WBB Selected as Favorite in MAC Preseason Poll; Becki and Bischoff Tabbed to the All-MAC Teams
October 22, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Picked #1. Time To Prove It.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - - As the Ball State women's basketball team awaits the opportunity to write its story for the 2024-25 season, the Mid-American Conference's 12 head coaches provided a nice prologue by naming the Cardinals the preseason favorite to win both the league's regular season and tournament titles.
The Cardinals also placed seniors Ally Becki and Madelyn Bischoff on the Preseason All-MAC Team, with Becki earning a spot on the first team and Bischoff tabbed on the second team.Â
Becki earned MAC postseason accolades for the third straight year last season after leading the team in scoring average at 13.0 points per game. She became the 17th member of the program to reach 1,000+ career points and 500+ career rebounds last season. A three-time MAC Player of the Week in 2023-24, Becki scored her 1,000th career point in the nationally televised win over Toledo (Jan. 21). The star-studded junior tallied a career-best 36-points at Central Michigan (Jan. 17), with the total tying as the fifth-most points scored in a game in program history.
Bischoff was one of the nation's best shooters behind the arc last season, leading the Cardinals with 77 3-pointers made. After her highest point, she ranked 25th among all NCAA Division I players in 3-pointers per game, 30th in total 3-pointers, and 34th in 3-point percentage. Bischoff chipped in a season-best 22 points last year at Troy (Nov. 11) and hasreached double-digit scoring 20 times over her career. She was also selected to the 2023-24 All-MAC Third Team.Â
Ball State had a highly successful 2023-24 season under the direction of head coach Brady Sallee who is entering his 13th season. The Cardinals tallied 28 overall wins and 16 MAC victories, with both being program records. Ball State earned the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament, reaching the semifinals for the third-straight season, and received votes in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll for nine straight weeks during the year. Ball State ended the season by hosting the first round of the inaugural NCAA Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament.
The Ball State women's basketball team will open its 2024-25 season with an exhibition contest against IU Kokomo on Oct. 30 at 6:30 pm ET in Worthen Arena.
2024-25 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches Poll
(First Place Votes)
1. Ball State (10) – 120 points
2. Kent State (2) – 104 points
3. Buffalo – 98 points
4. Bowling Green – 96 points
5. Toledo – 82 points
T-6. Northern Illinois – 64 points
T-6. Ohio – 64 points
8. Miami – 44 points
9. Akron – 43 points
10. Western Michigan – 34 pointsÂ
11. Eastern Michigan – 23 points
12. Central Michigan – 20 points
Tournament Champion:Â Ball State- 8, Bowling Green- 1, Buffalo- 1, Kent State- 1, Toledo- 1
2024-25 MAC Women's Basketball Preseason All-MAC Teams
First Team
Ally Becki, Ball State, Senior
Amy Velasco, Bowling Green, Senior
Chellia Watson, Buffalo, Fifth Year
Jenna Batsch, Kent State, Senior
Kirsten Lewis-Williams, Buffalo, Sophomore
Second Team
Brooke Stonebraker, Northern Illinois, Graduate Student
Erika Porter, Bowling Green, Fifth Year
Jaya McClure, Ohio, Junior
Madelyn Bischoff, Ball State, Senior
Sammi Mikonowicz, Toledo, Graduate Student
