It’s a new season for Penn State women’s basketball and while there’s still progress to be made, there were a lot of positives in the Lady Lions’ season-opening win against Bucknell.
Carolyn Kieger talked in the preseason about “renewed energy,” citing the roster and coaching staff additions and how those changes will propel the program forward. After how the 2024-25 season played out, there was definitely a need for that, and the seven-year head coach think she’s found a good mix.
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“We feel energetic and ready to put this program where we all know it can be,” Kieger said during local media day. “I think everyone has hit the reset button.”
Part of that change was the addition of Kiyomi McMiller, who led all scores with 27 points in Penn State’s 83-55 win over the Bison. The Rutgers transfer also had a team-high six assists to go along with six rebounds in 38 minutes of action.
More: Kiyomi McMiller has a chance to lead Penn State women’s basketball to success in 2025-26
“I was just super proud of her first game. I thought Kiyomi looked really composed and efficient,” Kieger said. “Six assists to two turnovers is something we’ve been spending a lot of time on. I loved her stat sheet against Bucknell. We know we should she can put the ball in the bucket, but as we continue to work on her all around game, I was really excited for her to start out that way.
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“I know you saw her picking up 94 feet. You saw her, she led the team in deflections, not only steals, but total deflections as well. So a lot of activity from her setting the tone being a tone setter. I thought it was great for her, and I really thought she was a great teammate, and celebrated her teammates well. And, you know, I thought it was a really good complete start for her.”
While McMiller was great, the game’s second-leading scorer is a well-known figure in the Lady Lion program as Gracie Merkle added 23 points on a scorching 85% from the field.
Eighty-five percent may not be every game, but it’s good to see the redshirt junior, and a Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Watchlist selection, take advantage of her interior skill when the opportunity presents itself.
More: Kayden Mingo holds Penn State basketball’s future in his hands
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“She’s worked tremendously hard in expanding her game this offseason. She’s become more mobile, vocal and confident in demanding the ball down low,” Kieger said. “Really proud of the strides she’s made this offseason.”
But it wasn’t a perfect night. Kieger sees areas where her team can improve, namely on the defensive side of the ball.
“I think our communication on the defensive end especially needs to get better. Just commanding and directing a little but more when we’re out there,” Kieger said. “Find a vocal leader out on the floor, and echo play calls and actions.”
One thing Kieger made clear though: she fully intends to have a 12-deep rotation. Offensively, she expects a different person to be the star of the show, whether that’s McMiller, Merkle, Moriah Murray (who had a quiet season opener), or even a newer face like freshman Shayla Smith, who had six points and three rebounds in her collegiate debut.
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Defensively, Penn State wants to apply full-court pressure from the guards, which McMiller and Vitória Santana did against Bucknell. Such a taxing style will require depth, which the Lady Lions believe they have.
“Yeah, well, we’ll press a lot. And you saw, obviously, it wore Bucknell down in the second half. I thought it really came to an advantage, especially in that fourth quarter for nine points,” Kieger said. “Even though you might not be getting the steals or the deflections you necessarily want the first and second quarter, it’s to wear them down. And with the with our depth, especially 12 deep, we can do that.
“Offensively, it’s going to be somebody else’s moment every game. We care about the team points and it’s going to be balanced. So some night it’s going to be Moriah’s night. Some night it’s going to be Kiyomi’s night and we’re going to share the wealth a lot this season, and that that’s what you want. You want a well-balanced scoring machine.”
Penn State will look to keep up the trend as the team will play its home games in Rec Hall, where both the men’s and women’s teams played before moving to Bryce Jordan Center.
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There will be plenty of chances to see how legit this new women’s squad is, from the road test against Saint Joe’s to the Battle 4 Atlantis the weekend before Thanksgiving. For now, however, there is a good amount to like from Penn State women’s hoops.
This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Penn State women’s basketball’s approaching 2025-26 with new energy
