Chicago - The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team hosts Green Bay this Thursday (Nov.6) at Gentile Arena for its home opener. Tip-off on ESPN+ is scheduled for 5 p.m. with Sam Brief (pxp) and Kate Constable (color) on the call.

QUICK HITS

• After downing Milwaukee on the road this past Monday night to open the season, the Ramblers turn their attention to Green Bay for the program's home opener.
• Grab your ticket to either the women's game or the men's game the same night at 8 p.m. vs. Mercyhurst, and you're in for both matchups! Don't miss a full night of Loyola basketball.
• The Maroon and Gold are searching for their second straight home opening win since the 2020-21 to 2021-22 seasons, having beat Kentucky State in last season's home opener, 91-56.
• The Ramblers ride the momentum of downing Milwaukee, 59-55, on the road this past Monday. 
• The Ramblers held the Panthers to 38.1 percent shooting from the field and 17.6 percent from beyond the arc.
• Loyola's bench provided a big spark, accounting for 24 of the team's 59 points.
• The Ramblers forced 24 Milwaukee turnovers while committing only 12.
• Freshman Alex-Ann Bessette led the Ramblers in her debut with 12 points off the bench, 10 of which came in the third quarter alone.
• Alexa Kinas grabbed a career high seven rebounds.
• Djoko notched a career high five boards, three assists and five points.
• Audrey Deptula broke her career high for made free throws in the first half alone, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 at the line.
• The win marked Loyola's first at Milwaukee since Jan. 31, 2013.
• Prior to beating the Panthers, Loyola Chicago beat former Rambler Maggie McCloskey-Bax's North Central squad, 86-42, in an exhibition.
• McCloskey-Bax, a Riverside, Ill., native and 2010 Loyola graduate, scored over 1,000 career points for the Ramblers and set NCAA, Horizon League, and Loyola records for three-pointers.

2025-26 RAMBLER BITES

• The Ramblers aim 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 after beginning her career at Yale.
• Loyola Chicago returns eight letterwinners from the 204-25 roster. Additionally, Guth added five newcomers during the offseason.
• Over the summer, former Ramblers Thoranna Kika Hodge-Carr (Valur Körfubolti) and Naelle Bernard (AS Aulnoye Basket) signed professional contracts overseas.
• Five Ramblers have turned professional under Head Coach Allison Guth.
• Since 2010, nine Ramblers have gone on to sign professional contracts: Hodge-Carr, Bernard, Sam Galanopoulos, Emma Nolan, Sophia Nolan, Troy Hambric, Taylor Manuel, Bre Hampton-Bey, and Allison Day.

SCOUTING THE GREEN BAY PHOENIX

• Head Coach Kayla Karius is 30-6 (.833) in two seasons leading her alma mater.
• The 2025-26 Phoenix were picked to repeat as Horizon League champions in the league's preseason coaches' poll.
• Green Bay beat Purdue Fort Wayne, 76-63, in the conference title bout. With the Horizon League's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, the No. 12 seeded Phoenix fell, 81-67, to No. 5 Alabama.  
• Green Bay opened the 2025–26 season with an 85–37 win over Division III UW–Stevens Point at the Kress Center.
• Four players scored in double figures while the team outscored UWSP, 52–19, in the second half.
• Green Bay had a 52–31 edge on the glass, including 10 offensive rebounds.
• GB held UWSP to 24.2 percent shooting from the field and 20 percent from three.
• ALL-TIME AGAINST Green Bay
• Loyola Chicago trails Green Bay, 6-50, in the all-time series with its former Horizon league foe.
• The Ramblers will look to end a 10-game skid against the Phoenix as the Ramblers' last win over Green Bay occurred Jan. 21, 2010.
• In the most recent meeting on Dec. 10, 2017, Loyola fell, 76-39, to GB at Gentile Arena.
• Jessica Cerda reached double figures in scoring for the fifth time over the last seven games as she finished with a Loyola-best 13 points.
• Abby O'Connor posted strong marks in both rebounds (8) and assists (5).
• Loyola Chicago won the first four games of the series from 1981-82 to 1994-95.

LAST TIME OUT

• Loyola Chicago women's basketball earned its first win of the 2025–26 season Monday, defeating Milwaukee 59-55 on the road for its first victory there since 2013. The Ramblers forced 24 turnovers, scored 22 points off takeaways and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds. Freshman Alex-Anne Bessette led with 12 points off the bench, while Alexa Kinas added nine points and a career-high seven rebounds. Loyola overcame an early deficit with a strong second and third quarter to secure the win

ATLANTIC 10 PRESEASON POLL

• 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.

BUY TICKETS NOW!
Catch every women's basketball game at Gentile Arena with a season ticket package! Season ticket options include reserved courtside seating for $180/seat and general admission seating for $81/seat. Single-game tickets are $10 each.

Courtside season tickets are the only reserved seats available. Courtside seats are located across from the team benches in front of Sections 108 and 110. The online system will automatically place you in the best courtside seats available. Please contact the Loyola ticket office at (773) 508-9653 to discuss specific seat locations. Click here to purchase. 

SOCIAL BUZZ
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