West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University’s women’s basketball team has been ranked third in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) 2025-26 preseason poll, as announced by the OVC on Tuesday. The poll also highlighted individual honors for several Leathernecks players.

Junior guard Raegan McCowan and senior forward Mia Nicastro were both named to the Returning All-OVC selection. Senior guards Addi Brownfield and Allie Meadows were included on the OVC Women's Basketball Watch List.

The predicted order of finish in the conference placed Lindenwood first with 179 points and six first-place votes, followed by Tennessee Tech with 175 points and twelve first-place votes. Western Illinois received 166 points and four first-place votes, placing them third among eleven teams.

Head coach JD Gravina commented on the team's placement and individual recognitions: "More than anything, media day polls just signal the excitement of basketball season arriving. I can't wait to get things going with this team. When you look at the players getting recognized, the thing that pops out is the amount of experience we have on this team. When you go into a season with 5 kids who have been starters in your program, that means a lot. That's probably the reason we received 4 first-place votes as well. We have a chance to compete at the top level of the OVC."

Raegan McCowan returns after leading Western Illinois last season with an average of 22.3 points per game, shooting 35% from three-point range and 79% from the free throw line, along with averaging 7.9 rebounds per game. She also recorded 11 blocks and made 26 steals during the season.

Mia Nicastro averaged 15.3 points per game last year, shot 30% from beyond the arc, made free throws at an 85% rate, and averaged 7.3 rebounds per game.

Addi Brownfield was named to this year’s OVC Women’s Basketball Watch List after tallying 17 blocks, 56 steals, and averaging 8.5 points per game in her previous season.

Allie Meadows also earned a spot on the watch list after averaging 5.3 rebounds and 7.6 points per game last year.

For more information about Western Illinois University women’s basketball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow their official social media accounts for updates.