It’s Time to Give Women’s Basketball Their Flowers

This year at Loyola, there‘s one basketball team sitting above .500 as the final stretch of the season unfolds, but if you’re a student or fan at Loyola, you might not realize which one it is. 

Currently, Loyola women’s basketball sits at 12-11, with an 8-4 conference record for fourth in the Atlantic 10 (A10), riding the hottest streak of head coach Allison Guth’s tenure, winning six straight games. Compare that to men’s basketball who are currently 6-18, and there is a clear disparity in the success both teams have had, yet the fans still haven’t shown up for the women.

Feb. 3 men’s basketball hosted La Salle University in a Tuesday night matchup that saw Gentile Arena fill with 1,906 fans in attendance. At the women’s basketball’s game Feb. 7, the Ramblers didn’t fill half those seats, with 834 in attendance, even with the program hosting a family clinic before the game.

There’s no reason the women’s team should have so few fans.

As the beat writer for Loyola women’s basketball, I’ve seen this team go from the lowest of lows — losing five straight games after opening the season with a win — to watching energy exude as they’ve begun to play for each other during their latest six wins.

If you asked me when a switch flipped for this team — seemingly changing their fortune overnight — it would be Dec. 7 in a 58-45 loss to Western Michigan University. Guth, who whether win or loss, always takes time after the game to interact with players and their families rushed to the press room for the post game press conference.

As often the only reporter in the media room after games, Guth has never beat me or Loyola’s Sports Information Director Nick Shammas to the press room, yet she arrived before both of us. Her post game that day was of the same urgency, straight to the point.

“I’m incredibly disappointed with our performance today, and I’m gonna keep it short,” Guth said. “That’s how I feel, incredibly disappointed.”

Not only did this loss move the Ramblers to 2-7 on the season, but it was a personal game for the whole program as Guth faced her predecessor at Loyola in Western Michigan head coach Kate Achter.

While students went home for winter break, Loyola women’s basketball grinded and reached new heights in the Guth era. The Ramblers doubled their win total with back-to-back wins over Oakland University and rival Northwestern University. They then dropped three straight to end 2025 and start 2026 before ripping off wins in eight of their last nine games.

After a nine point fourth quarter comeback in a 64-60 win over La Salle Jan. 21, Guth spoke on a practice where it seemed the tide turned for Loyola.

“Practice number 67 is gonna be circled in my mind,” Guth said. “I gotta tell you, it was just the best practice that I’ve had in years with a group of competitors. It was the highest level practice from start to finish, and it was about a two hour and 15 minutes just grinder, and I was like ‘Wow.’ The level of play from each person, the commitment, it’s not just happening on game day. It’s happening in practice — they’re absolutely a joy to be around.”

There’s no one more deserving of this success than Guth. Unlike other coaches at Loyola, Guth takes the time after every game to recognize everyone in the arena.

She always recognizes the Band of Wolves, calling them “the best band in the land.” She always addresses the fans in attendance, either thanking them for their support in a win or promising a better result after a loss, and she even highlights the opposing teams coaches and players regardless of the final score. 

Most of all, Guth loves her team, routinely calling them “Team 47” as they are only the 47th women’s basketball team in Loyola history.

“To put that in perspective, this is the men’s 113th team,” Guth said. “I think we look at it as each season has a life of its own, and so we look at it like, ‘What do we want this team’s legacy to be?’”

Loyola has continuously put out strong performances at home since students returned from winter break with a 4-0 record. They’ve seen strong performers from young Ramblers in first-year guard and forward Alex-Anne Bessette who leads the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game (PPG) and second-year guard Alexa Kinas who appears to be a lock for the A10 all-defensive team with 10 PPG and 2.6 steals per game for second best in the conference.

On top of that, graduate guard Alexus Mobley has heated up, leading Loyola with 17 and 23 points in their last two games while fourth-year guard Kira Chivers leads the team on and off the floor, starting every game she’s been available for the Ramblers. 

This Saturday, on Valentine’s Day, those two will get to celebrate their time at Loyola. For Mobley it’s only been one year, while Chivers has spent her entire collegiate career with the Ramblers. 

So if you don’t have a Valentine this Saturday, and you’re looking for something to do, come support Loyola women’s basketball at 6 p.m., where they’ll go for their seventh straight win on Senior Night against Saint Joseph’s University.