The Missouri Valley remains unchanged this season and returns the same 11 teams in 2026-27, but last season was anything but ordinary. Murray State went 19-1 in league play, won the tournament, and lost 99-67 to Maryland in the NCAA Tournament. #10 seed Evansville beat UIC, Belmont, and Illinois State to reach the final; Illinois State went all the way to the WNIT championship game, and Valparaiso finished 0-32. Bradley and Evansville open with new head coaches, and most of the league is working with a roster that looks very different from last season’s.
The Big Picture
Murray State went 19-1 in the league, Belmont was second at 16-4, and Illinois State, Northern Iowa, and Bradley tied for third at 13-7. Drake was sixth at 10-10, UIC seventh at 9-11, and Southern Illinois eighth at 7-13. Indiana State and Evansville tied for ninth at 5-15, and Valparaiso went 0-20. In the tournament, Murray State beat Indiana State 105-88, Northern Iowa 72-59, and Evansville 91-70 in the final, while the Aces knocked off Belmont and Illinois State on the way there.
Turnover decides most of this league. Murray State brings back four starters, led by tournament MVP Halli Poock, and Drake returns four of its top five scorers. Indiana State has 13 new players on a 15-player roster, Belmont lost its top five scorers, and Bradley and Evansville are breaking in new coaches. I lean toward teams that kept their top scorers or added players who already scored at their previous schools, which is why Murray State, Illinois State, and Belmont sit at the top of my order. The programs that lost the most sit near the bottom.
Skim Milkey’s Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Murray State
2 - Illinois State
3 - Belmont
4 - Northern Iowa
5 - Drake
6 - UIC
7 - Bradley
8 - Southern Illinois
9 - Indiana State
10 - Evansville
11 - Valparaiso
Skim Milkey’s Preseason All-Missouri Valley Team
Kenley McCarn, G, Belmont
Anna Becker, G, Drake
Hannah Chicken, F, Illinois State
Trista Fayta, G, Illinois State
Crystal Schultz, G, Indiana State
Halli Poock, G, Murray State
Haven Ford, G, Murray State
Keslyn Secrist, G, Murray State
Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, F, Murray State
Elise Jaeger, F, Northern Iowa
Jenna Twedt, G, Northern Iowa
Kayla Cooper, G, Southern Illinois
Julia Coleman, F, UIC
Nevaeh Foster, G, UIC
Allia von Schlegell, G, Valparaiso
Murray State
Record: 31-4, 19-1 Missouri Valley (1st, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Rechelle Turner, 10th season, 167-113
Murray State set a school record with 31 wins, then won the tournament by beating Indiana State 105-88, Northern Iowa 72-59, and Evansville 91-70. The Racers lost 99-67 to Maryland in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The departures are manageable for a team that won 31 games. Briley Pena started 33 games and averaged 4.9 points, and Braxcynn Baker, who averaged 4.2 points, is now at Southern Illinois. Jada Cook, Ellery Minch, and Gabby Spink also left.
Four of the five starters are back. Halli Poock, last season’s MVC Player of the Year, scored 22.7 points and averaged 4.4 assists. Sharnecce Currie-Jelks posted 17.5 points and 11.7 rebounds, Haven Ford gave the Racers 16.9 points and 5.6 rebounds, and Keslyn Secrist put up 12.9 points and 6.3 rebounds last season. Destiny Thomas, Cam Hoover, Jaidynn Askins, and Alice Magnanini round out the returners.
Turner added two transfers who should make an impact right away. Sophomore guard Sydney Huber scored 8.5 points as a freshman at Evansville, and junior guard Claire Johnson comes from Nebraska. The freshmen are Mary Grant, Katie Reed, Alli Linke, and Sophie Terry.
Murray State is my pick to win the league again. Poock, Currie-Jelks, Ford, and Secrist each started at least 34 games last season, and no other team in the conference returns this much scoring. Depth behind the starters is the open question, since several rotation players left, but four starters of this quality make it a small one. I expect the Racers to return to the NCAA Tournament.
Players to watch: Halli Poock, Sharnecce Currie-Jelks, Haven Ford, Keslyn Secrist
Illinois State
Record: 24-14, 13-7 Missouri Valley (3rd, tie, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Kristen Gillespie, 10th season, 181-109 (16th overall, 286-174)
Illinois State beat Drake 69-62 in the quarterfinals and lost 75-70 in overtime to Evansville in the semifinals, then reached the WNIT championship game and lost 66-41 at Marshall. It was the program’s first WNIT final, and the Redbirds won 24 games for the second straight year. The losses, though, are tough to handle. Doneelah Washington scored 16.7 points with 8.6 rebounds, and Addison Martin scored 12.5 with 5.8 rebounds, and both made the WNIT all-tournament team. Kya Hurt, at 7.7 points, and Bella Finnegan, at 5.9 points, have left as well.
Trista Fayta is the top returning scorer with 11.8 points, 5.7 assists, and 4.2 rebounds. Nevaeh Thomas averaged 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds in just four games. Jaeden Pratt started 33 games as a freshman, averaging 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds, and Grace Nelson scored 5.5 points per game. Madison Austin, Zanyra Adams, and Morgan Bruno are depth pieces.
Gillespie added four transfers. Jenna Van Schaik, a fifth-year guard from Mercyhurst, scored 13.9 points with 3.4 assists. Hannah Chicken, a sophomore forward from Portland State, posted 11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds as a freshman. Chloe Spreen joins from Indiana, and Ella Mason comes from Michigan Tech. The freshmen are Danyella Mporokoso, Kennedy Stowers, Madison Young, and Christina Köppel.
Illinois State is second because Fayta runs the offense and the portal class brought in two players who each scored in double figures last season. Washington and Martin were a big loss, but Gillespie has won at least 22 games in four straight seasons. I would be surprised if the Redbirds fell out of the top three.
Players to watch: Trista Fayta, Hannah Chicken, Jenna Van Schaik, Nevaeh Thomas
Belmont
Record: 20-12, 16-4 Missouri Valley (2nd)
Coach: Bart Brooks, 10th season, 218-80
Belmont finished second at 16-4, then lost 76-63 to Evansville in the quarterfinals. The Bruins lost all five of their top scorers: Jailyn Banks at 15.4 points, Hilary Fuller at 14.0, Avery Strickland at 13.0, Tuti Jones at 9.6, and Sanaa Tripp at 7.9. Emily La Chapell, Kensley Feltner, and Claire Hyde also left.
Quinn Eubank is the top returner this year, scoring 6.9 points and grabbing 6.8 rebounds in 31 starts. Fifth-year center KK Brodie added 5.2 points and 3.2 rebounds. Kate McGinnis and Leah West, who each scored 1.5 points, are back, along with sophomore guards Rylie Beers and Tatum Woodson.
Brooks went to the portal for experience. Kenley McCarn, a graduate guard from UT Martin, scored 16.3 points and grabbed 5.6 rebounds, and Katie Criswell, a graduate guard from North Alabama, scored 8.7 points in 32.3 minutes. Lauren Rust, a senior forward from Pittsburgh, posted 5.2 points and 6.2 rebounds. The freshmen are Chelby Jordan and Samiya Jones.
Belmont lands third. Brooks has won more than 85 percent of his conference games at Belmont, so I am hesitant to bet against his roster building, and McCarn gives the Bruins a lead scorer. Eubank and Brodie know the system. Losing five rotation players is a lot, and the chemistry will take time, but a top-two finish is within reach.
Players to watch: Kenley McCarn, Katie Criswell, Quinn Eubank, KK Brodie
Northern Iowa
Record: 18-14, 13-7 Missouri Valley (3rd, tie)
Coach: Tanya Warren, 20th season, 357-258
Northern Iowa beat Bradley 74-73 in the quarterfinals, then lost 72-59 to Murray State in the semifinals. The Panthers missed the postseason, ending a five-year run of national postseason appearances. Ryley Goebel, who scored 14.2 points and grabbed 8.0 rebounds, graduated, as did Taryn Wharton, who scored 7.9 points. Bri Robinson, with 8.8 points, and Virginia Edmondson, with 2.8 points, also left.
Jenna Twedt, a senior guard who transferred from Kirkwood CC, led the team with 14.7 points. Elise Jaeger led the team in rebounding with 9.7 and added 7.7 points and 2.8 assists, while Kaylynn Janes scored 6.8 points off the bench in 18 of her 32 games. Lauren Walker and Abby Tuttle scored 3.3 points and 2.6 points, respectively, as freshmen, and Mya Nicholson and Maren Schmotzer round out the returners.
The newcomers are Callie Levin, a junior guard who played 19 games at Iowa, and five freshmen: Harper Whetstine, Emily Larsen, Le’Sedra Williams, Taylor Franck, and Callie Oakland. Eight of the 14 players on the roster are guards.
I have Northern Iowa in fourth this year. Twedt and Jaeger are one of the league’s better duos, and Warren, the conference’s all-time wins leader, has kept the program in the top half in most seasons. Goebel and Robinson were two of the top three scorers, though, and the supporting cast is young. A return to the postseason is a fair goal.
Players to watch: Jenna Twedt, Elise Jaeger, Kaylynn Janes, Abby Tuttle
Drake
Record: 12-20, 10-10 Missouri Valley (6th)
Coach: Allison Pohlman, 6th season, 105-62
Drake’s first losing season under Pohlman was rough by Drake standards. The Bulldogs beat Valparaiso 81-55 in the opening round of the conference tournament before losing 69-62 to Illinois State in the quarterfinals. Abbie Aalsma, who scored 15.4 points, is no longer on the roster, and neither is Ava Hawthorne, who gave the Bulldogs 6.3 points and 3.5 assists. Shannon Fornshell also left.
Four of the top five scorers are back. Anna Becker put up 11.2 points and 4.6 rebounds as a freshman and started all 32 games; Grace Knutson scored 9.0; Maggie Taylor posted 8.4 points and 6.8 rebounds; and Brooklin Dailey added 6.8. Quinn Vice, Lexi Carlsen, Taedyn Gray, and Peyton McCabe deepen a group of eight returning players.
Pohlman added Allie Myers, a senior forward who played 27 games at Tarleton State and posted 2.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. The freshmen are Alex Couch, Grace Fincham, and Karis Finley, and redshirt freshmen Mylea Monahan and Mya Crawford also return after sitting out last season.
Pohlman won at least 20 games in each of her first four seasons, so last year looks like an outlier. Becker and Taylor are still developing, and Aalsma’s scoring is the hardest piece to replace. I expect Drake to return to .500 in league play, which is why the Bulldogs land fifth.
Players to watch: Anna Becker, Maggie Taylor, Grace Knutson, Brooklin Dailey
UIC
Record: 14-18, 9-11 Missouri Valley (7th)
Coach: Ashleen Bracey, 5th season, 66-69
UIC lost 76-71 to Evansville in the tournament’s opening round, ending a 14-18 season. Jessica Carrothers, who scored 18.0 points with 4.2 assists, has left, along with Amelia Strong at 7.7 points, Sara Zabrecky at 4.6 points, and Crystal Ortiz at 4.0 points. Carrothers, in particular, will be a tough player to replace.
Julia Coleman, a redshirt junior forward, led the group with 16.1 points and 7.4 rebounds. Tutu Clayton added 8.8 points and 3.0 assists, and Magdalena Winter, a 6-4 center, posted 5.7 points and 5.1 rebounds. London Walker-George adds depth at guard.
Bracey leaned on the portal. Nevaeh Foster, a senior guard, scored 12.0 points at IU Indy, and Salma Khedr, a junior guard, put up 10.4 points at Western Kentucky. Evyn Carrier is a 6-4 center from Toledo. Miyah Brown comes from Bellarmine, Lyla Kahrimanovic from McNeese State, and Aileen Becerril Landeros from Clarendon College. The freshmen are Danielle Brooks, Danyelle London, Mecca Crawford, and Aniyah McKenzie.
UIC sits sixth because Coleman is a star and Foster and Khedr bring scoring, but six transfers mean a lot of learning on the fly. The Flames have not finished above .500 in conference play under Bracey. That could change with this much added talent, but I will wait to see it before moving UIC higher.
Players to watch: Julia Coleman, Nevaeh Foster, Salma Khedr, Tutu Clayton
Bradley
Record: 20-13, 13-7 Missouri Valley (3rd, tie, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Chaia Meier, 1st season, 0-0 (17th overall, 189-191)
Bradley lost 74-73 to Northern Iowa in the conference tournament quarterfinals, then made its first WNIT appearance and lost 63-60 to George Washington. Head coach Kate Popovec-Goss left for Boston College, and the roster lost most of its scoring. Chaia Meier was hired as the next head coach at Bradley. Kaylen Nelson, who averaged 18.5 points, graduated, as did Tamia Perryman, who averaged 8.7 points per game. Maya Foz, at 14.4 points a contest, transferred to Grand Canyon, and Amy O’Hara at 6.1 and Micah Cooper at 3.1 also left.
Claire McDougall, a senior guard, is back after posting 9.4 points and 6.1 rebounds in seven games. Mya Wardle scored 7.3 points with 3.6 assists, Ellie McDermid gave the Braves 5.8 points and 5.7 rebounds, and Kali Fortson added 3.2 points and 2.9 rebounds. Caitlin Washington and Lila Posthuma are the other returners.
Charia Smith, a graduate forward, comes from Marquette, where she scored 3.3 points. Amani Abuhatab, a senior guard, comes from Mercy, and Carlota Rey Martinez, a junior guard, arrives from Southwestern Illinois College. The freshmen are Alice Veilleux, Journey Lovett, and Ashlee Monaghan.
Meier turned a 0-25 first season at Edgewood into a conference championship, but Bradley is a different level, and this roster is as new as any in the league. McDougall’s return and Wardle’s guard play will decide how quickly the offense settles. The WNIT trip last year and some experienced returners kept me from ranking them lower.
Players to watch: Claire McDougall, Mya Wardle, Charia Smith, Ellie McDermid
Southern Illinois
Record: 10-20, 7-13 Missouri Valley (8th)
Coach: Kelly Bond-White, 5th season, 37-85
Southern Illinois lost 81-69 to Indiana State in the tournament’s opening round. The Salukis improved from 4-26 to 10-20 and won seven league games, up from two the year before. Alayna Kraus, who scored 15.8 points, has left, as have Indya Green at 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds, Jeniah Thompson at 9.7 points and 6.9 rebounds, and Karris Allen at 4.0 points.
Kayla Cooper, a senior guard, scored 10.8 points in 34.0 minutes. Tkiyah Nelson posted 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 4.2 assists, and Kynnedi Davis added 3.9 points and 2.1 assists. Mia Gaines and Carmen Morales add size inside.
Bond-White added experience through the portal. Shakara McCline, a senior guard, comes from DePaul, and Braxcynn Baker, a junior guard, comes from Murray State. Raeven Boswell is a senior forward from Pittsburgh, Fredriecka Wallace is a senior forward from Kansas, and Yaiza Paredes Diaz is a junior forward from Eastern Wyoming College. The freshmen are Chellise Jones, Jamisen Green, Haeli Tart, and Lynelle Awou.
Southern Illinois is eighth because Cooper and Nelson give the Salukis a steady backcourt and the transfers add size, but Kraus and Green were the two best scorers, and nothing on the roster replaces that right away. Bond-White’s teams have won 12, 11, 4, and 10 games. Another small step forward would count as progress.
Players to watch: Kayla Cooper, Tkiyah Nelson, Shakara McCline, Braxcynn Baker
Indiana State
Record: 10-22, 5-15 Missouri Valley (9th, tie)
Coach: Marc Mitchell, 3rd season, 14-50 (18th overall, 273-222)
Indiana State beat Southern Illinois 81-69 in the opening round, then lost 105-88 to Murray State in the quarterfinals. The Sycamores finished with 10 wins after winning four the year before, and the scoring is nearly all gone. Tierney Kelsey scored 15.5 points, and Clemisha Prackett posted 10.8 points and 7.8 rebounds, and both need to be replaced. Kennedy Claybrooks, with 9.1 points and 4.7 assists, Samiyah Briggs with 8.0, Kayla Smith with 6.5, and Da’Naria Washington with 6.1 have left too.
Only two players are back. Jayci Allen, a fifth-year guard, scored 9.2 points and grabbed 4.1 rebounds, and Amerie Flowers, a junior forward, gave the Sycamores 7.7 points and 5.8 rebounds.
Mitchell rebuilt almost completely, with 13 newcomers. Crystal Schultz, a junior guard, scored 14.0 points at Prairie View A&M. Natalia Williams, a junior guard, posted 7.5 points at Chicago State, and Kristen McMillan, a senior forward, added 4.9 points at UNC Asheville. The junior college group includes Ashley Singhateh (Butler), Aaliyah Youngblood (San Joaquin Delta), Karsen Marshall (Mt. San Jacinto), Eanae Dagons (Eastern Arizona), Ariana Peagler (Mississippi Gulf Coast), Saroiya Ajomale (College of Southern Nevada), and Jazelle Young (Rock Valley). Allison McGill comes from La Verne, and Heaven Shockley from Evangel. The only freshman is Zoë Dispennette.
Indiana State lands ninth. Schultz is a legitimate lead guard, and the junior college group adds depth, but the Sycamores have 13 new players and just two who played here last season. Mitchell’s teams have won four and 10 games in his first two years at Indiana State, and the jump in year three depends on how fast this group meshes and how well the junior college transfers handle the improved talent. An immediate climb into the middle of the league would surprise me.
Players to watch: Crystal Schultz, Jayci Allen, Amerie Flowers, Natalia Williams
Evansville
Record: 10-25, 5-15 Missouri Valley (9th, tie)
Coach: Ben Wierzba, 1st season, 0-0
Evansville was the story of the tournament. The #10 seed beat UIC 76-71, Belmont 76-63, and Illinois State 75-70 in overtime before losing 91-70 to Murray State in the final. Robyn Scherr is no longer the coach, and Ben Wierzba, an associate head coach at Miami of Ohio, was hired in April. Camryn Runner, who scored 18.2 points with 5.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists, is gone, as are Logan Luebbers Palmer at 10.7 points, Breaunna Ward at 6.7, and Georgia Cox at 6.2. Sydney Huber is now at Murray State, and Kylee Norkus is at Valparaiso.
Avery Kelley, a junior guard, put up 8.0 points in 17.6 minutes over four games. Mireia Mustaros, a senior forward, scored 4.7 points and grabbed 2.9 rebounds; she started 10 of her 27 games. Kaiden Kreinhagen, a junior guard, played 25 games off the bench.
Wierzba’s roster is mostly new. The transfers are senior forward Marina Artero, who played 29 games at Louisiana, and junior guard Siena McNitt from Schoolcraft College. The freshmen are Nori Jamison, Kelyn Johnson, Casey O’Connell, Jayden Scott, and Maria Serrano.
Evansville’s run to the final was a great week, but the roster that made it is almost entirely gone, and a first-year coach is rebuilding on the fly. Kelley and Mustaros give Wierzba a place to start. The Aces sit tenth, and the first goal is simply finishing above the bottom of the table.
Players to watch: Avery Kelley, Mireia Mustaros, Marina Artero, Siena McNitt
Valparaiso
Record: 0-32, 0-20 Missouri Valley (11th)
Coach: Courtney Boyd, 2nd season, 0-32 (10th overall, 190-100)
Valparaiso lost 81-55 to Drake in the opening round to finish 0-32, and only four of those losses came by single digits. The Beacons lost four of their top five scorers: Fiona Connolly at 12.7 points, Milana Nenadic at 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds, Kayla Sullivan at 4.6 points, and Kamryn Winch at 3.8 points and 5.4 rebounds. Mikayla Huffine, Mor Shabtai, and Kayla Preston also left.
Allia von Schlegell, a sophomore guard, led the returners with 11.2 points and started 25 games. Maci Rhoades, a graduate guard who started her career at Radford, is back as well, and Autumn Dibb put up 2.4 points and 3.5 rebounds. Raeven Raye-Redmond, Isabella Anderson, and Nuala Connolly are the other returners.
Boyd turned to the portal. Hillary Offing, a redshirt junior forward from Purdue Fort Wayne, scored 8.4 points with 4.1 rebounds, and Maddie Vejsicky, a graduate guard, comes from Akron. Osadebamwen Igbinedion Omoruyi is a 6-4 center from UTEP, Kylee Norkus is a guard from Evansville, and Constanza Aravena is a guard from Miami Dade College. The freshmen are Dani Guedet and Jana Nogués, along with redshirt freshman Denza Allen.
Valparaiso is last because the Beacons lost four of their top five scorers, and most of the roster is new to each other and to Boyd’s system. Offing and Rhoades add experience, and von Schlegell showed she can carry a heavy load as a freshman. A few wins in Missouri Valley play would make this season successful.
Players to watch: Allia von Schlegell, Hillary Offing, Maci Rhoades, Maddie Vejsicky
Missouri Valley Round-Up
Murray State enters as the favorite, with four starters back from a 31-win team that won both the regular season and the tournament. Illinois State and Belmont sit behind the Racers, and both leaned on the portal to replace their top scorers. Northern Iowa, Drake, UIC, and Bradley make up the middle of the league for me, and all four could finish anywhere from fourth to seventh depending on how their rosters come together. Drake has the most returning scoring, UIC has Julia Coleman, Northern Iowa has Jenna Twedt and Elise Jaeger, and Bradley has the most uncertainty, with a first-year coach and a mostly new roster.
Southern Illinois, Indiana State, Evansville, and Valparaiso fill out the bottom four. Indiana State has 13 new players, Evansville is rebuilding around a handful of returners, and Valparaiso is coming off a 0-32 season. Bradley and Evansville start with new head coaches, and the first month of the season will show how quickly those rosters settle.
Editor’s Note: Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 Missouri Valley regular season and postseason. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 11 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of October 20th. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of October 20th. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
