Cal Poly Women’s Basketball is preparing for a new season and hoping for a better outcome after a 4-26 overall record last year. Their last-place finish in the Big West can be attributed to a combination of the loss of important players after the 2024-25 campaign, a younger team and injuries across the floor.
Head Coach Shanele Stires enters her fifth year at the helm and has brought in eight new players to balance out the eight returners.
Five of the eight newcomers bring college basketball experience, including junior Maddy Tauro, a guard who transferred from Big West foe Cal State Fullerton.
“I definitely think that I bring a lot of experience, especially [since] I came from a school in the Big West and still [play] in the Big West,” Tauro said.
She also commented on what Cal Poly brings that other Big West schools don’t.
“I don’t think anybody could beat our spirit and our drive to get better,” Tauro said.
Other transfers include Sumer Lee from DePaul University, Mecca Alexander from San Jose State, Dessi Ulmer from Colby Community College and Ysabella Von Seipler from University of San Diego.
Lee is expected to take on a big role for the Mustangs after playing 74 collegiate games before heading to SLO. As a freshman, Von Seipler shot 47% from the field and three-point range.
Returning fifth-year Madison Butcher thinks fans should watch out for Lee, Tauro, Ulmer and Dulci Vail.
With her teammates by her side, Butcher is looking for a comeback season. Last season, Butcher suffered a season-ending injury that left her sidelined halfway through the year. All returning players who suffered an injury last season are healthy and ready to return to the court.
As for the upcoming season, Butcher explained why the team is much more optimistic. She credits the optimism to the team’s veteran status this season.
“Not that we didn’t have a high IQ last year, but we just have a lot of older players this year,” Butcher said. “We have seniors, juniors, transfers that are coming in, so just people who’ve been in Division 1 college basketball before.”
The Big West ranked Cal Poly Women’s basketball program 9th out of 12 teams in the preseason polls, but Butcher disagrees.
“I think even the Big West is going to be a little shocked,” Butcher said.
The Mustangs face Cal State San Marcos in a home exhibition game on Oct. 21 at 6 p.m. Their first regular-season matchup will be at Mott Athletics Center vs. UC Merced on Nov. 2 at 5 p.m.