Women's Basketball 10/24/2025 1:47:00 PM

Ramblers Host North Central in Exhibition Action

Tip-off set for 1 p.m. CT inside Gentile Arena

CHICAGO - The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team commences the 2025-26 season with a home exhibition versus North Central this Sunday (Oct. 26). Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. at Gentile Arena.

QUICK HITS

Loyola Chicago hosts North Central in its sole exhibition before the regular season tips-off Monday, Nov. 3, at Milwaukee. Game time in Wisconsin is slated for 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
In total, the Maroon and Gold have 11 non-conference games on the docket before conference play begins Wednesday, Dec. 3, at Richmond.
Sunday's exhibition against the Cardinals is free and open to the public. A live stream will not be available but live stats will be.
The Ramblers have played the Cardinals in the regular season twice with both results going the Ramblers' way. In 1981-82, Loyola Chicago downed North Central, 77-66. The following season, LUC won again, 82-58.
The Ramblers hope to improve on last season's 13-17 ledger as Head Coach Allison Guth enters her fourth season at the helm. Guth is 34-57 in three seasons at LUC and holds a career record of 133-131.
Over the summer, former Ramblers Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr (Valur Körfubolti) and Naelle Bernard (AS Aulnoye Basket) signed professional contracts overseas.

SCOUTING THE NORTH CENTRAL CARDINALS

North Central is led by former Rambler Maggie McCloskey-Bax ('10), a Riverside, Ill., native and 1,000-point scorer who set NCAA, Horizon League, and Loyola three-point records before competing in the 2010 ESPN Three-Point Shootout and playing professionally in Iceland.
McCloskey-Bax is 58-108 over seven seasons as North Central's head coach. Last season, the Cardinals were 10-15 overall and 6-10 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) play.
Biz Daly—North Central's leading scorer last season with 15.1 points per game—is back in 2025-26.
Daly led a trio of 2024-25 Cardinals averaging double figure scoring.
Jocelyn Trotter—who averaged 12.3 points per game—is also back. The junior also led North Central on the glass with 6.0 rebounds per game.

ATLANTIC 10 PRESEASON ACCOLADES

Richmond is the preseason favorite to win the 2025-26 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball title, topping the coaches' poll for a second straight year. The Spiders return All-A-10 stars Maggie Doogan and Rachel Ullstrom after a 28-7 season and their first NCAA Tournament win.
George Mason ranks second, followed by Davidson, Rhode Island, and Dayton. Saint Joseph's, VCU, Duquesne, Saint Louis, and George Washington complete the top 10. Fordham, La Salle, Loyola Chicago, and St. Bonaventure round out the poll.
Doogan, Ullstrom, George Mason's Zahirah Walton and Kennedy Harris, and VCU's Mary-Anna Asare headline the Preseason All-Conference First Team.

RETURNING RAMBLERS

Loyola Chicago returns eight from the 2024-25 roster: Yasmyn Palmer, Roisin Grandberry, Alexa Kinas, Audrey Deptula, Rosalie Mercille, Kendall Hendrix, Kira Chivers, and Brooklyn Vaughn.
Key returners include senior point guard Kira Chivers who started 25 of 28 games in 2024–25, leading Loyola in steals per game (1.1) and ranking 16th in the A-10 in assists (2.9), with the league's 10th-best assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3). She scored in double figures six times, highlighted by a career-high 17 points and five rebounds vs. Northwestern, and delivered a season-best seven assists at Eastern Illinois.
Another key returner, junior guard Rosalie Mercille, appeared in 20 games in 2024–25, returning from injury to contribute nine points in the Senior Day win vs. Saint Louis. She posted double-digit scoring twice, including 11 points at Eastern Illinois, and matched a season-high four rebounds three times. Mercille also recorded three assists in three straight games early in the season.
Point guard Alexa Kinas played in 28 games with five starts as a freshman in 2024–25, logging the most minutes among Loyola newcomers. She shot .443 from the field, finishing second on the team in FG percentage, and tied for second in steals (29). Kinas scored seven points in her debut, posted a season-high 15 points vs. Richmond, and grabbed a season-best six rebounds twice.

FRESH FACES

Alex-Anne Bessette is a three-time All-Canadian and AmeriCup silver medalist who helped Team Canada to silver at the 2024 FIBA U18 Women's Americas Championship. The 6-foot-2 Quebec City native led her prep team to the 2025 OSBA title and earned Second Team All-Star honors. She played on the elite Kia Nurse EYBL circuit.
Alexus Mobley arrives as a graduate transfer from Akron after two seasons with the Zips and two at Danville Community College. The Indianapolis native started 38 games at Akron, averaging 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. She recorded career highs of 30 points and 17 rebounds during the 2024-25 season.
Daniella Matus is a 1,000-point scorer who averaged 12.4 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 assists in her final season at Morris Catholic. She helped St. John Vianney win a fourth straight Shore Conference Tournament title and reach the NJSIAA semifinals. Matus earned Morris County Tournament MVP honors, All-Tournament recognition at the John Wall National Christmas Tournament, and multiple all-conference awards, including NJAC First Team. She starred for Team Sharp on the AAU circuit and was a 2025 McDonald's All American Game nominee.
Nevaeh Dickman is a 6-foot power forward from Fishers, Ind., rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports and ranked No. 6 in Indiana. She earned multiple all-state honors, including IBCA Senior Large School All-State, and HCC First Team All-Conference recognition.
Clara Djoko, a 6-foot forward from Entzheim, France, transfers from UC Irvine, where she appeared in 55 games over two seasons. She contributed across the stat sheet, highlighted by games with four rebounds at Cal State Bakersfield and three steals in consecutive contests as a freshman.
Assistant Coach Jasmyne Fogle joins Loyola after roles at Quinnipiac, Putnam Science Academy, and Iona. At Quinnipiac, she led operations, travel, logistics, video, marketing, and student support for three seasons. She previously assisted with coaching, recruiting, and academics at Putnam Science Academy and served as a graduate assistant at Iona. Fogle played collegiately at Franklin Pierce and Post University, earning All-CACC honors in 2018 before completing graduate degrees from Post and Iona.
Assistant Coach Alyssa Fisher returns to Loyola after beginning her coaching career at Dartmouth, where she helped mentor an All-Ivy performer. As a Rambler in 2023–24, she led the team in threes, free throws, and steals while averaging 13.5 points per game, earning a selection to the WBCA So You Want To Be A Coach program. Fisher previously earned dual bachelor's degrees at St. Francis Brooklyn and an MBA at Loyola.
Assistant Coach Adam Call arrives from George Washington following a four-year stint that included multiple A-10 Championship wins and development of all-conference and all-defensive selections. His 17-year coaching career includes stops at Eastern Michigan, Stony Brook, Washington, Northwestern, TCU, and Oklahoma, where he contributed to several postseason runs. He holds degrees from Oklahoma and TCU.

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Players Mentioned

#8 Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr: G; 5' 8"; Graduate Student

#22 Naelle Bernard: G; 5' 5"; Graduate Student

#13 Kira Chivers: G; 5' 3"; Senior

#4 Audrey Deptula: G; 6' 0"; Junior

#1 Roisin Grandberry: F; 6' 3"; Sophomore

#11 Kendall Hendrix: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#2 Alexa Kinas: G; 5' 8"; Sophomore

#9 Rosalie Mercille: G; 5' 9"; Junior

#0 Yasmyn Palmer: F; 6' 2"; Sophomore

#21 Brooklyn Vaughn: F; 6' 0"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#8 Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr
: 5' 8"; Graduate Student
: G

#22 Naelle Bernard
: 5' 5"; Graduate Student
: G

#13 Kira Chivers
: 5' 3"; Senior
: G

#4 Audrey Deptula
: 6' 0"; Junior
: G

#1 Roisin Grandberry
: 6' 3"; Sophomore
: F

#11 Kendall Hendrix
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: G

#2 Alexa Kinas
: 5' 8"; Sophomore
: G

#9 Rosalie Mercille
: 5' 9"; Junior
: G

#0 Yasmyn Palmer
: 6' 2"; Sophomore
: F

#21 Brooklyn Vaughn
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: F