WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — With nearly everyone returning from a .500 season in 2025-26, Williams Head Coach of women's basketball Pat Manning is expecting the team to take a big step forward and challenge for the NESCAC championship.
"We have an experienced group returning this year, and I am excited to see how our young players build upon their development from last year," Manning said. "We had a number of people who were put in new roles, which led to us taking a bit to get going. But by the end of the season, we were playing our best basketball, and we enter this season with much more experience than we've had in recent years."
The Ephs graduated only two players from last year's squad, and with a pair of All-America honorable mentions in senior Kathleen Smith and junior Micah Walton serving as team captains, Williams has outstanding leadership on the floor. Smith exploded on the scene in her junior season after averaging under five minutes a game in her first two years on the roster. The 6-3 forward from Plaistow, New Hampshire, put up 12.5 points and 8.6 rebounds (fourth in the NESCAC) per game last season while shooting 59.0 percent from the floor, eighth-best among all Division III players. She also led the team with 21 blocked shots and was second on the squad with 26 steals, making her a force at both ends of the court.
Walton, meanwhile, did just about everything for the Ephs while leading the league in minutes played (37.2 per game). The 5-7 guard from Austin, Texas, was fourth in the NESCAC in scoring (15.0 ppg), assists (2.8 apg) and steals (1.8 spg), leading the team in each category while also grabbing 5.0 rebounds a night. She was a consistent performer, scoring in double figures in 21 of the 26 games (topping 20 points eight times), and her 3-point percentage (.343) was the highest among all Ephs.
"Both Kathleen and Micah lead by example," Manning noted. "I am really happy with how they have organized our group throughout the fall workouts to have us ready to go once the preseason started. They both bring an incredible work ethic to every practice and set a great example for the rest of our team."
While Smith is an intimidating presence in the post, her senior classmates also bring great size and skill to the court. Hanorah Murphy is a 6-0 guard from Auburn, Massachusetts, and like Smith, came into her own as a junior as she nearly tripled her scoring production from her first two seasons combined. She quickly worked her way into the starting lineup and provided 6.6 points and 2.5 rebounds per game, not to mention 14 blocks and steals on the year.
The other two seniors dealt with injuries during the 2025-26 campaign but did whatever they could to contribute to the team's success. A 6-0 wing from Sunnyvale, California, Tatum Leuenberger played all but four games in her first two years, averaging over seven points a game while shooting over 34 percent from distance and snaring nearly five rebounds a night. Then she missed 10 games during the first half of the season and saw her scoring cut nearly in half but didn't miss a beat defensively. Look for her to bounce back into form in her final year in the purple and white.
Mairi Smith, a 6-2 forward from Audubon, Pennsylvania, who started all but four games in her first two seasons, was hit even harder with injuries being available for only 14 games, mostly as a reserve. She is capable of being a strong defensive presence, using her height to deter driving guards and position herself for big rebounds, while also scoring buckets down low. And defensive prowess is valued highly in Coach Manning's system.
"The preseason and early part of the season is a time to evaluate players' roles, but we will always emphasize defense first," Manning stated. "The rotation we settle on will be based on defense, and right now we are looking for consistency in defensive play and our rebounding."
Walton and Murphy aren't the only guards who will see action this winter as Manning has several other veterans vying for playing time. Junior Sarah Pettegrove (5-10, Tewksbury, N.J.) demonstrated her talent for distributing the basketball with 59 assists, mostly as a reserve last year. Sophomores Amaya Chase-Luthra (5-6, Queens, N.Y.) and Gracie Augustine (5-11, Wilmington, Mass.) both showed some long-range prowess as rookies and may be asked to help spread defenses. And juniors Hannah Surrette and Jess Roy are angling to have breakout seasons much like Smith and Murphy did a year ago.
Manning can throw even more size at opponents with junior wing Skyler Chui (6-0, Los Altos Hills, Calif.), who is a bit of a ball-hawk, averaging more steals per minute on the court than anyone on the squad. Sophomore forward Evelyn Wolcott (6-1, Buffalo, N.Y.) had a nice collegiate debut last year, playing in all but one game and shooting 46.6 percent from the floor while swatting 15 shots, second on the team.
With all the veteran talent, the three newcomers will be able to develop without the pressure of producing on the floor right away. But each one — wing Romy D'Addario (5-10, Los Angeles, Calif.), and guards Abby Gametchu-Walker (5-9, Brookline Mass.) and Abby Kim (5-5, Berlin, Conn.) — is looking for her opportunity to shine.
"Our three first-years have melded well with the veterans and are comfortable in our style of play," Manning said. "I am excited to see how they progress as the season goes on and they compete for playing time."
The season begins on Wednesday evening at Skidmore College with Williams looking to avenge last year's season-opening defeat. Manning likes to challenge her team in preparation for the grind of the NESCAC schedule, especially with two conference teams — Bates and Bowdoin — among the top 25 in the preseason polls.
"Playing a strong non-conference schedule against regional teams ranked nationally and in tournaments that play on back-to-back days allows us to truly prepare for the strength of the competition in this league," Manning commented. "We will have to be able to compete with everyone on our schedule to truly have a chance of achieving our goal to win the conference championship.
"We have a group that relishes the chance to go after the conference title, and they really compete in practice. But we aren't going to lose sight of the process. We can't look ahead; we have to focus squarely on our next opponent and play each game as it comes. If we can do that and focus on the things we can control, we will be a very successful team."
