Air Force Falcons
2011-12 record: 1-13 MW, 6-24 overall
Key losses: F Jamela Satterfield
Synopsis: If there's hope on the horizon, it's that Air Force has graduated just two players in the past two seasons. And while the Falcons figure to once again lean heavily on talented forward Dymond James (12.4 ppg, 6.3 rpg) in 2012-13, guard Alicia Leipprandt was among the league's most improved players, averaging a team-high 12.7 points and leading the team in assists. Forward Katie Hilbig, who finished second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg), posted three double-doubles during the regular season. James, Leipprandt and Hilbig will all be seniors.
Boise State Broncos
2011-12 record: 5-9, 15-16
Key losses: G Katie Isham; F Nicole Brady; G Heather Pilcher
Synopsis: The Broncos will have a sizable void to fill with the loss of Isham, who ranked fifth in the league in scoring this season (14.2 ppg), finished second in the MW in 3-point field goals made (68) and played more minutes than anyone on the roster. The top returning player is All-MW second-team selection Lauren Lenhardt, who ranked among the league's top 10 in both scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.1 rpg). For coach Gordy Presnell, the key will be identifying additional scoring options. Isham and Lenhardt combined for nearly 42 percent of Boise State's league-leading average of 67.6 points per game.
Colorado State Rams
2011-12 record: 9-5, 13-17
Key losses: G Kim Mestdagh, F Kelly Hartig
Synopsis: The Rams graduate only two players, but replacing Mestdagh, one of the top talents in CSU history, will be no small task. A four-year starter, Mestdagh earned first-team All-MW honors this season after finishing first in the league in 3-point field goals made (69) and steals (2.6 spg). She also led the team in minutes played, was the league's third-leading scorer (14.8 ppg) and tied for second in the MW with an average of 4.0 assists per game. Much of the team's leadership in 2012-13 figures to come from forward Sam Martin, who ranked first in the MW in field-goal percentage this season (.532) and was ninth in scoring (13.1 ppg). Also returning is forward Meghan Heimstra, who was tabbed the league's Sixth Player of the Year after averaging 8.6 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Fresno State Bulldogs
2011-12 record: 13-1 WAC, 28-6
Key losses: G Blakely Goldberg; C Veronica Wilson
Synopsis: The regular-season and WAC Tournament champion Bulldogs figure to make an immediate impact in their inaugural season in the MW. In addition to making its fifth straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Fresno State's 28 wins established a school record. Paced by WAC Player of the Year Ki-Ki Moore, the Bulldogs return their four top scorers in Moore (16.8 ppg), guard Rosie Moult (13.1), guard Madison Parrish (9.1) and guard Taylor Thompson (8.0). Moore, Moult and Thompson combined to average 17.0 rebounds per game for a team that led the WAC in both scoring offense (74.9) and scoring defense (62.2).
Nevada Wolf Pack
2011-12 record: 3-11 WAC, 7-23
Key losses: G Kate Kevorken, F Kayla Williams, G Amanda Johnson
Synopsis: After posting their best season in school history with 22 victories and winning their first-ever postseason tournament game in 2010-11, the Wolf Pack endured their share of struggles in 2011-12. The first order of business for coach Jane Albright's team will be to replace its top two scorers in guard Kate Kevorken and forward Kayla Williams. Kevorken ranked among the WAC's top 10 players in both scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.6 rpg) this season, while Williams averaged 12.9 points and a team-high 7.0 rebounds. The bulk of the scoring load figures to fall to guards Chanelle Brennan and Danika Sharp, who averaged 10.1 and 8.7 points, respectively. Brennan also ranked third on the team in rebounding (4.4 rpg).
New Mexico Lobos
2011-12 record: 3-11, 11-20
Key losses: F Porche Torrance, G Nikki Nelson, G Lauren Taylor
Synopsis: Despite enduring a second straight injury-plagued season, the Lobos, who lost seven games by six or fewer points, were a study in grit down the stretch, reaching the MW Tournament title game for the sixth time before falling to top-seeded San Diego State. Two key pieces to the puzzle --- junior guard Sara Halasz and freshman post player Whitney Johnson --- were lost to knee injuries, with Halasz, arguably the team's top talent, going down before the season began for the second straight year. Much like this season, the 2012-13 campaign figures to center around guard Caroline Durbin, a senior-to-be and first-team all-league selection who ranked second in the MW with an average of 15.0 points per game. Other players who expect to impact next season's fortunes include Jourdan Erskine, Chinyere Nnaji and Jayme Jackson. The trio combined for 58 starts.
San Diego State Aztecs
2011-12 record: 12-2, 25-7
Key losses: C Kalena Tutt
Synopsis: The only Mountain West women's team to earn an NCAA Tournament bid this season, San Diego State again figures to be a force to be reckoned with in 2012-13. The team returns four starters, including guard Courtney Clements, who earned MW Player of the Year honors after leading the league in scoring at 17.4 points per game. Also back is MW Tournament MVP and first-team all-league performer Chelsea Hopkins, the team's second-leading scorer and school's all-time assists leader, guard Kiyana Stamps, and center Malia Nahinu. Clements and Hopkins were the only two players in the league unanimously selected to the All-MW first team. In 2012-13, SDSU will have the opportunity to earn an NCAA Tournament bid while simultaneously winning at least 20 games for the fourth time in five years.
UNLV Lady Rebels
2011-12 record: 10-4, 22-10
Key losses: F Lenita Sanford, F Jamie Smith, F Sandrine Nzeukou, C Markiell Styles
Synopsis: It was a season to remember at UNLV, where the Lady Rebels posted their first-ever top-two finish in the Mountain West and concluded the campaign with their best record in eight years. The payoff came with a bid to the Women's National Invitation Tournament, the first postseason appearance since 2006 for a team that doubled its win total from the previous season. The challenge in repeating that success will be identifying capable replacements for Sanford, a first-team All-MW selection, and Smith, who during her career became just the second player in MW history (men or women) to score 1,000 career points while collecting 1,000 career rebounds. Key returnees include guard Kelli Thompson, the league's fourth-leading scorer (14.3 ppg) and a second-team All-MW selection, and guard Mia Bell, who earned third-team all-league honors after finishing tied for second in the MW in assists.
Wyoming Cowgirls
2011-12 record: 7-7, 12-17
Key losses: None
Synopsis: If there's a team to be wary of in 2012-13 it would appear to be the Cowgirls, who do not graduate a single player. Paced by forward Chaundra Sewell, the team's only returning starter this season, Wyoming returns three players who started all 29 games and another, standout freshman forward Kayla Woodward, who started 28. Sewell, a second-team All-MW selection, led the team in both scoring (13.7 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg) while posting 11 double-doubles. Woodward (12.1) and forward Ashley Sickles (11.3) also averaged double-figure scoring for the Cowgirls, while finishing as the team's No. 3- and No. 2-ranked rebounders, respectively. Also back in the fold is starting guard Kaitlyn Mileto (9.1 ppg), as well as guards Chelan Landry and Alison Gorrell, who combined for 29 starts.
Mick McGrane has covered the Mountain West since the league's inception in 1999. He spent 12 years at the San Diego Union-Tribune, where he served as the beat writer for San Diego State football and men's basketball. He currently represents the MW as a member of the Football Writers Association of America All-America Committee and is a member of the U.S. Basketball Writers Association. McGrane serves as senior writer to the Mountain West, providing readers with exclusive, in-depth information about the Conference by highlighting its 10 member institutions and contributing feature stories on student-athletes that participate in the league's 18 sponsored sports.
Mark Knudson is a Colorado State journalism school graduate and a 12-year veteran of professional baseball. During his playing career, Mark pitched for three major league teams, including the Colorado Rockies, where he was the first Colorado native to play for the hometown team. He recorded wins over three of the four legendary pitchers who make up the 4,000 strikeout club: Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens. His win over Ryan came for the Milwaukee Brewers on Opening Day in 1991.
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