Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Conference Tournament Preview

With the 2024-25 regular season drawing to a close, the Loyola women’s basketball team has the opportunity to grab the conference title at the Atlantic 10 Championship tournament in Henrico, Va. March 5-9.

The Ramblers finished last season with a 15-16 record, going 8-10 in conference matchups. They squeezed out a tight 53-52 win over Fordham University in the first round before falling to eventual champions University of Richmond in a 70-54 defeat.

With two games remaining in the season, final seedings and tournament matchups remain uncertain.

If the Ramblers maintain their 13th-place seeding, they’ll face off in the first round against the 12th-seeded George Washington University.

Loyola’s statistical struggles are evident, with their highest rankings reaching seventh at most in four categories — free throws made, 0.710, opponent three-point percentage, 0.308, assists 13.37 and steals, 7.85.

No Rambler breaks the top scorers or rebounders list, but graduate Nae Bernard ranks 11th in three-point field-goal percentage with a .394 average alongside 2.3 assists per game, good for 25th place.

Third-year guard Kira Chivers and graduate forward Sitori Tanin make appearances in league leaders, with Chivers recording a 14th-ranked 3.1 assists per game and 24th-ranked 1.2 steals per game. Tanin is 12th in blocked shots with an average of 0.9.

The opening round of the tournament begins at 12:00 noon CST when the 12th seed faces off the 13th seed. The first two rounds will be available to stream on ESPN+.

University of Richmond

In their lone matchup against Loyola this season, the Spiders walked away with an 85-45 victory amidst a 15-1 record. Their only loss came against Fordham in their second conference game, and they recently claimed A10 regular season champions 

After winning their first A10 title last season, Richmond — currently ranked 33rd in the NCAA net — has continued their strong form with an offense that averages a conference-leading 2,134 points. They were expected to repeat as champs in the A10 preseason poll.

They also lead the league in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage — 50.2% and 39% — alongside an average of 18.10 assists per game.

Three of their players — graduate forward Addie Budnik, third-year forward Maggie Doogan and third-year guard Rachel Ulstrom — were given preseason all-conference honors, with Budnik also making the All-Defensive team. Doogan led the offensive efforts with a third-best 17.2 points per game and a 55.7% shooting percentage

George Mason University

On the way to an overall record of 23-5 and 13-4 in the conference, the Patriots handily defeated Loyola in a single 69-39 matchup. Their home losses have come at the hands of Saint Joseph’s twice, Richmond and Davidson.

Entering the new season with four members awarded preseason all-conference honors — the most in the conference — George Mason is currently ranked third in both points scored and points allowed, with a total of 2050 and 1587 points, respectively.

Former Rookie of the Year and redshirt second-year forward Zahirah Walton has powered the offense with an eighth-ranked 14.9 points per game, while graduate forward Nalani Kaysia has run a tight ship with a fourth-best 9.5 rebounds per game and 31 blocks — sixth most in the conference.

Three players have 3-point field goal percentages landing them in the top 15 — one of them, fourth-year graduate Paula Suarez, is also second in total assists with 123.

Saint Joseph’s University

Saint Joseph’s demolished Loyola in the lone matchup between the sides 83-45. The victory was one of many in the Hawks’ 21-6 season record, with a 12-4 conference resume blotted by losses to Duquesne, VCU, Richmond and Rhode Island.

Saint Joseph’s has been effective on both sides of the ball. Offensively, they own a team-wide field goal percentage of 45.8% while dishing out the second-highest amount of assists with 482. Defensively, the Hawks own the second stoutest defense, giving up only 55.5 points a game while holding opponents to just 29.9 rebounds per game.

Preseason all-conference first team member and third-year forward Laura Ziegler has been the spark behind the Hawks, posting conference bests with 18.5 points and 11.1 rebounds per game, with a fourth-most 119 assists.

Alongside Ziegler is second-team all-conference fourth-year guard Mackenzie Smith, who has posted a ninth-best 14.9 points per game while shooting 48.0% overall and 44.9% from three — good for tenth and third-place rankings.

Davidson College

The only matchup between the Wildcats and the Ramblers this season ended with Davidson pulling away with a 68-51 victory. Davidson currently holds a 17-11 overall record and is 12-4 in conference with Richmond, George Mason, Saint Louis and Saint Joseph’s as their only losses.

Ranked fourth in the preseason poll, Davidson has the best 3-point defense in the conference, holding opponents to a 25.1% conversion rate. Their strong defense is also evident with a conference-leading 4.18 blocks per game, led by the efforts of fourth-year forward Millie Prior, who has a second-best season total of 34 blocks.

Alongside Prior, third-year guard Charlise Dunn and first-year forward Candice Lienafa have been active contesting shots, recording 27 and 14 total blocks, respectively.

Offensively, Lienafa and fourth-year guard Mallorie Haines have been shooting stars for the Wildcats. Lienafa has a second-best field goal percentage of 56.7%, and Haines has the second-best 3-point shooting percentage of 47.1%.

University of Rhode Island

Rhode Island defeated the Ramblers 67-49 in the two’s only matchup this season as they look to improve on their current record of 16-13 and 11-5 in conference play.

The Rams are three spots above their eighth-place ranking in the A10 preseason poll, with only two selections to the third-team all-conference team. A large part of their upward movement this season is due to their tough defense, which ranks first in 55.4 points allowed per game.

One of their all-conference members and All-Defensive honoree, third-year forward Anaelle Dutat, has recorded 7.8 rebounds per game — seventh best in the category. Behind her are fourth-year center Harsimran Kaur with 7.7 and redshirt third-year forward Howa Komara with 6.7.

The three have bolstered a squad, pulling in a conference-high 1,134 rebounds while only giving up 888 — third least in the A10 — while simultaneously recording 118 blocks.

University of Massachusetts 

Massachusetts has seen the biggest change from where they were placed in the preseason poll, having moved from 13th to sixth. They recently captured an 87-62 victory over the Ramblers amidst a 15-13 season and 10-7 in conference.

The Minutewomen have remained remarkably average, typically coming in seventh in general team stats. Of note is their opponents’ shooting percentages — Massachusetts has limited opponents to a 37.7% field goal percentage while simultaneously allowing opponents to shoot 34.1% from three, second-worst in the league.

Individually, third-year forward Megan Olbrys has moved the Minutewomen forward with an 11th-best 13.9 points and sixth-best 8.2 rebounds per game. Also appearing in steals leaders is first-year guard Yahmani McKayle, with a third-best total of 53.

University of Dayton

In two games against Dayton this season, the Ramblers dropped both — losing the first matchup 83-45 and the second 67-64. The Flyers have seen an improvement from their 11th-place preseason ranking, currently sitting in seventh with a 15-12 record, 9-7 in conference.

Dayton leads the A10 with the largest average attendance this year at 2,255 spectators — 500 more than the next-best Rhode Island — and has the sixth-best offense with 64.5 points per game and fifth-best 41.2% field goal percentage.

Despite no players earning all-conference honors, fourth-year guard Ivy Wolf ranks sixth in scoring, averaging 16 points a game. Alongside her is the versatile fourth-year forward Arianna Smith, who owns the 19th-best 11.9 points per game and leads the A10 in offensive rebounds with 111.

Accompanying the duo are graduate guards Rikki Harris and Nicole Stephens, who both cracked the top 25 players list in assists and steals.

Duquesne University

Duquesne and Loyola only saw each other once this season when the 17-10 overall, 8-8 in conference, Dukes snatched a tight 75-70 win over the Ramblers.

As a team, Duquesne — previously ranked sixth in the preseason poll — has the second-most effective offense in the A10, averaging 73.2 points per game, tied with George Mason. They’ve also been extremely effective at forcing turnovers, leading the conference in steals with 297 for an average of 11 per game.

The driving force behind the Dukes has been the play of all-conference first-team member, All-Defensive honoree and fourth-year guard Megan McConnell, who has the second-highest amount of points with 497 and ranks 10th in rebounds with 194. She also leads in assists and steals with 142 and 110.

Supporting McConnell are third-year guard Jerni Kiaku with a 16th-highest 333 total points and graduate guard Megan Hutcherson with a fifth-highest 31 blocks.

Fordham University 

The Rams handled the Ramblers in a 68-53 victory amidst a season where they’ve gone 14-13, with an 8-8 record in the A10.

Fordham’s strength this season has been in the paint, where they’ve commanded the most offensive rebounds with 417, albeit remaining in the middle of the pack in terms of total rebounds grabbed with the seventh-highest total of 1048.

Several Rams litter the A10 individual leaderboards, with all-conference first-team member and graduate guard Taylor Donaldson ranking 11th in the conference in total points — 366 —  alongside a seventh-best total of 46 steals and fifth-best 59 threes made.

The two-way play of graduate forward Irene Murua is present in the scoring and rebounding leaderboards, while fourth-year guard Taya Davis has the fourth-best total of 118 assists and 11th-best 44 steals.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Loyola was one of VCU’s early conference wins in the season, with a 62-44 victory. The Rams are the highest seeded team to currently hold a record below the .500 mark, with a slate of 12-16 while going 6-10 in conference play.

VCU’s offensive and defensive play ranks near the bottom of the A10 — both ranked 13th —  but their rebounding margin is a different story, as they rank fourth in the conference with 1050 boards grabbed and 912 given up.

The Rams have seen a five-point drop from their original fifth-place preseason position, but the duo of third-year guard Mary-Anna Asare and graduate forward Mykel Parham continue to perform after receiving preseason all-conference honors.

Asare has recorded 427 total points, 72 assists and 46 rebounds — good for eighth, 17th and sixth in their respective categories — while Parham has had a monstrous season in the paint with a second-most 292 rebounds and leading 38 blocks.

Saint Louis University

The Billikens have seen a five-rank drop since receiving fifth in the preseason poll, with a 12-16 overall record and 6-10 in the conference. The Ramblers defeated St. Louis 66-63 in their first meeting, while the upcoming rematch will be both’s final 2024-25 regular season game.

The winners of last season’s Women’s National Invitational Tournament, the Billikens lead the A10 with a 78.8% free throw percentage, while also recording the third-most rebounds at 1,094 and second-most steals with 288.

Graduate forward Peyton Kennedy, fourth-year guard Kennedy Calhoun and third-year guard Brooklyn Gray have been standouts for Saint Louis, with Kennedy and Calhoun both receiving preseason honors.

Along with honors, Calhoun has the third-most assists and second-most steals — 120 and 95 — while fourth-year forward Tierra Simon has a fifth-highest 243 rebounds and ninth-highest 27 blocks.

George Washington University

Loyola squeaked out a tight 67-63 win over George Washington, as the Revolutionaries have maintained the exact 13th-place ranking they received in the A10 preseason poll and may be the Ramblers’ first-round opponents.

Despite their record, George Washington has shown spurts of tough defense, as they’ve limited opponents to an average 38% field goal percentage and are first at grabbing defensive rebounds with 26.7 per game — their total rebound count of 1,079 is fourth-best in the A10.

Graduate guard Makayla Andrews is a standout — present in the top 25 scorers and rebounders with 297 points and 116 rebounds. Graduate forward Paige Mott and second-year forward Sara Lewis also break into the top 25 for rebounds and blocks.

La Salle University

The Ramblers’ first conference game of the season was a loss to La Salle, who, since the victory, have gone on to snatch one more win against Saint Bonaventure amidst an 8-21 season record with 14 losses in the A10.

Ranked last in the preseason poll, the Explorers, despite giving up the second-most points with 2,026, have recorded the most rebounds with 1,100, seventh-most assists with 368 and third-most steals with 285.

Redshirt second-year guard Ashleigh Connor has been a versatile figure for La Salle, appearing in the A10’s top 25 for scoring, rebounding, free throw percentage, assists and steals.

St. Bonaventure University 

The Ramblers grabbed their conference victory with a 57-40 win over the Bonnies in the middle of the season, who, at 6-21 overall, have only snatched wins against La Salle and Saint Louis for a 2-14 A10 record.

St. Bonaventure ranks near the bottom or last in nearly every statistical category, with the sole exception being their 3-point shooting — coming in ninth with a 31.1% shooting average on 164 made. Their free throw percentage is fifth-best at 73.5%.

Redshirt third-year Dani Haskell sits in the middle top 25 scorers with a 13th-placed 355 points. The Bonnies were expected to finish second-to-last in the preseason poll.