RIVER FOREST, Ill. – There's only a few more days before the Concordia University Chicago (CUC) women's basketball team takes the court, as the winter season approaches. The Cougars' first game is Friday, November 7, at Franklin College. Tipoff is set for 5:00 pm EST.
 
Last Season
The Cougars finished 12^th in the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) last season with an overall record of 5-20 and a conference record of 4-12. Concordia started off the year with a string of tough non-conference games against Illinois College, Anderson University (Ind.), University of Chicago, and University of Hartford. CUC picked up the victory against Hartford, 56-51, right before beginning conference play. Unfortunately, the Cougars struggled and found themselves in a 0-13 slump. However, the Cougars got on a hot streak at the end of January, defeating Dominican University, 57-54, Marian University, 67-58, and Alverno College, 86-41. The Cougars would lose the next four conference matchups but ended the season on a high note with a 48-47 victory over Rockford University.
 
"Last season taught us a lot about resilience and what it takes to compete at this level," head coach Lauren Martin remarked. "Even though the results didn't always go our way, our players never stopped fighting. We learned valuable lessons about consistency, integrity, accountability, and mental toughness and those lessons have laid the foundation for what we're building now. This year, we're using that experience to fuel our growth and take a major step forward."
 
Coach Martin
This season marks Coach Martin's eighth season at the helm of the Cougar women's basketball program. Coach Martin has accumulated a 52-107 overall record and a 44-70 NACC record. The Cougars have made two playoff appearances under Coach Martin.
 
Key Returners
The Cougars return seven to the court this season.
 
Junior forward Abby Kulig (Carol Stream, Ill.) returns to the floor as a defensive presence for the Cougars. Last season, Kulig appeared in all 25 games with 14 starts and led the team in blocks with 15.
 
Sophomore forward Courtneye Schneider (Plainfield, Ill.) makes her way back to the court this season. A key contributor last year, Schneider totaled 65 points, 68 rebounds, and seven blocks in 24 appearances.
 
Fellow sophomore forward Grace King (Fairland, Ind.) steps onto the court again this season. King started in six of her 22 appearances, held a .684 free throw percentage and totaled 67 rebounds and 15 steals.
 
Junior guard Linley Southern (Decatur, Ill.) comes back onto the court for the maroon and gold. Southern appeared in 24 games with 13 starts. She totaled 18 steals, 58 rebounds, and 14 assists.
 
Also returning for the Cougars are sophomores Kira Holliday (Roselle, Ill.) and Hannah Lopez (Chicago, Ill.), and junior Emma Nickerson (Lake City, Mich.).
 
"Our returners have been the heartbeat of this team," praised Coach Martin. "They went through the challenges of last season and came back hungrier than ever. Their leadership and toughness have set the tone from day one. They've done a phenomenal job welcoming the new players and showing them what it means to earn and wear this jersey."
 
Fresh Faces
Concordia adds a crew of fresh faces to the court this season. Making their debuts in the maroon and gold are Ai Yonemura (Yachiyo, Chiba-Japan), Julia Conte (Norridge, Ill.), Isabella Ayer (Boulder, Colo.), Lucie Carter (Valparaiso, Ind.), Naveya Jackson (Sun Prairie, Wis.), Autumn Harrison (St. Louis, Mo.), Sophia Pedraza (Carol Stream, Ill.), Abbi Dykstra (Yale, Mich.), and Jocelyn Chammas (Chicago, Ill.).
 
Of the newcomers, Coach Martin stated, "Our newcomers have been a breath of fresh air and they've each added something unique to our team. What's most exciting is how quickly they've embraced our culture and bought into what we're building here."
 
A Look at the Season
The Cougars open the season with a road non-conference matchup against Franklin on November 7. Four days later, the Cougars will have their home opener against North Central College. CUC will then hit the road for the next three games, playing Saint Mary's College (Ind.), Albion College, and North Central University (Minn.) on November 14, 15, and 18, respectively. To finish out the stretch of non-conference games, Concordia will host Lake Forest College on November 25.
 
NACC play begins with a quick trip up to Wisconsin to take on Edgewood University on December 3. The Cougars then return to River Forest for a home matchup against Rockford on December 6 and a road contest against Dominican on December 10. To finish out 2025, the Cougars will take a break from conference action to take on Lewis University on December 15, Judson University on December 17, and Anderson on December 31.
 
To kick off the new year, CUC dives right back into NACC action, hosting the Warriors of Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) on January 3. It's then back on the road, as the Cougars face Rockford, Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), and Illinois Tech on January 7, 10, and 14, respectively. A pair of home games follows as CUC welcomes Lakeland University to Geiseman Gymnasium on January 17 and Aurora University on January 21. The Cougars will take another trip up to Wisconsin on January 24 to face St. Norbert College before rounding out the month at home against Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) on January 28.
 
Due to Alverno's preseason forfeit, CUC will have a bye weekend on January 31. This is classified as an administrative forfeit and will not affect the Cougars' conference record for the season. However, it will count as a victory for CUC in the conference standings.
 
February opens up with back-to-back road contests against Benedictine University on February 4 and WLC on February 7. The conference slate continues at home with matchups against Edgewood, Marian, and Dominican on February 11, 14, and 18, respectively. A matchup against Lakeland on February 21 will conclude the regular season.
 
The NACC Tournament begins on Tuesday February 25.
 
"This group has been incredible to work with. The energy, the chemistry, and the collective buy-in have completely changed the feel of our program. Everyone understands their role and wants to make the team better," Coach Martin noted of the program. "Our goal this season is to compete every single night and play with a level of passion and pride that represents who we are. We've put in the work, we trust each other, and we're ready to surprise some people. The growth we've seen already on the court and in our culture makes me confident that this is going to be a special year for our program."
 
The Cougars kick off the season on Friday, November 7 at 5:00 pm EST, where they'll take on Franklin College. Coverage for this game and all CUC women's basketball games for the season can be found at cucougars.com/coverage.