CALEDONIA, Mich. – Head coach Shonda Sanders enters her fourth season with Davenport Women's Basketball, welcoming seven new Panthers to the roster alongside eight returners. Sanders returns with assistant coach Dominique McBride and adds Jordyn Roberts to the coaching staff.

A few key returners look to build on strong performances from last season. Senior point guard Nevaeh Williams played in all 28 games, starting 27, and averaged 8.3 points and 3.7 rebounds per game while leading the team with 56 assists. Senior guard Hannah Shroeder, a transfer from Northwood University, appeared in 24 games with 23 starts, averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and contributing 51 assists. Senior forward Ellie Toney played in 20 games with 16 starts, averaging 13.4 points per game (tied for 11th in the GLIAC) and 6.8 rebounds per game (tied for ninth in the conference), while adding 37 assists, 20 steals, and seven blocks. These three seniors aim to leave a lasting mark on the program in their final season.

Coming from the transfer portal this season are sophomore guard Anna Axtel (Bay College), redshirt junior Maya Mitchell (Oakland), junior guards Taaria Pehi-Kupa (Wingate) and Tangee Gagua (Danville C.C.), along with sophomores Maddie Geers (guard) and Reese Polega (forward), both from Purdue Fort Wayne. Davenport also welcomes its lone true freshman, Amaya Henderson, a center from Chicago, Ill.

The Panthers open their season with an exhibition slate beginning Oct. 23 against Olivet, followed by Oakland and Central Michigan, before transitioning to more preseason matchups with Walsh, Ohio Dominican, Lewis, Tiffin and Malone. This mix of opponents across schools and divisions will prepare Davenport for the start of GLIAC play on Dec. 4 versus Saginaw. 

The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Preseason Poll pegged Davenport ninth in the 11-team league, despite the program's long history of excellence. Last year, conference rival Grand Valley State captured its second national championship with a 38-2 record, defeating California State Dominguez Hills in the title game, and earned 10 first-place votes from GLIAC coaches.



2025-26 GLIAC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
 

1.   Grand Valley State			100 (10)
2.   Northern Michigan			87
3.   Ferris State			84 (1)
4.   Parkside			72
5.   Wayne State			66
6.   Michigan Tech			48
7.   Saginaw Valley State			46
8.   Roosevelt			43
9.   Davenport			25
10. Lake Superior State			21
11. Purdue Northwest			13