Women's Basketball | 10/6/2025 10:24:00 AM
October 6, 2025 – The MIAA released their 2025-26 Women's Basketball Preseason Polls, and the Lady Hornets were picked tenth by the media and eleventh by the coaches entering year one under head coach
MJ Baker.
The Lady Hornets went 10-19 in the 2024-25 season but started the season 7-5 through the first 12 games, which included a top ten win over Northwest Missouri in the first game of MIAA action.
Gracie Gilpin is the leading returning scorer for Emporia State, as she averaged 12.5 points last season while shooting 38.2% from beyond the arc last season. Other key returners for the Lady Hornets include
Makenzie McDaniel,
Elizabeth Tjaden and
Macey Gandee who all scored north of five points per game.
Emporia State will open the
MJ Baker era in St. Joseph, Mo. on November 14-15 with games against NSIC opponents Wayne State (Neb.) and MSU-Moorhead. The home opener for Emporia State will be on November 22 against Missouri S&T and the first MIAA game for the Lady Hornets will be on the road against Northwest Missouri on December 4.
The media poll was topped by Pittsburg State with Fort Hays State, Washburn and Central Missouri also receiving first-place votes. The coaches picked Fort Hays State to win the conference, with Washburn, Pittsburg State and Central Missouri rounding out the top four.
2025-26 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL
1. Pittsburg State [13] – 326 points
2. Fort Hays State [5] – 299 points
3. Washburn [3] – 276 points
4. Central Missouri [4] – 271 points
5. Nebraska Kearney – 268 points
6. Missouri Western – 227 points
7. Northwest Missouri – 187 points
8. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 185 points
9. Missouri Southern – 176 points
10. Emporia State – 127 points
11. Northeastern State – 111 points
12. Central Oklahoma – 92 points
13. Rogers State – 49 points
14. Newman – 31 points
[#] - First Place Votes
2025-26 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
1. Fort Hays State [2] – 152 points
2. Washburn [6] – 148 points
3. Pittsburg State [5] – 144 points
4. Central Missouri [1] – 138 points
5. Nebraska Kearney – 135 points
6. Missouri Western – 99 points
7. Missouri Southern – 95 points
8. Northwest Missouri – 78 points
9. Northeastern State – 76 points
10. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 73 points
11. Emporia State – 48 points
12. Central Oklahoma – 44 points
13. Rogers State – 28 points
14. Newman – 16 points
[#] - First Place Votes
