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Boise State Women's Basketball: Poised to End the Championship Drought

October 31, 2025

Article By Nick Wade

As the crisp autumn air settles in Boise and the roar of the blue-and-orange faithful begins to echo inside ExtraMile Arena, the 2025-26 campaign for the Broncos begins on Monday, November 3 at 12 p.m. MT against Eastern Oregon Mountaineers. With that tip-off now officially on the calendar, the moment demands a clear, bold articulation of where this program has been — and, more importantly, where it absolutely must go.

Last season, Boise State posted an 18-15 overall mark, and a 7-11 ledger in the Mountain West Conference (MWC). The campaign offered glimpses of promise and flashes of quality, yet it stopped short of fulfilling the expectations held by Bronco Nation. In a program that prides itself on excellence, continuity, and championship DNA, the results left a bit of a void.

Head coach Gordy Presnell remains the most successful coach in Boise State women’s basketball history — a program legend who, after decades of guiding the Broncos, has built a culture many envy. His career at Boise State has produced big wins, NCAA tournament appearances and a standard of sustained competitiveness.  And yet, even a legendary coach like Presnell must answer to results. It has now been five years since the program last captured the MWC Tournament Championship. That drought falls short of the “SMART GOAL” and five-year expectation set forth in the article The Standard. Bronco Nation expects not simply good seasons, but championship seasons. Anything less must be considered sub-par.

There is no sugar-coating this: the senior-laden roster which included glowing future Hall of Famers — namely Abby Muse and Mary Kay Naro — did not finish their collegiate careers as champions. That is deeply disappointing in a program built for more. Muse ended her run at 6.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 2.1 bpg and 1.6 apg, having closed out as the all-time block-shot leader and all-time rebounder, and sitting 9th all-time in field-goal percentage — clearly a future Boise State Hall of Famer. Naro finished at 2.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 4.3 apg and holds the single-season assists record (256), ranks 2nd all-time in assists, 9th in blocked shots, and 5th all-time in assists per game — another lock for the Boise State Hall of Fame. These are program icons whose one missing element is the championship ring. That gap must be closed for good.

Entering 2025-26: No Excuses

So now the stage is set. With those stalwarts gone, perhaps one could argue it’s a transition year. But that is not how Bronco Nation views it — and it shouldn’t be how this team views it. With senior returners such as Natalie Pasco (12.5 ppg, 41.1% 3-pt), Mya Hansen (7.8 ppg, 37.9% 3-pt, 89.1% FT) and Dani Bayes (9.1 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 1.7 apg), supplemented by senior forward Tatum Thompson (13.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg, seven double-doubles) — yes, the one voted Preseason MWC Player of the Year — the continuity is strong. The Broncos return 53.4% of minutes and 66.9% of scoring from the 2024-25 roster. That kind of retention is rare and gives every reason for optimism.

There simply should be no excuses. The pieces are in place. The leadership is clear. The veterans know the drill. The juniors and sophomores know what the program demands. The newcomers are ready to add juice and depth. And the window to win is wide open.

Spotlight on the Key Returners

Tatum Thompson stands at the fulcrum of this season. At 6′1″ with the physicality and polish to dominate the forward position, she embodies the two-way presence a championship team needs: a rebounder who can score in the paint, defend with authority, and make hustle plays that tilt momentum. Her 13.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg last season, with seven double-doubles, tell the story of someone who already ascended — now it’s time to elevate.  Mya Hansen brings the guard play-maker and scoring punch from the perimeter. Her 7.8 ppg, nearly 38 percent from three and 89.1 percent from the line make her a stable offensive option and a reliable performer. Her senior mindset and sharpshooter mentality are invaluable.  Natalie Pasco, the prolific scorer and marksman, is no stranger to the spotlight: 12.5 ppg and a 41.1 percent mark from beyond the arc in 2024-25. With 195 career three-pointers to her name (already 3rd all-time at Boise State) and membership in the 1,000-point club, she carries both production and experience.  Dani Bayes, also a senior, adds perimeter shooting, defense, and veteran leadership — 9.1 ppg last year and the kind of consistency coaches covet.  When you fold in that the roster returns over half the minutes and nearly two-thirds of the scoring, the continuity argument is compelling. Teams that return that kind of core often make real leaps.

Fresh Blood, Transitions & Depth

Of course, success will not only rest on the returning handful. The infusion of new talents and the further maturation of returning underclassmen will decide whether this team has the depth and stamina to survive the grind of a 30+ game season, travel, and a brutal MWC schedule.

Freshman guards like Morgan Maldonado (5′9, Anchorage, AK) and Jayda Lewis (5′10, Seattle, WA) add ball-handling, tempo-pushing instincts and perimeter quickness — the kind of depth that can alleviate pressure on Hansen and Pasco, and allow Thompson and company to rest when needed. On the forward side, freshmen such as Izzie Harms (6′1, Eugene, OR) and Mason Borcherding (6′1, Parker, CO) bring size, athleticism and frontcourt toughness that can pay dividends especially on the defensive glass, transition offense and small-ball schemes.

Sophomores like Milly Sharp (5′9, Ballarat, AUS) and Libby Hutton (6′0, Perth, AUS) and mid-season contributors are poised to step up. At center ­- Emily Howard (6’5, Vancouver, CAN) and Madeline Cooke (6′3, Meridian, ID) bring some much needed length at the 5. With that mix of veteran savvy and youthful hunger, depth should no longer be cited as an excuse.

The Championship Mission

For Bronco Nation, the five-year benchmark without winning the MWC is simply unacceptable. The standard isn’t “make a run” or “contend” — it’s “win.” Winning the regular season and the tournament, earning the automatic bid, forcing the program back into the national spotlight. The program will not accept inching closer; it demands crossing the line.  Coach Presnell knows this. His legacy brackets include multiple conference tournament titles, regular-season championships and NCAA appearances.  But even for a legend, performance must keep pace with expectations. The timing couldn’t be more urgent.  This 2025-26 squad arrives with everything aligned: senior leadership, returning firepower, talented newcomers, continuity of minutes and scoring, and a favorable early schedule (beginning with the November 3 home opener). The process is in place; the intent is present. What remains is execution, consistency, and the unrelenting will to close out big games.

 

There is a palpable sense this season must be different for several reasons. First, the core of the team knows each other, has played together, and understands the system. There will be fewer growing pains. Second, the seniors have earned the right to demand it. Thompson, Pasco, Hansen, Bayes — this is their final go-round. To leave without a championship would be a bitter ending to distinguished careers. Third, the program has no plausible excuse. Retention is strong, the schedule offers a chance, the early non-conference work allows for cohesion, and now the spotlight is on conversion. 

Boise State begins its journey November 3 at noon MT inside ExtraMile Arena, and from there will navigate the brutal grind of the Mountain West. Every game, every trip, every defensive possession will matter. The margin for error has shrunk. To fall short yet again would be a missed opportunity; but to grasp this moment would elevate this group into the lore of Bronco hoops.

The roadmap is clear: guard the paint, crash the boards, hit the three, defend with heart, play with cohesion, and when pressure mounts — as it always does in March — have the resolve to finish. The senior leadership is primed for that moment. The returning scorers are ready. The freshmen and sophomores will supply energy. The coach who has built the program into a standard-bearer now stands at a crossroads — a legend still growing, but one who, this season, must deliver.

Bronco Nation, this is the year. The season opener at noon on November 3 is not just the first page of a schedule; it is the dawn of an opportunity. One that the returning seniors and their younger teammates must seize with both hands. For the long-standing championship drought to end, there can be no hesitation, no excuses, and no lapse in focus. The expectations are high — and rightfully so. If the Broncos execute, this season could be the one that transforms promise into legacy.

This squad — anchored by Tatum Thompson, Mya Hansen, Natalie Pasco and Dani Bayes, bolstered by fresh faces and depth — has the ingredients. Bronco Nation expects it. The time is now.