The Basics
Drake women's basketball is on the road this weekend to punctuate the 2024-25 regular season schedule. The Bulldogs will visit Valparaiso (Mar. 6) and UIC (Mar. 8) in search of a second straight conference crown. If the Bulldogs win both games, they will be guaranteed at least a share of the MVC title.
 
Bulldog Bites
Drake went unblemished last weekend over a 2-game span including a 107-86 barn burner against Indiana State and an 80-79 thriller at rival UNI.
 
Katie Dinnebier has been one of the nation's top distributors this season. She ranks second in the NCAA in total assists with 218 and leads the NCAA with 7.45assists per game. Dinnebier was recently named MVC Player of the Week for the eighth time this season. She was also named a finalist for the 2024-25 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year.
 
Dinnebier and Abbie Aalsma have been a dynamic duo from deep range this season. Both sharpshooters are ranked in the top five of MVC hoops in 3-point percentage with marks of .412 and .444, respectively.
 
Anna Miller has cemented her status as one of the most prolific defenders in the history of the MVC. The senior forward currently has 274 career rejections. Miller leads The Valley and is 21st in the NCAA with 61 total blocks, and her average of 2.1 blocks per game is also slotted 25th nationally.
 
Miller and Courtney Becker have led the Bulldogs rebounding effort to the top of the Missouri Valley Conference stat sheet this year. Those two are among the top five rebounders in the league and pace Drake's MVC-best 1,165 total boards and 9.2 rebounding margin.
 
Both Miller and Becker are within striking distance of the thousand-thousand mark as two have over 1,000 career points and 900 career rebounds.
 
Suzie Glazer Burt Head Coach Allison Pohlman is the only coach in program history to lead the Dogs to at least 20 wins in their first four years at the helm.
 
Bulldog Leaders
Katie Dinnebier | 22.2 ppg, 7.5 app, 4.4 rpg, 2.4 spg
Anna Miller | 14.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.8 apg
Courtney Becker | 10.7 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.1 apg
 
Scouting Valparaiso
Valpo has had a middling year in The Valley with a 12-17 overall record and 8-10 mark in conference play. The Beacons have won three of their last four matchups including wins over Evansville, Indiana State, and Bradley with a defeat in their most recent tilt at Illinois State.
 
Head coach Mary Evans is in her seventh season leading the Becaon women's hoopers. Evans has led Valpo to a 72-133 record during her tenure.
 
Drake leads its all-time series with Valparaiso by an 18-2 margin. Drake has won the last five meetings with the Beacons' only two wins coming during the 2021-22 season. The Bulldogs are looking to improve upon their 6-1 record when playing in Valparaiso.

Beacon Leaders
Leah Earnest | 17.0 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 2.7 apg
Nevaeh Jackson | 13.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.0 spg
Layla Gold | 7.4 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 1.7 apg

Scouting UIC
The Flames of UIC also sit in the middle of the MVC pack at 12-15 overall and an even 9-9 in conference action. The Flames went 0-2 last weekend at Bradley and Illinois State but rattled off three straight dubs before that. UIC will host Northern Iowa on Thursday evening before welcoming Drake to the Windy City on Saturday.
 
Ashleen Bracey is in her third year leading the Flames. She is 49-48 at the helm.
 
The all-time series between Drake and UIC sits at 9-2 in favor of the Bulldogs. Drake has won the last three matchups with both defeats coming in Chicago.

Flame Leaders
Makiyah Williams | 10.2 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 0.9 apg
Krystyna Ellew | 9.1 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 0.4 spg
Keimari Rimmer | 8.1 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 1.6 spg

Up Next
Drake will return to the Hoosier State for the 2025 MVC Women's Basketball Tournament from March 13-16 at the Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.