New Faces, New Chapter: UDallas Women's Basketball Looks to Redefine Expectations in 2026-27
IRVING, Texas – Change is on the horizon for the University of Dallas women's basketball program as the Crusaders prepare to enter the 2026-27 season with a restructured roster, fresh talent and a renewed sense of direction under third-year head coach Ty Adams.
Picked to finish ninth in the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) preseason coaches' poll, UDallas enters the upcoming campaign with an opportunity to establish a new identity following a challenging 2025-26 season.
The Crusaders finished last year 4-21 overall and 3-13 in conference play, averaging 51.7 points and 37.5 rebounds per contest. Offensive consistency proved difficult throughout the season as UDallas shot 30.8 percent from the field and 22.8 percent from beyond the arc while averaging 19.8 turnovers per game.
However, this year's roster will look noticeably different.
Seven players from last season have departed, including Gabriella Barrera, Hailey Hawthorne, Lexi Arzate and Maria Podskarbi, leaving significant opportunities for returning players to expand their roles and newcomers to make an immediate impact.
Of the 14 players on this year's roster, eight are underclassmen, including five freshmen. With no seniors listed, the Crusaders will lean on a blend of returning experience and emerging talent as they begin building toward the future.
Junior guard Isabelle Chevalier headlines the returning group after leading UDallas in scoring last season with 9.8 points per game. Chevalier appeared in all 25 contests, making 20 starts while knocking down a team-high 33 three-pointers. Her offensive experience will be valuable as the Crusaders work to establish chemistry within their new lineup.
Sophomore La'Aria Miller returns after averaging 6.3 points per contest across 21 appearances. Miller finished among the team's leaders in free throws made with 44, providing another scoring option in the backcourt.
In the frontcourt, sophomore Sarah Mirza looks to build upon a freshman campaign in which she averaged 5.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Junior Adriana Medina also returns after appearing in all 25 contests last season, adding experience to a group looking to improve its production around the basket.
Juniors Madison Triolet and Airial Casillas round out the returning group, giving Adams six players with experience in the program as the team works to develop its identity.
While those familiar faces provide a foundation, the Crusaders' incoming talent represents one of the most significant storylines entering the season.
Freshman guards Charlee Mack (Hillsboro, Texas), Natalie Leslie (Houston, Texas) and Kaliyah Arps (Crandall, Texas) bring new faces to the backcourt, while Kate Newsome, a 5-foot-10 guard from Alexandria, Virginia, adds another option on the perimeter.
In the frontcourt, 6-foot-2 freshman Evangeline Treece (Euless, Texas) enters as the tallest player on the roster. Her addition provides size to a group tasked with replacing the rebounding production of Podskarbi, who led the Crusaders with 6.9 boards per game last season.
Sophomore guards Abby Little (Howe, Texas), Mackenzie Daffron (Chula Vista, California) and Kyndal Underwood (Arlington, Texas) complete the group of new additions, further expanding the team's depth and competition for playing time.
With eight players joining the six returning Crusaders, the upcoming season will require patience, development and a collective commitment to establishing consistency on both ends of the floor.
For Adams, now entering his third season at the helm, the roster transformation presents an opportunity to continue shaping the program's direction. Alongside assistant coach Angela Nguyen, graduate assistant Adryan Alvarez and volunteer coach Jamal Adams II, Adams will look to establish a foundation built around growth, accountability and a shared identity.
Although the preseason poll places UDallas ninth in the conference, the Crusaders enter the year with an opportunity to challenge those expectations. With a roster featuring significant youth and a returning core capable of providing leadership, the focus shifts toward building chemistry, developing confidence and translating individual potential into collective success.
The 2026-27 season represents a new chapter for UDallas women's basketball, one defined not by where the Crusaders are projected to finish, but by the foundation they hope to establish moving forward.
