Western Wayne Today

Wayne State University's Taylor Thompson has been named to the Women's Basketball Preseason All-GLIAC Second Team, according to an announcement from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) on October 28. Thompson, a senior forward from Grand Blanc, Michigan, returns after earning All-GLIAC Second Team and GLIAC All-Defensive honors last season. She averaged 11.2 points and eight rebounds per game, recorded 45 steals, and blocked 12 shots during the previous campaign.

The preseason list also recognized Nicole Kamin of Grand Valley State as Player of the Year. Other first team selections included Cassidy Arni (Parkside), MacKenzie Bisballe (Grand Valley State), Kadyn Blanchard (Ferris State), Nicole Kamin (Grand Valley State), and Jacy Weisbrod (Northern Michigan). Joining Thompson on the second team are Megan McCalla (Saginaw Valley State), Mia Riley (Ferris State), Kendall Standfest (Michigan Tech), and Paige VanStee (Grand Valley State).

Wayne State is looking to build on recent success as it enters the 2025-26 season. The team finished with a 20-12 record last year, with seven losses coming against teams that made the NCAA Tournament, including four games against national champion Grand Valley State University. Over the past six seasons, Wayne State has won 96 games.

Three of Wayne State's top four scorers return: junior guard McKenna Ferguson, senior forward Taylor Thompson, and senior forward Gabi Lutchka. Together they contributed more than 1,000 points last season—Ferguson averaged 11.5 points per game, Thompson had 11.2, and Lutchka posted 9.3.

“Shea Tripp, who was an All-Region selection and the 2025 John Wooden Citizenship Cup recipient for her community service work, graduated after scoring over 14 points per game, and playing nearly 31 minutes per contest,” noted the program in its announcement. “Classmate Alyssa Leister tallied 215 points, 77 assists and 33 steals in her senior campaign, while both Ally Shagena and ZaMaria Polk contributed off the bench.”

Senior forward Mackenzie Miller led last year's squad in field goal percentage at .535. Lutchka led in three-pointers made with 55; Ferguson followed with 44; junior guard Annabel Ayrault is another top returning three-point shooter. Thompson led all returning players with eight rebounds per game.

Other returning contributors include redshirt junior guard Ashley Bower; redshirt sophomore forward Lexi Boyke; junior guard Emily Homan; sophomore guard Koko Sylvester; and senior guard Jaci Tubergen.

Newcomers this season are freshman guards DeMaya Asberry and Maddy Benard; center Nour Beydoun; graduate student guard Karrington Gordon; and center AJ Rickli.

For the first time in program history, Wayne State will play a countable game on or before November 7 at the DII CCA Tip-Off Classic hosted by Texas Woman's University. The Warriors will face Texas Woman’s University on opening day before playing Alabama-Huntsville for their first-ever matchups against both programs.

The schedule continues with road games at Malone and Ashland before hosting Hillsdale for its only home game prior to Thanksgiving. The conference schedule begins in December with games at Purdue Northwest and at home versus Ferris State.

Wayne State’s January and February calendar consists entirely of GLIAC contests leading up to the regular season finale against Lake Superior State University Lakers and Saginaw Valley Cardinals at WSU Fieldhouse. The GLIAC Tournament is scheduled for March.