WVU Women’s Basketball Ranked 25th in ESPN Preseason Top 25

The West Virginia University women’s basketball team has been ranked No. 25 in ESPN's preseason top 25 list released on Wednesday. The Mountaineers are bringing back only one starter from their notable season last year, redshirt senior guard Gia Cooke, who led the team in scoring with an average of 15.0 points per game. Under head coach Mark Kellog, the team achieved the milestone of hosting its first NCAA tournament regional in 24 years.

In preparation for the upcoming season, Kellog has recruited several transfers to strengthen both the backcourt and frontcourt. Among the new players are George Mason senior transfers Kennedy Harris and Zahirah Walton, along with sophomore Alexis Bordas from Duquesne. Last season, Walton averaged 18.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game, while Harris averaged 14.1 points and 2.3 assists. Bordas also made her mark at Duquesne with an average of 15.5 points per game as a freshman.

Kellog has also enhanced the frontcourt, bringing in Marquette transfer Skylar Forbes, who has accumulated 1,075 career points and 446 rebounds in three seasons. Last year, she averaged 15.5 points and 4.9 rebounds per game. Additionally, senior Khyala Ngodu joins the Mountaineers after three seasons at UCF, where she averaged 10.8 points and seven rebounds last season, alongside 1.3 blocks per game.