By Cecelia Chase / The Jambar
After a prior season full of firsts and a foundation laid under a new head coach, the Youngstown State University women’s basketball team enters the 2025-26 season with second-year Head Coach Melissa Jackson, several returning players and three newcomers to the program.
The Penguins wrapped up the 2024-25 campaign with a 12-19 overall record and a 7-13 mark in Horizon League play. In Jackson’s first year, she guided the Penguins to a top-five defense and the best offensive rebounding team in the Horizon League.
Offensively, the Penguins finished 10th in scoring with just under 60 points per game and shot 28.3% from behind the arc.
This season, the Penguins return nine players and welcome three newcomers to round out a 12-player roster. In an article from HoriZone Roundtable, Jackson said that level of retention speaks volumes about the culture the program built during her first year.
“Those student-athletes really believe in our program, and that’s been wonderful,” Jackson stated in the article. “Whether it’s summer workouts or official practices, they know the drills, the standards and the expectations. We’ve also added some fantastic transfers who will make an immediate impact and a freshman who’s already playing beyond her years.”
The Penguins will look to replace the production of five key departures, including Jewel Watkins and Malia Magestro, both double-digit scorers who were anchors on offense. Veterans Abby Liber, Haley Thierry and Xoe Rosalez also moved on after key contributions to the program.
The season’s schedule features several high-profile matchups. On Nov. 12, Youngstown State will travel to East Lansing, Michigan, to face Michigan State University — a Big Ten Conference opponent. Later in the month, Nov. 25, the Penguins will host the University of Toledo in a rematch of their 2013 Women’s Nationals Invitation Tournament meeting.
The Penguins will tip off the 2025-26 season at 11 a.m. Nov. 3 against Thiel College inside Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center.