Wilmington College women’s basketball looks for improvement in 2024-25 season

The Wilmington College women’s basketball team begins their 2024-25 season Friday night on the road at Hope College at 7:30 p.m. This will be the first time these two programs are meeting since at least the 1990-91 season.

A Look Back

The Quakers finished the 2023-24 season with a 6-18 overall record and 4-14 mark in the Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC). Highlights from the season came in the form of winning the Quaker Bowl on the road at Earlham College and by beating a pair of OAC tournament teams in the University of Mount Union and Capital University.

While it didn’t always show on the scoreboard, the young team showed a lot of promise and potential for the future in their first season under head coach Sydney Moss.

Returners

An absence of upperclassmen players for most programs might look daunting, but the influence of youth and the return of the OAC’s Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-Conference player makes Wilmington a daunting task for any opponent.

Graduate student Cassidy Lovett (Washington Court House, Ohio/Miami Trace HS) returns for her final year with the Quakers, after averaging 14 points, six rebounds, two assists and three steals against OAC opponents. Lovett was second in the OAC with 79 steals last season, despite playing five fewer games than the conference leader Brynn Serbin, who had 80.

Senior ZahKyria Walker (Reynoldsburg, Ohio/Reynoldsburg HS) also returns for her fourth season with the Quakers, coming back after finishing sixth in the OAC with 47 steals. Walker hit double-digit points in 16-of-24 games last season and averaged 11 points per game.

Of the primary starters for the Quakers last season, three of four returned, with sophomore Stephanie Altstaetter (Bellefontaine, Ohio/Indian Lake HS)also coming back. Altstaetter averaged seven rebounds, the team high from last year, and just under 10 points and a block per game and will be a force near the key.

Four other returning sophomores for the Quakers that look to make a big impact on the team are Olivia Trusty (Bellbrook, Ohio/Bellbrook HS), Natalie Rupp (Milan, Ind./South Dearborn HS), Bailey Eddleman (Dennison, Ohio/Claymont HS) and Katie Dryer (Avella, Pa./Avella Area HS).

Newcomers

Wilmington welcomes five freshmen to the team this season and one transfer. The freshmen are as follows: Ella Kirby from Portsmouth, Ohio, Alaiya Meaux from Xenia, Ohio, Ashton Harris from Lexington, Ky., Sierra McCoin from Taylor Mill, Ky. and Taija Walker from here in Wilmington, Ohio.

The lone transfer is a two-sport athlete who played volleyball during the fall, Gabby Russell (Medway, Ohio/Tecumseh HS), who played at Lake Erie College last season. Russell played 25 games for the Storm in 2023-24 and averaged just under two points and two rebounds a game.

Coaching Staff

Sydney Moss enters her second season as the head coach of the Quakers women’s basketball program and third season overall with the team. She will be looking to improve on her six-win debut last season.

Joining her on the staff are Charity Shears in her second season as an assistant coach and Dwaine Cumberland in his third season as an assistant coach with the Quakers. Also, on the staff this season for her first year is the team manager Autumn Wilkin.

What to Watch For

The Quakers play a pair of games in Michigan to begin their season, playing Hope College Friday night and Calvin University on Tuesday evening.

They play their first home game of the season at Fred Raizk Arena in Hermann Court for the Quaker Bowl on Thursday, Nov. 14th at 7 p.m. against Earlham College. Wilmington begins OAC play on the road at Muskingum University on Dec. 4.

Another big non-conference trip for the Quakers comes in Newport News, Va. where they battle the Christopher Newport University Captains on Dec. 18. The Captains have made it to the NCAA tournament 10 of the last 11 seasons when the tournament was held.

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