Ohio Wesleyan women's basketball coach Stacey Ungashick Lobdell will look to a group of 3 players together for their fifth year as starters to help the 2024-25 Battling Bishops continue the upward trend of the team's past 3 seasons.

The 2021-22 Bishops finished third in the North Coast Athletic Conference and advanced to the championship game of the conference tournament, followed by a conference runner-up finish and an NCAC tournament title in 2022-23.  Last year, Ohio Wesleyan shared the conference championship, the Bishops' first since the 2000-01 season, and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Division III tournament.

"We return 5 seniors and 3 fifth-year players, and they bring an understanding of the program," said Ungashick Lobell.  "The veterans are inspiring through experience and we're continuing to add to our depth.  We've been effective with the defense and press, and we'll continue to build off that and create tempo for the offense."

Returning for their fifth season are a triumverate of returning all-conference selections in guard Kasey Schipfer (Mechanicsburg), senior Elizabeth Homan (Cincinnati/Anderson), and guard Lauren Denison (Pataskala/Watkins Memorial).

A preseason first-team All-America selection by D3hoops.com this year, Schipfer was a third-team All-America pick by D3hoops.com and an honorable mention All-America choice by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association last season.  Schipfer also was one of 10 women's finalists for the Jostens Trophy, a national award created by the Rotary Club of Salem to honor the most outstanding men's and women's NCAA Division III basketball players of the year.  She also was named the Region 7 Player of the Year and was a first-team all-region selection by D3hoops.com, repeated as NCAC Player of the Year, and was a first-team All-NCAC choice.  Schipfer led the NCAC and ranked 21st in NCAA Division III in scoring (20.0 points/game), led the NCAC and ranked eighth in Division III in points (601), ranked fifth in the NCAC in rebounding (7.8/game), ranked second in the NCAC in rebounds (235), ranked fourth in the NCAC and 49th in NCAA Division III in field goal percentage (51.7), led the NCAC and ranked 11th in NCAA Division III in field goals (217), led the NCAC and ranked eighth in NCAA Division III in free throw percentage (87.7), led the NCAC and ranked third in NCAA Division III in free throws (164), ranked 13th in the NCAC in assists (61), ranked 15th in the NCAC in assists per game (2.0), led the NCAC and tied for 15th in NCAA Division III in steals (91), and led the NCAC and tied for 34th in NCAA Division III in steals per game (3.0).

Homan was named NCAC Defensive Player of the Year and was a second-team All-NCAC choice in 2023-24.  Homan led NCAA Division III players in assists (208), setting Ohio Wesleyan season and career records for assists.  Homan also ranked second in the NCAC in steals (68).  

"Elizabeth orchestrates our team," said Ungashick Lobdell.  "She calls the offense maybe 75 percent of the time."

Denison is a 2-time all-conference pick who led the NCAC in 3-point field goals (72) and ranked second in the league in 3-point field goal percentage (.362) and 12th in scoring (11.8 points/game) last season.

The guard positions may be the best example of the depth mentioned by Ungashick Lobdell, with junior Mia Guscoff (Canton/Massillon Perry), senior Alayna McMullen (Canton/Massillon Jackson), senior Lauren Gerber (Worthington/Thomas Worthington), senior Chelsea Edington (Delaware/Buckeye Valley), and senior Maddie Schumacher (Tiffin/Calvert) all returning.  Freshman Claire Wakim (Madison), an all-state honorable mention pick in high school, looks to make an impact.

Also returning are junior Alexandria Magers (Howard/East Knox), sophomore Skylar Grabow (Bradley, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais), sophomore Nora Johns (Pittsburgh, Pa./Quaker Valley), sophomore Chloe Kelly (Mount Sterling/Madison-Plains), and sophomore Carly Lehman (Milford Center/Fairbanks).  Freshman Sophia Roush (Westerville/Central), an all-conference selection in high school, also seeks to contribute.

At point guard, junior Kendall Dieringer (St. Marys/Memorial) will serve as Homan's primary backup, with freshman Amia Tate (Lancaster, Calif./Palmdale Knight), a 4-time all-league pick in high school, also in the mix.

Senior post Karlee Ross (Beverly/Fort Frye) is back for her third season as a starter.  Ross averaged 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game and provided an interior defensive presence last season.

Sophomore post Macy Miller (Marysville/Milford Center Fairbanks), who had an impressive rookie season with averages of 10.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per outing, could take over a starting role.  Edington could see some time in the post and junior Katie Neuhart (Delaware/Delaware Christian), a transfer from Bluffton, will be heard from, as will freshman Chloe Ebeling (Mansfield/Madison), an all-district selection in high school.  Sophomore Camryn Brunner (Manhattan Beach, CA/Rolling Hills Prep) and sophomore Lucy Whetzel (Warren/John F. Kennedy) also return.

Ohio Wesleyan's schedule opens at the Yonnie Kauffman Blue Jay Tournament hosted by Elizabethtown (Pa.) College on Nov. 8.  The Bishops visit Nazareth (N.Y.) before the home opener against Muskingum on Nov. 20.  Regional contests against Heidelberg and Ohio Northern lead into the NCAC opener against Hiram on Dec. 4.  Ohio Wesleyan visits San Juan, Puerto Rico, for the Puerto Rico Clasico Tournament on Dec. 19-20 and welcomes Principia and Ohio Northern to the annual Hoops for Hope/Bishop Classic before he NCAC schedule resumes on Jan. 4 at Oberlin.  The NCAC tournament is scheduled for February 25-March 1.