The Big Sky enters 2026-27 as an 11-team league with some new faces. Reigning tournament champion Idaho returns Tournament MVP Hope Hassmann. Still, it has to replace Newcomer of the Year Kyra Gardner and top reserve Debora dos Santos, while regular-season runner-up Montana State brings back reigning MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Taylee Chirrick and a league-high 10 returners. The membership has changed too: Sacramento State left for the Big West, while Southern Utah, a former Big Sky member from 2012 to 2022, and Utah Tech both joined from the WAC, bringing the league to 11 full members.
The Big Picture
Montana State is the clear preseason favorite after a historic 27-8 season that ended in the WNIT, and the Bobcats bring back 10 players led by the conference's best player, Chirrick. Idaho completed a season sweep of the regular-season and tournament titles, beating Montana State in the final for its first regular-season crown since 2019 and first tournament title since 2016, before facing fourth-seeded Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament. Now the Vandals have to reload around Hassmann while facing roster turnover. Northern Colorado built a large transfer class around returning star Tatum West, and Eastern Washington poached guard Alyse Aby from Idaho State's roster. Montana and Weber State went the same route, rebuilding almost entirely through the portal.
The biggest blow hit Northern Arizona, where Naomi White, the nation's top freshman scorer at 20.8 points a game, transferred to Tennessee and gutted a Lumberjacks offense that already finished near the bottom of the league. The two incoming WAC programs arrive on very different trajectories: Southern Utah brings back a 19-win WNIT team with two of the league's best frontcourt players. At the same time, Utah Tech shows up with a brand-new coach and an almost entirely rebuilt roster.
Skim Milkey's Predicted 2026-27 Order of Finish
1 - Montana State
2 - Idaho
3 - Southern Utah
4 - Eastern Washington
5 - Northern Colorado
6 - Montana
7 - Weber State
8 - Northern Arizona
9 - Idaho State
10 - Portland State
11 - Utah Tech
Skim Milkey's Preseason All-Conference Team
Elyn Bowers, G, Eastern Washington
Jaecy Eggers, F, Eastern Washington
Kourtney Grossman, F, Eastern Washington
Hope Hassmann, G, Idaho
Ana Pinheiro, G, Idaho
Jocelyn Land, G, Montana
Avery Waddington, G, Montana
Taylee Chirrick, G, Montana State
Addison Harris, F, Montana State
Heather Baymon, G, Northern Colorado
Neenah George, G, Northern Colorado
Tatum West, F, Northern Colorado
Kyleigh Brown, G, Portland State
Brooklyn Fely, F, Southern Utah
Ava Uhrich, F, Southern Utah
Montana State
Record: 27-8, 16-2 Big Sky (2nd, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Tricia Binford, 22nd season, 386-261
Montana State is the preseason favorite, and I don't think anyone is particularly close on paper. The Bobcats return 10 players from a team that won 27 games and fell just short of a second straight tournament title in a 60-57 championship loss to Idaho. Head coach Tricia Binford, the program's all-time wins leader, welcomes back the best player in the conference, Taylee Chirrick, who swept Big Sky MVP and Defensive Player of the Year honors while averaging 17.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.1 steals a game. Her 145 steals set the MSU and Big Sky single-season record and ranked second nationally, behind only Notre Dame's Hannah Hidalgo. Alongside her is First-Team All-Big Sky forward Addison Harris, who put up 13.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, giving Montana State two of the league's premier returners.
The supporting cast also brings back experience and production. Guard Jamison Philip was a full-time starter as a freshman and averaged 8.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists across 33 games, and guard Isobel Bunyan matched her workload with 7.4 points a night. Forward Ella Johnson averaged 5.7 points and 4.4 rebounds while leading the team with 42 blocked shots, and Teagan Erickson added frontcourt depth at 5.9 points and 3.1 rebounds. Guards Dylan Philip and Brooke Fatupaito, plus Brianne Bailey and Kadynce Couture, all return, giving Binford one of the most continuity-rich rotations in the league. The Bobcats added four newcomers to round out the roster. Sophomore guard Braeden Gunlock, a Montana native, returns home after a season at BYU, and junior-college transfer Ebele Mbagwu joins after averaging 13.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists at Miles Community College. The freshman class includes Madison O'Connor, who finished second in her school's history in career points, and Emma Dongelmans, out of Oakville, Ontario.
Statistically, Montana State was among the league's elite on both ends last season, pairing an efficient, high-scoring attack with the conference's most disruptive defense, fueled largely by Chirrick's ball-hawking. The real question is how the core matures after a season in which nearly everyone already played major roles, but Chirrick's public commitment to return removed any doubt about the team's ceiling. With their MVP, a First-Team scorer, a shot-blocking anchor, and this much proven depth all back, the Bobcats look built to win both the regular season and the conference tournament in Boise.
Players to watch: Taylee Chirrick, Addison Harris, Jamison Philip, Ella Johnson
Idaho
Record: 29-6, 17-1 Big Sky (1st, NCAA Tournament appearance)
Coach: Arthur Moreira, 3rd season, 47-18
Idaho authored the best season in the league in 2025-26, going 17-1 in Big Sky play for the program's first regular-season title since 2018-19, then winning the tournament for its first NCAA berth since 2016 before falling to Oklahoma in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Second-year coach Arthur Moreira was named Big Sky Coach of the Year after guiding the Vandals to 29 wins and a 15-game winning streak. His up-tempo system produced a league-best 79.4 points per game, anchored again by the returning engine of that offense.
The centerpiece is point guard Hope Hassmann, the 2026 Big Sky Tournament MVP and a First-Team All-Conference pick who averaged 14.2 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.6 rebounds while crossing the 1,000-point milestone. She's joined by guard Ana Pinheiro, a Big Sky All-Defensive Team selection and one of the Vandals' most versatile returners, along with guard Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva, who put up 6.1 points and 4.1 rebounds, Ella Uriarte, a full-time starter who added 6.0 points and 2.9 rebounds, and Katlin Kangur, who saw a few minutes off the bench. But Idaho has to replace critical production from a year ago: Newcomer of the Year Kyra Gardner and top reserve Debora dos Santos, two of five Vandals who averaged double figures last season, aren't on the roster anymore. Dos Santos was a graduate transfer from San Francisco and Gardner a senior, both in their final year of eligibility, so their exits take a large share of the team's scoring and rebounding out the door; both averaged more than seven boards a game.
Moreira addressed the departures aggressively in the portal, adding forward Keanna Salave'a from Sacramento State, forward Alexia Dagba from Georgetown, guard Fatumata Djalo from Monmouth, forward Aniyah Riddell from Central Arizona College and guard Brynna Pukis, who came over from Long Beach State after averaging 5.8 points in a starting role for most of the season. Four freshmen round out the roster: Reese de Groot, Addison Wells-Morrison, Jacey Boesel, and Bailey Nettleton.
Every team in the league will have this game circled this year now that Idaho's the defending champion, and the season comes down to how fast the new additions mesh with Hassmann and Pinheiro. Moreira's coaching and that backcourt duo make a repeat trip to near the top realistic, but rebuilding the frontcourt from scratch is enough to put Idaho a bit below Montana State heading in.
Players to watch: Hope Hassmann, Ana Pinheiro, Ana Beatriz Passos Alves da Silva, Keanna Salave'a
Southern Utah
Record: 19-13, 11-7 WAC (3rd, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Tracy Mason, 9th season, 114-123
Southern Utah rejoins the Big Sky, where it won nine conference championships in 10 seasons from 2012 to 2022, as arguably the most accomplished of the two incoming programs. The Thunderbirds are coming off a 19-13 season, an 11-7 WAC finish and a WNIT appearance, and ninth-year head coach Tracy Mason returns a frontcourt that ranks among the best in the league. Forward Ava Uhrich earned First-Team All-WAC honors after averaging 14.6 points and 9.9 rebounds with 11 double-doubles, and forward Brooklyn Fely, who put up 13.1 points and 8.4 rebounds on 47.8% shooting with 10 double-doubles of her own, gives Southern Utah scoring at both ends of the floor.
The backcourt returns guard Devyn Kiernan, a WAC All-Freshman Team pick who led the team with 51 made threes at 38.3% and started all 32 games at 7.2 points a game. Guard Kortney Doman, forward Olivia Malafu, guard Morgan Trigueiro, forward Denver Anderson, guard Bella Hasan, guard Vallory Kuelker, guard Charli Kay, and forward Emily Scholtes give the Thunderbirds a very solid returning core. The one significant departure is leading scorer Sierra Chambers, who averaged 14.8 points and 3.8 assists before transferring to Nevada. To counter this departure, Mason brought in guard Melicia Nelson from Pima Community College, along with freshmen Amiah Lewis and Diana Sorrondo.
Southern Utah led the WAC in scoring and rebounding last season, and that identity of being physical, glass-dominant, and efficient should travel well to the Big Sky. If Kiernan or an incoming piece can offset Chambers' departure as a lead guard, the Thunderbirds have the frontcourt firepower to challenge for a top-three finish right away. Their mix of proven personnel, coaching stability, and postseason pedigree makes them a likely title-race factor in Year 1 back in the conference.
Players to watch: Ava Uhrich, Brooklyn Fely, Devyn Kiernan, Kortney Doman
Eastern Washington
Record: 15-18, 7-11 Big Sky (6th)
Coach: Joddie Gleason, 6th season, 83-76
Eastern Washington finished 15-18 and sixth in the Big Sky, reaching the tournament semifinals before a double-overtime loss to Montana State. Sixth-year coach Joddie Gleason, who guided the Eagles to the 2024 tournament title, brings back more talent than a sixth-place finish would suggest. The headliner is forward Kourtney Grossman, the 2026 Big Sky Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-Big Sky selection, who set the program's single-season rebounding record with 398 total rebounds, which was 12.8 per game, a mark that was fifth in the country, while averaging 14.1 points and posting 20 double-doubles as a freshman. Forward Jaecy Eggers, at 6-foot-3, returns as a starter after averaging 11.4 points and 7.7 rebounds with six double-doubles last season.
Guard Elyn Bowers is the top returning scorer, as she averaged 14.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as a full-season starter and does a bit of everything on the floor. Guard Caitie Gingras also returns, having started 29 of 30 games and adding 4.7 points and 1.2 rebounds. The Eagles do have to replace Second-Team All-Big Sky guard Ella Gallatin, who graduated after leading the team at 15.8 points a game while starting all 33 games, which will not be easy to do. To help fill it, Gleason added Idaho State transfer guard Alyse Aby, who averaged 7.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.8 assists a year ago and gives Eastern Washington a versatile, experienced ball-handler. Also back are guard Emily McElmurry, Emma Myers, Dylyn Dress, Deets Parrish and Madeline Gibbs. At the same time, newcomers include Portland transfer Camille Dake, freshman guard Jada Davis, and freshman forwards Grace DeHoog and Martina Gelabert Blanco.
Eastern Washington's identity is built on frontcourt rebounding and depth, and with Grossman, Eggers, and Bowers combining for three of the league's better returning scoring lines, the Eagles have as much returning firepower as almost anyone outside the top two. The question is how the newcomers fill out the roles around three proven players; if Aby's experience meshes quickly, EWU has the returning scoring to push into the top half of the league and challenge for third.
Players to watch: Kourtney Grossman, Jaecy Eggers, Elyn Bowers, Alyse Aby
Northern Colorado
Record: 23-11, 13-5 Big Sky (3rd, WNIT appearance)
Coach: Kristen Mattio, 6th season, 80-78 (12th overall, 234-113 career)
Northern Colorado won 23 games and finished third in the Big Sky before earning a WNIT bid, and Kristen Mattio has retooled around a star. Forward Tatum West returns as a Second-Team All-Big Sky and All-Defensive Team selection who averaged 11.2 points and 9.1 rebounds with 12 double-doubles while shooting 58.9% from the floor. She's the foundation of a Bears team built to compete near the top of the league again.
West is joined by returning guards Neenah George and Heather Baymon, both All-Conference Honorable Mention picks who provided perimeter scoring last season, with Baymon averaging 10.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 31 games. Two more names round out the group that some might overlook: forward Erin Powell was a full-season starter and averaged 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds, and guard Lilah Moore is also back after averaging 2.0 points. Around that group, Mattio added a well-stocked transfer class: forward Ericka Huggins from Delaware State, who put up 6.5 points and 4.9 rebounds in 22 starts; guard Ellie Magestro-Kennedy from Wright State, who averaged 7.3 points; guard Mia Galbraith from Texas State, who added 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds in 20 starts; and center Alex Pirog from Montana, plus freshmen Lucy Mead, Da'Nae Jefferson and Averie Varhaug. That's still a heavy infusion of experience around three players who garnered All-Conference honors.
The Bears' are a defense-and-rebounding team led by West's interior dominance, complemented by a solid transfer class and returning experience. The main uncertainty is chemistry, given how many new faces are entering the rotation. Still, the combination of an established star, a trio of returning scoring guards, and a well-regarded portal haul gives Northern Colorado one of the higher floors in the conference. A top-five finish is reasonable, with upside into the top four if the newcomers gel quickly.
Players to watch: Tatum West, Neenah George, Heather Baymon, Ericka Huggins
Montana
Record: 9-22, 5-13 Big Sky (8th)
Coach: Nate Harris, 3rd season, 18-30
Montana went through a difficult 9-22 campaign and an eighth-place league finish in Nate Harris's first full season as head coach, though the Lady Griz did scrape out one good late-season moment. They knocked off #7 Northern Arizona 61-60 in the tournament's first round, playing shorthanded with two starters battling illness, before running into #2 seed Montana State in the next round. Harris, who took over the program permanently after an interim stint, enters 2026-27 with a trio of returning scorers who could turn Montana back into their winning ways.
The key returner is guard Avery Waddington, a Second-Team All-Big Sky selection who's Montana's leading returning scorer and rebounder at 6-foot-3. She's not alone, though: guard Jocelyn Land put up 10.9 points and 4.9 rebounds as a 29-game starter, and guard Aby Shubert started every contest and added 6.6 points and 2.9 rebounds. Guard Rae Ehrman chipped in 7.2 points, Kennedy Gillette averaged 5.5 points in a rotation role, and Ava Cossette also returned. Montana lost several rotation pieces to graduation and the portal, including guard Mack Konig and forwards who transferred within the league: Alex Pirog to Northern Colorado, Maggie Hutka to Idaho State, and Draya Wacker to Weber State.
Harris reloaded through the portal, headlined by guard Dom Nesland, a two-time NCAA Tournament participant and Big South All-Freshman pick who averaged 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds at High Point, along with Utah's Alyssa Blanck, Wake Forest forward Kennedy Moore, Columbia guard Shay Shippen, and guard Paige Lofing, who scored 2.2 points a game as a Gonzaga freshman. The freshman class features in-state products Avory DeCoite and Kamryn Reinker, along with Hayden Kaut and Kate Holmquist.
Waddington, Land, and Shubert combined for nearly 25 points a game last season, and that is a strong core to return this season. This group has a higher ceiling than last season, and the foundation to build on is obvious. Montana's success depends on how quickly this team learns to win in the non-conference, but a return to the upper-middle of the league is plausible.
Players to watch: Avery Waddington, Jocelyn Land, Aby Shubert, Dom Nesland
Weber State
Record: 11-22, 4-14 Big Sky (9th)
Coach: Jenteal Jackson, 4th season, 32-63 (6th year overall, 66-84 career)
Weber State finished 11-22 and ninth in the Big Sky, and fourth-year coach Jenteal Jackson has to move forward without her best player. Forward Antoniette Emma-Nnopu, who averaged 14.3 points and 9.8 rebounds and earned All-Conference Honorable Mention, has exhausted her eligibility, and so has three-point specialist Lanae Billy, the two leading pieces of the Wildcats' rotation. That leaves Weber State replacing its interior anchor and its top perimeter shooter at the same time.
The good news is Jackson isn't starting from scratch. Guard Sydney White started all 32 games last season and led the team with 121 assists to go with 7.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 42 steals, making her every bit as much a key returner as Hannah Robbins, who averaged 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds across 24 starts. Forward Paris Lauro added 5.8 points and 2.3 rebounds, and forward Nicole Willardson chipped in 3.9 points and 3.9 rebounds, both also back. Junior Dakota Nap rounds out the returning group.
Jackson supplemented that group with a well-traveled transfer class, adding Grace Hintz from Montana State, Montana guards Draya Wacker and Adria Lincoln, Oklahoma State's Favour Onoh, UTSA's Siena Guttadauro, guard Celestine Segretain from Eastern Arizona College and guard Sidney Anderson from Grand Canyon. Freshmen Berkley Hart and Izabella Juarez round out the incoming class.
White, Robbins, Lauro, and Willardson together give Weber State more returning production than most teams in the league's bottom half can claim. That group alone is enough to project real improvement. Jackson's group has a track record of contributing. The transfer additions add length and versatility, so the Wildcats have enough proven production to climb out of the bottom third of the league, even if catching the top half remains a stretch.
Players to watch: Hannah Robbins, Sydney White, Paris Lauro, Draya Wacker
Northern Arizona
Record: 10-22, 6-12 Big Sky (7th)
Coach: Laura Dinkins, 2nd season, 10-22
Northern Arizona finished 10-22 and seventh in the Big Sky in Laura Dinkins's first season, and a huge transfer loss defined the Lumberjacks' offseason. Naomi White, the Big Sky Freshman of the Year, a First-Team All-Conference pick, and the top freshman scorer in the country in 2025-26 at 20.8 points a game, entered the portal and transferred to Tennessee, taking with her the program's single-season scoring record at 667 points and three-point record of 92 makes. Replacing that kind of production is nearly impossible, turning Northern Arizona into a rebuild.
The Lumberjacks still have three players to reconstruct the offense around. Guard Madison Watts led the team in rebounding at 6.9 a game, started 21 of 27 games, and averaged 10.4 points overall, and is the clear centerpiece. Forward Emma Dasovich started 15 games and added 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.0 assists, and forward Layla Davis, who transferred in from Cal State Fullerton before last season and started 17 games at NAU, contributed 5.3 points and 3.9 rebounds. Guard Alyssa Harris also returns, though her role was limited last season.
Dinkins then restructured the rest of the roster through the portal, adding guard Olivia Moore from South Dakota, guard Aaliyah Smith from Eastern New Mexico, forward Leah Bullard from UMass, guard Ray'ven Robinson from Georgia Southwestern State, guard Morgan Hawkins from CSU Bakersfield, forward Alondra Lizama from CSUN, guard Micayla Silas from Milwaukee, and guard Tianna Knighton from Central Arizona, plus freshmen Shayla Cordis and Naomi Johnson.
That's a high-volume overhaul, but Watts, Dasovich, and Davis give Dinkins a more established core to build from than the roster turnover potentially suggests, and Hawkins arrives as a proven scorer.. Still, losing a 20-point-a-game scorer without an obvious replacement while also winning just 10 games makes this an uphill battle. 2026-27 looks like a transition year in Flagstaff, with NAU projected in the league's lower tier as Dinkins integrates a largely new rotation.
Players to watch: Madison Watts, Emma Dasovich, Layla Davis, Morgan Hawkins
Idaho State
Record: 19-11, 12-6 Big Sky (4th)
Coach: Seton Sobolewski, 19th season, 305-248
Idaho State had a strong 19-11 season and a fourth-place league finish, but the Bengals face one of the steepest rebuilds in the conference. Coach Seton Sobolewski, entering his 19th season, has to replace both of his First-Team All-Big Sky guards, Kacey Spink and Tasia Jordan, the initiators of the offense, along with standout Piper Carlson and forward Alyse Aby, who transferred to Eastern Washington. That's a massive amount of production and leadership walking out the door at once, especially when you realize four starters left the program in the same offseason.
The most notable returner is guard Aspen Caldwell, who averaged 5.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 2.7 assists across 22 starts last season and provides continuity in the backcourt. Beyond her, the returning group includes guard Maeva Gauffrenet, who added 5.0 points and 1.3 rebounds, Milena Sucacuexe, and forward Ása Wolfram. Sobolewski leaned heavily on the portal and the international pipeline to reload, bringing in guard Bojana Radnjic from UCSB, forward Maggie Hutka from Montana, forward Taylin Serlen from Black Hills State, guard Skylie Barker from Utah State Eastern, and graduate wing Lilly Parke from Fairleigh Dickinson, along with freshmen Gia Vukona, Krystal Arnason, Aziliz Le Guen, Clare Valentine, Jazzy Wilkerson, and Emma Bryant.
Veteran guards carried Idaho State to that record, and nearly all of them are gone now, which points to a real step back this season. Sobolewski has been here before, and Caldwell gives him someone who already knows how he wants to play, but this many new faces rarely mesh right away. Expect the Bengals to land toward the bottom of the league while the newcomers establish themselves, with the ability to climb if the transfer class comes together faster than expected.
Players to watch: Aspen Caldwell, Bojana Radnjic, Maggie Hutka, Ása Wolfram
Portland State
Record: 6-25, 2-16 Big Sky (10th)
Coach: Karlie Burris, 2nd season, 6-25
Portland State endured a 6-25 season and a last-place league finish in Karlie Burris's first year, and the Vikings again project near the bottom of the standings as their rebuild continues. The bright spot is guard Kyleigh Brown, an All-Conference Honorable Mention pick who was the team's leading scorer and a nightly offensive focal point. With multiple 20-point outbursts, she is the clear centerpiece of the team for the upcoming season.
Brown has some returning production in the backcourt, too. Guard Laynee Torres-Kahapea put up 7.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists as a starter, giving Burris a solid second scoring option. Kirstine Munk, Kailee Field, Ryme Jaekel and Liv Collins round out the returning group, though Jaekel saw almost no action as a true freshman. The roster is young after several departures, including guard Taylor Moffat and forward Hannah Chicken, who transferred out. Burris focused on local recruiting and the portal to round out the roster, adding a trio of freshmen from Oregon's 6A state-title team, Tualatin, Alex Padilla, Jordyn Smith and Maaya Lucas, along with guard Sara Barhoum, an Oregon transfer who averaged 0.9 points in limited action, guard Teagan Colvin, who added 2.8 points and 2.2 rebounds at UNLV, and additional freshmen Aspen McClees, Emma Zuniga, Maile Starns, and Nihoa Dunn.
Portland State's challenge is clear: after finishing last in scoring offense and defense a year ago, the Vikings need complementary scoring and better defense around Brown and Torres-Kahapea. The infusion of local talent and experienced transfers gives Burris a foundation to grow, and continuity in the coaching staff should help. Still, the roster's inexperience makes a significant jump up the standings unlikely in 2026-27.
Players to watch: Kyleigh Brown, Laynee Torres-Kahapea, Teagan Colvin, Sara Barhoum
Utah Tech
Record: 8-18, 3-13 WAC (8th)
Coach: Adam Wardenburg, 1st season, 0-0 (2nd overall, 21-6 career)
Utah Tech makes its Big Sky debut under new leadership and with one of the league's most heavily reconstructed rosters. The Trailblazers went 3-13 in WAC play in 2025-26 and parted ways with their previous head coach; new hire Adam Wardenburg, who arrived from Air Force after stints at Utah Valley and as a head coach at Southern Virginia, was introduced in April 2026 and inherited only a handful of returning players.
As a result, Wardenburg rebuilt the roster almost entirely through the transfer portal and freshman recruiting. Guard Ellie Taylor is the top returner after averaging 10.3 points per game last season as a freshman. The incoming class is dominated by transfers, headlined by guard Ava Smith, who averaged 10.3 points and 3.3 rebounds as a starter at Bellarmine and is the most proven newcomer on the roster. She's joined by Aubrey Cook from San Diego State, Kendall Dykstra from Valdosta State, Sophia Zufelt from UTRGV, Maia Rhay from Western Wyoming Community College, and a College of Southern Idaho trio in forward Maci Hess, forward Savannah Stoker, and guard Calyn Wood, plus freshmen Alyssa Bowen, Gabby Gomez, Ella Seymore, Kyara Vargas and Eva Woodward.
Because of the near-total overhaul, the Trailblazers return very little proven production beyond Taylor. However, Smith arrives ready to score right away, and Rhay has proven herself in the junior college ranks. Continuity from last season is small, which makes Utah Tech the hardest team in the league to project. Given a new coach, a new conference, and an almost entirely new roster, it's the most likely candidate for the bottom of the standings in Wardenburg's first year. The upside is that Wardenburg has a track record of postseason success at his prior stops, and a clean-slate roster gives him the chance to install his identity right away, with Smith as an immediate scoring option to build around.
Players to watch: Ellie Taylor, Ava Smith, Aubrey Cook, Maia Rhay
What to Watch
Montana State's grip on the top of this conference and Idaho's ability to defend its title will decide more of this season than anything else. The Bobcats return the reigning MVP in Chirrick, a First-Team scorer in Harris, and ten total players off a 27-win season, giving Binford the deepest roster in the league by a wide margin. Idaho, meanwhile, won both the regular season and the tournament a year ago and kept Hassmann and Pinheiro. Still, Gardner and dos Santos are both gone, leaving Moreira to rebuild a frontcourt around a backcourt that's already proven it can win.
Everything else in the conference flows from that gap at the top. The individual race starts with Chirrick as the clear favorite to repeat, with Grossman, Bowers, and Uhrich all in the mix behind her. Eastern Washington quietly pulled Idaho State's best remaining piece off its roster, nabbing Aby in a single offseason, an indication of how much portal traffic moves within this conference and not just out of it. Southern Utah and Utah Tech enter as new members on opposite trajectories, one a ready-made contender and the other a full rebuild, and Northern Arizona's season is the clearest illustration in the league of how fast a breakthrough team can collapse once its best player leaves: Naomi White's transfer to Tennessee erases a program record and forces Dinkins to reconstruct an offense that was already near the bottom of the conference.
Editor's Note:
Records and conference standings reflect the final 2025-26 Big Sky regular season. Player stats reflect 2025-26 production, unless noted. All 11 rosters have been confirmed against official, live 2026-27 team pages as of September 15th. Coaching and roster notes reflect known offseason moves as of September 15th. Roster additions may shift rosters before the season opens in November and may affect the order as of this writing.
Check out the previous conference previews: America East, American, Atlantic Sun, Atlantic 10
