For the first time in 12 seasons, the Oakland women’s basketball team has a fresh start ahead of the 2025-26 season with a new head coach at the helm: Keisha Newell.
“It was an honor, a privilege to note that they saw fit in me to be the next leader of the program,” Newell said.
The fresh start for Oakland comes after previous head coach Jeff Tungate’s mid-season retirement last year. Over the course of Tungate’s time as head coach, he led the Golden Grizzlies to a 145-188 record, although the team did not achieve championship success during his tenure.
Newell joins the Golden Grizzlies with 10 years of collegiate coaching experience, where she has found success at multiple levels of collegiate basketball, starting as an assistant coach for the Loyola Chicago Ramblers from 2011-14.
After a three-year stint with the Ramblers, which included a trip to the Horizon League Championship game in 2013, Newell took over as head coach of the Roosevelt University Lakers, a Division II school affiliated with the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
During Newell’s four years as head coach of the Lakers, she amassed a record of 60-61 and a conference record of 30-47.
Following her time with the Lakers and a three-year stretch as head coach for the Mother McAuley Liberal Arts High School, Newell took over as head coach of the Lewis University Flyers, who compete at the Division II level in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, finding a huge amount of success over her three years under the helm.
During Newell’s tenure at Lewis, she led the Flyers to three consecutive NCAA Division II tournament appearances, two regular-season championships, and a Great Lakes Valley Conference tournament championship in 2024, setting a school record with 19 conference wins in the process. Additionally, Newell was named the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year for two consecutive seasons from 2022-24.
The winning consistency Newell saw with the Flyers is something that has been missing from the Oakland program, which Newell hopes to turn around. The last time the Golden Grizzlies won a regular-season championship was in 2007, while Oakland competed in the Summit League; the team’s most recent conference tournament championship came a year earlier, in 2006.
“You want to be successful everywhere you are, I think it takes time, though,” Newell said. “It’s just a matter of finding that competitive advantage, how we can win and beat some of these really good teams.”
When it comes to finding that competitive advantage, one of Newell’s at Lewis University was the playstyle. Under Newell, the Flyers lived up to their team name, turning defensive stands into fast-paced offense. Now at Oakland, Newell is working to bring that same identity.
“Our identity is on the defensive end because if we don’t get stops, then we can’t run. So that’s been an emphasis, and every person on this team knows that’s our identity. I think it’s going to take some work to establish it, but that’s the goal: get stops and play fast.”
Along with Newell comes a flurry of new additions for the Golden Grizzlies. Nine new players have joined the team this season, leaving just four returners from the previous season, who we’ll dive more into below.
Returning Players
When it comes to returners, Newell sees beyond their experience on the court; their presence has been pivotal in helping her navigate the transition to Oakland.
“They’ve been amazing resources for me, just in learning a little more about Oakland and its history, and even just some of the people who are here, they gave me an insight into who this is and who that is and who they expect at our games,” Newell said.
Lianna Baxter, 6-2, C/F, Marinette, WI, Oconto
Leading off the list of returns is Baxter, who is the longest-tenured Golden Grizzly on the roster. Last season, the redshirt senior played a key role, starting in 21 games for Oakland, tallying 701 minutes, the fifth-most among all Golden Grizzlies.
From the floor, Baxter will provide a lot for this Oakland team this upcoming season. As the most efficient Golden Grizzly from deep last year, Baxter has the chance to be a matchup nightmare at the center and forward positions. As long as Baxter’s on the court for Oakland, opposing teams will have to play a much more extended offense, creating more dynamic looks for the Golden Grizzlies.
“She’s the type of person and player that you want in the leadership role,” Newell said about Baxter. “She’s going to be huge on and off the court for us this year.”
Jasmine “Jazzy” Dupree-Hebert, 5-8, G, Minneapolis, MN, Hopkins
As the lead player off the bench last season for the Golden Grizzlies, Dupree-Hebert is a dynamic guard who can do a little bit of everything. The junior shined in a home game win against Cleveland State last season, pouring in a season-high 12 points while shooting 71.4% from the field.
Cali Denson, 5-8, G, Milwaukie, OR, Eastern Michigan
After not seeing any gametime last season due to injury, Denson brings some question marks despite being a returning player. Although Denson had some impressive moments her freshman season for Eastern Michigan, finishing as the fifth-leading scorer for the Eagles, time will tell if Denson can bring that same scoring prowess to Oakland.
Sereniti Roberts-Adams, 6-3, C, Chicago, IL, Butler College Prep
Standing as the tallest player on this Golden Grizzlies roster is Roberts-Adams, who saw limited playing time last season primarily as a rotational player. Despite her limited opportunities, Roberts-Adams made good use of them, standing out as an interior scorer and a rebounder. She will prove to be a key piece to this Oakland team this upcoming season.
“She’s so capable and we need her to be,” Newell said about Roberts-Adams. “We see the potential in her, and we have high expectations for her as well.”
Incoming Players
Similar to last season, a majority of players apart of the Golden Grizzlies are made up of new players. From freshman additions to junior college additions, and to a Horizon League flip, these next nine players bring a variety of experience to Oakland.
Filippa Goula, 5-7, G, Ano Liosia, Greece, Cleveland State
With the most collegiate basketball experience on the roster, Goula is an interesting addition to this Golden Grizzlies roster. After spending the last two seasons as a backup on a loaded Cleveland State team that finished first and third in the regular season standings, respectively, during Goula’s time on the team, Goula has some untapped potential and could play a major role for this Oakland team. Notably, Goula was the only Viking last season without starting a game to finish with more than 30 steals.
“She (Goula) transferred with just a ton of experience,” Newell said. “She’s a high-IQ leader, and she leads by example. She just gets it.”
Aalyssa Rogers, 5-6, G, Houston, TX, Virginia University of Lynchburg
Named to the Women’s All-South Region Second Team in the National Christian College Athletic Association last season, Rogers brings some scoring prowess to this Oakland squad. Last season, Rogers led her team in scoring, pouring in 14.3 points per game.
Kyra Lawrence, 5-11, G, Farmington Hills, MI, Delaware State
Following her junior season at Delaware State, Lawrence finds herself much closer to home on this Golden Grizzlies roster. Lawrence appeared in all but one game for Delaware State last season and made 13 starts while averaging 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.
Ilris Aworet, 6-0, F, Port-Gentil, Gabon, Frank Phillips College
A perennial starter for Frank Phillips College, this season marks Aworet’s jump to the Division I level. Last season for the Plainsmen, Aworet scored 8.2 points per game and notched six boards a contest, the third-most on the roster. Aworet was also the most efficient player for Frank Phillips College last season, shooting 60.4% from the field in conference play.
Layla Gold, 5-11, G/F, Indianapolis, IN, Valparaiso
After spending the last two seasons playing for the Valparaiso Beacons, Gold adds some more Division I experience to this Golden Grizzlies roster. Gold averaged seven points an outing last season and showed signs of emerging as a reliable offensive threat, scoring 23 points against Milwaukee and 21 against Detroit Mercy. With the ability to switch between the guard and forward positions, Gold could prove to be a viable option for Oakland this season.
Angie Smith, 5-8, G, Bolingbrook, IL, DePaul
Smith joins the Golden Grizzlies coming off her freshman year at DePaul, where she averaged 3.4 points and 2.1 rebounds a game. Despite being a part of a DePaul roster that included six freshmen, Smith cemented herself as a key contributor to the team, making 10 starts for the Blue Demons while playing the sixth-most minutes on the roster.
Kimber Abshear, 6-3, F, Farmland, IN, Monroe Central High School
Abshear marks the first freshman addition on this list to join the Golden Grizzlies. During her final year at Monroe Central, Abshear scored most of her points in the interior and utilized her size to cap off the season, averaging 11.5 points and 7.7 rebounds a game while tallying seven double-doubles. Additionally, Abshear ranked among Indiana’s top shot blockers, averaging 3.2 blocks per game.
Karinna Trotter, 6-2, F, Milwaukee, WI, Divine Savior Holy Angels High School
Another freshman joining Oakland this season is Trotter, a three-star recruit who previously committed to play for Georgetown. The combo-forward averaged a double-double her senior year, scoring 12.4 points per game while coming away with 10.1 rebounds per game. Trotter’s shooting splits were also solid, shooting 42.3% from the field and 36.2% from deep her senior season.
Mackenzie Luehrig, 5-6, G, Jackson, WI, Kettle Moraine Lutheran High School
Originally committed to play for Newell at Lewis, Luehrig marks the final freshman on this Golden Grizzlies roster. A three-sport athlete in high school, Luehrig had an impressive finish to her high school career, leading her team to a third-place finish in the state and being named to the first-team all-state roster. From the floor, Luehrig is a two-way guard who can fill up the stat sheet. She finished her senior campaign averaging 18.4 points, five rebounds, 4.2 assists and 5.4 steals per game.
“Abshear is hurt, so she, unfortunately, is not with the team right now. But both Trotter and Luehrig have tons of potential,” Newell said. “They have a long way to go in terms of the physicality part, but I think they both have the potential to see some time.”
Projected Starting Roster
When it comes to the starting roster, expect Newell to lean heavily on the Division I experience that’s a part of this team. Although Newell is still figuring out rotations, Baxter, Goula, Gold and Smith will likely get the nod early on, thanks to their proven track records, with that fifth and final spot up for grabs.
Preview Week 2025-26
MBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
WBB: Preseason Poll | Preseason All-League | Preseason Awards
Cleveland State (MBB | WBB) | Detroit Mercy (MBB | WBB) | Green Bay (MBB | WBB) | IU Indy (MBB | WBB)
Milwaukee (MBB | WBB) | Northern Kentucky (MBB | WBB) | Oakland (MBB | WBB) | Purdue Fort Wayne (MBB | WBB)
Robert Morris (MBB | WBB) | Wright State (MBB | WBB) | Youngstown State (MBB | WBB)
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