Marquette Women’s Basketball’s 44th season begins the dawn of a new era led by a familiar face, Cara Consuegra. She was a Marquette assistant coach from 2004-2011 and is returning to lead the Golden Eagles as the seventh head women’s basketball coach in program history.
“I think it’s great coming back here because there is a sense of familiarity,” Consuegra said before the season. “I understand the institution, I understand the values here and I know a lot of the same people who were here during my time as an assistant, so I think those are all things I can take with me coming back.”
Consuegra returns from Charlotte University, where she spent 13 seasons as head coach, accumulating 225 wins, the most in program history. She boasts a .571 win percentage and was named Conference USA Coach of the Year in 2021-2022, when Charlotte won its first Conference USA tournament since 2009.
At Marquette, Consuegra looks to build from the foundation up.
“In year one, wins are really important, but the foundation of what we are doing is the most important thing,” Consuegra said.
To build a strong foundation, Consuegra aims to establish a strong culture. A culture that values relationships, establishes core values and plays for one another. A team, that plays hard and leaves it all on the court.
“Our mantra is to play with heart, and there are very specific core values we want our kids to play by and live by,” Consuegra said. “I’m a worker, I want to be great, I want our girls to be great, and I’m working every day to instill those values in them.”
However, even with a revamped culture, Marquette faces challenges this year. Outside expectations have been low, largely in-part because of what the Golden Eagles lost. Consuegra had just two and a half weeks to fill the roster in the spring after three incoming recruits decommitted and Kenzie Hare and Liza Karlen both transferred when Megan Duffy left Marquette to coach at Virginia Tech.
Thus, Marquette was picked by its peers picked to finish 10th in the Big East Preseason Women’s Basketball coaching poll and has no preseason All-Big East selections.
Marquette returns zero starters from last years 23-9 season. The roster will consist of the six returning players and six transfers.
Skylar Forbes is one of the Golden Eagles’ key returners. She averaged 4.7 points and 3.9 rebounds in 18 minutes per game this offseason. People inside the program have raved about Forbes’ improvement in the offseason, and Consuegra wasn’t shy about setting the bar high for Forbes.
“Just a blessing to walk in and have her on my roster. As good of a player as she is, she is an even better person. I think she has the chance to be the next pro to come out of Marquette,” says Consuegra.
Marquette returns Lee Volker, a 6-foot-1 senior who played 15 minutes a game and averaged 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds. Volker is a Swiss Army knife for Marquette. She can score on three levels, handle the ball, and defend. Most importantly, Volker brings senior leadership that embodies Consuegra’s values. Her role will increase this season.
Another returning player expected to make a leap this season is sophomore Halle Vice. Vice appeared in 12 games and averaged 5.2 minutes in those games. At 6-foot-1, Vice can play multiple positions, giving her significant upside and and a chance to see a lot of playing time for the Golden Eagles this season.
Other returners include senior Abbey Cracknell, a 5-foot-11 forward who appeared in 21 games last season, Charia Smith, a 6-foot-1 forward who did not play last season due to injury and Bridget Utberg, a 5-foot-5 junior sharpshooter who appeared in 15 games last season.
6-foot-3 forward sophomore forward Jada Bediako highlights the transfer class. Basketball is in the Bediako family; as her brother, Jaden Bediako, played from 2020-2024 at Seton Hall. Jada played for Spain’s U19 in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and appeared in 9 games for Georgia Tech last year. According to Consuegra, she is going to be part of the central core of players for years to come.
Another transfer who could play a key role is Olivia Porter. Porter is a 5-foot-8 junior guard who followed Consuegra from Charlotte. Last season, she averaged 6.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.3 assists and started all 31 games for Charlotte.
Marquette got four other transfers. Kennedi Perkins is a 5-foot-6 junior guard who transferred from Syracuse, averaging 2.7 points and 1.1 rebounds per game in 52 appearances. She brings experience and depth at guard.
Aryelle Stevens transferred to Marquette after two seasons at Gulf Coast State College, where she averaged 9 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. Transferring from SIU Carbondale, 5-foot-5 junior guard Jaidynn Mason brings explosive lateral quickness. She was a stat stuffer at SIU Carbondale, averaging 10.3 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 2.2 steals per game. Rounding out the roster is junior 5’11 forward Ayuen Akot. She transferred from Frank Phillips College, where she started 52 games and averaged 9.7 points and 7 rebounds per game.
“We have kids who play hard, for and with each other, that share the ball, that celebrate and it’s fun to watch,” Consuegra said.
Moreover, it may take time for Marquette Women’s Basketball to rebuild from what it lost in the offseason. However, a focus on culture is laying the foundation for success. The team will rely on several transfers and returning players to play an increased role, but the Golden Eagles are poised to grow through the year and build towards the future.
This story was written by Max Mullin. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MullinMax