WBB Hosts Winthrop to Open 2025-26

MILWAUKEE, Wis. - The Marquette University women's basketball team opens the 2025-26 season on Monday morning hosting a Winthrop at the Al McGuire Center at 11 a.m. CT.

Monday's contest will feature on ESPN+ with Bob Brainerd and Chloe Marotta on the call.

STARTING FIVE

Marquette opens the season with a first-time opponent in Winthrop.
The Golden Eagles' are seeking to make their ninth-straight trip to the postseason in 2025-26 after playing in the WBIT a season ago.
Marquette's strength this season comes in its experience and continuity as the program is the only one in Division I women's college basketball to return all of its players from the 2024-25 season.
That continuity, coupled with finishing fourth in the BIG EAST in, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish second in the league in 2025-26.
Marquette had three players land on the All-BIG EAST preseason team (Skylar Forbes, Halle Vice, Lee Volker), the most preseason selections for MU since 2018 when the program had four honorees.

FACING NEW FOES

Marquette will open the season against a first-time opponent in Winthrop, a team which was picked to finish fourth in the Big South.
The Eagles won't be the only new opponent for MU this season as the Golden Eagles will also host Le Moyne and Truman State in December.

THEY'RE ALL BACK...WITH ADDITIONS

With fifth years awarded to Abbey Cracknell and Lee Volker, Marquette heads into the 2025-26 season as the only Division I women's basketball team to return every player from its 2024-25 roster.
Additionally, MU added three players in transfer Jordan Muelemens and freshmen JJ Barnes and Kam Herring.

PICKED TWO

Marquette was picked to finish second in the annual BIG EAST preseason poll with 85 points, 15 behind UConn and five ahead of Seton Hall.
In October 2024, the Golden Eagles were picked to finish 10th. The eight-spot jump from one year's preseason poll to the next is a first in BIG EAST history.
The previous high was a six-spot jump which had occurred multiple times. MU was the last team do that, going from ninth in 2016 to third in 2017.

ONE, TWO, THREE

Marquette landed a trio of Golden Eagles on the on the 2025-26 BIG EAST Women's Basketball Preseason All-BIG EAST Team. It is the most preseason selections for MU since 2018 when the program had four preseason honorees.
Fifth-year guard Lee Volker, junior forward Skylar Forbes and junior guard Halle Vice were Marquette's three selections. Forbes and Volker were both unanimous selections following their postseason all-conference honors last March.
Forbes was an All-BIG EAST First Team selection in 2024-25 while Volker was on the Second.

CONSUEGRA REIGNING BIG EAST COACH OF THE YEAR

Cara Consuegra returns for Year 2 at the helm of the Golden Eagles after she was named BIG EAST Co-Coach of the Year last season with UConn's Geno Auriemma. MU finished fourth after being picked 10th in the preseason coaches' poll.
The Golden Eagles finished the season with a 13-2 record at the Al McGuire Center, tied for the best home record by a first-year head coach.
Marquette reached 20 wins in 28 games, tied for the second-fastest road to 20 wins by a first-year head coach in program history with Terri Mitchell (1996-97).
Consuegra also tied Mitchell for the most wins in February in her first year with six.
She earned her fifth BIG EAST road win of the season on Jan. 25 at Georgetown, the most conference road wins by a first-year head coach in program history.

PLAY WITH H.E.A.R.T.

The core values Cara Consuegra has used as the foundation of her programs as a head coach. Words that become values.
Heart. Effort. Accountability. Respect. Toughness.
It is a We Above Me attitude where everyone strives for excellence through maximum effort, doing the right thing on and off the court, and doing everything with the ultimate respect with the relentless pursuit to stand out.

Players Mentioned

JJ Barnes

Abbey Cracknell

Skylar Forbes

Kam Herring

Halle Vice

Lee Volker

Related Videos