# 2024–25 Mid-American Conference women's basketball season

The 2024–25 Mid-American Conference women's basketball season was the season for Mid-American Conference women's basketball teams. It began with practices in October 2024, followed by the start of the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November. Conference play began in January 2025 and concluded in March 2025. The 2025 MAC tournament was held at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio for the 25th consecutive season. This was the conference's last season with 12 members as it will see its first change in membership since 2005 with the addition of UMass.
Ball State won the regular season championship with a 15–2 record Ally Becki of Ball State won player of the year. In the 2025 MAC women's basketball tournament, Ball State defeated Western Michigan, Kent State, and Toledo to win their second MAC tournament title, and first since 2009, to advance to the 2024 NCAA tournament. Ally Becki was the tournament MVP.

## Head coaches
### Coaching changes
#### Eastern Michigan

On December 11, 2023 Eastern Michigan fired Fred Castro after a 1–7 start. Ke'Sha Blanton finished the season as interim coach. On March 28, 2024, Canisius head coach Sahar Nusseibeh was named as the next head coach.

#### Toledo

On April 5, 2024, Tricia Cullop left the head coaching position at Toledo after winning three constitutive MAC coach of the year honors to become the head coach at Miami (FL). On April 9, 2024, Monmouth head coach Ginny Boggess was named the new head coach.

### Coaches

| Team | Head coach | Previous job | Years at school | Overall record | School record | MAC record | MAC titles | MAC tournament titles | NCAA tournaments | NCAA Final Fours | NCAA championships |
| Akron | Ryan Gensler | Illinois (Asst.) | 2 | 11–18 (.379) | 11–18 (.379) | 6–12 (.333) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ball State | Brady Sallee | Eastern Illinois | 13 | 373–256 (.593) | 237–146 (.619) | 137–73 (.652) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bowling Green | Fred Chmiel | South Carolina (Asst.) | 2 | 16–15 (.516)† | 16–15 (.516) | 10–8 (.556) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Buffalo | Becky Burke | USC Upstate | 3 | 144–85 (.629) | 31–30 (.508) | 17–19 (.472) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Central Michigan | Kristin Haynie | Michigan State (Asst.) | 2 | 6–22 (.214) | 6–22 (.214) | 4–14 (.222) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eastern Michigan | Sahar Nusseibeh | Canisius | 1 | 32–60 (.348) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kent State | Todd Starkey | Indiana (Asst.) | 9 | 308–194 (.614) | 143–99 (.591) | 85–59 (.590) | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Miami | Glenn Box | Indiana (Assoc HC.) | 2 | 73–51 (.589) | 9–20 (.310) | 6–12 (.333) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Northern Illinois | Lisa Carlsen | Lewis | 10 | 318–302 (.513) | 134–138 (.493) | 77–87 (.470) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ohio | Bob Boldon | Youngstown State | 12 | 294–229 (.562) | 196–141 (.582) | 116–84 (.580) | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Toledo | Ginny Boggess | Monmouth | 1 | 54–42 (.563) | 0–0 (–) | 0–0 (–) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Western Michigan | Shane Clipfell | Michigan State (Assoc. HC) | 13 | 243–238 (.505) | 172–191 (.474) | 94–124 (.431) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Notes:
* Appearances, titles, etc. are from time with current school only.
* Years at school includes 2024–25 season.
* MAC records are from time at current school only.
* All statistics and records are through the beginning of the season.
* †Chmiel's overall record does not include his coaching record at Feather River College and Lassen College because it is unknown to the author.
Source:

## Preseason

The MAC Men’s & Women’s Basketball Tip-Off will be held on Tuesday, October 22, 2024. Each team will have their head coach and a student athlete from both the men's and women's basketball team for interviews.
MAC Men's Basketball Preview Coaches & Student-Athletes MAC Women's Basketball Preview Coaches & Student-Athletes
* Akron: Head Coach Ryan Gensler & Alexus Mobley (Senior, Guard)
* Ball State: Head Coach Brady Sallee & Ally Becki (Senior, Guard)
* Bowling Green: Head Coach Fred Chmiel & Lexi Fleming (Senior, Guard)
* Buffalo: Head Coach Becky Burke & Chellia Watson (Senior, Guard)
* Central Michigan: Head Coach Kristin Haynie & Lisa Tesson (Senior, Guard)
* Eastern Michigan: Head Coach Sahar Nusseibeh & Sisi Eleko (Junior, Forward)
* Kent State: Head Coach Todd Starkey & Jenna Batsch (Senior, Guard)
* Miami: Head Coach Glenn Box & Katey Richason (Senior, Forward)
* Northern Illinois: Head Coach Lisa Carlsen & Chelby Koker (Grad., Guard)
* Ohio: Head Coach Bob Boldon & Kate Dennis (Senior, Guard)
* Toledo: Head Coach Ginny Boggess & Nan Garcia (Grad., Guard/Forward)
* Western Michigan: Head Coach Shane Clipfell & Hannah Spitzley (Grad., Guard)

### Preseason women's basketball coaches poll

Women's Basketball Preseason Poll :
| Place | Team | Points | First place votes |
| 1. | Ball State | 120 | 10 |
| 2. | Kent State | 104 | 2 |
| 3. | Buffalo | 98 | -- |
| 4. | Bowling Green | 96 | -- |
| 5. | Toledo | 82 | -- |
| T6. | Northern Illinois | 64 | -- |
| T6. | Ohio | 64 | -- |
| 8. | Miami | 44 | -- |
| 9. | Akron | 43 | -- |
| 10. | Western Michigan | 34 | -- |
| 11. | Eastern Michigan | 23 | -- |
| 12. | Central Michigan | 20 | -- |
MAC tournament champions:Ball State (8), Bowling Green (1), Kent State (1), Toledo (1)
Source

### MAC Preseason All-Conference

| Honor | Recipient |
| Preseason All-MAC First Team | Ally Becki, Ball State, Senior |
| Preseason All-MAC First Team | Amy Velasco, Bowling Green, Senior |
| Preseason All-MAC First Team | Chellia Watson, Buffalo, Fifth Year |
| Preseason All-MAC First Team | Jenna Batsch, Kent State, Senior |
| Preseason All-MAC First Team | Kirsten Lewis-Williams, Buffalo, Sophomore |
| Preseason All-MAC Second Team | Brooke Stonebraker, Northern Illinois, Graduate Student |
| Preseason All-MAC Second Team | Erika Porter, Bowling Green, Fifth Year |
| Preseason All-MAC Second Team | Jaya McClure, Ohio, Junior |
| Preseason All-MAC Second Team | Madelyn Bischoff, Ball State, Senior |
| Preseason All-MAC Second Team | Sammi Mikonowicz, Toledo, Graduate Student |

## Regular season
### Rankings

| Akron | AP |
| Akron | C |
| Ball State | AP |
| Ball State | C |
| Bowling Green | AP |
| Bowling Green | C |
| Buffalo | AP |
| Buffalo | C |
| Central Michigan | AP |
| Central Michigan | C |
| Eastern Michigan | AP |
| Eastern Michigan | C |
| Kent State | AP |
| Kent State | C |
| Miami | AP |
| Miami | C |
| Northern Illinois | AP |
| Northern Illinois | C |
| Ohio | AP |
| Ohio | C |
| Toledo | AP |
| Toledo | C |
| Western Michigan | AP |
| Western Michigan | C |
Legend :
| | Improvement in ranking |
| | Drop in ranking |
| | Not ranked previous week |
| | No change in ranking from previous week |
| RV | Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll |
| т | Tied with team above or below also with this symbol |

## All-MAC Awards
### Mid-American women's basketball weekly awards

Source:
| Week | Player(s) of the Week | School |
| November 11 | Chellia Watson | Buffalo |
| November 18 | Amy Velasco | Bowling Green |
| November 25 | Mya Babbitt Madelyn Bischoff | Kent State Ball State |
| December 2 | Sisi Eleko | Eastern Michigan |
| December 9 | Enjulina Gonzalez | Miami |
| December 16 | Brooke Stonebraker | Northern Illinois |
| December 23 | Enjulina Gonzalez {2} | Miami |
| December 30 | Alexus Mobley | Akron |
| January 6 | Ally Becki | Ball State |
| January 13 | Elise Stuck | Ball State |
| January 20 | Enjulina Gonzalez (3) | Miami |
| January 27 | Ally Becki (2) | Ball State |
| February 3 | Jenna Batsch | Kent State |
| February 10 | Alecia Doyle | Northern Illinois |
| February 17 | Ally Becki (3) Chelby Koker | Ball State Northern Illinois |
| February 24 | Chellia Watson (2) | Buffalo |
| March 3 | Chelby Koker | Northern Illinois |
| March 10 | Alex Richard | Ball State |

### Postseason awards

2025 Mid-American Women's Basketball Individual Awards :
| Award | Recipient(s) |
| Player of the Year | Ally Becki, Senior, Ball State, Guard |
| Coach of the Year | Brady Sallee, Ball State |
| Defensive Player of the Year | Marie Kiefer, Senior, Ball State, Forward |
| Freshman of the Year | Madi Morson, Freshman, Central Michigan, Guard |
| Sixth Man Award | Nan Garcia, Graduate Student, Toledo, Guard/Forward |

### All-MAC Honors

2025 Mid-American Men's Basketball All-Conference Teams :
| First Team | Second Team | Third Team | Honorable Mention | All-Defensive | Freshman Team |
| Nan Garcia, Toledo Amy Velasco, Bowling Green Chellia Watson, Buffalo Enjulina Gonzalez, Miami Jenna Batsch, Kent State | Alex Richard, Ball State Kirsten Lewis-Williams, Buffalo Madi Morson, Central Michigan Sammi Mikonowicz, Toledo Sisi Eleko, Eastern Michigan | Chelby Koker, Northern Illinois Hannah Spitzley, Western Michigan Kennedi Watkins, Ohio Lexi Fleming, Bowling Green Shelbee Brown, Akron | Amber Tretter, Miami Janae Tyler, Kent State Kendall Carruthers, Toledo Marina Asensio, Western Michigan Paige Kohler, Bowling Green | Ayanna-Sarai Darrington, Central Michigan Faith Fedd-Robinson, Toledo Johnea Donahue, Bowling Green Lexi Carlsen, Northern Illinois Madi Morson, Central Michigan | Ally Becki, Ball State Hannah Spitzley, Western Michigan Johnea Donahue, Bowling Green Lani Cornfield, Buffalo Marie Kiefer, Ball State |