WASHINGTON -- Loyola Chicago women’s basketball head coach Morgan Paige admitted after stepping off the podium at Atlantic 10 Media Day that her voice came off especially hoarse because she spent the previous evening cheering on the Ramblers’ men’s basketball team in an exhibition the night prior. But none of that mattered on Monday, as her enthusiastic energy made quite the first impression.
Paige was hired this offseason to lead the Ramblers, one of five new hires in the conference, and took time and detail as she attempted to build a roster that embodied the university’s values.
All told, it has been a learning process for all involved, but by all accounts, that effort appears to be going well so far. Loyola Chicago has already progressed how it communicates and operates on the floor.
Ultimately, Paige expects that confidence to be present when making plays, something she will track throughout the season to determine if the season is a successful one.
“We’re learning a lot about our team and its makeup in terms of what it looks like to play certain players together and then getting experience for a lot of our unit,” Paige observed. “We have a lot of players that came to Loyola and may not necessarily have been in an impact role in terms of their other programs, so learning what it looks like to be aggressive, confident in system and program and what we believe in them to do has been very fun the last couple of weeks. There will be a lot of things that are unexpected about our program. We are deeper, longer and more athletic than I think a lot of people will expect for us and that will be a treat when we get into conference play.”
Here is a look at the Ramblers:
Coach – Morgan Paige – 1
st season
Last year- The Ramblers finished the season 16-18 overall and 9-9 in A10 play, including a six-game win streak. Loyola Chicago bested St. Bonaventure in an A10 Tournament thriller before falling to eventual champion Rhode Island in the quarterfinals. The program was selected to compete in the WNIT, winning twice on the road before falling to familiar A10 foe George Washington in the Super 16.
They’ll miss- Alexa Kinas (9.9 ppg/4.8 rebs/42.3% FG/80 stls), Alex-Anne Bessette (11.3 ppg/42.8% FG), Alexus Mobley (11.9 ppg/4.8 rebs/40.4% FG)
Impact returners- Brooklyn Vaughn (8.4 ppg/5.4 rebs), Rosalie Mercille (5.9 ppg), Audrey Deptula (4 ppg/92.9% FT)
Newcomers of note- Gabby Wilke (Butler), MD Ntambue (Villanova), Mireia Jurado (Arizona)
Reasons to be optimistic: There is a returning core of Ramblers that have returned to the team, with the rationale being two-fold.
“I love Loyola,” Vaughn told Field of 68’s Talia Goodman. “I thought it was the place for me. I’m not one to feel like I need to move, also have a lot of faith and trust bringing in someone and they exceeded expectations. Really excited for this year.”
As a returner, Vaughn feels optimistic towards the team’s direction, crediting Paige’s energy as a big reason for that optimism.
“She brought in people who were ready to play basketball, here to win games and lock in and buy in to what she’s teaching us,” observed Vaughn. “We’re getting better every single day learning more about ourselves and our identity. I think we’re going to be a very fast team, play smart basketball and make the right reads but I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people with the way that we hold each other accountable.”
X Factor- Finding talent that fits in the transfer portal can provide challenges, especially when Paige had a shorter timetable than many, but there is a belief that Wilke can provide an immediate impact for the Ramblers. As a fellow post player, Vaughn praised Wilke’s abilities to shoot, go low in the post, pass, and make smart decisions.
Circle the date- Two of the Ramblers’ non-conference road games are certainly of note. The first: a Nov. 7 road test against Green Bay, a Horizon League powerhouse which made the NCAA Tournament last season and selected the 2026-27 Horizon League preseason favorite. Paige will have a homecoming of sorts on Dec. 6 as the Ramblers head to Iowa State, with a large portion of her mother’s side of the family expected to attend.
Bottom line: Having an identity is a crucial building block with any first-year coach, but it seems like Paige has determined to put an emphasis on scoring the basketball after that was more an issue last season.
In establishing her values, she conceded that this team does not know what it does not know, but that it can be used as a superpower.
“It’s the easiest way to light their fire, empower and uplift them as we’re learning,” Paige told Goodman. “This group really resonates with the why. Sometimes I have to change how we say the why but that’s gone the furthest and we jump quickly when they figure it out.”
Zac Weiss is a college athletics beat writer for Pittsburgh Sports Now, primarily reporting on Duquesne Athletics. Across his career, he has covered over 1,000 A10 sporting events.