Redemption is a word easily thrown around: how a team must redeem themselves in a season or how they are on a redemption arc. That’s not what the 2025-26 Colorado State women’s basketball team is about.
“By no means is this crew on a redemption tour,” head coach Ryun Williams said. “We have another opportunity to make the most of what’s in front of me.”
This season could mark the 10th year of the Rams’ conference championship drought. Entering Williams’ 14th season for the Rams, he has produced nine seasons with over 20 victories along with five conference championships.
Since the 2015-16 Mountain West conference title, the Rams have carried themselves through the regular season, putting them into conference title position and faltering each time they make it.
“We’ve got a long way to go,” Williams said. “There’s talent up and down that roster, whether it be transfers (or) the redshirts. I think a lot of kids can impact this season.”
While the Rams have kept a consistent coach, roster turnover has been CSU’s most uncertain factor.
Williams’ leadership has significantly eased creating a team culture, but the team has lost players to graduation and the ever-growing transfer portal.
Graduate Emma Ronsiek played a key role in the team’s success, being the top performer after transferring from Creighton to fulfill her last year of eligibility at CSU. A few other players, Joseana Vaz and Ann Zachariah, entered the transfer portal after last year. Now it is up to underclassmen and newcomers to fill big shoes.
This season, the Rams will again face the challenge of introducing a large underclassmen cohort, with three incoming players: guard Allie Roden, guard and forward Bree Bowman and guard Gianna Smith. Three redshirt freshmen will hopefully be able to make their mark on the court this season in guard McKenna Murphy, guard Caitlin Kramer and forward Olivia Pawlicki.
All six players will be able to add scoring depth and defensive plays for the Rams, with half of them amassing over 1,000 points in their high school careers.
The newcomers won’t be the only ones new to the green and gold. Three transfers will also be joining the ranks of the team, all of them with plenty of playing experience and seniority on the court.
Senior forward Madelyn Bragg, who transferred to CSU from Northern State, had an average of 16.8 points per game during the 2024-25 season; this would have placed her at the team’s second points-per-game leader, right behind Emma Ronsiek, who averaged 17.7 points per game.
On the defensive side, the Rams gained guard Lexus Bargesser, a transfer from Indiana who played in the Big Ten Tournament last season, averaging 5.5 points and 3.5 rebounds, while appearing in both Hoosiers’ NCAA Tournament games.
Lastly on the transfer side is graduate forward Lexi Deden, who transferred from Montana State her senior year before a season-ending injury. She still headlined the team that year, averaging 13.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
“I’m not hurting every day,” Deden said. “I’m feeling really good and getting my quicks back. It feels awesome to be getting into that flow that I was in for my senior year, and I’m hoping for the best this season.”
After playing her last season as a redshirt senior at MSU, Deden will finish off her collegiate career with the Rams.
These newcomers, along with the eight returners, are key to adding intentional depth and strength into the team. The returning players have already demonstrated they can be competitive on the court, and they worked together after some tight comebacks last season. The Rams’ performance last year showed dominance and skill from one player, but working and meshing together as a team could substantially increase their capabilities.
“We’re playing some pretty good opponents this season in our preconference (slate),” senior guard Marta Leimane said. “Because when you play good teams, it’s going to prepare you well for the conference. Gonzaga, Oregon State, Stanford are really good teams, and we have to prepare and learn how to transfer that into Mountain West (games).”
The team dominated the regular season last year, finishing with an overall record of 22-10 and winning 13 conference games.
This season, the Rams are projected to finish third, according to the 2025-26 MW Preseason Poll, just below three-time conference champion UNLV and defending champion San Diego State.
Sophomore guards Kloe Froebe and Brooke Carlson showed their ability to contribute both on offense and defense, each averaging above seven points per game last season. Froebe shined on the court, being the team’s leading offensive rebound player with over 60 throughout the season.
One player who fought for dominance last season and is already showing it again this season after being named to the 2025-26 MW Preseason All-MW team is senior guard Hannah Ronsiek. Hannah Ronsiek is the definition of a two-way player, and she led the team in steals and blocks last season. While Hannah Ronsiek showed she was a key player, she sometimes struggled to stay on the court, having the highest personal foul rate and disqualification numbers of any player on the team.
“Yes, they did a nice job last year, but there’s a whole different level,” Williams said. “I have the utmost confidence they will deliver.”
The team again faces the battle of having a young roster, but it has capable players who can enable the team to prove itself, one game at a time. With experienced veterans and ranks of new players, CSU must mesh together on the court early on in the season to get over the learning curve of a new team on the hunt for the MW conference title.
“As soon as I step into Moby (Arena), I’m in a mindset that I have to get better (and) I have to get my teammates better,” Leimane said. “We have to improve leadership and hold each other accountable.”
If the team can learn to stay steady when the pressure is on, anything may be possible.
Reach Abigail Wood at sports@collegian.com or on social media @Abigaiil_Wood.
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