BILLINGS, Mont. – There's a lot of high expectations around the Montana State University Billings women's basketball team heading into the 2023-24 season.
 
The Yellowjackets come into this season with preseason acclaim at both the conference and national level. Picked in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference coach's poll as the conference's preseason favorite, and picked #15 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Preseason Top 25, MSUB will look to live up to the hype as it begins its campaign this weekend with a trio of games in the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead, hosted at Alterowitz Gym.
 
"We're really excited to get the season started," said MSUB coach Kevin Woodin. "I'm excited to see what this group can do, and the Tipoff Classic is a great opportunity for us to face off against some really good Division II basketball teams."
 
The Yellowjackets are coming off a successful 2022-23 season, where they finished 25-8 overall, tying the program record for total wins in a season, and 14-4 in GNAC play to finish second in the regular season standings. The 'Jackets went on to make a pair of postseason runs, finishing as runners up in the GNAC Championships before qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, finishing their season in the West Regional Semifinals.
 
"Last year is a good platform for us to build on," Woodin said. "Obviously we didn't accomplish everything we set out to do, but we were an excellent group, and returning so many players who got to experience last year with us gives us a lot of quality depth and experience."
 
The 'Jackets lose two of the key pieces from last season's team, graduating a pair of seniors in Cariann Kunkel, a 2022-23 All-GNAC Second Team selection, and Taryn Shelley, who finished her MSUB career as the eighth leading score in program history. But many of the core players from last season are set to return for another run. Last season's points leader Dyauni Boyce returns after averaging 10.7 points per game and 5.3 boards. A junior from Winifred, Montana, Boyce is coming off of her first All-GNAC season, where she was selected as an All-GNAC Honorable Mention, and looks to take another step forward heading into this year, with Boyce being selected as one of the Yellowjackets three Preseason All-GNAC honorees.
 
Joining her with preseason recognition is senior Shayla Montague, and junior Kortney Nelson. Montague, a Billings native, averaged 8.8 points per game in 2022-23, leading the Yellowjacket's long range attack with a 40.1% three-point percentage. The long-range prowess is nothing new for Montague, who enters the season with 167 made three pointers in her career, the seventh most in MSUB history.
 
Nelson, the Yellowjacket's do-everything floor general, is coming off a season in which she earned Second Team All-GNAC honors. The Scobey, Montana product led a balanced MSUB offense in assists last year with 112, along with 8.2 points per game, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
 
Joining them from last year's team is Aspen Giese, another All-GNAC honorable mention pick. Giese had a breakout year last season in which she led the 'Jackets in minutes, averaging 9.5 points per contest, along with 4.8 boards, 2.3 assists and 1.2 steals. The Yellowjackets also return fellow guards Chloe Williams and Danielle Zahn this season. Williams averaged just shy of four points per game for the 'Jackets last season, and proving to be one of the team's best defenders with 1.1 steals a game and ten blocks, while Zahn, one of MSUB's four seniors this season, provides another solid shooting option for the squad, connecting on 48.1% of her triples last season.
 
The Yellowjackets final returners are Natalie Andreas and Kaitlin Grossman. Andreas, a senior who appeared in all 33 games for the 'Jackets last season, averaged 4.7 points per game and 2.4 rebounds while stretching the floor for MSUB. Grossman, another Billings native in the Yellowjacket squad, looks to build off a true freshman campaign where she played in 17 games for MSUB.
 
Joining them are four newcomers, including three incoming freshman and a transfer. Layla Baumann signed with the Yellowjackets from Billings West, staying in her hometown after finishing a high school career where she was one of the most dynamic shooters in the state of Montana. Guard Jaeli Jenkins joins MSUB from Clyde Park, Montana, while forward Avery Burkhart comes in from Bozeman, Montana to add another talented big in the Yellowjacket's rotation.
 
The Yellowjacket's final addition to the roster heading into the 2023-24 season is Montana State transfer Kola Bad Bear, who joins MSUB for her final season of eligibility. No stranger to the Billings area after playing her high school ball at Billings Senior, Bad Bear was an All-Big Sky Third Team selection in her time at MSU, finishing off an impressive career with the Bobcats to return to play her final season in front of her hometown fans.
 
Bad Bear and the Yellowjackets earned victory in both of their preseason warm up games, taking down Montana Tech 84-54, before traveling to Winifred, Montana to defeat Montana State University Northern 73-38.
 
"I was happy with how we competed in preseason," said Woodin. "We played teams that we able to challenge us early, and force us to elevate our game."
 
Between the talent returning, and the new faces in the mix, Coach Woodin believes that the sky is the limit for this year's MSUB squad.
 
"This group is a special group of players," raved the coach. "They're excellent both on the court, and off of it in the classroom and community. With the talent we return, plus adding the talent we did to the mix, I think were capable of doing some incredible things this year."
 
The Yellowjackets begin their season today with their first game in the Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead, facing off against fellow ranked opponent #24 Texas Woman's University at 7 PM to start the season. Live video will be available here, and live statistics available here. To follow along with the Yellowjackets this season, visit the MSUB schedule page.