JACKSONVILLE (October 17, 2025) – The Atlantic Sun Conference announced its 2025 preseason information for women's basketball Friday morning, with North Alabama voted sixth in the media and coaches poll.
FGCU was voted first in both polls, receiving six first-place coaches votes and 36 media votes. Stetson's Cameron Thomas was voted Preseason Player of the Year, and Central Arkansas's Bree Stephens was voted Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Head Coach Candi Whitaker heads into year two at the helm of UNA. Seven players return from the 2024-25 season where the Lions won 13 games while clinching a berth in the ASUN Tournament. North Alabama additionally brings in three transfers and five freshman.
Four of the top five scorers from last season return to UNA, as well as the top three rebounders. Three starters also return along with six players who were top 10 on the team in minutes played.
The top returning scorer is junior Katie Criswell, who finished second in 2024-25 with 8.2 points per game on 34.9 percent shooting. Criswell totaled 102 rebounds to finish fourth on the team and broke out with a career-high 21 points against Lipscomb on January 25, 2025.
Senior India Howard returns as the rebounding and blocked shots leader from 2024-25. She averaged 8.0 points on 50 percent shooting, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Howard ranked third in the ASUN in blocks and eighth in rebounds. She had five of the Lions' double-doubles on the season, while earning ASUN All-Academic and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District selections.
Three-point specialist Emma Kate Tittle returns from an injury-shortened 2024-25 after averaging 7.3 points per game on 44.8 percent shooting. The senior hit 34 threes on 41 percent shooting and shot 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Senior Alyssa Clutter heads into the new year after averaging 7.8 points per game on a team-high 55.1 percent shooting. She finished third on the team with 5.3 rebounds per game and tallied two of UNA's seven double-doubles in 2024-25 despite appearing in only 21 games due to injury. She set a career high in rebounds and assists against Bellarmine on Jan. 2, 2025, finishing with 17 points, 17 rebounds and five assists.
Senior Jazzy Klinge averaged 5.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game in her first UNA campaign last season. She played in all 30 games and was second on the team in rebounds while finishing 14th in the ASUN. Klinge also provided solid defensive contributions with 0.6 blocks per game, finishing tied for 16th in the conference.
The returners round out with sophomores Sofia Ceppellotti and Venla Ulander. Ceppellotti appeared in 27 games, totaling 52 points, 43 rebounds, two assists and two steals in her freshman campaign. Ulander suffered a preseason injury last season and redshirted but will look to contribute in her first season of action this year.
Along with the returners comes three key transfers in graduate Bukky Akinsola, senior Alexsandra Alvarado and junior Cameron McNamara.
Akinsola comes to the Lions after spending the 2024-25 season at Georgia Southern. She averaged 5.1 points, 0.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game in 33 contests. Alvarado joins after spending four seasons previously at San Francisco State. She scored 1,105 points while at San Francisco State and was an All-California Collegiate Athletic Association Second Team selection in 2024-25. McNamara spent the previous two seasons at Highlands Community College, scoring over 1,000 points in her career and earning First-Team NJCAA All-American honors in 2024-25.
The veterans look to lead the way with freshmen Brooke Hallman, Greta Ramon, Gabby Jackson, Mak Golden and Sofia Gaidukova completing the 2025-26 roster.
The 2025 ASUN Tipoff event is set for Monday, Oct. 20 in Jacksonville, Fla. Head Coach Candi Whitaker will represent the Lions, with Howard and Clutter designated as the student-athlete representatives. The event will air on ESPN on Oct. 28.
2025-26 Women's Basketball Preseason Awards
Preseason Player of the Year: Cameron Thomas, Stetson
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Bree Stephens, Central Arkansas
Preseason All-ASUN Team
Cameron Thomas, Stetson^
Anovia Sheals, Austin Peay ^
Bree Stephens, Central Arkansas ^
Liz Freihofer, EKU ^
Priscilla Williams, Jacksonville ^
Cerina Rolle, FGCU
Molly Heard, Lipscomb
Aleah Sorrentino, Stetson
Destiny Jones, West Georgia
Sydne Tolbert, West Georgia
^ - denotes a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-ASUN Team
Preseason Coaches Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Points
1. FGCU (6) 128
2. Central Arkansas (3) 124
3. Stetson (1) 118
4. Lipscomb 98
5. EKU (1) 97
6. North Alabama 77
7. Jacksonville 73
8. Austin Peay 61
9. Bellarmine 49
10. West Georgia 48
11. Queens (1) 37
12. North Florida 26
Preseason Media Poll
Place Team (1st place votes) Points
1. FGCU (36) 474
2. Central Arkansas 416
3. Lipscomb 370
4. EKU (2) 368
5. Stetson 308
6. North Alabama 240
7. Jacksonville 238
8. Bellarmine 216
9. Austin Peay 172
10. West Georgia 146
11. North Florida 88
12. Queens 84
For more information on North Alabama Athletics, visit www.roarlions.com and follow UNA Athletics on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
