Women's Hoops Looks to Continue to Grow in 2025-2026

Last year, the Lutes finished the season with an 8-17 overall record and a 5-11 mark in NWC action. Pacific Lutheran was a stingy team defensively, limiting opponents to just 58.6 points per game and held opponents to shooting just 36.3 percent from the field. The Lutes out hustled the opposition in 2024-2025, leading the league in rebounding (40.0 per game) and owning a +3.4 rebounding margin. 

Conference rivals learned first-hand about the Lutes gritty defense with visiting George Fox University contained to just two points in the second quarter of PLU’s 53-44 victory on Jan. 11. 

That being said, the 2025-2026 team may look considerably different, returning just two of its top seven players in minutes played from a season ago. Luckily for the Lutes, it’s two good ones in leading scorer Sydney Reisner and Emi Wada. 

Leading the way for the Lutes is Sydney Reisner who was Honorable Mention All-NWC and CSC Academic All-District last winter. Gearing up for her senior campaign, the 2023 NWC Rookie of the Year will be asked to carry the load for the Lutes. Reisner averaged 11.6 points per game and 2,2 rebounds per game last season with 25 steals. Reisner proved to be a threat from beyond the arc, shooting at a 35.1 percent clip from three-point range. 

“Sydney is our jack of all trades. She is consistently our leading scorer and someone who we ask to defend the other team’s leading scorer. She can play multiple positions on the floor, and when she’s on the floor, we feel better. She is that important to our team, and so we’re excited for her senior season. We’re asking her to take a lot of shots, but also we’ve added some pieces who can be scorers around her as well, so hopefully it lightens some of that load. Sydney is an outstanding young woman. She models leadership every single day by her actions on the court and the way she interacts with her teammates. This year, she has stepped up in her vocal confidence and leadership, which is something that we’ve asked her to do, and we’re really pleased to see that so far.”

Emi Wada was one of just four players to play in every game last season, averaging just under 16 minutes a game for the Lutes last winter. The senior averaged 2.9 points per game and had 25 assists but had an impact bigger than the stat sheet. 

“Emi is so wonderful because she will play any role that we need. She has started games in her career, she has come off the bench in her career, she has played major impact minutes for us, so I see her role as being the same, as being an important role as part of our success but being selfless in what that role looks like. She is playing the best basketball she has ever played and has also grown in her leadership capacity, which we are excited to see as well.”

Also returning for the Lutes is Kylie Griffin, Ava Bright, and Kate Wooten who will all have expanded roles with the team this winter. 

“All three of them will have major impact. They’re seemingly on a mission to be a big part of our success this year, and they’re playing with that in mind. Kylie is somebody who was injured her freshman year and played as a role-player last year, but this year she will be a major piece of our offense and our defense. She is exceedingly smart and puts that to use on both ends of the floor.

Kate is somebody who has major production capacity but has been more of a pass-first player in the past, but we’re asking her to be more of a scorer, to take on that role a little bit more. It’s not something that everybody has the capacity to do, but she does, and she’s been doing a great job at that. Ava is somebody who is going to be an undersized big for us, but has the biggest heart on the floor and plays with that heart on display every single possession. So, every one of our five returners is going to be a major impact player for us this year.”

PLU’s four first-years include two from Washington State, one from Oregon, and one from Hawaii. 

“We have four freshman, and they all bring something different. They’re playing behind some really experienced players, but are pushing to play some really impactful minutes.”

An Olympia, Washington native, Kiley McMahon hails from AG West Black Hills High School where she had a decorated career as a three-sport athlete with the Wolfpack. 

“Kiley is a playmaking point guard, who can also score at the rim or at the three. She’s somebody who we think can have a big impact in the point guard position both offensively and defensively.”

A Mililani, Hawaii native, Kristie Kagawa was a two-time All-ILH selection at Mid-Pacific Institute. 

“Kristie is a really skilled guard, who is savvy finisher, especially around the paint. She is somebody who is learning the college game physicality every day and brings a ton of fun to our team.”

Chloe Betts joins the Lutes from Estacada High School in Oregon where she was a two-time All-League selection on the hardwood. 

“Chloe is a true back-to-basket big. She is somebody who we were pleasantly surprised with her impact and production on the floor in our scrimmage and is growing every single day. She is one of the ones who benefits from having a big like G pushing her every day, and she’s improving really fast.”

Lily Atkins rounds out the Lute newcomers, hailing from Burlington, Washington and Burlington-Edison High School— the same school that produced Sydney Reisner. Atkins did a little bit of everything for the Tigers, winning 11 letters across three sports. That includes being a two-time team captain of the basketball team and securing Second Team All-State. 

“Lily is a defensive menace, and somebody who is a terror on ball, and we’re excited to put her to use that way. Offensively, she is tough and because of what we’re going to do offensively, we can put her in positions to score at the rim. She brings a toughness and a vocal leadership from a freshman position that’s really refreshing to see.”