October 21, 2024
BISMARCK, N.D. – The North Star Athletic Association women’s basketball head coaches had voted Dakota State (S.D.) unanimously to win the 2024-25 conference title, the conference women’s basketball coaches’ preseason poll was announced Monday. Coaches were allowed to vote for their own players.
The Trojans collected all six first-place votes and 36 points to claim the top spot in the preseason poll. Dakota State finished their 2023-24 season with an overall record of 28-7, including a trip to the NAIA quarterfinals.
Mayville State (N.D.) tallied 26 points to finish second in the poll. Both DaSU and MSU shared the North Star conference regular-season title with an 11-1 record each, with the Comets winning their second straight postseason tournament title over the Trojans. Dakota State had won four consecutive regular-season North Star title.
The Comets advanced to the NAIA’s Round of 16 before falling to the eventual national champion, Dordt (Iowa). MSU finished 26-4 overall record last season.
Jamestown (N.D.), who is returning to the North Star Athletic Association for the final chapter this season, finished third with 24 points. The Jimmies finished last season with a 19-13 overall record, including a trip to the NAIA’s Round of 16.
Bellevue (Neb.) was fourth with 18 points, followed by Valley City State (N.D.) fifth with 13 points, and Dickinson State (N.D.) sixth with nine points. Points are awarded on a 6-1 basis.
Each NSAA member will be playing a total of 15 conference games this season, with each team playing each other three times during the conference season.
The 2024-25 NAIA Women’s Basketball season gets underway on Thursday.
The NSAA conference season begins on the weekend of Dec. 13-15, where MSU and VCSU make their trip to BU and DaSU. UJ hosts DiSU on Dec. 13 in both teams’ conference season opener.
All six North Star members will compete in the women’s basketball postseason conference tournament. This year’s conference postseason tournament will be held at the higher seed campus’ sites in each round. The opening round, in which the top two seeds will get a bye, will get underway on Feb. 26, 2025. The semifinals are set for Saturday, March 1, 2025, with the championship game being held on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.
The North Star Women’s Basketball Postseason Tournament’s champion will receive an automatic bid to the NAIA National Tournament’s Opening Round scheduled for March 14-15, 2025. The winner of the national tournament’s opening round will advance to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa from March 20-25, 2025.
Here is the complete 2024-25 NSAA Women’s Basketball Coaches’ Preseason Poll:
| 2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Women’s Basketball Preseason Poll |
| Rank |
School |
Points |
| 1 |
Dakota State (S.D.) (6) |
36 |
| 2 |
Mayville State (N.D.) |
26 |
| 3 |
Jamestown (N.D.) |
24 |
| 4 |
Bellevue (Neb.) |
18 |
| 5 |
Valley City State (N.D.) |
13 |
| 6 |
Dickinson State (N.D.) |
9 |
| *First-place votes in parenthesis |
2024-25 North Star Athletic Association Women's Basketball Team Capsules
 Bellevue (Neb.)
Head Coach: Dave Denly (9th season)
2023-24 Record: 11-17 overall record, 4-8 NSAA (5th place)
2024 Postseason: NSAA Postseason Tournament Quarterfinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#10) Gabby Moore (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Second Team, NSAA
Newcomer of the Year, 13.1 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 3.1 apg
(#21) Ashtyn Arnold (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention,
10.3 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 42.4% FG, 2.6 apg
(#35) Kaylee Denker (Sophomore – Forward) – 9.1 ppg, 6.6 rpg, 0.7 bpg
(#5) Brandi Dunn (Senior – Guard) – 8.0 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.4 spg |
 Dakota State (S.D.)
Head Coach: David Moe (8th season)
2023-24 Record: 28-7 overall record, 11-1 NSAA (tied-1st place)
2024 Postseason: NAIA National Tournament National Quarterfinalist;
NAIA National Tournament Opening Round Champion; NSAA
Postseason Tournament Runner-Up; Co-NSAA Regular-Season
Champion
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: No. 9
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#21) Angela Slattery (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable
Mention, 10.5 ppg, 68 3-pointers, 6.1 rpg, 1.7 spg
(#11) Tabor Teel (Junior – Forward) – NSAA All-Conference First Team, NSAA Defensive Player of the
Year, NSAA All-Defense Team 9.4 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.0 bpg, 57.5% FG
(#25) Lilli Mackley (Senior – Forward) – 8.0 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 42.4% FG, 1.3 spg, 0.7 bpg
(#30) Cierra Watkins (Sophomore – Guard) – 55.4% FG, 1.3 spg, 5.9 ppg.
(#1) Bria Wasmund (Sophomore – Guard) – 4.9 ppg, 2.1 apg. |
 Dickinson State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Eric Nelson (6th season)
2023-24 Record: 8-20 overall record, 2-10 NSAA (6th place)
2023-24 Postseason: NSAA Tournament Semifinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#25) Samantha Oase (Senior – Center) – NSAA All-Conferenc Second Team,
13.5 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 52.3% FG, 1.1 bpg, 1.3 spg
(#24) Katherine Fox (Senior – Forward) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention, 10.9 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 44% FG
(#14) Kayden Steele (Senior – Guard) – 10.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 2.0 apg |
 Jamestown (N.D.)
Head Coach: Thad Sankey (6th season)
2023-24 Record: 22-9 overall record, 16-6 GPAC (3rd place)
2023-24 Postseason: NAIA Women’s Basketball Round of 32
qualifier (Opening Round Runner-Up); GPAC Quarterfinalist
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#1) Kate Cordes – GPAC All-Conference First Team, 14.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg,
81 3-pointers, 1.6 apg
(#12) Kate Busek – GPAC All-Conference Honorable Mention, 6.1 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.2 apg,
0.9 spg
(#22) Sarah Lenz – 3.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg
(#14) Sam Paulson – 5.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 1.2 spg, 50.9% FG |
 Mayville State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Ryan Carpenter (1st season)
2023-24 Record: 26-3 overall record, 11-1 NSAA (tie-1st place)
2023-24 Postseason: NAIA Women’s Basketball National Tournament
Opening Round Runner-up; NSAA Tournament Champion
2024 NAIA Final Ranking: No. 12
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#5) Mackenzie Hughes (Junior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference First Team,
15.7 ppg, 44.7% FG, 49 3-pointers, 2.2 apg, 1.7 spg
(#10) Jes Mertens (Graduate Student – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Second Team;
NSAA All-Defense Team - 10.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.5 apg, 2.6 spg
(#24) Alex Page (Senior – Forward) – 5.9 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 46 3-pointers
(#25) Greta Hillukka (Junior – Guard) – 5.8 ppg, 48 3-pointers |
 Valley City State (N.D.)
Head Coach: Vanessa Johnson (8th season)
2023-24 Record: 13-14 overall record, 757 NSAA (3rd place)
2024 Postseason: NSAA Quarterfinalist
2023-24 NAIA Final Ranking: N/A
Top Returners from 2023-24 season:
(#12) Ashlyn Diemert (Senior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference First Team,
15.8 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 59 3-pointers, 1.4 spg
(#15) JayCee Richter (Junior – Guard) – NSAA All-Conference Honorable Mention,
10.6 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 55.4% FG
(#10) Ellie Braaten (Sophomore – Guard) – 5.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 2.8 apg, 1.1 spg |