Here's what most people don't realize about San Diego's women's basketball scene right now: While two programs are riding high from March Madness appearances, all three Division I teams are essentially starting from scratch—and that's where things get interesting.
Last season painted two very different pictures for San Diego's collegiate women's basketball landscape. On one side, seasoned head coaches Stacie Terry-Hutson at San Diego State and Heidi VanDerveer at UC San Diego celebrated conference tournament titles and earned coveted spots in the NCAA Tournament. On the other, the University of San Diego struggled through a disappointing 7-23 campaign that ultimately led to a coaching change.
Enter Blanche Alverson, USD's newly appointed head coach. Despite coming from different circumstances, Alverson shares some fascinating parallels with her cross-town counterparts that go beyond just coaching women's basketball in America's Finest City.
For starters, these three coaches aren't strangers meeting for the first time at conference meetings. Their professional relationships were established years before Alverson accepted the USD position. Additionally—and this might surprise fans expecting immediate success—each program faces significant rebuilding challenges as the 2025-2026 season draws near.
Alverson's rebuilding project seems obvious on paper. After spending six years as a top assistant at Georgia Tech, she's arrived at USD with an ambitious roster overhaul: five incoming freshmen and two transfer players who will play crucial roles in the Toreros' future plans. That's a lot of new faces learning a new system.
But here's where it gets controversial: Even the programs that tasted postseason success are dealing with roster upheaval that could derail their momentum.
San Diego State's situation is particularly dramatic. The Aztecs didn't just lose their three starting big players—Kim Villalobos, Adryana Quezada, and Cali Clark—to graduation. They also watched their point guard and top scorer, Veronica Sheffey, enter the transfer portal and land at TCU. That's not just losing depth; that's losing your entire interior presence AND your primary ball-handler and offensive weapon. Can a Mountain West Tournament champion really recover from that kind of exodus?
UC San Diego faces a similarly challenging scenario. While the Tritons can count on three important returning players from their 20-16 Big West Tournament championship squad (their first season being eligible for postseason play, no less), they suffered a crushing blow when Sumayah Sugapong—the Big West Tournament MVP and La Jolla Country Day product—transferred to Arizona. Sugapong wasn't just another player; she led the team in scoring, assists, AND steals. Replacing that kind of all-around production is nearly impossible.
"It honestly feels like we're working with 14 brand-new players," Alverson candidly shared earlier this week. "Sure, we have some holdovers from last year's USD roster, but those players are new to me and completely unfamiliar with our system and philosophy. We've spent a tremendous amount of time on basic introductions and getting everyone on the same page."
What Alverson didn't need introductions for, however, was building relationships with VanDerveer (now entering her impressive 14th season leading UCSD) and Terry-Hutson (beginning her 13th year with the Aztecs). The coaching community in women's basketball is tight-knit, and these three have history.
"Stacie and I go way back—we have numerous connections through the coaching world," Alverson explained. "She's been incredibly supportive during this transition. And Heidi? She's become a great friend. My former head coach at Georgia Tech, Nell Fortner, has strong relationships with both of them. I genuinely view them as supporters and mentors, not just competitors."
Let's break down what each of San Diego's three Division I women's basketball programs looks like heading into the new season:
San Diego State Aztecs
2024-25 results: 25-10 overall record, Mountain West Conference Tournament champions
Returning key contributors: Naomi Panganiban (La Jolla Country Day alumna; 5-7 sophomore guard who averaged 10.3 points per game), Nat Martinez (5-7 sophomore guard; 7.4 ppg), Bailey Barnhard (Del Norte High graduate; 6-1 sophomore forward; 2.0 ppg), Kaelyn Hamilton (5-9 sophomore guard, 2.7 ppg)
Impact newcomers: Nala Williams (5-8 senior point guard; transferring from Cal State Dominguez Hills where she earned both NCAA Division II National Player of the Year AND National Defensive Player of the Year honors last season—talk about credentials), CJ Latta (5-10 sophomore guard from Utah State), Maria Konstaninidou (6-2 junior forward from Fresno State), Sofia Kelemeni (6-0 senior guard/forward from San Jose State), Kennedy Lee (6-0 senior forward from Nevada)
What to expect: Terry-Hutson believes last season fundamentally "changed the standard and expectations for Aztec basketball." The team will deploy a three and four-guard offensive scheme this year. "Our pace will be significantly faster this season," she emphasized. "Last year's team was built around post play and interior scoring. This season represents a long developmental process. We'll definitely hit some bumps and face growing pains along the way. But the talent level is solid and the potential is there."
First game: November 3rd versus UCLA in Anaheim
UC San Diego Tritons
2024-2025 results: 20-16 overall record, Big West Tournament champions
Returning key contributors: Sabrina Ma (5-10 senior guard, 10.0 ppg), Gracie Gallegos (6-1 junior guard, 9.3 ppg, 5.3 rebounds per game), Erin Condron (6-4 junior forward/center, 8.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg), Junae Mahan (5-8 junior guard, 4.7 ppg)
Impact newcomers: Makayla Rose (5-7 senior guard; transferring from UC Riverside where she claimed Big West Defensive Player of the Year honors while averaging 9.2 ppg), Dymonique Maxie (5-8 junior guard from Nevada, 7.2 ppg)
What to expect: Beyond losing Sugapong, the Tritons also said goodbye to versatile guard Parker Montgomery (who earned Big West All-Tournament Team recognition) and Kayanna Spriggs—who set the single-season Division I rebounding record—both to graduation from the 2024-2025 roster. The Tritons have supplemented their roster with four freshmen: guards Lev Feiman and Michaela Fairwell, plus forwards Tatum Jones and Niya Price.
First game: November 3rd at Pacific
University of San Diego Toreros
2024-2025 results: 7-23 overall record
Returning key contributors: Malia Tharpe (6-0 junior forward; 3.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg), Dresha Moore (6-0 sophomore forward, 4.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg), Erica Carr (6-3 sophomore forward/center), Eva Ruse (6-2 sophomore forward), and twin sisters Jayden and Hallie Rhodes (5-11 senior guards)
Impact newcomers: Kylie Ray (5-8 sophomore point guard transferring from Utah), Helen Holley (6-1 sophomore forward from Michigan State), Olivia Owens (5-10 freshman guard), Ayla Williams (6-0 freshman forward), Jessica Ajayi (5-10 freshman guard), Ysabella Von Seipler (5-10 freshman guard), Ryanne Bahnsen-Price (6-0 freshman forward)
What to expect: New head coach Blanche Alverson has injected fresh blood into the program with five freshmen and two transfer players. "Speed and athleticism define our strengths," Alverson stated. "We also benefit from excellent depth and a roster full of versatile, multi-positional players." The challenges? The Toreros lack both size and experience—a potentially dangerous combination. At minimum, three freshmen will see regular rotation minutes. Both Carr and Ruse missed significant time last year due to injuries. Alverson anticipates a breakout season from Tharpe, and both she and Moore could reclaim starting positions.
First game: November 3rd versus Bethesda
And this is the part most people miss: Is it actually an advantage to rebuild after a losing season versus trying to replace championship-level talent? USD has zero expectations and complete freedom to experiment. Meanwhile, SDSU and UCSD face enormous pressure to maintain their success despite losing their best players.
What do you think—would you rather coach a team rebuilding from the bottom with low expectations, or try to defend a championship with an almost entirely new roster? Drop your thoughts in the comments below. This could be the most wide-open season in San Diego women's college basketball history.
Originally Published: October 11, 2025 at 5:12 PM PDT
