Early Look At BYU Women’s Basketball Roster For 2024-25 Season

PROVO, Utah – BYU women’s basketball moves into life without an All-American.

The program’s all-time leading rebounder, Lauren Gustin, exhausted her eligibility. It’s a big void losing a consistent double-double every night in the frontcourt.

Still, the records during the first two years of the Amber Whiting era have left much room for growth. Through two seasons under Whiting, BYU is 32-34 overall. Both years saw BYU finish with 16-17 records and first-round exits in the WNIT and WBIT, respectively.

Last year was a difficult season for BYU, as they suffered unexpected personnel losses (Nani Falatea, Jana Sallman) and a wave of injuries to key players.

Year three of the Whiting era features a roster with a balance of returning personnel and intriguing newcomers.

With the transfer portal window closing earlier this month and BYU making some portal additions, we’re getting a clearer idea of what BYU’s 2024-25 roster will look like.

Who’s gone from last year’s BYU women’s basketball roster?

• Kailey Woolston, Guard (Serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
• McKinley Willardson, Forward (Serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
• Nani Falatea, Guard (Transferred to Oregon)
• Rose Bubakar, Forward (Transferred to Weber State)
• Ali’a Matavao, Forward (Transfer Portal)
• Lauren Gustin, Forward (Eligibility expired)
• Kaylee Smiler, Guard (Eligibility expired)

Aside from losing Gustin, the biggest loss for BYU from last year’s roster is Honorable Mention All-Big 12 guard Kailey Woolston. Woolston will serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Baltimore, Maryland, for the next 18 months.

 

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A post shared by Kailey Woolston (@kailey_woolston)

The former Lone Peak High was a standout performer for BYU last season as a true freshman, averaging 13.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting a team-high 46.6% from three.

Returning personnel

• Emma Calvert | Forward | Senior
• Lauren Davenport | Guard | Senior
• Heather Hamson | Forward | Senior
• Kylie Krebs | Guard | Senior
• Arielle Mackey-Williams | Guard | RS-Junior
• Amari Whiting | Guard | Sophomore
• Marina Mata | Forward | Sophomore

Three players in this group have starting experience from last season, led by Amari Whiting, who started at point guard in all 33 games as a freshman. The other two with starting experience are Lauren Davenport and Emma Calvert.

 

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A post shared by Amari Whiting (@amari.whiting)

How big of a step Whiting takes in her sophomore season will be a significant storyline entering the 2024-25 campaign.

Whiting led the team in assists (3.7) and steals (1.5). She also averaged 10.6 points and 4.9 rebounds. An area where Whiting will need to improve is her shooting percentages. Whiting only hit 39.7% of her shots from the field and was 31% from three. At the free throw line, she hit 59.3% of her attempts.

Transfer Portal additions for BYU women’s basketball in the 2024 cycle

• Kemery Martin | Guard | RS-Senior (Cal and Utah)
• Hattie Ogden | Forward | Junior (Buffalo)
• Marya Hudgins | Guard | Junior (Santa Clara)

BYU was active in the transfer portal during the 2024 cycle, adding three new additions.

Former Cal and Utah guard Kemery Martin looks like a player who could step in and pair up with Whiting in the backcourt. Martin was a Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention as a sophomore 2021 at Utah.

𝙒𝙀𝙇𝘾𝙊𝙈𝙀 𝙏𝙊 𝙏𝙃𝙀 𝙁𝘼𝙈𝙄𝙇𝙔, 𝙆𝙀𝙈𝙀𝙍𝙔 🤙 pic.twitter.com/KRWHi6p8vj

— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) May 3, 2024

She averaged 8.5 points and 3.0 rebounds in two seasons with the Cal Bears.

Ogden has ties to BYU. Her uncles, Jadon and Aaron Wagner, played for the BYU football program. Ogden averaged seven points per game in her two seasons at Buffalo.

Marya Hudgins started in 13 games the past two seasons for Santa Clara from the WCC. She averaged 7.6 points, 5.1 rebounds, and shot 33% from three.

Freshman Class

• Delaney Gibb | Guard | Raymond, Alberta, Canada
• Kambree Barber | Guard | Rigby, Idaho
• Sarah Bartholomew | Center | Highland, Utah
• Brinley Cannon | Guard/Forward | Shelley, Idaho

Delaney Gibb is a heralded prospect from Canada. She was rated the nation’s 77th overall recruit in the class of 2024 and was a member of the U19 Canadian National Team at the 2023 World Championship.

Welcome to the Family, @DelaneyGibb 💙🎉 pic.twitter.com/cP19D9dAfo

— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) November 8, 2023

Kambree Barber is a former Idaho Player of the Year in 2022. Fellow BYU newcomer Brinley Cannon took the honor of Idaho Player of the Year the past two seasons in 2023 and 2024.

Sarah Bartholomew is a 6-foot-3 center who won three consecutive state championships at Lone Peak High School.

Mitch Harper is a BYU Insider for KSLsports.com and hosts the Cougar Tracks Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and Cougar Sports Saturday (12–3 p.m.) on KSL Newsradio. Follow Mitch’s coverage of BYU in the Big 12 Conference on X: @Mitch_Harper.

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