Another offseason domino has toppled for Marquette women’s basketball.
Chaia Meier, an assistant coach under Cara Consuegra for the past two seasons with Marquette, was announced as the head coach of the Bradley University women’s basketball team Friday morning.
“Chaia Meier is the kind of coach every program hopes to find — someone who is not only exceptional at what she does on the court, but an even better person off of it. She understands what it takes to build a program the right way and to win consistently,” Consuegra said in a statement. “Chaia invests deeply in people — she builds genuine relationships, cares about the growth and development of her players, and creates a culture that lasts.
“She’s incredibly loyal, and that shows in the trust and respect she earns everywhere she goes. Bradley is getting a tremendous leader who will elevate the program in every way.”
Before joining Consuegra’s staff, Meier was the head coach at Division III Edgewood University (formerly Edgewood College) in Madison, Wis., from 2016-24. She led the Eagles to their second-ever NCAA tournament appearance and 25-3 record in 2019-20, and left as the winningest coach in program history.
Prior to Edgewood, she served as the head coach at her alma mater, Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Ill., from 2009-15 and at Grace College in Omaha, Neb., from 2015-16.
Meier is the second assistant coach to depart Marquette in 2026, as assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Khadijah Rushdan quietly left the program midseason. A spokesperson for Marquette athletics did not answer the Marquette Wire’s questions about when exactly Rushdan departed or the reason behind it.
Additionally, seven players — including Lee Volker, Jaidynn Mason, Olivia Porter and Kennedi Perkins — have used all of their eligibility.
Redshirt junior Charia Smith, who started six games for Marquette in 2025-26, announced on March 22 that she would be leaving Marquette. Aryelle Stevens, who did not play last season after suffering a torn Achilles in summer 2025, announced Monday on Instagram that she will be entering the transfer portal as a graduate student.
At Bradley, Meier takes over for Kate Popovec-Goss, who led the Braves to their first ever WNIT appearance, and second postseason in Braves’ history, after a 20-win season in 2025-26. Popovec-Goss served as Bradley’s coach starting in the 2022-23 season and was hired by Boston College as their head coach on March 27.
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU.
