With nearly its entire team returning from last season, hopes are high for the Drew University women's basketball team as it embarks on the 2025-26 campaign under 10th-year Head Coach John Olenowski.
 
The Rangers bring back 12 players and all five starters from last year's squad that finished 15-12 and 9-9 in Landmark Conference play while qualifying for the Landmark Conference Championship tournament for the second year in a row. The squad went on to knock off Susquehanna University in the first round of the tournament for the team's first-ever conference playoff victory.
 
The Blue and Green made their mark as a high-scoring offensive squad in 2024-25 and finished with the fifth-most points in team history (1,656) while setting a program record for 3-pointers made (178).
 
Drew returns its top-seven scorers from last season, led by senior forward Gianna Pica. An All-Landmark Conference Second Team selection, she averaged a team-leading 14.7 points per game – fifth among the Landmark Conference leaders and a career-high by over nine points. She also led the Rangers in rebounding (5.6 ppg) and was second in 3-pointers made (39), steals (1.8 spg), and blocked shots (0.5 bpg). 
 
Junior Amy Rachilla also returns after a season in which she averaged 11.3 points per game and set a team record for 3-point field goal percentage (44.3%, 27-for-61). She also led the Rangers in assists (3.7 apg), tied for the team lead in steals (1.6 spg), and was second on the squad in free-throw percentage (77.6%).
 
Also back as returning starters from a year ago are senior guard Maddie Beyer, junior guard Miabella Diaz, and senior center Brenna Hezel. Beyer was the team's third-leading scorer last season, when she posted 7.4 points per game and finished third among the Rangers in 3-pointers made (36) while leading the squad in free-throw percentage (78.9%). Diaz averaged 5.9 points per night and was second on the team in rebounding (4.6 rpg), and Hezel contributed 4.7 points per outing while leading the team and tying for second in the Landmark Conference in blocked shots (1.5 bpg).
 
Three additional Rangers return after averaging at least 15 minutes per game last season, including junior guard Alice Altomare, who dropped 7.0 point per game while leading the squad in 3-pointers made (46). Junior guard Olivia Aliotta and sophomore guard Jocelyn Kingsley are also back after playing 15 minutes per game apiece last season, with Aliotta averaging 4.4 points per contest and Kingsley contributing 2.5 points per night.
 
Junior guard Emily Bass also returns after playing in 21 games while sophomore forwards Mia Hartman and Camille Schiralli are back after playing in nine and 21 contests, respectively. In addition, senior guard Harrison Anderson looks to bounce back after missing the 2024-25 season with an injury.
 
A trio of freshmen – forward Molly Chapman and guards Vivian O'Quinn and Kaitlyn Reiner – will provide the Rangers with additional depth.
 
The Rangers kick off their season on the road when they visit Rutgers-Camden on Saturday at 6 p.m. in a non-conference tilt. Drew plays its home opener on Wednesday at 7 p.m. versus Rutgers-Newark, and its Landmark Conference opener will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 19 at home against the University of Scranton starting at 7 p.m.