comes from Richmond, and Christaesha Jackson from Cypress College. Kaylah Thornton and Kaylee King are true freshmen, while Kailee Bransford is a redshirt freshman after sitting out last year.
Akron is a hard team to place. The roster is deeper than last year’s, and the transfers have real experience, especially Fegan. But this was a seven-win team, and I don’t think talent alone fixes that. Brew and Mitchell need to keep getting better, and Fegan and Owens-Barnett need to play well from the start. If that happens, the Zips could have more upside than eighth. If not, it might be another long year in Akron.
Players to watch: Shaena Brew, Monique Mitchell, Macey Fegan, Jazzy Owens-Barnett
Western Michigan
Record: 9-20, 5-13 MAC (10th)
Coach: Kate Achter, 2nd season, 9-20 (11th overall, 113-186)
Western Michigan lost three of its top four scorers. Alli Carlson averaged 10.1 points and 4.3 assists in 36.7 minutes a game; De’Ahna Richardson started 23 times and averaged 7.6 points; D’Myjah Bolds averaged 7.1 points and 5.0 rebounds; and Ariana Wilkes averaged 4.8 points and 4.5 rebounds. Mary Clare Brusek, a senior reserve, averaged 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds. Irene Trujillo, Emma Dibarboure, and Olivia Flynn are also off the roster, though none of them averaged more than 1.4 points.
Kailey Starks averaged 12.8 points as a sophomore and leads the returners. Alli Harness averaged 6.6 points, and Nile Muguira Orbe averaged 5.2 points in 25 starts. Those three are the only players back from last year, so Western Michigan has to build around them.
The Broncos added Zuri Ransom from Ball State, Faith Wiseman from Indiana, Emily Van Timmeren from Miami, and Morasha Wiggins from Arizona State. Kaylyn Buchanon, a senior guard, started every game at Division II Dominican last season and also transfers in. Vanessa Rodriguez, Casey Vyverman, Ava Rodriguez, May Revahe, and Isabella Miljkovic are freshmen.
Starks is good, and I wouldn’t be surprised if she ends up on an all-conference team. The question is everyone else. Her 12.8 points a game were nearly double what the next returner, Harness, scored, so she needs help. Ransom has MAC experience, and Buchanon started every game at Dominican, so the team has options. Wiseman and Wiggins will likely be thrust into roles where they will be counted on to impact the game early and often. This team could finish anywhere from sixth to twelfth depending on how quickly the newcomers settle in.
Players to watch: Kailey Starks, Alli Harness, Faith Wiseman, Zuri Ransom
Bowling Green
Record: 17-14, 9-9 MAC (6th, tie)
Coach: Fred Chmiel, 4th season, 51-42
Bowling Green lost to Ball State 75-63 in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals and then lost the league’s Defensive Player of the Year and four of its top six scorers. Johnea Donahue, who transferred to Georgetown, averaged 11.0 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 4.3 steals; Paige Kohler, who transferred to Fairfield, was a third-team pick at 14.9 points and recorded the first triple-double in program history; Kaia Woods averaged 7.7 points; and Taya Ellis averaged 6.2 points and 6.5 rebounds. Jasmine Fearne is also gone.
Lauren Gerken leads the returners with 10.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks. Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick averaged 3.9 points, Jaedyn Cook averaged 3.1 points, and Ky’Aira Miller averaged 2.5 points. Nine newcomers join them: Sophie Alexander, Sol Depetris, Aurelie Vanderstraeten, Kayla Stidham, Mar Segura, Carol Silva, Mafalda Monteiro, Sara Caetano, and Eugenia Ngungo, a junior center from Clarendon College. Eight of the nine are freshmen, and Ngungo is the only one with junior college experience.
This is a rebuild around Gerken, and I don’t think it’s much more complicated than that. She was the only returner who averaged more than four points a game. With so many new faces around her, I would expect some rough nights early. However, some of the new players have potential, and the good news is Chmiel has a winning record here, so staying out of the bottom two or three is a realistic goal.
Players to watch: Lauren Gerken, Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick, Ky’Aira Miller, Mafalda Monteiro
Buffalo
Record: 3-27, 1-17 MAC (13th)
Coach: Kristen Sharkey, 2nd season, 3-27
Buffalo won three of 30 games in Sharkey’s first year, and now loses four rotation players. Paula Lopez started 29 games and averaged 7.9 points, Janyah Bohanon averaged 5.5 points, Gabby McDuffie averaged 4.3 points, and Amber Howard averaged 3.0 points and 3.9 rebounds.
The young core is why you should look at this team. Aniya Rowe made the All-Freshman team after averaging 12.6 points, 3.5 assists, and 1.9 steals. Meg Lucas averaged 9.9 points and 9.6 rebounds as a freshman; Deana Thompson averaged 7.2 points in 12 starts; Ella Corry averaged 6.2 points in 16 starts; and Diann Jackson averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds. Lucas, Thompson, Corry, and Jackson were all freshmen.
Asia Wilson, a guard from Holy Cross, averaged 3.0 points and is the only newcomer with Division I experience. Briana Young comes from Schoolcraft College, and Oyinkansola Soetan comes from Salt Lake Community College. Ava LaMonica, Natavia Alber, Annabelle Day, Jadeah Marshall, Ella Wickstrom, and Layla Hearne are first-year players, and Kyleigh Hall is also on the roster.
I keep coming back to Rowe and Lucas. As freshmen, they combined for 22.5 points per game last season, and both are back. Thompson and Corry should be better too. Buffalo won’t climb the standings overnight, but I think the Bulls will win more than three games this year and pass at least one team.
Players to watch: Aniya Rowe, Meg Lucas, Deana Thompson, Ella Corry
Central Michigan
Record: 18-12, 12-6 MAC (4th)
Coach: Kristin Haynie, 4th season, 36-50
Central Michigan lost 89-88 to Ohio in the MAC Tournament quarterfinals and then lost five of its top six scorers. Madi Morson was the MAC Player of the Year and a first-team selection after averaging 20.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 assists, and she has transferred to Arizona State. Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, a second-team pick at 14.9 points and 7.1 rebounds, also transferred to Arizona State. Demetria Prewitt averaged 7.7 points, Nekhu Mitchell averaged 7.6 points, Taylor Anderson averaged 6.2 points and grabbed 9.8 rebounds, and Zareia Chevre averaged 4.2 points.
The returners are Lilah Turnbull, who averaged 5.1 points and started 22 games as a freshman; Jayda Mosley, who averaged 4.7 points and shot 40 percent from three; Riley Smith, Rylan Buschell, and Taylor Johnson. None of the five averaged more than 5.1 points. Kara Bartels, a senior who redshirted last season after two years at Lansing Community College, is also on the roster.
Summer Davis and Indya Davis arrive together from Georgetown, where Summer averaged 5.2 points and 1.3 steals. Nevaeh Williams, a point guard from Division II Davenport, set a career-high 13.0 points per game and led her team with 58 steals; Jailenn Green, a guard from Division II Saint Leo, averaged 13.4 points and more than two steals. Sarah Brown, Audrey Parker, and Jawelle Daquin are freshmen.
Picking a fourth-place team last is an aggressive call, and I’ll be happy to be wrong. But Morson and Darrington combined for 35.4 points a game, and both are at Arizona State now. Everyone coming back scored 5.1 or fewer, so the newcomers have to carry the scoring. Turnbull and Mosley need to grow quickly, the Davis transfers have to produce right away, and a couple of the others need to be ready. That’s a lot to ask of a new roster, and if the Division II transfers don’t adjust well, this could be a long season.
Players to watch: Lilah Turnbull, Summer Davis, Jailenn Green, Nevaeh Williams
MAC Round-Up
Ball State, Toledo, and Ohio have the most continuity and are my top three picks, with Miami and UMass right behind them. Miami’s 28 wins and the league tournament title will be hard to match without Scalia, De Vries, and Singer, but I wouldn’t count out a team with Tretter and Box. Further down, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, and Akron have enough to land in the middle of the league. Meanwhile, Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Buffalo, and Central Michigan rely on players who haven’t been tested at this level yet. I think this league has three clear tiers once again.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 MAC regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 12 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 15th. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 15th. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
