After losing much of her roster and coaching staff following the 2023-24 campaign, coach Carolyn Kieger got in the portal.
In April, the big fish for Kieger came out to be Bellarmine transfer center Gracie Merkle, who Kieger said was the “exact piece” the Lady Lions needed.
Merkle, who sits at 6-foot-6, led the nation in field goal percentage with 70.2% in 2022-23 and accompanied that by averaging 15.1 points, 11 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per contest. The magical season earned her the Atlantic Sun Conference Freshman of the Year award, but she went on to miss the following season as a medical redshirt.