CHICAGO - The Loyola University Chicago women's basketball team prepares for the second round of the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) and a matchup with Florida Gulf Coast. Tip-off inside Alico Arena is set for tomorrow (March 23) 6 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

QUICK HITS

• Loyola Chicago opened its first-ever WNIT appearance with a 58-54 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday.
• Loyola Chicago dominated the boards, outrebounding Norfolk State 46-36, including 19 offensive rebounds converted into 16 second-chance points —  the team's most rebounds since March 5, 2022.
• Alexus Mobley led the Ramblers with 11 rebounds, the game-high. Brooklyn Vaughn scored 13 points and grabbed six rebounds; Alex-Anne Bessette and Alexa Kinas each added 10 points.
• The Maroon and Gold entered the WNIT after falling to (RV) Rhode Island in the Atlantic 10 Championship quarterfinals. The top-seeded Rams went on to win the title and secure the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
• Loyola Chicago reached the quarterfinals after a thrilling 61-59 win over St. Bonaventure in the second round.
• The Ramblers head to the sunshine state with three averaging double figures in scoring: Alex-Anne Bessette (11.4), Alexus Mobley (11.0), and Alexa Kinas (10.1).
• Bessette was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Third Team and All-Rookie Team after a stellar freshman campaign. The plaudit marks Loyola's first-ever representative on the A-10 All-Rookie Team.
• Bessette paces the Ramblers in total blocks (27) and scoring.
• Loyola surpassed last season's Atlantic 10 win total with nine league victories.
• Kinas ranks second in the A-10 in steals per game with 2.4.
• LUC is 3-0 when it scores 70 or more points.

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.
• Six Ramblers have turned professional under Head Coach Allison Guth.
• Since 2010, nine Ramblers have gone on to sign professional contracts: Hodge-Carr, Bernard, Sitori Tanin, Sam Galanopoulos, Emma Nolan, Sophia Nolan, Troy Hambric, Taylor Manuel, Bre Hampton-Bey, and Allison Day.

SCOUTING FGCU

• Head Coach Raina Harmon is in her first season guiding the Eagles.
• FGCU is 16-15 overall and was 11-7 in league play.
• FGCU finished fifth in the Atlantic Sun Conference (ASUN) and beat No. 12 Bellarmine in the 2026 ASUN Tournament.
• The Eagles are led by two in double figure scoring with Sinai Douglas leading the way with 11.3 points per game.
• Nay Staton leads the Eagles on the glass with 5.6 rebounds per contest.
• FGCU averages 63.6 points per game and shoots the ball at a 43 percent clip.

ALL-TIME AGAINST FGCU

• Monday marks the first-ever meeting between the two programs.

LAST TIME OUT

• Alexus Mobley recorded a game-high 11 rebounds to lead Loyola Chicago to a 58-54 victory over Norfolk State on Saturday in the program's first Women's National Invitation Tournament appearance, marking its first postseason win since March 21, 2021. The Ramblers (15-17) placed three players in double figures, led by Brooklyn Vaughn with 13 points and six rebounds, while Alex-Anne Bessette and Alexa Kinas each added 10 points, with Kinas also contributing six rebounds and four steals. Loyola Chicago controlled the glass with a 46-36 rebounding advantage, including 19 offensive boards that led to 16 second-chance points, and held Norfolk State to 35.2 percent shooting while forcing 20 turnovers. After trailing late in the third quarter, Loyola took the lead for good with a fourth-quarter run and sealed the win at the free-throw line in the final seconds.

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.

  SOCIAL BUZZ

• Want more courtside vibes and inside looks? Follow Loyola Chicago Women's Basketball on X and Instagram! Catch game highlights, player stories, and everything you love about Rambler hoops.