Western Washington's Libby Stump (left) and Montana State Billings' Cassie Chesnut were among 15 GNAC women's basketball preseason all-conference selections.
Western Washington's Libby Stump (left) and Montana State Billings' Cassie Chesnut were among 15 GNAC women's basketball preseason all-conference selections.

Preseason POTY Libby Stump set to lead WWU women’s basketball

10/22/2026 10:35:21 AM

By: Evan O'Kelly, Associate Commissioner for Communications

PORTLAND, Ore. – After helping lead Western Washington to its seventh Great Northwest Athletic Conference women’s basketball title a season ago, senior guard Libby Stump is ready to run it back this winter.
 
Set to begin her third season in Bellingham, Stump was voted the GNAC preseason player of the year with the award coming on the heels of last week’s preseason coaches poll that slated the Vikings in first place. Stump headlined a list of 15 players who were named preseason all-conference for the 2026-27 campaign.
 
2026-27 GNAC Women's Basketball Preseason All-Conference Team
Preseason Player of the Year: Libby Stump, Western Washington
Name School Position Height Year Hometown (Previous School)
Kyla Momberg Alaska Anchorage Guard 5-8 Fifth Box Elder, Mont. (Montana State Billings)
Mylee Anderson Alaska Anchorage Guard 5-8 Sophomore Wasilla, Alaska (Wasilla)
Capri Sims Central Washington Forward 6-0 Senior Post Falls, Idaho (Post Falls)
Fiona Snashall Central Washington Forward 6-2 Senior La Canada, Calif. (Regis)
Cassie Chesnut Montana State Billings Forward 6-2 Sophomore Lake Forest Park, Wash. (Shorecrest)
Layla Baumann Montana State Billings Guard 5-8 Senior Billings, Mont. (Billings West)
Rae Smart Montana State Billings Forward 5-9 Sophomore Billings, Mont. (Skyview)
Kendall Clark Northwest Nazarene Forward 5-10 Senior Melba, Idaho (Melba)
Avery Oaster Saint Martin’s Forward 6-1 Fifth Golden, Colo. (Green Mountain)
Jada Travis Saint Martin’s Guard 5-5 Junior Tacoma, Wash. (Bellarmine Prep)
Layne Kearns Seattle Pacific Guard 5-7 Senior Hamilton, Mont. (Hamilton)
Rachel Loukes Simon Fraser Guard 5-10 Senior Prince George, B.C. (College Heights)
Libby Stump Western Washington Guard 5-8 Senior Ferndale, Wash. (Montana)
Demi Dykstra Western Washington Guard 5-9 Senior Lynden, Wash. (Lynden Christian)
Annalee Coronado Western Washington Guard 5-9 Senior Othello, Wash. (Central Washington)
 

10707Libby Stump – Western Washington University6363
Guard – 5-8 – Senior – Ferndale, Wash. – University of Montana – Lynden Christian High School
Previous Accolades: First-Team All-GNAC (2026) | GNAC All-Tournament Team (2026)
 
In her second season with the Vikings, Stump helped orchestrate a GNAC-title winning team as WWU went 15-3 in league play to capture its third crown in the last five years. Stump ranked seventh in the conference last year in scoring at 14.2 points per game, on her way to earning a spot on the all-GNAC first team. After injuries limited her to just 11 games in her WWU debut in 2024-25, Stump started all 33 contests for the Vikings last winter and helped them reach the GNAC Championships title game and the second round of the NCAA West Region Championships. One of Stump’s signature efforts was a 21-point outburst on March 13 that led the Vikings past Point Loma 74-60 at the NCAA regionals. Overall Stump reached 20 points in a game eight times including a career-high 33 points on Nov. 1 against Minot State. In addition to her productive scoring, Stump led the GNAC with 4.3 assists per game and contributed 3.7 rebounds per game for the Vikings.
 
WWU Head Coach Carmen Dolfo: “Libby works so hard on her game all year round. She can score in so many different ways but also is an outstanding passer. The improvement she has made in her defense over the last year has been so impressive and she truly has completed her game. Libby is incredibly coachable, she is a great leader and an amazing teammate.”
 
10716Demi Dykstra – Western Washington University
Guard – 5-9 – Senior – Lynden, Wash. – Lynden Christian High School
Previous Accolades: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2025 & 2026) | GNAC All-Tournament Team (2025)
 
A returning two-time all-conference guard for the Vikings, Dykstra gives WWU another seasoned veteran in its starting lineup. After coming off the bench in all 31 contests as a freshman in 2023-24, Dykstra has started 59 consecutive games for WWU over the last two seasons. In 2025-26 she averaged 11.1 points, 2.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds per game while playing a career-high 34.7 minutes per game. She had a season-high 26 points on Feb. 28 in the regular-season finale against Montana State Billings and posted a season-best seven assists in the GNAC title game against the Yellowjackets. In three years at WWU, Dykstra has accumulated 768 points (8.5 ppg) and 189 assists (2.1 apg) while suiting up in 90 contests.
 
WWU Head Coach Carmen Dolfo: “Demi's ability to take the ball to the basket or create an opportunity for her teammate to do so is her biggest strength to us. Over the last year she has made great strides in her 3-point shooting which makes her pretty hard to guard. She is our floor leader, she works so hard on a daily basis and does an outstanding job leading our team.”
 
10715Annalee Coronado – Western Washington University
Guard – 5-9 – Senior – Othello, Wash. – Central Washington University – Othello High School
Previous Accolades: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2026)
 
After spending her first three collegiate seasons at rival Central Washington, Coronado will take her talents west to join the Vikings in 2026-27. WWU is getting a senior guard who has played in 84 collegiate games to date and is coming off a career-best 9.3 points per game last season. Coronado reached double figures in scoring on eight occasions in her junior season with the Wildcats, including a career-high 24 points on two occasions. She played an instrumental role in helping lead Central Washington to back-to-back NCAA Sweet 16 appearances, as the Wildcats won each of their first two regional contests last March.
 
WWU Head Coach Carmen Dolfo: “Anna has brought such a strong understanding of the game to us. She's so smart and strategic and has a great ability to read the defense. She is so enthusiastic and brings such great energy to our program. We are excited to have her here and know she will be impactful right away for us.”
 

10704Kyla Momberg – University of Alaska Anchorage9986
Guard – 5-8 – 5th Year – Box Elder, Mont. – Montana State Billings/Montana Western – Box Elder High School
Previous Accolades: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2026)
 
Another intra-conference transfer, Momberg is set to make her debut at Alaska Anchorage after spending the 2025-26 campaign on the Montana State Billings roster. Momberg played an instrumental role in helping deliver the Yellowjackets’ second GNAC Championships title, and earned honorable mention all-conference last year. Momberg averaged 9.2 points per game and reached a season high of 26 against the Seawolves on Jan. 24. Perhaps her most comprehensive performance of the year came in the Yellowjackets’ GNAC Championships semifinal win over Central Washington, where she had 11 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and five steals.
 
UAA Head Coach Matt Thune: “Kyla is a very talented player who brings a great combination of scoring and vision to our team. She has meshed with our group seamlessly and we believe her best basketball is still ahead of her. As she continues to grow within our system and build chemistry with her teammates we look forward to seeing the impact she can make in the GNAC this season.”
 
10710Mylee Anderson – University of Alaska Anchorage
Guard – 5-8 – Sophomore – Wasilla, Alaska – Wasilla High School
 
Anderson got her collegiate career off to a strong start as a true freshman in 2025-26, averaging 10.1 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Anderson started 26 of 27 games for UAA last winter, with her assist figure ranking her fourth in the conference. She scored a season-high 23 points in her very first collegiate game on Nov. 7 and delivered a season-best 11 assists on New Year’s Day against Northwest Nazarene. Anderson is one of just three underclassman to earn a spot on the preseason all-conference team.
 
UAA Head Coach Matt Thune: “Mylee has continued to establish herself as one of the leaders of our program and we expect her to take another step this season. She brings a high level of competitiveness, toughness, and consistency to our team, and her ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor makes her extremely valuable. We’re excited about the growth she’s shown heading into year two.”
 

10712Capri Sims – Central Washington University6416
Forward – 6-0 – Senior – Post Falls, Idaho – Post Falls High School
Previous Accolades: Second-Team All-GNAC (2026) | Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2025 & 2026) | NCAA West Region All-Tournament Team (2026)
 
Among the top returning talents in the conference, Sims is one of just two players on the preseason all-conference team who is a three-time all-GNAC performer. Coming through with her most productive collegiate season yet in 2025-26, Sims ranked fourth in the GNAC with 9.6 rebounds per game while adding 14.0 points and shooting a conference-best 56.3% from the floor. Sims was at her best as the Wildcats embarked on their second-straight Sweet 16 run, as she posted three consecutive double-doubles to help her squad reach the regional championship game. That stretch included her best statistical game of the year in the form of a 24-point, 17-rebound evening in CWU’s second-round win over Vanguard. It was the most impressive of 13 total double-doubles she completed last winter. Sims enters her fourth season already as one of the best rebounders in conference history, with her 831-career rebounds ranking her 12th and her career figure of 8.84 rebounds per game ranking her sixth since the GNAC was formed in 2001. Sims has scored 1,054 points in her career for an average of 11.2 points per game and is coming off a junior season in which she averaged a career-best 2.6 assists per game.
 
CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson: “Capri is one of the strongest players we have had in terms of consistency mentally, physically and emotionally over a three-year span. That consistency which she has shown up with has led her to so much personal growth but also earning the respect of everyone in our program. I’m excited for Capri’s senior year and the opportunity that she has earned from a team, leadership and personal standpoint. I know she has put the work in and is ready to take those natural and earned steps forward. I’m happy our counterparts feel the same way and it is well-deserved recognition.”
 
10717Fiona Snashall – Central Washington University
Forward – 6-2 – Senior – La Canada, Calif. – Regis University – Holy Family High School
Previous Accolades: Second-Team All-GNAC (2026)
 
It didn’t take long for Snashall to break into the CWU lineup, as she delivered a second-team all-GNAC performance in her debut after transferring from fellow NCAA Division II Regis University. Starting all 32 games for the Wildcats, Snashall ranked third in the GNAC with a team-best 9.8 rebounds per game and was ninth in the league with a field-goal percentage of 45.3. Averaging 10.4 points and 2.5 assists per game, Snashall was a key difference maker on both ends of the court. She delivered a season-high 20 points in CWU’s opening-round regional win over Montana State Billings, and had nine double-doubles on the year. Her campaign included two of the three highest rebounding performances by a GNAC player last season, with 23 against Western Oregon on Jan. 24 and 22 against Simon Fraser on Jan. 8. Snashall’s 314 total rebounds last season were eighth-most in GNAC single-season history.
 
CWU Head Coach Randi Richardson: “Fiona has done a phenomenal job for a transfer to come in and immerse herself into our standards and values. This has led her to having a massive impact on our program on the floor and off. She has gained the trust and respect from everyone and has stepped up big time as a leader. I am so excited for her to continue to grow in her comfortability and confidence to come into her own. She has done the work and is ready to continue to take those steps forward in unlocking her potential, which is limitless. This is well-earned and well-deserved recognition.”
 

10713Cassie Chesnut – Montana State University Billings6515
Forward – 6-2 – Sophomore – Lake Forest Park, Wash. – Shorecrest High School
Previous Accolades: GNAC Freshman of the Year (2026) | GNAC Championships MVP (2026) | Second-Team All-GNAC (2026)
 
Chesnut was unstoppable at last year’s GNAC Championships, averaging 21.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks, 1.3 assists and 1.0 steals per game in the conference tournament. The obvious choice for GNAC Championships MVP, Chesnut was the x-factor in helping the Yellowjackets become the first-ever team to win the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The headline performance came after a regular season that earned her GNAC Freshman of the Year honors, as she ranked fourth in the conference with 8.6 rebounds per game and 10th in the league with 13.6 points per game. Chesnut delivered 10 double-doubles in her collegiate debut season, including season bests of 27 points on Dec. 21 against Daemen and 16 rebounds on Jan. 3 against Seattle Pacific.
 
MSUB Head Coach Kevin Woodin: “Cassie improved tremendously during her freshman season a year ago and played her best basketball down the stretch and in the post-season. She has established herself as a scoring threat both on the perimeter and in the paint and she has become a consistent force on the boards. I look for her to play even better this year and establish herself as one of the top players in our league and region.”
 
10711Layla Baumann – Montana State University Billings
Guard – 5-8 – Senior – Billings, Mont. – Billings West High School
 
A year plagued with injuries kept Baumann off the floor in 2025-26, but she returns to the Yellowjacket lineup as a senior leader this season. Across two campaigns at her hometown school, Baumann has played in 53 games and posted an average of 4.5 points per game. Baumann played in 21 games as a true freshman in 2023-24, contributing to the Yellowjackets’ second GNAC regular-season title in program history.
 
MSUB Head Coach Kevin Woodin: “Layla’s injury last year was unfortunate; it is exciting for both her and her team to have her again at full strength. She is a tremendous competitor and hard worker, and Layla’s leadership and all-around abilities make our team better every day.”


 
10706Rae Smart – Montana State University Billings
Forward – 5-9 – Sophomore – Billings, Mont. – Skyview High School
Previous Accolades: GNAC All-Tournament Team (2026)
 
Chesnut wasn’t the only true freshman who turned heads at last year’s conference tournament, as Smart also garnered all-tournament recognition with a memorable performance. She opened the event with a 14-point, 13-rebound double-double in MSUB’s upset of Central Washington, and reached double digits in points in all three conference tournament games. That came amid a debut season in which Smart averaged 7.4 points, 5.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. She posted a pair of double-doubles, including a monster game of 25 points and 17 boards against Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 24. After starting all 35 games on the hardwood, Smart went on to earn bronze medals in the shot put and javelin at the GNAC Outdoor Track & Field Championships and earned a spot at the NCAA Track & Field Championships in each event.
 
MSUB Head Coach Kevin Woodin: “Like Cassie, Rae played her best basketball down the stretch and then went right into an outdoor track season and became an all-American in the javelin which was truly remarkable. I feel fortunate to coach her and I appreciate her versatility, intensity and burning desire to compete.”
 

10714Kendall Clark – Northwest Nazarene University6535
Forward – 5-10 – Senior – Melba, Idaho – Melba High School
Previous Accolades: First-Team All-GNAC (2025) | Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2024 & 2026) | GNAC Freshman of the Year (2024)
 
Clark helped lead the Nighthawks to their second straight GNAC Championships berth with the third all-conference performance of her career. Clark ranked third in the conference last winter with a field-goal percentage of 48.7, while averaging 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. She posted a pair of double-doubles, including a season-best 20 points on Jan. 29 against Alaska. The 2024 GNAC Freshman of the Year, Clark has suited up for 73 games over the last three seasons and holds career averages of 12.9 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. She enters the season on the cusp of the 1,000-point club with 943 total, and her career field-goal percentage of 53.3 ranks her 16th in GNAC history.
 
NNU Head Coach Steve Steele: “We are excited to have Kendall back this season after she missed several games last year due to injury. She is healthy and looking like herself again, which is great. We are seeing not only her old self, but improvements in every area of the game. I've also been impressed with her leadership, and we are going to need that against a deep, tough GNAC conference.”
 

10705Avery Oaster – Saint Martin’s University9151
Forward – 6-1 – 5th Year– Golden, Colo. – Green Mountain High School
Previous Accolades: GNAC Defensive Player of the Year (2026) | First-Team All-GNAC (2026)
 
Oaster had a major breakthrough in her third season on the floor at Saint Martin’s, earning GNAC Defensive Player of the Year honors as well as first-team recognition. Oaster hauled in a team-best 8.3 rebounds per game while adding 1.7 steals per game and 1.1 blocks per game – ranking her in the top-10 in the league in all three primary defensive categories. Oaster also contributed a team-leading 12.9 points per game while shooting 46.7% from the floor and had eight double-doubles. Six of those came in her final eight games of the season, including career-bests of 30 points and 16 boards on Feb. 19 against Northwest Nazarene. Oaster enters her fourth season of competition with career marks of 10.8 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game.
 
SMU Head Coach Natalie Marlowe: “Last season Avery surprised everyone with her performance, including herself. Her character and work ethic are on display in everything she does. As a captain for our team, she leads the way. Avery has relentless effort and is a true competitor that has expanded her game to the perimeter. I can't wait to watch how much fun she has in her last year in a Saints jersey.”
 
10708Jada Travis – Saint Martin’s University
Junior – 5-5 – Guard – Tacoma, Wash. – Bellarmine Prep
Previous Accolades: GNAC Freshman of the Year (2025) | Second-Team All-GNAC (2025 & 2026) | GNAC All-Tournament Team (2025)
 
One year removed from being named the 2025 GNAC Freshman of the Year, Travis did not disappoint in her sophomore campaign. Playing her way onto the all-conference second team for the second straight season, Travis averaged 12.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game in another well-rounded effort. Travis’s second collegiate season was highlighted by six 20-point performances including matching her career best with 28 points in the season opener against Minot State on Halloween. Travis also posted a pair of double-doubles and finished the year with a season-high seven assists in her final game against the Yellowjackets at the conference tournament.
 
SMU Head Coach Natalie Marlowe: “There isn't a stat category Jada hasn't filled up. On any given day she could grab double-digit rebounds, assists, or points at 5-foot-5. As we've added more weapons around her, Jada has adapted and continued to grow areas of her game to be a threat from anywhere. She is hungry to step into a leadership role and finish the job we've come up short on the last two seasons. Jada is a special talent; it's my job to put her and our team in the best positions for her to shine.”
 

10709Layne Kearns – Seattle Pacific University6362
Guard – 5-7 – Senior – Hamilton, Mont. – Hamilton High School
Previous Accolades: Honorable Mention All-GNAC (2026)
 
Kearns is set for her fourth collegiate season with the Falcons after earning honorable mention all-conference recognition last winter. Kearns averaged career bests of 12.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 2025-26, and she brings 76 total games of collegiate playing experience into her senior season. Finishing the year with a bang, Kearns produced her two highest point totals of the season with 26 against Alaska Anchorage on Jan. 22 and a career-high 32 against Alaska on Jan. 24 before her year was cut short due to injury. Kearns enters the 2026-27 campaign with 716-career points and career averages of 9.4 points, 4.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game.
 
SPU Head Coach Karen Byers: “Layne Kearns is a strong, physical player who isn't afraid to attack through contact. She does a great job of getting into passing lanes and using her anticipation and effort to create opportunities for her team. Just as importantly, Layne leads authentically, setting an example through how she competes, supports her teammates and shows up every day."
 

10703Rachel Loukes – Simon Fraser University6577
Guard – 5-10 – Senior – Prince George, B.C. – College Heights
Previous Accolades: Second-Team All-GNAC (2026)
 
The top returning player for the Red Leafs, Loukes had a breakthrough campaign in 2025-26 that culminated with second-team all-conference honors. She nearly doubled her previous season best in scoring, finishing the year ranked fourth in the conference at 15.9 points per contest – the highest average by a player returning in 2026-27. Loukes eclipsed 20 points in a game on eight occasions, including a career-high 30 points in her final game of the season on Feb. 28 against Seattle Pacific. Also averaging 6.1 rebounds per game, Loukes notched five double-doubles including a season-best 12 rebounds on Nov. 21 against Adams State. Loukes is another player favored to reach the 1,000-career points plateau, entering her fourth year at SFU with 788 total points and career averages of 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds in 87 games played.
 
SFU Head Coach Shae Dheensaw: “Rachel Loukes is coming off a great season for our program, and I truly believe we’ve only scratched the surface of what she’s capable of. She embraces a growth mindset every single day, and I’m excited for the GNAC to see her continue to elevate her game throughout the season. Her work ethic is infectious, and the energy, drive, and competitiveness she brings will be a huge part of our team’s success. Rachel is going to be a tremendous engine for us as we look to build on our history and finish our final GNAC season strong.”