CHICAGO, Ill. - The NEC has announced their preseason poll for the 2025-26 women's basketball season. The Chicago State University women's basketball were voted to a third place finish in the upcoming season. The Cougars were voted to finish third behind defending champions Farleigh Dickinson (Unanimous First-Place) and behind Stonehill voted as the runner-ups. The Cougars are coming off 7-26 season in 2024-25 including a 6-10 record in the NEC where they were the six seed in the NEC tournament. Chicago State upset the three seeded Blue Devils of CCSU in the quarterfinals, but fell to eventual champion FDU in the semifinals of the conference tournament. The Cougars will be led Sophomore guard
Aiyanna Culver who was also voted unanimously to the preseason All-NEC Women's Basketball Team.
The Cougars return two key starters from last season which include
Aiyanna Culver and
Kacelyn Urlacher. Culver led the Cougars in scoring as a freshman averaging 14.6 points per game and was also the leader in assists as she accumulated 102 total assists last season. Culver will look to improve even more in her sophomore season for the Cougars. Chicago State will also lean heavily on returning starter
Kacelyn Urlacher. In her sophomore year, she started 20 games while averaging 5.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game last season. Urlacher will look to take the next step and help lead the Cougars on both ends of the court this year. The Cougar also return a handful of players who were key contributors to last season. Also projected to be a key contributor this year is
Tania Allen. Allen was the Cougars true sixth-player for the Cougars last season who average 15 minutes a game off the bench, and average 4.8 points per game. Other returners include,
Natalia Williams,
Marisa Gant,
Kayla Mount,
Kyara Champagne, and
Keona McGee.
The Cougars added two transfer to their roster.
Chloe Sisco and
Brianna Hill. Sisco is a junior college transfer from the College of Lake County where she stared all 29 games last season for the Lancers and averaged 13.2 points per game. She will look to be an outside shooting threat from the three point line where Sisco was a 30% three point shooter during her two season for the Lancers.
Brianna Hill is a transfer from Southeast Missouri State where she average 2.5 points for the Redhawks. She comes into Chicago State looking to be one of the top rebounders for the Cougars.
The NEC also announced the preseason All-NEC Basketball Team. The coaches selected
Aiyanna Culver as one of five players who can receive the nomination and Culver was also one of three unanimous selections. The preseason team was voted on by all the head coaches in the NEC. This is Culver's first preseason honor of her young career.
NEC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
1. FDU (Unanimous)
2. Stonehill
3. Chicago State
4. Le Moyne
5. CCSU
6. Mercyhurst
7. Wagner
8. LIU
9. New Haven
10. Saint Francis
2025-26 Preseason All-NEC Women's Basketball Team
Eli Clark, LEM, So, G, 5-8, Oakhurst, NJ/Ocean Township
Aiyanna Culver, CSU (unanimous), So, G, 5-3, Queens, NY/Christ the King
Brooke Paquette, STO (unanimous), Jr. G, 5-8, Hudson, NH/Bishop Guertin
Ava Renninger, FDU (unanimous), So, G, 5-6, Yardley, PA/Archbishop Wood
Jenna Van Schaik, MU, Sr, G, 5-7, Cincinnati, OH/Ursuline Academy
The Chicago State women's basketball team will tip-off their season on the road on Monday, November 3 against the Cleveland State Vikings at 6:00 PM (CT). The Cougars first home game is set for Wednesday, November 5 against Winthrop University for the annual Education Day Game at 11:00 AM (CT).
See the rest of the Chicago State Women's Basketball Schedule at
gocougars.com
