Women’s Basketball Season Recap
The University of South Dakota Women’s Basketball team wrapped up its 2024-25 season earlier this month with a 70-50 loss to Oral Roberts in the quarterfinal round of the Summit League Tournament.
Under first-year head coach Carrie Eighmey, the Coyotes finished the season with an overall record of 11-20 and went 5-11 in Summit League play, placing seventh in the conference.
Despite the tough season, several individual performances stood out. Senior guard Grace Larkins led the team in scoring, rebounds and assists. At midseason, she ranked fifth in the nation in scoring with 23.7 points per game. She also reached a 2,000 career points milestone and was named the Summit League Player of the Year.
The Coyotes began the year with several competitive non-conference matchups. They fell in a close overtime battle to Saint Louis University, 85-83, and narrowly lost to Loyola Marymount, 71-67.
Two notable wins came with a 74-50 victory over Bellevue University and a 61-54 win against North Carolina Central.
In conference play, the team found fewer bright spots in the standings, going 5-11 throughout the season. On Jan. 2, senior forward Alexi Hempi sank eight 3-pointers in a 77-71 win on the road against Denver, helping secure the Coyotes’ first conference win of the season.
Just over a week later, on Jan. 11, Larkins poured in 45 points in a tight 71-66 win over the University of Nebraska Omaha. On Feb. 6, junior guard Carley Duffney recorded a career-high 24 points in a loss to Oral Roberts. A few days later, on Feb. 12, freshman forward Gabby Wilke notched a career-best 21 points to lead USD to a 63-56 win over Kansas City.
The 2024-25 season also marked a period of transition for the program. Eighmey, who was hired in April 2024 following the departure of former head coach Kayla Karius to Green Bay, spent the year establishing her own system and approach.
With one season now behind her, Eighmey will have the offseason to bring in new players and continue building a team that reflects her coaching philosophy.
