LILBURN, Ga. – The Gannon women's basketball team is ranked 12th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) preseason poll. The WBCA released its 2026–27 NCAA Division II Preseason Top 25 Coaches Poll on Tuesday, Oct. 27.
The Golden Knights enter the 2026–27 season looking to make another run in the NCAA Division II Tournament. A year ago, Gannon finished with a 29–5 overall record and an 18–2 mark in conference play before advancing to the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional semifinals. The Golden Knights concluded the season ranked eighth in the final WBCA poll.
Two-time defending national champion Grand Valley State (36–1) was voted the preseason favorite by the WBCA, receiving all 23 first-place votes. Colorado Mesa (37–2) is second with Alabama-Huntsville (32–6) third, Indiana (Pa.) (31–4) fourth and Cal Poly Pomona (29–5) fifth.
Head coach
Cleve Wright enters his 19th season at the helm of the Golden Knights and eighth since returning to Erie in 2019. Wright welcomes back an experienced group led by seniors
Kate Ratliff (Canal Winchester, Ohio/Canal Winchester) and
Mia Slater (Canberra, Australia/Canberra Grammar School), along with junior
Jordan Popyk (Novi, Mich./Novi).
Ratliff, a 6-foot guard, returns as Gannon's leading scorer from last season after averaging 12.1 ppg. and 5.3 rpg. She started 33 of 34 games while leading the Golden Knights with 100 assists and 42 blocked shots. Ratliff also totaled 72 steals and earned second team All-PSAC West honors for the second consecutive season. She became the 33rd player in program history to reach the 1,000-career-point milestone during the 2025–26 campaign and earned NCAA Atlantic Regional All-Tournament Team honors.
Slater, a 6-foot-2 post player, averaged 8.3 ppg. and 5.2 rpg. while appearing in all 34 contests. The Canberra, Australia native shot 53.2 percent from the field and earned second team All-PSAC West honors.
Popyk, a 6-foot-2 junior, appeared in 33 games, averaging 9.1 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. while shooting 49.6 percent from the floor.
The Golden Knights also welcome back senior guard
Tori Mayes (Lake City, Pa./Cathedral Prep), who started all 34 games, along with
Olivia Pepple (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford),
Bella Deere (Union, Ky./Cooper),
Olivia Cernuto (Scottdale, Pa./Southmoreland),
Taylor Ethridge (Chesapeake, Va./Catholic),
Lauren Kingsley (Pavilion, N.Y./Pavilion),
Katie Boal (Franklin, Pa./Franklin Area) and
Jenna Winowiecki (Grosse Point Woods, Mich./Gross Point North).
Wright welcomes four freshmen to the roster for the 2026–27 season, including Bella Magestro (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic), Miley McClellan (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North), Sammy Russell (Medway, Ohio/Tecumseh) and Gwen Smith (Western Springs, Ill./Lyons Township). The newcomers will look to provide additional depth alongside an experienced group of returners.
Gannon will look to replace several key contributors, including WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches' All-America Honorable Mention selection
Bri Claxon (South Webster, Ohio/South Webster), who averaged a team-high 16.1 ppg. last season. Claxon concluded her career with 1,841 points, ranking fifth in program history. The Golden Knights must also replace
Maddy Wheatley (Canberra, Australia/UCSSC Lake Ginninderra) and
Carissa Dunham (Fairview, Pa./Villa Maria).
Gannon opens the 2026–27 campaign on Friday, Nov. 6, competing in the Division II CCA Tip-Off Classic in Owensboro, Kentucky. The Golden Knights open against Missouri Western at 5:15 p.m. before facing Harding, which made its third consecutive NCAA Division II Tournament appearance last season, on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 3 p.m.
Coach Wright once again has put together a challenging schedule for the Golden Knights, featuring four teams ranked in the WBCA preseason poll, including No. 2 Colorado Mesa, No. 4 Indiana (Pa.), No. 15 Daemen and No. 17 Glenville State.
The Golden Knights make their home debut on Friday, Nov. 13, hosting Glenville State at the Highmark Events Center at 11 a.m. as part of the Atlantic Region Challenge. Gannon will also welcome Daemen on Wednesday, Nov. 18, before facing Colorado Mesa in the D2 Jackpot Classic in Las Vegas, Nevada, on Friday, Nov. 27.
