KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The MIAA announced its preseason rankings for the 2025-26 women's basketball season, and MoWest is slated to finish sixth in the league standings in both the coaches and media polls.
Fort Hays State led the coaches poll, while Pittsburg State finished as the top team in the media poll. 

The 2025-26 MIAA women's basketball season will feature three new head coaches – MJ Baker is entering her first season at Emporia State, Hannah Moeller is entering her first season at Central Oklahoma and Luke Scheidecker is entering his first season at MoWest.

Scheidecker, the 11^th head coach in program history, and the third different head coach in as many seasons for the Griffons, brings with him eight years of head coaching experience, including seven at Wabash Valley College from 2016-18 and again from 2020-25. He's amassed a remarkable career record of 231-22 (.913), including six Great River Athletic Conference Championships.

Scheidecker looks to bring his winning pedigree at the two-year college level to a MoWest program that's enjoyed 20 wins or more in five of the last six seasons, and NCAA tournament bids in three of the last four. Scheidecker takes the baton with an entirely new roster.

Senior Meredith Rieker is the lone returner, while 11 new players have joined the team, including three junior college transfers and six players from NCAA institutions - two from NCAA Division I. The Griffons added seven guards and four forwards, signing four juniors, five seniors and two freshmen.

Women's basketball unofficially gets started with an exhibition at Division I Creighton on October 22 before seeing defending DII national champion Grand Valley State at St. Joseph Civic Arena on October 31 in the D2CCA Tip-off Classic.
 
The 2026 MIAA Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 4-8 at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City.
 
2025-26 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL COACHES POLL
1. Fort Hays State [2] – 152 points
2. Washburn [6] – 148 points
3. Pittsburg State [5] – 144 points
4. Central Missouri [1] – 138 points
5. Nebraska Kearney – 135 points
6. Missouri Western – 99 points
7. Missouri Southern – 95 points
8. Northwest Missouri – 78 points
9. Northeastern State – 76 points
10. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 73 points
11. Emporia State – 48 points
12. Central Oklahoma – 44 points
13. Rogers State – 28 points
14. Newman – 16 points
[#] - First Place Votes
 
2025-26 MIAA WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA POLL
1. Pittsburg State [13] – 326 points
2. Fort Hays State [5] – 299 points
3. Washburn [3] – 276 points
4. Central Missouri [4] – 271 points
5. Nebraska Kearney – 268 points
6. Missouri Western – 227 points
7. Northwest Missouri – 187 points
8. Arkansas-Fort Smith – 185 points
9. Missouri Southern – 176 points
10. Emporia State – 127 points
11. Northeastern State – 111 points
12. Central Oklahoma – 92 points
13. Rogers State – 49 points
14. Newman – 31 points