The Loyola Greyhounds Women’s Basketball recently concluded their season after suffering a loss to Holy Cross in the Patriot League Semifinals. This concluded their first winning season in over a decade and only the second time in school history Loyola has advanced to the semifinals. The Greyhounds finished with a record of 16 wins and 15 losses, posting their best record since the 2010-2011 season.
Star forward Lex Therien ’25 talked about what went into making the team successful.
“Having this success was really special. We came together and we made it a very historic season. We really bought into each other and the coaches and made this season possible. People also put in extra work and wanted to get better every day which led to our success on the court. We also bought into our chemistry off the court, which has a big impact on how you perform on the court.”
This season was a major step in the right direction for the Greyhounds. They outperformed expectations, as they were picked to finish ninth in the Patriot League preseason poll and finished tied for second. This was Loyola’s best finish ever since joining the Patriot League in 2012.
Guard Kelly Ratigan ’26, who led the team in 3-pointers, and ranked third on the team in scoring, discussed how the Greyhounds were able to exceed expectations.
“Coming into this season finishing in the bottom four last year, nobody else in the Patriot League thought we would make any sort of impact this season, except for us. Our biggest strength in exceeding expectations this year was having everybody on the same page, and because everyone committed to our team goals, our mentality completely shifted from the year before.”
Along with the team’s success, individuals were recognized for their contributions to the Greyhounds’ success. Coach Danielle O’Banion won the Patriot League Coach of the Year, the first Loyola coach in men’s or women’s basketball history to receive this honor in the Patriot League.
Lex Therien ’25 was voted Patriot League All-First Team while shattering multiple school records including most points in a single game (44) and most rebounds in a single game (23).
Kimmie Hicks ’27 rounded out the individual awards by earning Patriot League All-Rookie Team and being recognized as one of the five best first-years across the league.
Cam Wallace ’24, who practices with the team to help them get prepared for the opposing team’s offenses, discussed Hicks’ and Therien’s vital roles on the team.
“Kimmie, as a true freshman, had a huge impact on the team this year and will be a problem for the Patriot League for the next 3 years. Lex stepped up this year and established herself as the leader of this team with big performances game in and game out. Look out for her next year as chases the Patriot League Player of the Year award.”
An advantage the players felt this year was the home crowd. “Rowdy Reitz” lived up to its name and was host to an energetic crowd full of students, families, and fans.
Ratigan discussed the importance of the home crowd and how it made them a better team.
“Seeing the progression of the fans at the home games was incredible. I know our games aren’t at the most convenient times, but having consistent support from the students, staff, and parents gave us even more motivation to play as hard and well as we could all game. I don’t think we would’ve won as many games without the fanbase we had this year.”
Therien concluded her thoughts by discussing the historic turnaround of the program.
“Overall, we played really well together which enabled us to have so much success. It has been a very long time since we have had a winning season and to be the team this year that has done it is really special and something that we will probably be remembered for years to come.”
