The 2022–23 Mid-American Conference women's basketball season began with practices in October 2022, followed by the start of the 2022–23 NCAA Division I women's basketball season in November. Conference play began in January 2023 and concluded in March 2023. The 2023 MAC tournament was held at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland, Ohio for the 23rd consecutive season.
Toledo won the regular season championship with a 16–2 record and defeated second seeded Bowling Green in the MAC tournament final to earn the conference's automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA tournament. Quinesha Lockett of Toledo was the MVP of both the regular season and the tournament.
Head coaches
Coaching changes
Buffalo On March 26, 2022, Felisha Legette-Jack, who had been the head coach at Buffalo since 2012, was hired as the head coach of her alma mater Syracuse. In 10 years Legette-Jack compiled a 201–114 at Buffalo with three MAC tournament titles, four NCAA tournament appearances, and three NCAA tournament wins. On April 6 Buffalo announced USC Upstate head coach Becky Burke as their new head coach.
Coaches Team Head coach Previous job Years at school Overall record School record MAC record MAC titles MAC Tournament titles NCAA tournaments NCAA Final Fours NCAA ChampionshipsAkron Melissa Jackson Akron (assoc. HC)5 0 0 0 0 0Ball State Brady Sallee 11 0 0 0 0 0Bowling Green Robyn Fralick Ashland5 1 0 0 0 0Buffalo Becky Burke USC Upstate1 0 0 0 0 0Central Michigan Heather Oesterle Central Michigan (assoc. HC)4 1 1 1 0 0Eastern Michigan Fred Castro Washington (asst.)7 0 0 0 0 0Kent State Todd Starkey Indiana (asst.)7 0 0 0 0 0Miami DeUnna Hendrix High Point4 0 0 0 0 0Northern Illinois Lisa Carlsen Lewis 8 0 0 0 0 0Ohio Bob Boldon Youngstown State 10 2 1 1 0 0Toledo Tricia Cullop Evansville 15 2 1 1 0 0Western Michigan Shane Clipfell 11 0 0 0 0 0 Notes: Appearances, titles, etc. are from time with current school only. Years at school includes 2022–23 season. MAC records are from time at current school only. All statistics and records are through the beginning of the season.
Preseason The preseason coaches' poll and league awards were announced by the league office on October 27, 2022. Defending 2021–22 regular season champion Toledo was named the favorite.
Preseason women's basketball coaches poll +Women's basketball preseason Poll Place Team Points First place votes 1. Toledo 143 11 2. Ball State 130 1 3. Bowling Green 109 -- 4. Kent State 103 -- 5. Northern Illinois 99 -- 6. Western Michigan 91 -- 7. Ohio 61 -- 8. Akron 50 -- 9. Eastern Michigan 46 -- 10. Buffalo 40 -- 11. Miami 35 -- 12. Central Michigan 29 --
MAC Tournament champions: Toledo (9), Ball State (3)
MAC Preseason All-Conference
Honor Recipient Preseason All-MAC First TeamQuinesha Lockett, G, Toledo Sr.A'Jah Davis, F, Northern Illinois Sr.Ally Becki, G, Ball State, So.Peyton Scott, G, Miami Sr.Sophia Wiard, G, Toledo Sr. Preseason All-MAC Second TeamLauren Ross, G, Western Michigan, R-So.Chelby Koker, G, Northern Illinois Sr.Lexi Fleming, G, Bowling Green Jr.Raegan Bass, F, Akron, So.Kadie Hempfling, F, Bowling Green Sr.
Regular season The schedule was released in late August.
Record against ranked non-conference opponents This is a list of games against ranked opponents only (rankings from the AP Poll):
Date Visitor Home Site Significance Score Conference record Nov 7 Northern Illinois No. 9 Notre Dame Purcell Pavilion ● Notre Dame, IN — L 48–88 0–1 Nov 16 Western Michigan No. 23 Michigan Crisler Center ● Ann Arbor, MI ― L 67–99 0–2 Nov 17 No. 8 Ohio State Ohio Convocation Center ● Athens, OH ― L 56–86 0–3 Nov 17 Bowling Green No. 12 Indiana Simon Skjodt Assembly Hall ● Bloomington, IN ― L 61–96 0–4 Nov 20 Ball State No. 9 Notre Dame Purcell Pavilion ● Notre Dame, IN ― L 60–95 0–5 Dec 8 Toledo No. 14 Michigan Crisler Center ● Ann Arbor, MI ― W 71–68 1–5 Dec 21 Western Michigan No. 5 Notre Dame Purcell Pavilion ● Notre Dame, IN ― L 57–85 1–6
Team rankings are reflective of AP poll when the game was played, not current or final ranking
† denotes game was played on neutral site
Rankings
Pre Wk2 Wk3 Wk4 Wk5 Wk6 Wk7 Wk8 Wk9 Wk10 Wk11 Wk12 Wk13 Wk14 Wk15 Wk16 Wk17 Wk18 Wk19 Final Akron AP C Ball State AP C Bowling Green AP C Buffalo AP C Central Michigan AP C Eastern Michigan AP C Kent State AP C Miami AP C Northern Illinois AP C Ohio AP C Toledo AP RV RV RV RV RVC Western Michigan AP C
+ Legend Improvement in ranking Drop in ranking Not ranked previous week No change in ranking from previous week RV Received votes but were not ranked in Top 25 of poll т Tied with team above or below also with this symbol
All-MAC Awards
Mid-American women's basketball weekly awards
WeekPlayer(s) of the WeekSchoolNov 14Maddi CluseMiamiNov 21Lauren RossWestern MichiganNov 28A’Jah DavisNorthern IllinoisDec 5Chelby KokerNorthern IllinoisDec 12Lauren RossWestern MichiganDec 19Lauren RossWestern MichiganDec 26Zakiyah WinfieldBuffaloJan 2Reagan BassAkronJan 9Rochelle NorrisCentral MichiganJan 16Quinesha LockettToledoJan 23Lauren RossWestern MichiganJan 30Quinesha LockettToledoFeb 6Taylor WilliamsWestern MichiganFeb 13Anna ClephaneBall StateFeb 20Re’Shawna StoneBuffaloFeb 27A’Jah DavisNorthern IllinoisMar 6Re’Shawna StoneBuffalo
Postseason
Mid–American Tournament
Toledo defeated Bowling Green in the final to earn the conference's automatic bid into the 2023 NCAA tournament. Quinesha Lockett of Toledo was the MVP.
NCAA tournament
Toledo was placed as the twelfth seed in the Seattle Region 3 of the 2023 NCAA tournament where they defeated Iowa State in the first round. They lost to Tennessee in the second round.
Women's National Invitation Tournament
Bowling Green, Ball State, and Kent State accepted bids to the WNIT. Kent State was knocked out in the first round. Ball State lost in the second round. Bowling Green won four games before losing in the semi-finals.
Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament
Northern Illinois accepted a to the WBI, where they lost to Georgia Southern in the first round.
Postseason awards
Coach of the Year: Tricia Cullop, Toledo Player of the Year: Quinesha Lockett, senior, guard, Toledo Freshman of the Year: Sydney Harris, guard/forward, Central Michigan Defensive Player of the Year: Nyla Hampton, junior, guard, Bowling Green Sixth Player of the Year: Janae Poisson, graduate student, guard, Northern Illinois
Honors Honor Recipient Postseason All-MAC First TeamQuinesha Lockett, senior, guard, Toledo A’Jah Davis, senior, forward, Northern IllinoisAnna Clephane, senior, guard/forward, Ball StateElissa Brett, senior, guard, Bowling GreenReagan Bass, sophomore, forward, Akron Postseason All-MAC Second TeamYaya Felder, sophomore, guard, OhioRe’Shawna Stone, graduate student, Guard, BuffaloAlly Becki, sophomore, guard, Ball StateChelby Koker, senior, guard, Northern IllinoisAllison Day, senior, forward, Bowling Green Postseason All-MAC Third TeamKatie Shumate, senior, guard, Kent StatePeyton Scott, senior, guard, MiamiIvy Wolf, sophomore, guard, MiamiSophia Wiard, senior, guard, ToledoSydney Harris, freshman, guard/forward, Central Michigan Postseason All-MAC Honorable MentionCe’Nara Skanes, redshirt junior, forward, Eastern MichiganThelma Dis Augustsdottir, graduate student, guard/forward, Ball StateTaylor Williams, redshirt junior, forward, Western MichiganLauren Ross, redshirt sophomore, guard, Western MichiganLindsey Thall, graduate student, forward, Kent State All-MAC Freshman TeamSydney Harris, guard/forward, Central MichiganCorynne Hauser, guard, Kent StateBridget Utberg, guard, Central MichiganOlivia Smith, guard, Eastern MichiganJaya McClure, guard, Ohio All-MAC Defensive TeamNyla Hampton, junior, guard, Bowling GreenDominique Camp, senior, guard, AkronKhera Goss, junior, guard, ToledoTaylor Williams, redshirt junior, forward, Western MichiganElissa Brett, senior, guard, Bowling Green
See also 2022–23 Mid-American Conference men's basketball season
References