Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University's women's basketball team is set to compete in the NCAA Tournament, marking their sixth appearance in school history and fifth in the last 13 years. The Warriors, holding a 19-11 record, are seeded fourth in the NCAA Midwest Regional at Grand Valley State University (GVSU), which boasts a 32-2 overall record. Wayne State will face Lewis University, the fifth seed with a 26-3 record, on Friday at 7:30 p.m. The winner will advance to Saturday's semifinal against either GVSU or Quincy University.

The other side of the bracket features Ashland University, Northern Michigan University, Hillsdale College, and Ferris State University. Ashland secured both the Great Midwest Athletic Conference regular-season and tournament titles recently.

Wayne State has previously participated in several NCAA tournaments with varying success. In 2013 and 2014, they reached the Regional Championship game but were ultimately defeated by higher-ranked teams. Their most recent tournament appearance was in 2022 when they lost to Grand Valley.

In terms of series history, Wayne State has struggled against Lewis with a record of 2-9 but managed one victory during an NCAA Tournament match-up in 2014. They have not faced Quincy before.

Lewis University's Taylor Gugliuzza leads her team with an average of 16.4 points per game. Grand Valley State is recognized for its depth and strong performance against Division II schools this season.

Quincy enters the tournament on a four-game winning streak after securing the GLVC Tournament title.

Wayne State's challenging schedule ranks as the 13th toughest nationally among Division II schools. Despite facing strong competition throughout the season, they achieved notable rankings in assists per game and three-point field goal percentage.

Senior forward Shea Tripp stands out for her contributions both on and off the court. She was named a finalist for the John Wooden Citizenship Cup and selected for the Allstate NACDA Good Works Team for winter sports.

In their latest outing, Wayne State fell to Grand Valley State in the GLIAC Tournament Semifinal Round despite strong performances from players like Shea Tripp and Taylor Thompson.

Fans can follow Wayne State's progress through Warrior All-Access broadcasts featuring commentary from Kevin Brechmacher.