The Basics
A new era of Drake women's basketball is here as the Bulldogs look to get back to postseason glory in the 2025-26 campaign. Drake begins its march through a challenging non-conference slate next week with a trip to Eastern Illinois (Nov. 3) and a visit from former MVC rival Creighton the following weekend (Nov. 9)
 
Bulldog Bites
Drake is coming off a 21-10 season, including a 15-5 mark in Missouri Valley Conference play, in Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman's fourth year at the helm. Last year, Pohlman became the only coach in program history to lead the Dogs to at least 20 wins in their first four years at the helm. The Bulldogs also qualified for their first-ever appearance in the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament which features a field of 32 teams that did not qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
 
Drake was one of five Valley teams inside the top 100 of the 2024-25 NET rankings. The Dogs checked in at 71 at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. Pohlman's squad was selected fourth in the 2025-26 MVC Preseason Poll. The Bulldogs earned four first-place votes and were listed behind league favorite Belmont, defending conference champion Murray State, and rival Illinois State.
 
The Bulldogs will lean on their returners including sharpshooter Abbie Aalsma, veteran guard Ava Hawthorne, and experienced forwards Taedyn Gray and Shannon Fornshell, among others. Aalsma was one of the most dynamic shooters from deep range last season. She ranked in the top five of MVC hoops in 3-point percentage with a mark of .444.
 
The Bulldogs will also feature a handful of new faces as Drake added a foursome of freshmen to this year's roster. The 2025 freshman class includes Iowa natives Quinn Vice, a forward from the Quad Cities, and Mya Crawford, a former standout at area power Ankeny Centennial. Legacy Bulldog Mylea Monahan, younger sister of for Drake star Maddie (Monahan) Peterson, and Kansas native Anna Becker round out the rookie crop. Guard Lexi Carlsen, a transfer from Northern Illinois, is the daughter of new assistant coach Lisa Carlsen, who previously served as the head coach at NIU.
 
The Bulldog roster is not the only part of the team with new faces as the coaching staff made a pair of additions. Lisa Carlsen joined the staff as an assistant after a lengthy head coaching career at the Division I and Division II levels. The Bulldogs also added Kristin Rotert, a former NAIA head coach and South Dakota State assistant, to the same role as Carlsen.

Bulldog Leaders
Abbie Aalsma | 9.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 2.0 apg
Ava Hawthorne | 6.1 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 1.8 apg
Shannon Fornshell | 4.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 0.9 apg

Scouting Eastern Illinois
The Panthers of Eastern Illinois enter the season looking to build upon a successful 2024-25 effort. EIU went 18-12 overall and 15-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play last season. Eastern Illinois was selected to finish fifth in the OVC Preseason Poll.
 
Individually, Lalani Ellis and Meioshe Mason were named players to watch in the OVC while 6-foot, 10-inch Texas transfer Abbie Boutilier looks to bolster the Panthers' interior.
 
Panther Leaders
Lalani Ellis | 7.7 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 2.6 apg
Meioshe Mason | 1.4 ppg, 1.6 rpg, .667 FG%
Sydney-James Desroches | 6.7 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.6 spg
 
Scouting Creighton
Creighton was selected fifth in the Big East Conference preseason poll, marking its lowest preseason league ranking in since the 2020-21 season. The Bluejays finished 26-7 overall with a 16-2 tally in Big East action last year.
 
Seniors Kennedy Townsend and Kiani Lockett will look to lead the way for Creighton this season. Lockett averaged 6.1 points per game a year ago with 30 starts under belt while Townsend was a key piece off the Bluejay bench with an average of 5.8 ppg. Creighton also added three top 100 freshmen prospects including Neleigh Gessert and Norah Gessert, and Dowling Catholic graduate Ava Zediker. The Bluejays also added a familiar face in former UNI Panther standout Grace Boffeli via the transfer portal.
  
Bluejay Leaders
Kiani Lockett | 6.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.3 apg
Kennedy Townsend | 5.8 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 0.9 apg
Allison Heathcock | 1.9 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.2 bpg

 
Up Next
Regional rivalries continue for the Bulldogs as Drake will head to Iowa City for a date with the No. 21 Hawkeyes (Nov. 13) before welcoming No. 14 Iowa State to the Knapp Center (Nov. 20).