Following another record-breaking season, the Northern Arizona women's basketball team looks to continue raising the standard in a new era. Like many other schools in today's collegiate landscape, NAU will sport a near brand-new roster from top to bottom, including its coaching staff.

The Lumberjacks begin the 2025-26 season under first-year head coach and NAU alum Laura Dinkins, looking to build on success of the previous two historic seasons. Rounding out the new coaching staff are Assistant Coaches Bryan Camacho, Dajae Black, Nicholas Milan, Graduate Assistant Jordan Jackson and Director of Operations Kristyna Jeskeova. For Dinkins, the newness powers excitement in anticipation of the season.

"We have a brand-new team with a lot of young faces, and that's what makes this season so exciting." said Dinkins. "Their hunger to learn, their trust in one another, and their commitment to growing together, that's how championship cultures are built."

NAU finished the 2024-25 season with a 27-8 record, including a 16-2 mark in Big Sky Conference play for a second-place regular season finish. The Lumberjacks reached the second round of the WBIT after earning their first-ever bid to the tournament.

Alongside Dinkins and a new staff, the 'Jacks return two players to the roster this season and welcome 14 new talents to Flagstaff, including five true freshmen, who she observes gelling nicely already.

"Every day, we're laying the foundation for who we want to become, not just as players but as a program. There is a contagious energy and belief in this group, and I'm excited to see how that continues to grow as the season unfolds."

Senior Audrey Taylor and redshirt freshman Faith Curry are the returners, with graduate transfer Simone Morris highlighting the newcomers as she brings four years of NCAA experience to the squad.

Morris spent the past four seasons at Robert Morris, where she averaged 7.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.6 steals while starting in 76-of-92 game appearances. The native of Carson, Calif. knows her wealth of playing experience will be valuable to the young team.

"One of my strengths has always been in games that go down the wire. I'm always reliable in those," Morris said. "I've always played a good number of minutes since I was a freshman, so getting that experience was a learning curve at first, but once I hit my sophomore year, it kind of just came naturally. I think being a competitive team this year, we'll have those down-to-the-wire games, so I think my experience will come into play then for sure."

Taylor and senior transfer Kayla Williams also bring experience as the other two players on the roster with at least three years of collegiate experience. Taylor has made one start in 60 game appearances over the last three years at NAU, highlighted by a career-high 18 points on Nov. 20, 2022 against Park. In her junior campaign, she averaged just under 10 minutes per game while shooting 32% from beyond the arc.

Taylor notes that while it was incredibly difficult to lose the coaching staff and majority of last year's squad, she never doubted that Flagstaff was the place for her to finish her playing career.

"I had picked NAU for more than that," she said. "The campus is beautiful, and Flagstaff has been awesome to live in."

The native of Boise, Idaho also trusted in the broader athletic department to maintain her stellar experience.

"After many conversations with other staff members I knew NAU had my back, and I completely trusted Uri (Farkas) to find us a great coach. Going into this season, I'm really excited to embrace change. A new team, new playing style and a new role."

Williams joins the Lumberjacks fresh off an All-American season at NAIA member Texas A&M-Texarkana where she was also a two-time First Team All-Conference selection. The native of San Diego, Calif. averaged a double-double at 16.0 points and13.5 boards per game over the previous two seasons while shooting 45.3% from the floor.

With NAU ultimately looking to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006, Dinkins assembled the 2025-26 roster with transfers who have NCAA Tournament experience. Among the Lumberjacks' seven Division I transfers are Naomi White and Eri Blithikioti, who arrived in Flagstaff via Grand Canyon and UC San Diego respectively, where they each were part of conference championship teams last season.

While NAU landed eighth and tied for ninth in the Big Sky Media and Coaches Polls respectively, the team remains focused on where they feel advantageous, particularly in the work ethic category.

"When you're working hard, it's hard for something to go wrong," said Morris. "We're going to have an edge and we're going to play with a lot of grit. And then we're also going to have a little bit of showmanship to our game."

For Dinkins, Morris, Taylor and the rest of the Lumberjacks, the pieces are in place to continue raising the flag on the hardwood.

NAU opens the season Nov. 3 on the road against New Mexico. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be streamed on ESPN+.