Oct. 27—MITCHELL — Head coach Jason Christensen was a little surprised when he was asked about his returning scoring production from the 2024-25 season ahead of a new Dakota Wesleyan University women’s basketball season.
Yes, with their top-six returning scorers back for another year, the Tigers bring back 87% of their points to contribute again for a preseason top-10 squad this season.
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“I really didn’t realize it was that much,” Christensen said about the percentage figure. “I’m never a big numbers guy, and if I look at them, they’re usually what the other team is doing. … But that’s probably what the rest of the GPAC was looking at.”
The Tigers were tabbed as the No. 2 preseason pick in the Great Plains Athletic Conference, only behind two-time defending national champions Dordt. DWU was also the preseason No. 9 team in the NAIA coaches top-25 poll.
Every team and every season is different, but Christensen said he hopes the Tigers can start further ahead this season, given how much returning experience the team has.
“We’re rotating eight to nine kids right now, and when they’ve already been in the system, it’s pretty easy,” Christensen said. “Things are clicking a lot quicker than they did before. That doesn’t mean we can always score like we want. It just means when we run our offense, they’re clicking a little bit better.”
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The Tigers debut on the court on Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Division I Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. The Bulldogs, who have made two of the last three NCAA tournaments, will meet the Tigers at 6 p.m. Tuesday. The game came together thanks to the connection between Christensen and new Drake assistant Kristin Rotert, the Salem native who was previously the Northwestern College head coach for four seasons.
Here’s a look at what to know about the Tigers entering this season:
Coach: Jason Christensen, 15th season.
Record (2024-25): 25-7, 18-4 GPAC
Postseason: After claiming the No. 2 seed in the GPAC tournament, DWU was a No. 5 seed in its quadrant of the national tournament. DWU beat The Master’s (Calif.) 91-70 in the NAIA first round before bowing out 79-67 at Langston University in Oklahoma in the round of 32.
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Key returners: DWU brings back three seniors in guard Taliyah Hayes, Rylee Rosenquist and Maleighya Estes, with Rosenquist averaging 14.3 points and Hayes tallying 8.7 points per game. Standout forward Emma Yost is now in her junior season after leading DWU in scoring at 15.9 points per game last year, as does junior guard Avery Broughton, who averaged 10.6 points after transferring into the program ahead of last season. It will be a delayed start to the season for Rosenquist, who is recovering from an offseason surgery on her foot. Shalayne Nagel, the junior from Wagner High School who averaged nearly 9 points per game, will play more of a guard role this season and has changed numbers from No. 34 to No. 0. Estes was one of the leading bench players last season at nearly 5 points per game.
Key departures: DWU lost three seniors with guards Grace Fryda and Mya Wilson, plus Isabel Ihnen, who missed all of last season recovering from a knee injury in 2024.
Key newcomers: While she’s entering her junior season, Christensen said Watertown native Jaida Young will be one of the Tigers’ key guards. The coach also said he expects sophomores Avery Orth (Wessington Springs) and Lizzie Pavlis (Flandreau) to take on bigger roles at the center and forward positions, respectively.
Notes: DWU was the nation’s 12th-best team nationally in rebounding margin at nearly plus-10 rebounds per game. … The Tigers also ranked 28th in the country in offensive efficiency and 53rd in defensive efficiency. The Tigers were 12-3 in home games and 11-4 in road games. DWU was also 18-4 in GPAC play, the team’s best conference record since the 2018-19 season.
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Christensen on his team: “I think the challenge this year is going to be mental toughness. Are we going to be grounded? Because in this conference, you can’t take a night off. … We can’t have that yo-yo effect all year. We were finding ways to win, but the consistency wasn’t there. I’m hoping with having a lot of players back, we can find a consistent track.”
Schedule notes: DWU opens the regular season on Nov. 4 against Bismarck State at 6 p.m. at the Corn Palace. … The Tigers head to the Cattle Classic at Concordia University in Seward, Nebraska, for two non-conference games, playing No. 13 MidAmerica Nazarene and No. 18 Arizona Christian on Nov. 7 and Nov. 8. … DWU goes back to Nebraska to open GPAC play at No. 12 Hastings on Nov. 15, with the conference home opener on Nov. 19 against Morningside. More ranked games are on the schedule in December when DWU plays at Dakota State on Dec. 2 against the No. 4-ranked Trojans, at No. 1 Dordt on Dec. 10, plus playing No. 3 Campbellsville (Ky.) on Dec. 19 as part of a two-game Hawaii trip. … The DWU women will play conference rival Northwestern on Dec. 30 during the Hoop City Classic at the Corn Palace.
Christensen on DWU’s schedule: “I told them the other day, this is the toughest schedule I’ve ever put together,” he said. “Part of that is, I know (we’re) going to have a target on your back, and I want us to be ready to play night in and night out. … If you think you were challenged last year, you’re going to be challenged this year. I hope that benefits us when we get to the grind of February and March.”
