The Basics
Drake women's basketball will return to the floor for the opening weekend of Missouri Valley Conference play after a nearly two-week hiatus. The Bulldogs will hit the road for a pair of MVC matchups away from home. Drake is set to face off at 2022-23 Hoops in the Heartland champion Illinois State on Dec. 30 and at Bradley on Jan. 1 to ring in the new year.
 
Beware of Bair
Drake senior Maggie Bair has been stellar through the Bulldogs' first eight games. Bair leads the team with 17.3 ppg, 8.1 rpg, and a .679 field goal percentage. On Dec. 12, she became the second Drake player of the season to earn the MVC Player of the Week award and was also named to the NCAA March Madness Starting 5 after averaging a double-double in road tilts at South Dakota and Creighton. Bair's field goal rate currently ranks sixth nationally.
 
My, Oh Meyer
After a slower start to the season, guard Megan Meyer has blossomed recently. The former Iowa transfer is averaging 15.0 ppg over her last five contests including a career-high 25 in the Bulldogs' FIU Thanksgiving Classic opener.
 
Miller the Thriller
Sophomore guard Katie Dinnebier has been a sparkplug for the Bulldogs during their 2022-23 non-conference slate. She is one of four double-digit scorers with an average of 12.6 ppg and leads the team with nearly five assists per game. Her distribution numbers are good enough for third-best in the MVC.
 
Berg Goes the Dynamite
Indianola, Iowa native Grace Berg recently represented the Bulldog women's basketball team on the stage at Drake's graduation commencement ceremony. Berg has been an all-around contributor for the Bulldogs this season by averaging 12.8 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.5 spg, and a nearly 50% field goal shooting rate.
 
End of Non-Con Play
The Bulldogs' recent cancelation with No. 14 Iowa State marked the end of their 2022-23 non-MVC schedule.
 
Drake went 1-2 in three games against ranked foes this year. Their lone win came in blowout fashion over No. 22 Nebraska while both losses to No. 4 Iowa and No. 18 Creighton came by a combined 10 points.
 
Prior to this season's earlier triumph over Nebraska, the Bulldogs' last victory against a nationally ranked team was a 90-85 overtime win against then No. 12 ranked South Carolina, Nov. 24, 2018 for third place in the Vancouver (Canada) Showcase. It was the highest win over a ranked opponent for Drake since the Bulldogs upset then No. 7 Baylor in the second round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament in Waco, Texas.
 
Team Stats Leaders
As a team, Drake ranks in the national top 50 of these statistical categories:

• Def. reb./game - 1st - 36.6
• Assists/game - 3rd - 21.0
• Blocks/game - T4th - 6.2
• Field goal pct. - 5th - 50.4
• Reb./game - 10th - 45.9
• Scoring offense - 12th - 83.4
• Reb. margin - 17th - 11.2
• 3pt made/game - T40th - 8.1
• FG% defense - 47th - 35.8 

Scouting Illinois State
Illinois State enters MVC play with an overall record of 6-4. The Redbirds began the year on a roll, winning their first five contests including an overtime victory over Dayton on the road and a home win over the Big Ten's Wisconsin Badgers. The Redbirds have struggled more recently dropping four of their last five including their latest loss to Drake's season debut opponent Green Bay.
 
Illinois State's attack is led by former Drury University transfer and NCAA Division II Player of the Year Paige Robinson. The Illinois State newcomer is averaging 19.9 ppg on nearly 50% shooting from the field and three-point range. She also grabs 4.9 rebounds per contest and has dished out 28 assists, the second-most on the team.
 
DeAnna Wilson has been a great second option for Illinois State with 10.9 ppg and leads the Redbirds on the glass with 7.7 rpg. Mary Crompton is the Redbirds' third double-digit scorer with 10.4 ppg and an impressive 44.1% three-point shooting clip.
 
After six seasons at the Division II and III levels, Illinois State head coach Kristen Gillespie has found lofty success during her tenure in Normal. Gillespie has logged a record of 92-65 as a Redbird while earning a Hoops in the Heartland title and NCAA Tournament berth last season.
 
Drake leads the all-time series with Illinois State by a 49-38 margin. Drake has owned the recent installments with a 16-3 record in the last 19 matchups dating back 2014. Drake also dominated the Redbirds in the most recent tilt, a 104-62 drubbing in Des Moines last season.
 
Scouting Bradley
Bradley currently holds a 3-8 record so far this season. The Braves three wins include a home defeat of McNeese State and two triumphs over non-Division I opponent McKendree and Missouri Baptist. Bradley has dropped their last three bouts including a pair of games at the FIU Hoops Showdown in Miami, Fla.
 
Bradley is led by a pair of double-digit scorers in Caroline Waite and Alex Rouse. Waite leads the Braves with 13.6 ppg and shoots threes at a 36.5% clip. Rouse also contributes elsewhere with 1.5 steals per game, the most on the Bradley team.
 
Daija Powell and Isis Fitch have controlled the boards for Bradley so far this year with 6.0+ rebounds per game by each player. Powell also leads the Braves in the defensive paint with nearly a block a game. Elsewhere, Ruba Abo Hashesh leads the Braves with 4.2 assists per game.
 
First-year head coach Kate Popovec leads the Bradley women's hoops program. The former Northwestern Wildcat has earned a 3-8 record in the early stages of her first season in Peoria.
 
The Bulldogs have owned the historic rivalry with Bradley, earning a 65-18 all-time advantage. The Bulldogs have won the last three matchups with Bradley's last victory coming at the 2021 Hoops in the Heartland.
 
Up Next
Drake will return to the Knapp Center for their first home weekend of the conference season. The Bulldogs will host MVC newcomers Belmont and Murray State on Jan. 6 and Jan. 8, respectively, for Des Moines' Hometown Team Weekend.