LOUISVILLE, Ky. — When the ball is tossed up at center court in Monday night's season opener against Spalding in Knights Hall, the Monique Reid era will officially be under way for the Bellarmine University women's basketball team.

Continuity was maintained in the regime change, as Reid's promotion was preceded by two years as an assistant at Bellarmine under Chancellor Dugan, who retired after 13 seasons at the helm of the Knights and 34 overall as a head coach.

Reid, whose charges will host Simmons (Ky.) College in an exhibition at 6:30 p.m. (ET) Thursday, will look to build upon the program's benchmark season as a member of the NCAA's highest level. In 2024-25, the Knights set new Division I-era program records for total wins (18), ASUN wins (eight), road wins (nine) and winning streak (six) while also winning their first-ever ASUN Tournament game.

That standard-bearing squad featured three players in guards Hayley Harrison and Hope Sivori and forward Skylar Treadwell who were All-ASUN performers and accounted for roughly 42 points, 18 rebounds and 7.5 assists of the team's production per game before graduating.

While several familiar faces dot the Bellarmine roster, the Knights have undergone a relatively large overhaul from a personnel standpoint, as over half the team is new. That did not, however, signal a youth movement; quite the opposite, in fact, as highly seasoned transfers comprise the vast majority of the new arrivals.

RETURNERS
Bellarmine has a wealth of returning experience in the backcourt. The Knights have steadying influences in Ashlee Harris and Miyah Brown, two stalwart guards who have combined to play in over 200 games at BU, and sharpshooter Erin Toller, who was an impact transfer last season.

Harris, a graduate student, tied for fourth in the ASUN last season in total steals (51) while averaging 8.0 points, 2.3 assists and 2.0 rebounds per game. Brown, a senior, led the team in field-goal percentage (44.6) and was second in rebounding (6.1) while averaging 9.6 points per contest. Toller, a graduate student, was a two-time ASUN Newcomer of the Week who averaged 8.9 points per outing and knocked down 33 3-pointers.

Sophomore forward Kayce Hyman appeared in 30 games last season while sophomore guard/forward Anna Rodgers logged time in 19 and sophomore forward Rachel Shropshire saw action in 14. Sophomore center Hana Abdel Aal's freshman campaign was derailed by a season-ending injury after nine games, but her promise was illustrated by an ASUN Freshman of the Week accolade and an 11-point, three-block effort against Purdue before her year was cut short.

TRANSFERS
Reinforcements for Bellarmine have largely come via the transfer portal, with the experience lost from last year's team offset by the experience gained from new membership.

Graduate student Seairra Hughes is a 6-foot forward who has over 75 games of D1 experience on her ledger and averaged 9.0 points and 6.5 rebounds at Southern Illinois in her most recent season. Junior guard Triniti Ralston was among the OVC's elite defenders at Southern Indiana and posted averages of 9.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals last season.

Graduate student and guard Kendall Wingler arrives at Bellarmine from IU Indy with over 100 games in D1 under her belt. She played her freshman season at ASUN rival Eastern Kentucky, where she averaged 10.9 points and 4.1 rebounds per game.

Redshirt junior guard/forward Rose Jamison left Napa Valley College as its all-time leading scorer and averaged 22.0 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per contest last season in a first-team All-Bay Valley Conference campaign. Sophomore guard Ava Smith made 17 appearances last season at Utah State.

Redshirt junior Andrea Chiquemba, a 6-1 forward, appeared in 29 games and averaged 5.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in her last season at Eastern Florida State College. Graduate student Patricia Sherrill, a 6-1 center, was a junior college All-American at Harford Community College and appeared in 29 games last season at Long Island.

FRESHMEN
Bellarmine has one true freshman in Haya Abdel Aal, a 6-3 center who is the sister of Hana Abdel Aal. Haya played in 2024 with the Egyptian national team in the FIBA U18 women's African Championship and participated in the FIBA women's Basketball League Africa.

SCHEDULE
Bellarmine is set for a total of 31 games, including 13 at home and 18 in ASUN play. The Knights will square off with five 2024-25 NCAA Tournament teams and five more who competed in either the WNIT or WBIT.

Bellarmine's notable road slate includes contests at Ohio State, Illinois, Louisville, Arizona and Notre Dame.

The Knights will follow the Dec. 21 contest at Notre Dame by opening conference play Jan. 1 by hosting Queens. BU's conference slate ends Feb. 27 at Eastern Kentucky, with the opening of the ASUN Tournament slated for March 3 in Jacksonville, Florida.

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