ODESSA, Texas (October 20, 2025) – The University of Texas Permian Basin women's basketball team has been picked eighth in the 2025-26 Lone Star Conference Women's Basketball Preseason Poll of LSC head coaches, media and sports information directors announced by the conference office on Monday afternoon (Oct. 20). The Falcons received 466 points in the poll.

UTPB finished its 2024-25 season at the LSC tournament. This was the second year in a row and the second time in school history the Falcons advanced to the LSC Tournament. That season saw the Falcons win their second-most LSC games in a season and earn their second-highest finish in the LSC regular-season standings. UTPB started its 2024-25 season 3-0 in the LSC, its first time starting 3-0 in conference play since joining the LSC in 2016-17. The Falcons ultimately started 7-1 in the LSC, their best start in the league since joining the conference. UTPB finished its 2024-25 season 13-16 overall, 11-11 in the LSC, and was fifth in the LSC West Division at 7-7.

UTPB will have four key players to replace from last season. Fifth-year guard Taysha Rushton was a Second-Team selection for the 2024-25 D2CCA All-South Central Region Team and was both the LSC Newcomer of the Year and First-Team All-LSC. In addition, graduate students and team captains Avalon Munoz and Morgan Helgesen both reached the 1,000 career-point scoring mark during the season. Munoz was an LSC All-Defensive Team selection during her final season and leaves the program as UTPB's all-time leader in minutes played while Helgesen is second, and Helgesen leaves as the Falcons' career leader in games played while Munoz is second. Munoz also finished her career second in all-time assists and second in all-time steals at UTPB. Lastly, a third-team all-conference selection, Khiara Flugence led UTPB with 7.8 rebounds per game, 11 total blocks and a 63.7 percent (114-179) field goal percentage, and was second on the team with 9.6 points per game.

2025-26 LSC Women's Basketball Preseason Poll
Texas Woman's is predicted to win its fourth consecutive Lone Star Conference women's basketball regular season title according to the 2025-26 preseason poll.

TWU totaled 810 points and collected 20 of the possible 51 first-place votes to be the favorite. Head coach Beth Jillson's Pioneers went 33-2 overall and 21-1 in league play last season en route to the conference title. TWU also won its second straight and third overall LSC tournament (also 2011). The Pioneers, who won 27 consecutive games during the season, hosted the NCAA Division II South Central Regional and advanced to the final. They finished ranked No. 6 in the nation.

Lubbock Christian is picked as the conference runner-up with 776 points and 14 first-place votes. Head coach Steve Gomez's Lady Chaps went 32-5 overall and 21-1 in LSC play last season to share the league title and was runner-up at the LSC tournament. LCU, which has won three of the last six conference crowns and three national titles since 2016, won the South Regional title and advanced to the national quarterfinals. The Lady Chaps finished No. 7 in the nation.

UT Tyler is predicted to finish in third place with 761 points and eight first-place votes. The Patriots went 25-5 overall and 20-2 in league play last season and earned a berth in the South Central Regional. They finished the year ranked No. 14 in the country.

West Texas A&M, which has won a record 18 LSC titles, is the fourth-place pick with 663 points and six first-place votes. The Lady Buffs went 19-13 overall and 12-10 in LSC play in 2024-25 and advanced to South Central Regional semifinals.

Two-time LSC champion Eastern New Mexico is predicted for a fifth-place finish with 657 points and two first-place votes. The Greyhounds reached the South Central Regional semifinals last season. Seven-time conference champion Angelo State is the sixth-place pick with 656 points. Texas A&M-Kingsville, which won the league title in 2000, collected 564 points to be in seventh place and UT Permian Basin (466 points) rounded out what would be the potential eight teams to qualify for the LSC tournament.

Midwestern State is picked to finish in ninth place with 461 points and St. Mary's (438 points) completes the top 10.

St. Edward's (363 points) is picked in the No. 11 spot, followed by Oklahoma Christian (310 points), Cameron (262 points), Texas A&M International (210 points), new league member UT Dallas (168 points), Western New Mexico (161 points) and Sul Ross State (77 points). TAMIU picked up the final first-place vote.

"We are not focused or concerned at all with preseason rankings," said Head Coach Rae Boothe. "Our focus remains on today and us, stacking up days, and being consistent. Staying true to each other and the process. If we do that, the outcome will reflect so. This team is talented, and has great size and athleticism. Our potential is very high, but that is not our focus either as we know it doesn't mean anything unless we fulfill it, and fulfilling it is exactly what we are focusing on each day."

2025-26 LSC Women's Basketball Preseason Player to Watch
Graduate student guard Kenadi Rising was named to the LSC Players to Watch list. A Kinesiology master's student from Rapid City, South Dakota, Rising comes to UTPB from Emporia State University, an NCAA Division II school in Kansas. After beginning her career with two seasons at Highland Community College (Kan.), Rising played one season at NCAA Division I Abilene Christian University in Texas before her lone season at Emporia, where she missed the majority of the season due to injury. At Abilene Christian, Rising started in each of the first five games of the season and played in 23 games in total, shot 36.1 percent (13-36) from the field, made three 3-pointers, and was 3-for-3 at the free throw line. She totaled 32 points, 25 rebounds, seven assists and four steals at ACU and earned Academic All-Western Athletic Conference (WAC) honors. At Highland CC, Rising played in 62 games in two years, starting in all of them, and averaged 12.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, 26.6 minutes, 2.3 assists and per game in her two seasons. She ended her community college career with 801 points, 403 rebounds, 144 assists, and 53 steals. She earned Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference (KJCCC) First and Third-Team All-Conference honors, and earned NJCAA First-Team All-Academic recognition.

Start of the Season
The 2025-26 LSC basketball schedule – which begins as early as Oct. 31 – features 17 women's teams. Each team plays 20 conference games – 10 at home and 10 on the road.

LSC Hoops Week is October 20-24. Watch interviews from all 17 women's basketball teams and the preseason player of the year on the conference's YouTube page.

For the second year in a row, the UTPB women's basketball team opens its season at home with the D2Conference Challenge. The Falcons will host the Metropolitan State University of Denver at 6:15 p.m. on Friday, November 14, followed by Colorado Mesa University at 12 p.m. on Sunday, November 16.

The 2026 LSC Basketball Championship features an eight-team field with seeding based on conference game results. The women's tournament is scheduled for March 6-8 at Comerica Center in Frisco, Texas. Tickets will go on sale in February.

Fans can watch all LSC home basketball games and the conference tournaments on FloCollege (monthly and yearly subscriptions are available).