There is an elephant in the room for the Ball State women’s basketball program. Head coach Brady Sallee knows it’s the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship.

Alongside Sallee, the Cardinals have one end goal: win the MAC Championship and play in the NCAA Women’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament.

Sallee said he believes the 2024-25 squad could be the most physical team he has coached and feels comfortable with their ability to be physical.

“We lost a lot, but we gained a lot too,” senior Ally Becki said. “It’s been good. We’ve been competing a lot, and it is bringing out more competitiveness.”

New Faces

Ball State lost multiple players to the transfer portal, but its biggest loss was Nyla Hampton, the 2024 MAC Defensive Player of the Year. Although the Cardinals lost key players, Ball State added four transfers.

When Sallee evaluated his team's two major losses of the past season — Toledo and Kent State — the Cardinals got beat in the paint. So, Sallee said he tried to gain size in the transfer portal by picking up centers Maliyah “MJ” Johnson from Texas A&M and Tessa Towers from Wisconsin. The Cardinals also picked up a forward in Elise Stuck from the University of Michigan.

“Their size jumps off the paper,” Sallee said. “That has been just what the doctor has ordered.”

Sallee said he quickly figured out just how versatile the transfers really are and said that it brings a spark.

Senior Marie Kiefer said the added size brings a better presence by making it easier to rebound, box out and work together as a unit in the paint. She said the offense has changed slightly with the added size but is still quick in transitions and can get the ball moving.

The final transfer, Lachelle Austin, a 5-foot-7-inch senior who transferred from MAC foe Eastern Michigan, comes to Muncie familiar with Sallee's program.

“Every time [Eastern Michigan] played [Ball State], it was a hassle. We were fighting for our lives, so I knew I wanted to be a part of something where I can grow and also win games,” Austin said.

It is no secret the Cardinals had an explosive offense last season; the offense was ranked No. 38 in the NCAA with points per game (73.1). One of the things that excited Sallee most in the preseason was transfers being able to play in the Ball State system and running a similar offense to last year.

“It is a very hard offense to guard,” Johnson said. “… With the way the game has changed overall, it prepares us not only just now, but if we want to play pro basketball.”

‘The Core Four’

The Cardinals are in the final year of “The Core Four” — those being Becki, Keifer, senior Alex Richard and senior Madelyn Bischoff.

When Becki, Bischoff and Kiefer first got to Ball State, they were coming in post-COVID-19. Sallee said that the Name, Image and Likeness (NIL) era was just getting rolling and players were leaving programs left and right.

But Becki, Bischoff and Kierfer never left. The trio also added Butler transfer Richard just a year later.

“Those guys stayed true to Ball State,” Sallee said. “They stayed true to the program … If you could hang banners in the gym for loyalty, those kids would be no-brainers for what they did to this program.”

Becki said it is hard to think about the possibility of a last time with her teammates.

“[I am] just trying to take every day one step at a time and just soak it all in,” Becki said. “It has been a long four years but a quick four years at the same time.”

The bond for the group goes beyond the court.

“It is sad because this could be our last year of living all together, always practicing every day [and] seeing each other every day,” Kiefer said. “It is just crazy.”

Bischoff, alongside her teammates, said it has been surreal to be in her senior season.

“I swear I was just a freshman,” Bischoff said. “… I remember sophomore year thinking; ‘Two more years that is so long,’ and now I am here and it's like, ‘Where did that time go?’”

They have been working toward one goal together since they came to campus: a MAC Championship win.

“This is our last time. There is not another chance,” Richard said. “Being able to stay motivated and keep that as our goal is going to get us far.”

The loyalty aspect drives Sallee to deliver a long-awaited trophy at the end of the season.

“They’ve won and done that part of it. Now, there is just one prize left to take care of them. We certainly all want that,” he said.

Other Returners

Apart from the Core Four and the new transfers, the Cardinals also returned sophomores Hailey and Olivia Smith, sophomore Ashlynn Brooke and junior Sydney Bolden.

Bolden said the new additions fit nicely with the returnees.

“It's the best thing ever,” she said. “We see somebody go hard, [and] that makes you want to go even harder, so it's a competitive thing. I would say it helps a lot, mentally, and they're going to have your back regardless.”

Olivia said she is excited to compete with her twin sister, Hailey, for another season.

Brooke was injured late in the season last year with a knee injury. Sallee said she has been practicing but is not fully competitive as she is still in rehab.

Sallee said the Cardinals plan to address how she is progressing and will eventually have to decide if it is worth taking a redshirt year.

“We have to do the best for her, regardless of what we need or don’t need,” Sallee said.

New Kids on the Block

The Cardinals added two freshmen, Zuri Ransom and Grace Kingery.

“They are good,” Sallee said. “As hard as it might be for a freshman to crack this lineup, those two are talented enough. They are going to have to play and get minutes.”

Sallee said Ransom is a do-it-all guard and plays most like former Toledo guard Quinesha Lockett.

Sallee said Kingery has been what he expected her to be: a flat-out shotmaker.

“She may be the most coachable kid on the team,” Sallee said. “… Right now, she is a kid that can stretch the defense, will get it off anywhere and gets it off quick.”

Sallee said he has been thrilled with the young freshman adjusting to college basketball with high skill levels.

Scheduling

Sallee said scheduling for non-conference was a challenge this offseason. Some of the teams they reached out to didn’t want to add Ball State to their schedules.

Sallee said the non-conference slate is full of strong teams this year. The Battle 4 Atlantis Nov. 23-25 will kick off the season.

“What we're doing in the Bahamas, starting off with North Carolina, and you've seen the field down there … That’s kind of the creme de la creme of tournaments,” Sallee said.

Sallee said that with scheduling tougher opponents, he hopes to build a stronger team going into the postseason. He said that the team wants to play tougher opponents and compete with more Power 4 teams.

“These kids — Ally, Maddie, Marie and Alex's final year — plus all these kids that have transferred in here, they don't want to just come and play a bunch of patsies, you know, they want to play at a certain level,” Sallee said.

With some things surrounding the program being uncertain, Sallee said he is certain about one thing: Fans are going to want to be a part of this program.

“I mentioned those four seniors that are returning; those four kids have stayed loyal to this community in this university and this program, and they deserve the community coming out and showing that love back,” he said. “… On paper, [fans] have a chance to watch, not just a really good MAC team, they have a chance to watch one of the best in the country this year with our program.”

The Cardinals will open up their season Nov. 4 in Worthen Arena against Old Dominion with the tip set for 6:30 p.m.

Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4. Contact Logan Connor via email at logan.connor@bsu.edu or on X @_loganconnor.

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