BALTIMORE – With just over a week to go before opening the 2024-25 season, Loyola University Maryland women's basketball is receiving votes in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25.
 
The Greyhounds garnered 21 points in the poll, good for 32^nd place in the ranking that encompasses teams from the America East, Atlantic Sun, Big Sky, Big South, Big West, Coastal Athletic, Conference USA, Horizon, Independent, Ivy League, Metro Atlantic, Mid-American, Mid-Eastern, Missouri Valley, Northeast, Ohio Valley, Patriot League, Southern, Southland, Southwestern, Summit, Sun Belt, West Coast, Western Athletic conferences.
 
Two weeks ago, Loyola women's basketball was picked first in the Patriot League Preseason Poll, the first time Loyola has been tabbed the team to beat in the sport since joining the conference for the 2013-14 season.
 
Head Coach Danielle O'Banion, who was named the Patriot League Coach of the Year in 2023-24, has led the Greyhounds to a 16-win improvement from 2020-21 – the year before she was hired – to last year.
 
Last season, the Greyhounds finished tied for second in the Patriot League regular-season standings and advanced to the Patriot League semifinals for the second time in program history. They finished with a 16-15 record, Loyola's first record above .500 since 2010-11.
 
Loyola returns a large compliment of its players from last year's successful team, led by Preseason Patriot League Player of the Year Lex Therien.
 
Therien, a senior who is a three-time All-Patriot League player – averaged 15.7 points and 10.7 rebounds per game in 2023-24 and has scored 1,316 points (14.6 per game) and grabbed 981 rebounds (10.9) in her career.
 
Overall, Loyola welcomes back 88 percent of its scoring from last season, 87 percent of its rebounding and 87 percent of its minutes played.
 
The Greyhounds are the only Patriot League team ranked in the College Insider Mid-Major Top-25, but they will be challenged immediately by a team slotted above them in the rankings. Loyola opens the season at James Madison, the side ranked No. 13 in the poll, on Thursday, November 7, in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
 
Loyola opens the doors to its home schedule on Sunday, November 10, with a 5 o'clock game against UMBC in Reitz Arena.