University of Massachusetts Lowell
Saint Anselm
10/31/2026 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
LOWELL, Mass. – The UMass Lowell women's basketball team is set to begin the 2026–27 season on Monday, November 2, hosting Saint Anselm at 4 p.m. at the Kennedy Family Athletic Complex. Under the direction of first-year head coach Brianna Finch, the River Hawks enter the campaign with seven returning players and eight newcomers, bringing together a mix of collegiate experience, international talent and championship backgrounds.
Building a Foundation
Since taking over the program in April, Finch has focused on establishing expectations and bringing together a roster with a wide range of experiences and playing styles. Throughout the preseason, the River Hawks have emphasized accountability, communication and developing a competitive identity that will carry into the regular season.
"When I think about culture, it's what do we do every single day," said Finch. "We talk about the communication piece, and we evaluate ourselves on that."
Finch is joined by a staff that brings a combination of Division I coaching experience, player development and professional playing backgrounds. Assistant coach Sherill Baker arrives after spending last season alongside Finch at George Washington. A former SEC Defensive Player of the Year at Georgia, Baker was selected 12th overall in the 2006 WNBA Draft and went on to play four seasons in the league.
Assistant coach Didier Dinh brings previous head coaching experience at Eastern Nazarene, where he earned New England Collegiate Conference Coach of the Year honors, while assistant coach Meagan Morelli joins the River Hawks following three seasons at Bridgeport. Sydney Avoletta, who also worked alongside Finch at George Washington, rounds out the staff as director of basketball operations.
Together, the group has emphasized communication, accountability and developing a competitive identity as the River Hawks prepare for the season ahead.
Familiar Faces
The River Hawks return a core of players who gained valuable experience during the 2025–26 campaign, providing continuity as the program enters its first season under Finch.
Senior guard Maddie Rice (Charlottesville, Va.) leads the returning group after averaging 8.2 points and a team-high 6.0 rebounds per game last season. Rice started 22 games and recorded two double-doubles, while sophomore guard Tyanna Medina (Lawrence, Mass.) contributed 6.5 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest in her first collegiate season.
In the frontcourt, junior forward Nia Chima (Toronto, Ontario) returns after shooting a team-best 63.5% from the field, while junior forward Klimentina Modeva (Ohrid, North Macedonia) averaged 5.4 rebounds and led the River Hawks with 23 blocked shots in just 15 appearances.
Junior guards Emina Kameric (Seattle, Wash.) and Carla Subirats (Barcelona, Spain), along with junior forward Adna Halilbasic (Recklinghausen, Germany), round out the returning group. Halilbasic provided a scoring spark last season, highlighted by a 20-point performance against St. Joseph's Brooklyn.
With new players joining the roster, Rice believes each individual's background and experience will play an important role in the team's development.
"Everybody kind of brings something unique and something different," said Rice. "And I think when we put that all together, we're going to make a big change."
New Faces in Lowell
That combination of experience extends to an incoming class featuring accomplished collegiate transfers and international talent, with several players bringing championship experience to the River Hawks.
Senior forward Kylie Diaz (Albertville, Minn.) joins UMass Lowell following a decorated career at Peru State College, where she averaged 20.8 points and 9.4 rebounds per game last season. Diaz earned Heart of America Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Second Team NAIA All-America honors, while junior guard Yazmin Edwards (Ipswich, England) arrives after helping Eastern Arizona College capture the 2026 NJCAA Division I National Championship.
The freshman class further expands the River Hawks' international presence, with four additions bringing experience from Norway, Sweden and Australia. Freshman guard Milena Lund (Bærum, Norway) has represented her country at the U19 and senior national team levels, while freshman guard Hedda Hakanson (Stockholm, Sweden) captured gold at the FIBA U18 European Championship Division B. Fellow Swedish newcomer Izabella Asp (Jönköping, Sweden) helped her country earn a fourth-place finish at the FIBA U20 Women's EuroBasket, while freshman forward Achol Agok (Canberra, Australia) joins the program after competing with Wests and the Canberra Nationals Academy.
Rounding out the incoming group are freshman guard Kayla Solomon (Central Islip, N.Y.), who finished her high school career with 2,038 points, and senior guard Gwen Marcotte (Worcester, Mass.), a former team captain and MVP at St. Paul Diocesan.
As the River Hawks prepare to blend their returning core with the new additions, they have placed particular emphasis on establishing an aggressive defensive identity.
"We want to be a defensive disturbance," said Chima. "We're going to pressure people. We're going to give them a hard time. And I don't think teams will be expecting that from us."
2026-2027 SCHEDULE
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The Road Ahead
The River Hawks will navigate a non-conference schedule featuring a mix of regional opponents and challenging road matchups before transitioning into America East play. UMass Lowell will face Boston College, Providence, Massachusetts and Northeastern on the road, while welcoming West Georgia, Central Connecticut State, New Haven, Boston University and Dartmouth to Lowell.
A highlight of the conference slate will be the program's return to the Tsongas Center for two special matchups. UMass Lowell opens America East action against UAlbany on December 31 at 2 p.m., hosting a Kid's New Year's Eve celebration that will bring River Hawk basketball and family-friendly festivities to downtown Lowell.
The River Hawks return to the Tsongas Center on January 23 for a 5 p.m. matchup against UMBC, featuring National Girls & Women in Sports Day and First Responders Appreciation Day. The two games provide additional opportunities for the Lowell community to support the program in one of the city's premier venues.
As the season approaches, Finch is eager to see the team's preseason development translate into competition.
"They're gonna be surprised at what it feels like when the light bulb goes on and when it all comes together," said Finch. "It's even going to surprise them at how empowered they feel and how confident they play."
