CHICAGO - The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team faces back-to-back Atlantic 10 regular-season champion Richmond this Wednesday on the road. The early A-10 rover game is set for 5 p.m. CT, with live coverage from the Robins Center airing on ESPN+. 

QUICK HITS

• The Ramblers begin their fourth Atlantic 10 season this Wednesday against the Spiders of Richmond.
• Loyola Chicago enters the contest with momentum as the team beat DePaul, 61-49, for its first Red Line Rivalry win since 2015, ending a nine-game drought against their crosstown foes of the BIG EAST.
• The victory was Loyola's first-ever at Wintrust Arena and snapped a five-game skid which began Nov. 6.
• Strong first-quarter defense gave Loyola a 16-5 lead before DePaul closed the gap to 24-23 at halftime.
• Audrey Deptula hit a key buzzer-beating three to put Loyola up 38-34 entering the fourth.
• Loyola sealed the game with a late 9-4 run and solid free-throw shooting.
• Kinas and Alex-Anne Bessette each scored 16 points; Brooklyn Vaughn added 15 points and nine rebounds.
• Loyola outshot DePaul, won the paint battle, 40-26, and forced 15 turnovers while allowing zero fast-break points.
• Brooklyn Vaughn posted 15 points and nine rebounds, marking her fourth straight game with at least eight boards and double-figure scoring.
• Vaughn ranks ninth in the conference in rebounding, averaging 6.9 boards per game.
• Three Ramblers rank among the A-10's top 25 in blocks: Roisin Grandberry (14th, 0.9), Alex-Anne Bessette (16th, 0.7) and Kinas (25th, 0.6).

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 compiled a 34–57 record over her first three seasons at LUC and enters 2025–26 with a 133–131 career mark after beginning her head-coaching tenure 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 RICHMOND SPIDERS

• Head Coach Aaron Roussell is in his seventh season leading the Spiders. He's 128-66 (.660) in that time.
• Richmond is 6-2 so far in 2025-26 and are 3-0 at home.
• Most recently, the Spiders beat Green Bay, 76-59, in Mexico.
• The Spiders are effective beyond the arc, ranking fourth in the nation in threes per game (10.5).
• Likewise, the team attempts 27.8 threes per contest, the 19th most attempts in the country.
• Maggie Doogan, who's won three 2025 Atlantic 10 Under Armour Women's Basketball Weekly Awards, leads the team and conference in scoring with 24.3 points per game.
• Doogan also paces the team on the glass with 10.0 rebounds per game.

ALL-TIME AGAINST THE SPIDERS

• The Ramblers are searching for their first-ever win over the Spiders as they trail, 0-4, in the all-time series.
• In the most recent meeting on Jan. 23, 2025, Loyola fell at home to Richmond, 84-45.
• Kinas was a bright spot with 15 points, five steals, and five rebounds—setting career-highs in both scoring and steals.
• Naelle Bernard was close behind with 14 points.
• The Ramblers forced 19 UR turnovers and turned them into 18 points.

LAST TIME OUT
Loyola Chicago snapped a five-game skid and earned its first Red Line Rivalry win since 2015 with a 61-49 victory over DePaul on Wednesday at Wintrust Arena, marking the program's first-ever win at the venue. The Ramblers opened strong with dominant first-quarter defense, but DePaul rallied in the second to cut the halftime margin to one. Loyola regained control after the break, highlighted by Audrey Deptula's buzzer-beating three to take a four-point lead into the fourth. The Ramblers pulled away late behind a 9-4 run and steady free-throw shooting. Kinas and Alex-Anne Bessette each scored 16 points, while Brooklyn Vaughn added 15 points and nine rebounds as Loyola outshot DePaul, dominated the paint 40-26, and forced 15 turnovers to end a nine-game drought in the crosstown rivalry.

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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