ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) released the 2024-25 women’s basketball preseason poll and All-Conference selections on Tuesday morning. The Panthers were picked second in the MVC preseason poll with 504 total points including six first-place votes. The reigning MVC Champion Drake Bulldogs were picked first in the poll with 566 points and 39 first-place votes.
Grace Boffeli and Maya McDermott were the two Panthers named to the Preseason All-MVC First Team for the upcoming 2024-25 season. This is Boffeli’s and McDermott’s second time appearing on the MVC Preseason All-Conference First Team after the pair was selected to the First Team ahead of last season. Boffeli was named the MVC Preseason Player of the Year last season as well.
A three-time All-Conference forward, Grace Boffeli finished the 2023-24 season with record numbers including the fourth-highest single-season mark with 12 double-doubles. The Eldridge, Iowa native averaged 14.8 points and nine rebounds over her 26 starts for the Panthers. She finished her junior season no. 7 on UNI’s single-season rebounding average list (9.0) and no. 5 on the single-season defensive rebound average list (6.5). Boffeli was second in the conference with 12 double-doubles and 9.0 rebounds per game and recorded double figures in every conference matchup of the season.
A two-time All-Conference guard, Maya McDermott continued her storied UNI career last season averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game over her 31 games and 30 starts. The Johnston, Iowa native led Division I men’s and women’s basketball from the free throw line last season with a 96.4% free throw percentage, a UNI single-season record. McDermott recorded a total of 506 points, the ninth-best season in UNI history on 185 field goals the seventh-best mark in program history.
2024-25 MVC Preseason Poll
Drake – 566 (39 first-place votes – 48 possible first-place votes)
UNI – 504 (6 first-place votes)
Belmont – 475 (3 first-place votes)
Murray State – 391
Missouri State – 380
UIC – 347
Illinois State – 341
Valparaiso – 193
Indiana State – 189
Southern Illinois – 167
Bradley – 97
Evansville – 96
2024-25 MVC Preseason All-Conference Teams
First Team
Katie Dinnebier, Drake – Preseason Player of the Year
Grace Boffeli, UNI
Maya McDermott, UNI
Anna Miller, Drake
Lacy Stokes, Missouri State
Katelyn Young, Murray State
Second Team
Jailyn Banks, Belmont
Kendal Cheesman, Belmont
Leah Earnest, Valparaiso
Tuti Jones, Belmont
Keimari Rimmer, UIC
Maya Wong, Illinois State