A new season is set to begin for collegiate women’s basketball. The MVC has seen some shakeup in recent years, with conference realignment bringing new contenders to the top.
With the regular season on the horizon, contributors Cristina Solano and Ethan Diamond rank the women’s MVC as we head into what is sure to be an exciting 2024-25 season.
- Drake
The defending Missouri Valley champions return, looking for their third straight appearance in the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. The Bulldogs won the MVC tournament in back-to-back seasons after placing first in the regular season standings last year.
The Bulldogs have shown no signs of slowing down heading into this year, as they return nine players from last year’s team. They boast two Preseason All-MVC First Team selections, including last year’s Player of the Year, Katie Dinnebier and Defensive Player of the Year Anna Miller.
Miller and Dinnebier headline an experienced group of players for a program that has not missed out on postseason basketball since the 2013-14 season, excluding the canceled 2019-20 postseason.
Defending two conference titles in a row and returning the core of those teams, the Bulldogs are an easy choice for first in the MVC.
- Belmont
Belmont has consistently been a strong program in the MVC with a well-rounded roster and effective coaching. Their offensive and defensive capabilities give them the edge to contend for the top spot.
During the preseason voting, the Bruins received three first-place votes. While the preseason predictions may have placed them below Northern Iowa, three out of the six players on the MVC Women’s Basketball Preseason All-Conference Second Team were Bruins.
In addition, Bruins head coach Bart Brooks has had an outstanding track record during his time with them. In his first six seasons, he led the team to a record of 146-46, including four Ohio Valley Conference Tournament titles, five conference regular-season championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances.
Such accomplishments have led to the Belmont Bruins taking the second post in the top three.
- Northern Iowa
Northern Iowa, our preseason pick for first in the MVC last year, underperformed based on our expectations and placed fourth in the regular season before falling to Drake in the semifinals.
The Panthers are back this year, seeking to avenge their loss and return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2017. They boast two preseason All-MVC First Team players with a pair of seniors, forward Grace Boffeli and guard Maya McDermott.
Boffeli and McDermott are part of an experienced group of five returning seniors, and they will look to finally get over the hump and bring Northern Iowa a conference title, something the Panthers have not won since 2011.
Northern Iowa’s experience helps earn them a spot in the top three of our rankings.
- Missouri State
Missouri State hasn’t quite reached the heights of their 2020-21 NCAA Tournament Sweet Sixteen appearance in the past few years, but they still bring a strong side into the 2024-25 season.
The Bears were moments away from dethroning Drake in the conference championship game last year, but a last-second shot ended their hopes of an appearance in the NCAA tournament.
The team’s lone Preseason All-MVC First Team selection is senior guard Lacy Stokes, who won Newcomer of the Year last season after averaging 12.4 points per game. The Bears will look to her as their leader as they look to return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2021-22.
With Missouri State looking to avenge their defeat in the conference championship game, it’s only fitting to give them a spot in the top five.
- Murray State
The Racers enter their third season of play in the Missouri Valley Conference, looking to build on their previous two years and continue to climb the conference ranks.
After finishing sixth in the regular season last year, the Racers eliminated Bradley in the first round of the MVC tournament before losing by just one point to Missouri State in the quarterfinals.
The Racers have a large group of newcomers but retained their leader, fifth-year senior forward Katelyn Young. Young, a preseason All-MVC First-Team pick, averaged 19.5 points per game last season.
Former Bradley guard Halli Poock could make a big impact among the newcomers. She averaged 14.9 points per game for the Braves last season and could snag a spot on this Racers squad, seeking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the second time in their history.
The Racers are creating a strong team that should be in the top five at the conference. They’ll be a side that could strongly challenge the teams ahead of them in our standings.
- Southern Illinois
Southern Illinois has shown significant improvements, with solid recruiting and player development. Their physical style of play makes them tough competitors in the conference.
Head coach Kelly Bond-White is going into her third season with the Salukis; however, her track record is not as revered as others. Last season, the team’s overall record was 11-20, with 6-14 games in the Missouri Valley Conference.
This season, another negative effect on the Salukis is that they lost forward Laniah Randle, who transferred to the University of Missouri. Randle was the first Saluki to earn the honor of MVC Newcomer of the Year and ranked second in conference scoring.
This series of unfortunate events leads to our ranking of the Salukis at the sixth slot.
- Illinois State
After winning the conference tournament in 2022 and being regular season champions in 2023, the Redbirds took a step back in 2024, finishing fifth in the conference before losing to Northern Iowa in the quarterfinals.
The Redbirds had a lot of roster turnover coming into the eight new players joining the program as they look to reload and return to the top of the MVC. Among this new group of players, forward Nevaeh Thomas could instantly impact this Redbird side. Coming from the University of Evansville, Thomas already has experience playing in the MVC and averaged 15.7 points per game for the Aces last season.
The most significant impact player on the team could be senior guard Maya Wong. She is the Redbirds’ lone preseason All-MVC pick and found herself on our team. She averaged 11.8 points per game last season and will look to lead the Redbirds back toward the top of the conference.
The Redbirds are expected to have a winning conference record this year as they look to reload and return to the top of the MVC.
- Bradley
Bradley has been competitive and is building a solid team. With key returning players and good depth, they have the potential to surprise higher-ranked teams.
A subpar record in conference play does, however, suggest a challenge for the Braves this season in being consistently victorious.
The Braves’ star player from the 2023-24 season, Kaylen Nelson, will return this season after a torn ACL took her out early last year. Nelson is tied for seventh highest scoring in Brave’s women’s basketball history and is projected to perform well. However, one wrong move can easily take Nelson back off the court for what would be her final season with the Braves.
Bradley may struggle to succeed if other teams in the conference show significant improvements or better overall metrics, bringing the Braves to rank number eight.
- Indiana State
Indiana State has had its ups and downs, but it has a few standout players who can make a difference in crucial games. If it finds consistency, it could be challenged for a higher spot.
One of those standout players is guard Asia Donald, who, before India, led the IHSAA in scoring during the 2022-23 season. During her time with Indiana State last season, she appeared in 30 games off the bench and scored double figures in five games.
However, head coach Chad Killinger has had nearly the same record with the Sycamores since the 2021-22 season, when the team averaged 11 wins and 20 losses.
The Sycamores struggled in their last several games of the previous season or failed to perform well in non-conference matchups, so they’re ranked ninth.
- Illinois-Chicago
UIC has been working on rebuilding its program. While it has potential, it may lack the depth and experience to compete with top teams consistently.
While UIC is ranked sixth in the MVC predictions and has an 18-16 overall record in 2023-24, the Flames must install critical areas to build on their success and improve their overall standing.
The Flames struggled with consistency, often alternating between strong performances and disappointing losses. To maintain momentum throughout the season, they must develop a reliable game plan.
- Valparaiso
The Beacons finished 10th in the MVC in the regular season last year and were eliminated by Illinois-Chicago in the first round of the conference tournament.
The team will be led by fifth-year senior guard Leah Earnest, who was selected to the preseason All-MVC Second Team. She headlines a young group of players looking to step up into key roles, as only three of the team’s five starters return from last year.
The Beacons haven’t made it to the NCAA tournament since 2004, and they’ll have some work to do this year if they want to end the 20-year drought.
- Evansville
Evansville has struggled in recent seasons. They’ll need to improve significantly to move up in the rankings, as they’ve faced challenges in both offense and defense.
In agreement with the MVC preseason rankings, the Purple Aces had a poor overall record of 4-28 in the 2023-2024 season, averaging 62.8 points per game.
The Purple Aces may be looking to have a brighter season ahead of them after hiring the new assistant coach Zhaque Gray, a Gray, who has championship experience.
Evansville is ranked last in the conference based on last season’s statistics and the MVC rankings.
