ABILENE, Texas — The Wildcats will begin their 13th season of the Julie Goodenough starting Monday, November 4, with the team aiming to make some noise march.
Last season under the direction of Goodenough in her 12th year as head coach, the Wildcats finished 14-16 with a 10-10 record in Western Athletic Conference play.
The season had many highlights, including then-junior Bella Earle's historic back-to-back triple-doubles in games against Navy and UT Arlington. Then freshman Payton Hull also broke ACU Div. I scoring record and three-point record with 34 points and seven made 3-pointers in the same matchup against Navy. The team also earned its biggest win of the season on Jan. 13, 2024, in an overtime win over eventual WAC champion and NCAA Tournament qualifier, California Baptist. The program also saw its third straight WAC tournament appearance.
Two Wildcats received conference postseason honors. First Payton Hull earned the WAC's Freshman of the Year award. Hull alongside Bella Earle also earned spots on the All-WAC Second Team.
The Core Five Returners
The Wildcats see five players from last season return to play for ACU.
First, Payton Hull returns hoping to top her impressive freshman campaign. The sophomore finished the year averaging 14.9 points per game while shooting .427 from the field and a conference-best .353 from behind the arch. She also earned herself a spot on the All-WAC Preseason Team, the first Wildcat to do so in program history.
"Payton being our first All-WAC preseason conference selection, is a big deal for our team," head coach Julie Goodenough said. "She can score from all areas of the court and score in a hurry and will be a key part of our offense."
Bella Earle also returns for her fourth and final season for the Purple and White. She finished last season averaging a career-best 12.2 points per game and 8.2 rebounds per game while also bringing valuable experience to ACU's roster.
"Bella knows and understands our system and culture better than anyone on the team," Goodenough said. "We have given her the responsibility of fostering the culture in our locker room and being a good peer coach on the court."
Senior Zoe Jackson along with sophomores Meredith Mayes and Emma Troxell also return to Goodenough's squad. With these core five, they will serve as the primary cornerstone of the program for the 2024-25 season.
New Season, New Faces
Alongside the five returners, the Wildcats will see seven new faces playing big roles this season. Out of the newcomers, five are transfers and two are freshmen playing their first year on the collegiate level. The seven newcomers include:
- Natalia Chavez, a junior guard from Cochiti, N.M. transferring from New Mexico
- Erin Woodson, a sophomore guard from Richmond, Va. transferring from Purdue-Fort Wayne
- Breanna Davis, a junior guard from Red Oak, Texas transferring from North Texas
- Mia Rivers, a graduate guard from College Station, Texas transferring from Texas A&M-Kingsville
- Carlota Gomez, a junior from Madrid, Spain transferring from Monroe College
- Paula Pique, a freshman arriving from Sant Andreu de Llavaneres, Spain
- Aimee Flippen, a freshman arriving from Glen Rose, Texas
"We are eagerly anticipating what our newcomers will bring this season," Goodenough said. "Natalia fits so well in our style of play with her ability to shoot deep shots and had been a great surprise on defense as well. Erin is another good perimeter shooter who takes a lot of pride in her defensive abilities. Aimee adds depth in the center position and will be able to disrupt actions in the paint on defense. Mia brings four years of experience to our program and is expected to be a vocal leader in the point guard role."
The Road to March Starts in November
To help prepare for their postseason goals, the Wildcats have prepared a challenging nonconference schedule featuring a matchup against Texas Tech, tournament trips to Miami, Florida and Albuquerque, New Mexico, four Group of Five matchups and three games against Southland Conference opponents.
"We have a very challenging schedule which includes different styles of play and cross-country travel," Goodenough said. "We feel like our nonconference games will help us get as prepared as possible for WAC play."
The season officially begins on November 4 inside Moody Coliseum when the Wildcats take on the University of Southwest. The Wildcats will then head to Florida on Nov. 8 for a road matchup against Florida International. ACU returns to Abilene for two straight games, first to take on longtime rival Stephen F. Austin on Nov. 12, then North Texas comes to Moody Coliseum for the first time on Nov. 16.
On Nov. 19, the Wildcats drive 170 miles to Lubbock to take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Wildcats will then return home on Nov. 21 to take on Western Kentucky, then wrap up play before Thanksgiving by traveling to San Antonio on Nov. 24 to take on Incarnate Word.
Then, the Wildcats head to their first nonconference tournament of the season to wrap up the month of November and begin December. The 'Cats will head to South Beach for the FIU Thanksgiving Classic in Miami, Florida. First, the Wildcats will play Sacramento State on Nov. 29, and then based on tournament play, will play either Wagner or Florida International for the second time in 2024.
After the FIU Thanksgiving Classic, ACU returns to Texas for three games. First, ACU heads to Edinburg to take on former WAC rival UTRGV on December 4. The 'Cats will then return to Moody Coliseum for the first time since Nov. 21 for two straight games. First, ACU will play Texas A&M-Commerce on Dec. 7, then ten days later, the Wildcats will play Howard Payne on Dec. 17.
Right before the holidays, the Wildcats head to Albuquerque for the Lobo Invitational. First, the Wildcats will play Sacramento State out of the Big Sky Conference for the second time on Dec. 20, then will play tournament host New Mexico from the Mountain West Conference on Dec. 21. Then to wrap up non-conference play, ACU returns home after Christmas on Dec. 30 to play Nelson University.
A Deeper Look Into WAC Play
As the Wildcats ring in the new year, the Wildcats will see the entrance of Western Athletic Conference play.
In the WAC Preseason Pool, the Wildcats were chosen to finish fourth in the nine-team field. Ultimately, all eyes will be toward the WAC tournament, with all nine teams hoping to earn the top prize, a tournament championship and an NCAA tournament bid.
The format of conference play will be the same as last year. ACU will play each other the eight teams, including preseason favorite Grand Canyon, California Baptist, UT Arlington, Southern Utah, Tarleton State, Utah Tech, Utah Valley and Seattle U, twice. ACU will play each once at home, and once on the road. The Wildcats will ring in 2025 in Abilene on Jan. 4 against Utah Valley and conclude the regular season on the road in Phoenix, Arizona on March 8 against Grand Canyon.
"This team wants to compete for a WAC championship.," Goodenough said. "The league is loaded with talent and very well coached. We are heading in the right direction to have a championship-caliber season with competitive practices, the will to prepare and good team chemistry."
First Up, a Doubleheader
The women's basketball program will not be the only team opening their season in Moody Coliseum on Nov. 4. Directly after the women's game against Southwest, the men's basketball program under fourth-year head coach Brette Tanner will begin their season in a game against Howard Payne.
"We just finished an entire season with no doubleheaders, so the fact that we are beginning this year with a doubleheader is so exciting," Goodenough said. We are calling on all Wildcat Fans- basketball season begins in Moody on Nov. 4. We are counting on you to bring the hype, energy and Moody Magic from game one."
The women will begin their season on Nov. 4 against Southwest at 5:30 p.m., with the men beginning directly after at 7:30 p.m. Fans can secure their spots in Moody by going to tickets.acusports.com. Fans who can't make the game will also be able to watch live on ESPN+ or listen on 1340 AM, Fox Sports Abilene.
To follow the Wildcats behind the scenes throughout the season, you can follow the program on X, Instagram, Facebook and acusports.com.
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