Women's Basketball | 10/29/2025 11:45:00 AM

Utah Tech was picked to finish sixth in the 2025-26 Western Athletic Conference women's basketball preseason coaches poll, which was released on Wednesday morning.

Abilene Christian received two of a possible seven first place votes and 32 total points to be tabbed as the WAC preseason favorite, while California Baptist collected four first place nods to finish second in the poll with 31 points.

UT Arlington (1 FPV/25 pts) was picked to finish third, followed by Utah Valley (23 pts) in fourth, Tarleton State (18 pts) in fifth, Utah Tech (12 pts) in sixth, and Southern Utah (6 pts) was picked to finish seventh.  

Utah Tech returns four starters, along with six total letter winners and three redshirts from last year's squad, which concluded its fifth season of NCAA Division I play with a 6-25 overall record. 
 
The Trailblazers posted an eighth-place finish in the WAC Conference standings (1-15), and advanced on to the quarterfinal round of the 2025 WAC tournament.
 
Head coach JD Gustin begins his 10th year as Trailblazer head coach in 2024-25. Gustin has led the program to 43 combined wins over the past three years, highlighted by an 18-win campaign in 2023-24. 
 
Senior point guard Chardonnay Hartley highlights the Blazers' returning class. Hartley started in all 31 games last season and established herself as one of the top passers in the NCAA D-I ranks after she led the WAC and finished sixth-nationally in assists per game (6.4 apg).

The senior guard closed the year t-ninth nationally in total assists with 198, which were two dimes shy of tying Utah Tech's single season record. She also scored in double figures in 15 of her 31 starts and averaged 10.7 ppg. 

Fellow senior guard Brie Crittendon also started in all 31 games a season ago and averaged 7.8 points and 4.5 rebounds per start. Meanwhile sophomore forward Paige Cofer got the starting nod in all 16 WAC games and both conference tourney games and averaged 8.3 points on 41.5 percent shooting and 4.9 rebounds in her first collegiate season. 
 
Sophomore guard Ellie Taylor, who was named to the 2024-25 all-WAC freshman team after she averaged 10.0 points and 2.5 rebounds in 30 games (25 starts), is also back, but will miss the upcoming season due to injury.
 
Utah Tech also welcomed back junior reserve guard Calyn Dallas and junior reserve post player Lauren Crocker. Dallas averaged 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in 29 games off the bench a season ago, while Crocker appeared in 24 games and averaged 1.2 points 1.5 rebounds per outing. 

In addition, redshirt senior guards Macie Warren (5-10) and Maddie Warren (5-10) both return, as does redshirt freshman guard Andjela Colic. Maddie Warren was a 2023-24 second team all-WAC selection after she finished the season as the conference's fourth-leading scorer (16.2 ppg) and ranked second in the WAC in made 3-pointers (76). 
 
Meanwhile Macie Warren finished the 2023-24 campaign eighth in the conference in scoring (14.3 ppg), second in field goal percentage (.492) and sixth in 3-pointers (47) despite missing the final nine games of that season due to injury.

The Trailblazers also brought in four newcomers to their program ahead of the 2025-26 season, including one senior and three true freshmen. Utah Tech brought in redshirt senior Nevada transfer Kaylee Borden, along with Utah prep all-state picks in Merceius Mili (Skyridge HS) and Annalyse Shimada (Cedar HS). The Blazers also went the international route by landing a freshman post standout in Rose Boisnel from France. 

Utah Tech opens its fifth season of NCAA Division I play on Monday, Nov. 3, with a matinee match-up vs. Westcliff inside the Burns Arena at 11 a.m. The Trailblazers will open WAC play on the road at in-state rival Southern Utah on Monday, Dec. 29. 
 
Season tickets for the 2025-26 Trailblazer women's basketball campaign are currently on sale online at utahtech.evenue.net/events/WB26.

Utah Tech has a school-record 18 home games on its season docket, including marquee non-conference match-ups against Big Sky foe Northern Arizona (Nov. 8), former WAC rival New Mexico State (Dec. 6), and Big West Conference member UC Santa Barbara (Dec. 13). 

2025-26 Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches' Poll
Rank  Team (FPV)                            Points
1.         Abilene Christian (2               32
2.         California Baptist (4)              31
3.         UT Arlington (1)                     25
4.         Utah Valley                            23
5.         Tarleton State                        18
6.         UTAH TECH                         12
7.         Southern Utah                       6

2025-26 Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches' All-WAC Team
Preseason Player of the Year: Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Preseason All-WAC Team
Amanda Barcello, R-Sr., G/F, Utah Valley
Payton Hull, Jr., G, Abilene Christian
Khloe Lemon, Jr., G, California Baptist
Jakoriah Long, Sr., G, Tarleton State
Meredith Mayes, Jr., C, Abilene Christian