DePauw has been tabbed the favorite for the 2022-23 North Coast Athletic Conference women's basketball season, based on balloting of the league coaches.

The Tigers, in search of their 10th NCAC title, earned six of the possible eight first-place votes to top the poll with 58 points. Oberlin collected the final two first-place votes and landed just two points behind DePauw totaling 56 points overall for second. Ohio Wesleyan earned third with 49 points, while Wittenberg (41) and Denison (33) rounded out the top five in the voting. Hiram (25), Kenyon (13) and Wooster (13) completed the eight-team field.

DePauw, a team that owns seven NCAC tournament titles, returns several key players from a squad that finished the 2021-22 season with a 23-4 overall record and perfect 15-0 mark in NCAC play. Senior guard Mya Shannon (Morris, IL/Morris), the 2021-22 NCAC Player of the Year and an All-NCAC first-team selection, will return after averaging 14.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. She also hit a team-high 38 three-pointers last season, connecting on 39.6 percent of her attempts. Joining Shannon is senior guard Maura Fitzgerald (Grayslake, IL/Grayslake Central), who returns after starting all 27 games for the Tigers in 2021-22. Last season, Fitzgerald averaged 3.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.8 points and 1.1 steals per game, while connecting on eight of her 16 three-point attempts.

The 2022-23 season begins on Tuesday, November 8, while the first league game is slated for Sunday, December 4. The NCAC Tournament will be held at the end of February with quarterfinals scheduled for February 21 and the semifinals and championship to be played on February 24 and 25.
 

2022-23 North Coast Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll (first-place votes in parentheses, followed by total points)
WOMEN
1.	DePauw (6)	58
2.	Oberlin (2)	56
3.	Ohio Wesleyan	49
4.	Wittenberg	41
5.	Denison	33
6.	Hiram	25
T7.	Kenyon	13
T7.	Wooster	13

 

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Denison Women's Basketball

The Denison University women's basketball team is entering new territory for the first time in over three decades years as Sara Lee (33 seasons, 503 career wins) announced her retirement from coaching following the end of last season. At the helm this year will be Maureen Hirt, who will enter her first year as head coach for the Big Red after coming over from her associate head coaching role at Oberlin College. The team that Hirt will try to shape into her own this season finished the 2021-22 campaign 9-14 overall and 7-8 in NCAC play, and qualified as the No. 5 seed for the NCAC tournament.

This year's team is filled with veteran leadership as the Big Red return 15 letter winners and nine upperclassmen. The key returners for the Big Red this year are four starters from last year's team, including senior post player Mikaila Carpenter, who last season was Honorable Mention All-NCAC after leading the team in both points (11.2) and rebounds (7.7) per game, senior point guard Hannah Wynn (5.5ppg), junior sharpshooter Francesca Sileo (5.6ppg) and do-it-all sophomore guard Maddie Goodman (9.6ppg).


DePauw Women's Basketball

DePauw returns nine letterwinners and two starters from last year's team that finished 23-4 including its 18th consecutive NCAA postseason appearance which is the longest active streak in Division III. The Tigers also finished 15-0 in NCAC play for their record fifth-straight title and ninth in 10 possible seasons.

Guard Mya Shannon, a D3hoops.com All-America fourth team selection, returns after averaging 14.6 points per game while hitting a team-high 38 three-pointers and shooting 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. Also returning is guard Maura Fitzgerald who started all 27 contests and averaged 1.8 points while also grabbing 3.0 rebounds, dishing out 1.9 assists and recording 1.1 steals.

Guard Ava Hassel came off the bench for the Tigers last year averaging 7.5 points per game in her rookie season as she knocked down 26 three-pointers and averaged 1.7 assists per game. Guard Moira McGinley played in all 27 contests and averaged 5.7 points, while guard/forward Ainsley Boras averaged 4.0 points and forward Lydia Stullken followed with 3.5.


Hiram Women's Basketball

The Hiram College Women's Basketball team has much to look forward to in the upcoming 2022-23 season, including an exciting schedule and two starters from among six returning letterwinners from last year's squad that finished 8-17 overall and 4-12 in the North Coast Athletic Conference.
 
The Terriers will be a young group, but valuable experience will come from the six returning players, two returning starters and a trio of transfers. Coach Alex Dellas is excited about returning starters Haley Thompson and Maddie Rakestraw, the number two and three scorers from last season. Thompson averaged 11.8 points and 6.2 rebounds per game a season ago, while Rakestraw averaged 7.8 points per game and converted a team-best 83 percent of her free throws.
 
In addition to the always rugged NCAC schedule, the Terriers' slate includes an exhibition game with Kent State University and tournaments in the John Carroll Tip-Off Classic (Nov. 11-12) and the Juniata Invitational (Dec. 30-31) in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
 
Other returning letterwinners include senior Taylor Valaitis, senior Iyana Smith, junior Anastasia Lawler and junior Kelsie Gaiser.  The six returning letterwinners represent 50 percent of the scoring from last season's team output of 60 point per game.


Kenyon Women's Basketball

The Owls will tackle the 2022-23 season with new leadership at the helm. Head Coach Mary Corbett and Assistant Coach Lexi Hassing inherit a squad that went 6-20 and was 4-12 against North Coast Athletic Conference competition. Kenyon finished seventh in the NCAC and fell, 61-59, against two-seed Oberlin College in the opening round of the NCAC Tournament.

The Owls return six of 14 letterwinners and two starters from a season ago. Kenyon's top returner is guard Katie Orefice, one of two seniors. Orefice earned a spot on the 2021-22 All-NCAC Second Team after averaging 16.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. Sophomore forward Claudia Cooke returns after tallying 10.9 points per game and leading the team with 221 rebounds and 34 blocks.

The Owls must replace three senior starters in Grace Connery (13.3 PPG), Madelyn Anderson (9.3 PPG), and Greta Propp (8.1 PPG), who combined for exactly 50 percent of Kenyon's points. Kenyon's first- and second-years will have chances to contribute as they make up three-quarters of the team roster.

The Owls' season opens on November 8 against Defiance College, with their NCAC slate set to start on December 4 against DePauw University.


Oberlin Women's Basketball

Oberlin is coming off a 21-4 season and returns four of its five starters headlined by 2021-22 Newcomer of the Year and first-team selection Camille Zinaich. The 5-foot-10 sophomore posted 11.6 points and a conference-best 9.8 rebounds per contest while also finishing second in the league with 4.2 assists per game.

Junior sharp-shooter Gina Lombard is back after earning first-team laurels last season after finishing second in the NCAC with an average 2.6 made 3-pointers while her 66 total triple-hits were also good for second in the league.

Sophomore Bryana Woodard, who was a second-team honoree as a rookie, was a dominant force in the paint, averaging a conference-best field goal percentage of 53.5 percent while leading the Yeowomen and finishing third in the league with 14.9 points to accompany her 5.7 rebounds per game.

Junior Alyson Jefferson will steady the ship at point guard while classmates Maggie Balderstone and Jaedyn O'Reilly provide additional support off the bench.

Five of Oberlin's first six games will be on the road with the lone home tilt coming on Wednesday, November 16 against Albion.


Ohio Wesleyan Women's Basketball

The Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball team advanced to the NCAC tournament championship game in 2022, eventually falling in overtime to close out a 21-7 season -- the team's highest win total under head coach Stacey Ungashick Lobdell.

The Battling Bishops return a pair of all-conference selections in junior guard Kasey Schipfer and junior guard Lauren Denison. Schipfer was a second-team all-conference pick after ranking in the league's top 10 in scoring and ninth in rebounding, while Denison won honorable mention status after ranking among the league leaders in 3-point field goals and scoring. Junior point guard Elizabeth Homan also is a returning starter. Homan ranked sixth in the league in assists a year ago. Sophomore wing Kelsey Wolfe led the league in 3-point field goal percentage. Sophomore wing Karlee Ross, sophomore post Alyssa Griner, sophomore guard Avery Maxeiner, and sophomore wing Chelsea Edington all were key reserves last year.

Ohio Wesleyan's schedule opens at Wilmington's Fred Raizk tournament, leading into the home opener against Defiance. The Bishops visit perennial power Washington (Mo.) for its annual McWilliams Classic, and will welcome Carnegie Mellon and Hope as part of Ohio Wesleyan's Hoops for Hope/Bishop Classic extravaganza. The NCAC schedule opens on Jan. 4 at Kenyon.


Wittenberg Women's Basketball

The Wittenberg Women's Basketball will return two starters this year, Jade Simpson and Kelsey Ragan. Wittenberg will be led by first-year Head Coach, and Wittenberg Women's Basketball alumn, Melissa Kolbe '99.

Last season, the Tigers won their ninth NCAC Tournament Championship in program history, with a 64-58, win over Ohio Wesleyan in the championship game. The win gave Wittenberg its first NCAA Tournament berth in seven years. The Tigers averaged 65.1 PPG, amassing a 19-8 overall record, including a 10-game winning streak to end the season.

Wittenberg is kicking off the 2022-23 season with an away game at Earlham College on Tuesday, November 8th at 7:30 PM. After the first three away games of the season, the Tigers will host the Yellow Jackets of Baldwin Wallace for their home opener on Friday, November 18th at 7:00 PM in Pam Evans-Smith Arena.


Wooster Women's Basketball

The College of Wooster women's basketball team is hoping to make some strides under second-year head coach Mary Kate Tierney.

The Scots went 4-22 overall and 3-13 in NCAC play a year ago, but they hope some fresh faces and key returning players can turn the ship around for a program that hasn't achieved double-digit wins since the 2009-10 season.

Junior Harley Holloway has been a scorer since she arrived on the scene, averaging a team-high 12.9 points per game in 2022. She returns along with classmate Alyssa Chritz who has proven to be a threat on the boards, averaging 7.7 rebounds a game.

The Scots also have a senior core consisting of Paige Wells, Namara Rwakatare and Riley Thorr who should all see significant playing time. Wells, in particularly, started in Wooster's last 11 games of the year. Additionally, six of Wooster's 13 roster members are newcomers.

The Scots open the season at Franciscan University and will host its annual Nan Nichols Classic from Nov. 19-20.