The DII women's basketball season is set to tip off Halloween weekend. Defending national champion Grand Valley State will be at the Midwest Classic, and when they take the court, Nicole Kamin will be on the floor hoping to lead them back to the tournament once again.
Whether they are automatic scorers, slick defenders or controlling the tempo of the game, experienced guards are imperative in DII women's basketball. That gives these teams a leg up, having some of the best returners in DII for the 2025-26 season.
7 returning guards to watch in 2025-26
Emma Miller, Minnesota Crookston
This was a pretty easy choice. Miller, the Golden Eagles' 5-foot-1 scoring machine, set the NSIC regular-season record with 501 conference points scored last season. She finished fourth in DII in scoring, averaging a career-high and program-record 22.7 points per game while also contributing 5.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. Miller has been a model of consistency throughout her three-year career with averages of 19.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists nightly. Expect Miller to contend for the DII scoring title this year.
Nicole Kamin, Grand Valley State
Kamin didn’t put up big numbers offensively, but that wasn’t the Lakers’ style. As it has been for the last half decade, Grand Valley State was one of the stingiest defenses in the land, allowing just 52.6 points per game. Kamin was arguably the key to that defensive engine, leading the GLIAC in steals with 101, the fifth-most in DII. She earned All-GLIAC Defensive Team honors for her performance and was named the MVP of the GLIAC tournament and to the DII Women’s Elite Eight All-Tournament Team. Kamin can score when she has to as well, averaging a career-high 9.2 points per game on 48.7 percent shooting. The Lakers are in good hands with Kamin leading the charge.
Lexi Howe, Ashland
There is no DII women’s basketball list that is complete without an Ashland Eagle. Looking at Howe’s numbers from last year, you may think this is a bit of a reach, but here’s the deal. Howe was the 2023-24 G-MAC freshman of the year and was geared up for a big sophomore season. That was derailed by early season injuries, so her numbers don’t necessarily speak to what she could contribute this season with so many of last year’s veterans gone. The 5-foot-10 guard started 19 games last year, contributing per game averages of 7.6 points, 1.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists.
Amyah Moore Allen, UC Colorado Springs
Moore Allen is a two-time RMAC First Teamer and has been a scoring machine since she stepped on the floor for the Mountain Lions three seasons ago. Last year, she dropped 28 points in the upset of nationally ranked Colorado Mesa in the RMAC championship game, sending the Mountain Lions to the tournament for the first time since 2017. She posted a career-high 19.2 points per game last year, which was 17th most in DII, and a career-high 2.5 assists while shooting a nice 47.3 percent from the floor. UCCS will go as its top scorer goes, so expect them to be in the hunt as long as Moore Allen is filling up box scores.
Natalie Bremer, Minnesota State
Bremer is no stranger to the spotlight and was one of the 2024 national champion Mavericks’ top scorers. If you didn’t know who she was on the national level, she put you on notice in the 2024 national championship game, scoring a game-high 27 points while going 3 for 4 from 3 and 6 for 6 from the free throw line. Bremer followed that up with the best year of her three-year career, averaging 20.0 points per game, 13th-best in DII. She has started every game over the past two seasons and contributes all over the floor, adding 5.0 rebounds per game and a team-high 86 steals, which were second-most in the NSIC.
Sydney Gomes, Florida Southern
Gomes was a solid player for the Mocs in her first two seasons, splitting time between the starting rotation and first off the bench. Last year, she stepped into the starting role and broke out, posting career-best averages of 15.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while leading the team with 44 steals. She also led DII in triple-doubles, posting two in a week's time. Gomes went for 19/12/10 against Palm Beach Atlantic on Nov. 23 and two games later posted an 11/10/10 stat line against Mount Olive. That is rarified air at the DII level and earns Gomes a spot on the list.
Reese Schaaf, Central Missouri
Schaaf, who is more of a swing position posting up at both forward and guard for the Jennies, has had a highly decorated career thus far. While with Drury, she was both the Midwest Region player of the year and GLVC player of the year, as well as an All-American. Last year, in her first season with the Jennies, Schaaf didn't skip a beat. The 5-foot-11 guard was a double-double machine, averaging 18.6 points and 10.0 rebounds per game while posting 18 double-doubles, the sixth-most in DII. This year, she'll be joined by her sister Neely, also a guard, so perhaps a passing of the torch is in order and the Jennies will have another strong returner next season.
Three more to watch
- Taylor Hinkle, Holy Family: Hinkle earned honorable mention All-American honors while posting 16 double-doubles, averaging 12.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game for Holy Family last season.
- Brooke Loewe, Fort Hays State: Loewe averaged only 7.5 points per game last season; however, the guard also set the Tigers single-season assists record with 233 (her 7.3 per game were second-best in DII).
- Mia Riley, Ferris State: Riley averaged 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds per game with a triple-double last year while finishing seventh in DII with 95 steals.
