2025-26 SEASON PREVIEW: Women’s Basketball looks to take the next step in new season
DEFIANCE, Ohio – Defiance College women's basketball returns to the court on Friday night with a visit to Wilberforce, beginning the 61st season in program history.
This season is the team's third year under the leadership of head coach Courtney Peay and the second after the transition to the NAIA level. Last year, the Yellow Jackets broke through for three wins with a conference victory as well after a winless season in 2023-24.
Click to view the 2025-26 DC Women's Basketball Media Guide
About the Team
One year removed from just three returners from that season, the Yellow Jackets are bringing back plenty of experience with nine returners to lead the way. The lone senior is Ali Mowen, a two-sport athlete in basketball and softball from Eaton, Ohio. An efficient shooter and distributor from the point, Mowen has led the team in assists the last two seasons to get within sight of 200 career assists. Taylor Haynes, Morgan Crowe and Jourdyn Wynn all had strong finishes last season and stepped up in scoring while all posting season-highs in the season finale. DC has double-double potential on a nightly basis in Wynn, three-level scoring from Crowe, and a defensive dynamo in Haynes who was top-10 in the WHAC in steals a year ago. JaKiah Mitchell and San'Taizia Thomas are also armed with experience in addition to their size in the post as formidable rebounders.
"They're the first group to play NAIA for us, and they can teach what they've learned to the newcomers. They are all buying in," says Coach Peay.
The incoming recruiting class brings in a fresh wave of decorated players at the high school level. Columbus area recruits Kayla Houston (Centennial) and Shaunie Little (Africentric) were conference foes and now teammates at Defiance, who won City League championships and made deep postseason runs, including Little with a state title at Africentric. Houston finished her career at Centennial as the program's all-time leading scorer and helped the team to their first conference title. Azariah Smith (Bahamas/IMG Academy) and Lorena Caparros (Spain) give the Jackets an international flavor in the backcourt along with some maturity and leadership. Swanton's Peighton Manning and Elyria grad Sirriah Drummer each represent northern Ohio as all-conference players during their high school careers.
"This recruiting class is no stranger to excellence," says Coach Peay on the resumes of the newest Yellow Jackets. "We have a player coming from the IMG Academy and international players as well. That brings maturity and a different level of basketball. They are not strangers to what it looks like to win and what it takes to win."
Conference and Season Outlook
The WHAC forecast has Indiana Tech atop the preseason coaches poll ahead of Aquinas and Lourdes. The Warriors have won 7 of the last 8 regular-season conference titles and reached the NAIA National Tournament as an at-large thanks to a 25-win season. They went on to win a pair of games in the NAIA Opening Rounds and lost in the Sweet 16. Aquinas also won 20 games last year but the biggest surprise was up-start Lourdes, who got hot at the end of the season and went on the win the WHAC Tournament as the #7 seed. The Yellow Jackets were placed 11th in preseason voting, beating out Michigan-Dearborn.
After Defiance starts the season on Friday, DC will be on the road for the first four games of the year until the home opener on Nov. 18. The women's program will also take part in the 50th Annual Purple and Gold Tournament on Nov. 21-22, which will in the midst of 5 of 6 at home in late November into December. After a pair of D-1 exhibitions, the Yellow Jackets start WHAC play in mid-December for the remainder of the year.
Purple & Gold Memberships are available for basketball season and are a great savings for family and friends of DC women's basketball. One All-Sports Pass begins at $100 or two for $150. For more information or to purchase a Purple & Gold Membership, visit the Purple & Gold Club website by clicking here.
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