Now, the Aztecs brace for their final season in the Mountain West, which is the latest conference to surrender to the realities of the modern-day, football money-driven realignment. In 2026, SDSU, Boise State, Fresno State, Colorado State, and Utah State will depart to form half of the new Pac-12.
Grand Canyon opens play this fall from the Western Athletic Conference. Hawaii, UC Davis and UTEP are slated to join in 2026-27. The Aztecs and Rams were charter members of the MWC after its breakaway from the WAC, where they had been competing with Wyoming and New Mexico since the 1970s. Here is a look at the preseason capsules, before we enjoy seeing these rivalries for the final time.
Air Force Falcons
2024-25 Record: 18-15, 7-11 MWC
Head Coach: Stacy McIntyre, second season
Key Games: at South Dakota Nov. 7, at Oregon State Nov. 10
McIntyre hopes to build off a successful first season, which saw Air Force earn its second-ever winning season and a WNIT appearance. Although All-MWC guard Madison Smith (15.3 points per game) graduated, seniors Milahnie Perry (15.7) and Madison Smith (15.3), plus junior Keelie O’Hollaren (9.6), return as key pieces. The Falcons welcome five freshmen: forward Kori Rainwater from Oklahoma, guards Eva Love and Bhret Clay from New Mexico, guard Maddy Jensen from Wisconsin, and guard AJ Mannering, who led all Colorado high schoolers with 32.3 points per game.
Boise State Broncos
2024-25 Record: 18-15, 7-11
Head Coach: Gordy Presnell, 21st season
Key Games: at Colorado Nov. 18, at Utah Dec. 10
Senior forward Tatum Thompson returns with her team-high 13.2 points per game and All-MWC honors. Senior guard Natalie Pasco (12.5 points per game) was All-MWC as a sophomore, and she will be joined in the backcourt by senior Dani Bayes, who scored 9.1 points. Emily Howard, a 6’5 Canadian center, transfers from Liberty.
Abby Muse, the program’s career leading rebounder, signed with Alba Berlin. Elodie Lalotte signed with Domusa Teknik in Spain.
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Colorado State Rams
2024-25 Record: 22-10, 13-5
Head Coach: Ryun Williams, 14th season
Key Games: at Gonzaga Nov. 13, at Oregon State Nov. 21, vs Stanford in Las Vegas Nov. 29, Utah Dec. 4
The Rams lost All-MWC guard Emma Ronsiek, who averaged 17.7 points per game and is playing professionally in Mexico, as well as second-leading scorer Hannah Simental, who added 10.1. Emma’s sister, Hannah Ronsiek, returns for her senior season after averaging 9.1 points and earning Big West all-defense honors.
Kloe Froebe and Brooke Carlson were on the conference’s All-Freshman team last year. Incoming transfers Lexus Bargesser (Indiana), Madelyn Bragg (Northern State) and Lexi Deden (Montana State) figure to contribute. Freshman guard Allie Roden is the younger sister of former Nevada player Audrey Roden.
Fresno State Bulldogs
2024-25 Record: 19-15, 8-10
Head Coach: Ryan McCarthy, first season
Key Games: at BYU Nov. 15, at Washington Nov. 19, New Mexico State and Louisiana-Lafayette at the Big Easy Classic Nov. 28-29
Ryan McCarthy replaces Jaime White, who retired after 11 seasons with the Bulldogs. McCarthy spent 13 seasons as head coach at Division II Alaska Anchorage, where he posted a 309-67 record. He brings five transfers to the Lower 48 with him: Kenzie Sirowich, Jasia Gamble, Emilia Long, Hedda Koehne, and Ashlyn Rean. Long and Rean were double-digit scorers for the Seawolves.
The Bulldogs overhauled from the Division I transfer portal with the additions of: Morelia Chavez (Florida State), Diarrah Sissoko (New Mexico State), Djessira Diawara (San Jose State), and Indiya Clarke (Wofford). Sophomore guard Danae Powell is the leading returning scorer (5.2), which was sixth on the team.
Leading scorer Mia Jacobs (18.3 points per game) has left for Oregon, and Mariah Elohim (9.7) to UNLV.
Grand Canyon Lopes
2024-25 Record: 32-3, 16-0 WAC
Head Coach: Winston Gandy, first season
Key Games: at South Carolina Nov. 3, at Oregon Nov. 11, SMU Nov. 18, California and UTSA in the Hoopfest Basketball Women’s Challenge Nov. 24-26, at Gonzaga Dec. 4
Gandy takes over a program that went undefeated in the WAC and made its NCAA Tournament debut with a first-round loss to No. 4 Baylor. The first test will be a return to South Carolina, where he won the 2024 national championship as Dawn Staley’s assistant. Gandy also has assistant jobs at Maryland and Duke on his resume, replacing Molly Miller, who went to Arizona State. The Lopes graduated the core of their high-scoring lineup in Trinity San Antonio, Alyssa Durazo-Frescas, Laura Erikstrup, Tiarra Brown, and Nneka Obiazor, who all scored between nine and 16 per game.
Graduate guard Ale’jah Douglas is the top returner, but she played just 14 minutes per game last year. GCU will rely heavily on transfers this year, signing a collection of role players from Power Five schools: Chloe Mann (Cincinnati), Casey Valenti-Paea (Virginia), Karley Johnson (Arkansas), Sifa Joyeuse (Middle Tennessee), Sophia Fontaine (Stetson), Holly Griffiths (Fresno State), Favor Ayodele (Tennessee), Julianna Lamendola (Indiana), and Faith Carson (Ohio State).
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Nevada Wolf Pack
2024-25 Record: 11-21, 6-12
Head Coach: Amanda Levens, ninth season
Key Games: San Francisco and McNeese State in the Briann January Classic Dec. 5-6
Coming to Reno from the transfer portal are: guard Cheyenne McEvans (13.4 points per game at Florida A&M), forwards Chloe Williams (12.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game at Indiana State), Maia Rosarion (Morehead State), and Tahj-Monet Bloom (redshirted at Mississippi State). Freshmen guards Skylar Durley and Hanna Jolinder (Sweden) join the team, too.
Top scorer Lexie Givens (12.7) graduated after five seasons and Kennedy Lee (11.7) has transferred to the rival Aztecs, leaving junior guard Izzy Sullivan, who scored nine per game, as the leading returner.
New Mexico guard Destinee Hooks takes the ball up court at The Pit during her sophomore season last year. (Photo Credit: New Mexico Athletics)
New Mexico Lobos
2024-25 Record: 18-14, 11-7
Head Coach: Mike Bradbury, 10th season
Key Games: at Colorado Nov. 6, Texas Tech Nov. 23, Cincinnati in Florida Gulf Classic Challenge Nov. 29, at Arizona Dec. 7, Houston Dec. 13
Coach Bradbury has assembled an eclectic and international roster, which should be interesting to watch this season. Portuguese guard Joana Magalhaes was an all-freshman MWC pick in 2024-25, and now her countrywoman Leonor Peixinho comes as a freshman. Angolan Cacia Antonio (New Mexico Junior College) and Mozambique native Jessie Joaquim (Cochise College), as well as Emma Najjuma (New Mexico Junior College), a 6’4 center from Uganda, transfer into the program.
Junior guard Destinee Hooks returns her 15 points per game, which led her to earning an honorable mention All-MWC nod, as does graduate guard Alyssa Hargrove, who averaged 8.3.
San Diego State guard Naomi Panganiban shoots during the Aztecs’ victory over Wyoming to win the Mountain West women’s basketball championship at the Thomas & Mack Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo Credit: Derrick Tuskan/San Diego State)
San Diego State Aztecs
2024-25 Record: 25-10, 11-7
Head Coach: Stacie Terry-Hutson, 13th season
Key Games: UCLA in the Orange County Hoops Classic Nov. 3, Penn State in Battle 4 Atlantis Nov. 24, at Kansas State, Dec. 10
Few remain from SDSU’s balanced-scoring championship team. MWC Tournament MVP Veronica Sheffey (11.2 points per game) left for TCU, which means sophomore guard Naomi Panganiban is the top returning scorer entering her sophomore campaign. The Philippine national team member averaged 10.3 as a freshman.
The Aztecs added three transfers from MWC rivals: Sofia Kelemeni from San Jose State (9.3 points per game), Carlie Latta (9.1 at Utah State) and Maria Konstantinidou (Fresno State). Nala Williams was the Division II Player of the Year at Cal State Dominguez Hills. The 5’8 guard scored more than 16 points per game and led the Toros to the championship game.
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San Jose State Spartans
2024-25 Record: 10-22, 3-15
Head Coach: Jonas Chatterton, first season
Key Games: at BYU Nov. 8, at Washington Dec. 1, at California Dec. 7
Jonas Chatterton replaces April Phillips after three seasons. Chatterton makes his head coaching debut after one season under Jennie Baranczyk at Oklahoma and 10 under Scott Rueck at Oregon State. Phillips is now a Purdue associate coach.
Junior guard Rylei Waugh and senior guard Amira Brown are the top two returning scorers at more than seven per game. Guard Amelie Sitterud also joins the mix from LMU.
The Spartans will attempt to rebuild their core after losing scoring leader Amiah Simmons (15.6), who graduated, and then two to the portal in Kelemeni (SDSU) and Sydni Summers.
2024 MWC Sixth Player of the Year Meadow Roland will look to help the Rebels make another postseason run. Photo credit: UNLV Athletics.
UNLV Lady Rebels
2024-25 Record: 26-8, 16-2
Head Coach: Lindy La Rocque, sixth season
Key Games: Washington State Nov. 5, DePaul Nov. 9, Baylor Nov. 14, at Arizona State Nov. 22, Creighton and Northern Iowa in UNLV Thanksgiving Turkey Tip-Off Nov. 26-28, at UTSA Dec. 3, at Cincinnati Dec. 13.
The Lady Rebels dominated the MWC in recent years, before they were shut down in the semifinals last year. The team went on to lose to Florida in the second round of the WBIT, and many of its top players graduated (Kiara Jackson and top rebounder Alyssa Brown) or transferred (14-point scorer Amarachi Kimpson to the Miami Hurricanes and McKinna Brackens to Arizona State).
However, double-digit scorers Aaliyah Alexander (10.6 points per game) and Meadow Roland (10.2 points) are returning. Roland was the MWC Sixth Player of the Year. Coach La Rocque also found success in the transfer portal. Guard Destiny Leo is a former Horizon League Player of the Year at Cleveland State and has a career scoring average of better than 15. She also brought in double-digit forward Destiny Brown from Alcorn State. Forward Shelbee Brown led Akron with 14 points and nine rebounds and was third-team All-MAC. Elohim came from Fresno State.
Utah State Aggies
2024-25 Record: 4-27, 3-15
Head Coach: Wesley Brooks, second season
Key Games: Utah Nov. 7, at Oregon State Nov. 18, at Oregon Nov. 23
Senior guard Jamisyn Heaton (8.9 points per game) and sophomore guard Elise Livingston (5.6) are the top two returning scorers after the Aggies lost their leading four.
Cheyenne Stubbs, who scored more than 16 per game, signed to play professionally in Sheffield, England. Taliyah Logwood (Texas Southern), Carlie Latta (SDSU), and Mia Tarver (Arkansas State), also left the program.
Incoming are forward Rachel Wilson, who scored 12.7 and rebounded 9.1 per game at Division II Wheeling University and guard Marina Asensio, who led Western Michigan with 13.6 per game. Andjela Marojevic is a 5’10 freshman from Serbia. Sophomore forward Saskia Krüger played professionally in Germany after a year in college in her native Zambia, Karyn Sanford comes from Tarleton State, and Macie Brown from Southern Idaho. Aaliyah Gayles was a McDonald’s High School All-American in Las Vegas, but found limited playing time in three years at USC.
Wyoming Cowgirls
2024-25 Record: 22-12, 14-4
Head Coach: Heather Ezell, fourth season
Key Games: South Dakota Nov. 29, at Colorado Dec. 7, at Minnesota Dec. 14
Wyoming will have a challenge replacing Allyson Fertig, the reigning MWC Player of the Year (18.8 points per game and 11.6 rebounds per game), who will be playing professionally in Marburg, Germany. They also lost Defensive Player of the Year Emily Mellema (10.3 points per game) to graduation.
Returning from the team that lost to Texas Tech in the first round of the WBIT last year is senior guard Malene Pedersen. The Dane scored 14 per game and was named All-MWC.
The team brings in 6’4 freshman center Liv Blomkvist from Sweden. Katie Harrington from Australia, 6’2 forward Jane Rumpf from Denver, and 6’2 forward Peyton Wohlford from Missouri are the other freshmen.
Aurore Eyango transfers from St. Bonaventure and Finnish guard Henna Sandvik from Indiana.