With the recent addition of guard Marie-Denise Ntambue on May 8, Villanova has finalized its roster for the 2025–26 season.
Last spring, the program was hit hard by the transfer portal and forced into a major rebuild after losing six players. This offseason has been a much smoother transition for head coach Denise Dillon.
The Wildcats still lose five key players who have run out of college eligibility: graduate guards Maddie Burke, Bronaugh-Power Cassidy, Lara Edmanson and senior guards Kaitlyn Orihel and Jaliyah Green. Sophomore guard Maddie Webber was the only roster member to enter the transfer portal.
Meanwhile, the team gains two transfers, Notre Dame forward Kylee Watson and Iowa State guard Kelsey Joens, and signs four freshmen.
“You can see how Villanova is a great draw, with players like Kylie Watson now Kelsey Joens committing,” Dillon said. “The retention of our team in general is a lot different than it was last spring. I think that’s just people realizing how wild it was last year. There’s still a level of it, but at the same time, we have gotten a better understanding of what needs to happen in order to keep what we have, build on it, and bring in those that fit the Villanova way.”
This season, the ‘Cats went 21-15 overall and 11-7 in the conference, finishing fifth in the Big East with a run to the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) semifinals. While that is still an accomplishment amongst a competitive conference, Villanova needs to work on the fundamentals to move up from the middle of the pack come next season.
“I wish that I made sense of [last season’s transition] sooner,” Dillon said. “Every day going to practice with this group was great. They were there, they were willing to work. But I wish I honed in on some more game strategy or situations in order to come up with some of those games sooner, rather than trying to learn from experience.”
In six games this season, the Wildcats fell by single-digit margins — close losses that, if turned into wins, could have moved Villanova to second or third place in the Big East standings. Claiming key wins early in the season will be a top priority for Dillon in 2025-26.
“I go over in my head the Fairfield game, the JMU game, the Seton Hall game,” Dillon said. “There were three to four games where we were right there and didn’t finish the job. Fast forward to February and March, we’re winning these games, which was great to experience. But we need to do a better job at preparing them to be ready in late November, December, when the season starts, so that we do not fall into that same curve.”
In the postseason, Villanova defeated Boston College, Saint Joseph’s, and Portland to make it to the WBIT semifinals, where they fell to Belmont. While this is the second season in a row where the Wildcats have made a deep run in the WBIT, their ultimate goal is to return to the NCAA Tournament in 2026.
“You want [the team] to be in the best position possible, so your name is being called in the NCAA Tournament for March Madness,” Dillon said. “We learned a lot in that piece as well. Just putting [the team] in these situations sooner will prepare them. That was an ‘aha’ moment for me. We have to figure out how to do this earlier.”
The season did not end without some accolades, as freshman guard Jasmine Bascoe was named the Philadelphia Big 5 Rookie of the Year. Dillon took home her third Big 5 Coach of the Year award in just her fifth season as Villanova’s head coach.
Villanova was the runner-up in this year’s inaugural Women’s Big 5 Classic, falling to Temple on Dec. 7.
“It’s always an honor to be recognized by your peers,” Dillon said. “Obviously, it shows the work the team put in as we went along. I can never credit the staff enough. They’re tremendous. They make me better every day and make the players better. It’s a great group. But I just always go back to how we have to win the [Big 5 Classic].”
Although the team lost Webber, its second-leading scorer, to the University of Illinois, she was the only transfer departure this offseason. Key contributors — including leading scorer Bascoe and top rebounder Denae Carter — are set to return next season.
During her freshman year, Bascoe averaged 16.2 points per game and led in total assists with 145 to end the season. During her offseason, the Ontario native will suit up for the U19 Canadian national team to compete in the Czech Republic in the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup.
“For anyone who has watched the game, I think [Bascoe] is a great example of embracing the challenge and then developing throughout the season,” Dillon said. “She was patient within her learning curve and understood that every game was going to be a new one. Her mindset was so on point with where it needed to be for the position we put her in.”
While the team is losing some of the height and strength brought by graduating players, the additions of Watson and Joens are lining up to be key contributors to Villanova’s offense.
“Kylie Watson’s style of basketball fits perfectly,” Dillon said. “She’s a mobile post and can stretch the floor. She runs the floor extremely well. Her length and size is a great advantage, but the way she plays the game and her understanding of the game allows her to come in her final campaign. It’ll be a natural transition.”
Villanova legend Maddy Siegrist (‘23) helped the program connect with Joens. Siegrist competed against Joens’ older sister, Ashley, at Iowa State and was her teammate on the WNBA’s Dallas Wings.
“[Siegrist] got us connected with Kelsey, her younger sister, who knew she fit the system, the style, the culture and personnel of what we have,” Dillon said.
Among the underclassmen, sophomore guard Brynn McCurry is expected to make a strong return after missing the entire 2024-25 season with a torn ACL.
“We’re relying on [McCurry] to be a solid leader for us,” Dillon said. “She understands what we’re doing, why we’re doing it, and I’m just hopeful that the knee doesn’t set her back physically.
Freshman guard Dani Cessaretti will also be back following an impressive debut year, along with freshman forward Rachel Wirts, whose 6-foot-3 frame will be a valuable asset to the undersized Wildcats.
“Dani Cessaretti’s going to be that big leap from freshman to sophomore year,” Dillon said. “She has the tools, she has the work ethic, she has the ability, the athleticism. From the beginning of the year till the end, she probably would get our most improved just in those steps.”
There are four incoming freshmen, including the most recent addition of Ntambue. McDonald’s All-American nominee Kennedy Henry, and twin sisters Elise Bender and Brooke Bender.
“With Ntambue, I would love to see her as being a second point guard early until she gets that confidence,” Dillon said. “I think your best teams are when you have multiple people on the floor who are comfortable handling the ball.”
The other three high school recruits include McDonald’s All-American nominee Kennedy Henry, and twin sisters Elise Bender and Brooke Bender.
“Elise Bender separates herself a little just in her ability to play multiple positions and her scoring ability, scoring over 2,000 points in high school,” Dillon said. “And Kennedy Henry brings that defensive prowess that we’re always looking for. You can’t teach a kid to have that grit to be a great defender.
As of now, the work for next season is about to begin, with old and new players returning in June for some practice sessions before having a small break for the summer.
“We’ll work with them for a couple of weeks and bring them together,” Dillon said. “It’s just introducing the concepts of what we are trying to do on the offensive end and our principles on the defensive end. We talk about them being responsible for their conditioning, so when we get to August, we’re going to hit the ground running with game prep.”
