Women’s Basketball Tab #HLWBB Preseason Favorite; Three named Preseason First Team

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The Horizon League released its 2024-25 women’s basketball preseason teams and preseason poll on Wednesday, with Cleveland State named the #HLWBB preseason favorite and the trio of Destiny Leo, Colbi maples And Mickayla Perdue named to the preseason first team.

This is the first time in program history that the Vikings have been selected as the preseason favorite with 117 points and seven first-place votes.

2024-25 HORIZON LEAGUE PRE-SEASON POLL

1.Cleveland State (7) – 117
2.Green Bay (4) – 114
3.Purdue Fort Wayne-98
4.Milwaukee – 85
5. Youngstown State – 63
6.Wright State – 58
7. Northern Kentucky – 53
8.Detroit Mercy – 39
9.Oakland – 38
10.IU Indy – 36
11.RMU – 25

The Vikings are coming off the 2023-24 season in which they won their first-ever Horizon League regular season title and finished with a program record of 18-2 #HLWBB during the regular season.

Overall, Cleveland State finished last season with a 29-6 record, including a perfect 17-0 record at home. The 29 wins marked the third straight 20-win season for the team, while the Vikings made their third #HLWBB Championship Game appearance in as many years.

Individually, Cleveland State has now been awarded the #HLWBB Preseason Player of the Year in each of the last three seasons, with Maples becoming the fifth Viking ever to earn the award.

Maples (’23-24 Player of the Year), Perdue (’23-24 Freshman of the Year) and Leo (’22-23 Player of the Year and ’20-21 Sixth Player of the Year) all return as #HLWBB major award winners , while the trio have combined for more than 3,900 career points, with all three surpassing the 1,000-point mark.

2024-25 HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON FIRST TEAM
Colbi maplesCleveland State (Preseason Player of the Year)
Destiny LeoCleveland State
Mickayla PerdueCleveland State
Natalie McNeal, Green Bay
Amellia Bromenschenkel, Purdue Fort Wayne

2024-25 HORIZON LEAGUE PRESEASON SECOND TEAM

Bailey Butler, Green Bay
Maddy Schreiber, Green Bay
Katie Davidson, IU Indy
Kamy Peppler, Milwaukee
Macey Blevins, Northern Kentucky

In addition to the trio of Preseason All-League honorees, the Vikings return six additional letterwinners from last season’s team, including Sarah Guerreiro And Jordana Reisma both of whom were starters last year. This group will be under the direction of the seventh-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier.

Cleveland State will open its 2024-25 season on Friday, November 1, when the Vikings host Edinboro in an exhibition contest before traveling to Ohio State for the season opener on Tuesday, November 5.