2023-2024 Women’s Basketball Season Preview

9-19 (6-16 Heart)
Starters returning/lost: 2/3
Letterwinners returning/lost: 6/11

Notable returners:
Ally Stewart, Sr., Victoria, Australia
(Letterwinner, 10.2 points, 60 three-pointers)
Joslyn Herbeck, Sr., Fond du Lac, Wis.
(Letterwinner, 5.1 points)
Aiesha Feagins, Jr., Grand Prairie, Texas
(Letterwinner, 6.5 points)
Alyssa Hames, Jr., Ackley, Iowa
(Letterwinner, 24 games)

Notable losses:
Morgan Terry
(All-Heart)
Zantasia White
(All-Heart)
Journie Augmon
(Letterwinner)
Emma Morts
(Letterwinner)

Notable newcomers:
Aliyah Myers, Sr., Wichita, Kan.
Faith Putz, Jr., Urbandale, Iowa
Mercer Roberts, Sr., Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Nikeshia King, Jr., Covington, Wash.

New leadership is looking to bring about new change as the William Penn women's basketball team looks to surprise the hoops world in 2023-2024.

Now headed by Joe McKinstry in his first year at WPU, the Statesmen will seek to improve upon a 9-19 record a year ago.  The squad has returned a handful of individuals from last season, but the coaching staff was active on the recruiting trail to add depth at every position.

Point Guard

Newcomer Aliyah Myers (Sr., Wichita, Kan., Business Management) enters as the leader of the offense at the top, while returner Alexis True (Sr., Frankfort, Ky., Exercise Science) is slated to play significant minutes behind her.  True scored 8.3 points per game before an injury sidelined her early in the campaign.

Wing

2022-2023 honorable-mention all-Heart performer Ally Stewart (Sr., Victoria, Australia, Sports Management) will start at one of the wing positions, while newcomer Faith Putz (Jr., Urbandale, Iowa, Business Management) is expected to take the other spot.

Stewart hit 60 three-pointers last year en route to averaging 10.2 points per outing.

Fellow returners Joslyn Herbeck (Jr., Fond du Lac, Wis., Sociology) and Aiesha Feagins (Jr., Grand Prairie, Texas, Applied Mathematics), as well as Carissa Musgrave (Jr., Tama, Iowa, Business Management), who was a JV player last season, will provide more returning depth on the wings.

Herbeck averaged 5.1 points in 2022-2023, while Feagins posted 6.5 points per game.

The incoming trio of Kayla Carman (Jr., Gallitin, Tenn., Nursing), Shareece Smith (Jr., Fort Dodge, Iowa, Sociology), and Aysia Arrowood (Jr., Wichita, Kan., Sports Management) will all don the navy and gold for the first time and should be big contributors as well.

Forward

Taylor Lawhorne (So., Amityville, N.Y., Business Management) will be looked at for a bigger role this winter (played in five games last year), while Mercer Roberts (Sr., Myrtle Beach, S.C., Wellness and Recreation) should provide much-needed experience in the post as well.

Alyssa Hames (Jr., Ackley, Iowa, Psychology) is back on the hardwood for WPU, while Amaria Turner (So., Des Moines, Iowa, Human Services) and Erica Martin (Sr., Detroit, Mich., Sports Management) have both been promoted from the reserve squad.  Nikeshia King (Jr., Covington, Wash., Sports Management) will be looked at for additional depth in the blocks.

Hames played in 24 games last year.

Schedule/Conference: William Penn starts the year Saturday on the road at Harris-Stowe State, while the home opener will be next Wednesday against Viterbo.  The team's first Heart game will be November 11 at Clarke.

The Statesmen have been picked by the league's coaches to place 10th in the Heart this winter.