The 2024-2025 DODEA European girls basketball season may be more wide open than usual.

No division has a clear favorite entering the season. Last year’s winners Stuttgart, Naples and AFNORTH lost key pieces, but they bring back plenty of talent to make repeat runs.

Ramstein could be ready to reload and avenge last year’s loss to the Panthers in Division I, while Wiesbaden looks to get back to the top. American Overseas School of Rome has one of the most experienced rosters in all of Europe to try and reclaim the Division II title from the Wildcats, and Rota could make a deep run. And in Division III, Ansbach, Hohenfels and Spangdahlem are itching to knock the Lions off their throne.

All will be decided when all teams converge on Wiesbaden, Germany, from Feb. 12-15.

Here’s a team-by-team look, based off responses from coaches across Europe:

Division I

Kaiserslautern

The Raiders sputtered in the tournament with a fourth-place finish after going into it as the second seed.

Gone are many of the key members of that squad, and returning to the bench is Aaron Scalise, who took off last season after being in charge for six years prior.

Kaiserslautern will look to Hazel Sanders and Vernesha Oliver to lead the way. Sanders, a junior small forward, received second-team All-European honors, and Oliver, a senior guard, was named to the Division I all-tournament team.

Also coming back are Shayla King, senior guard Elizabeth Marriott and Haley Richardson.

Scalise pointed to Olivia Illka and Holly Whitaker as two new players expected to contribute this season.

Lakenheath

The Lancers will be a young squad under coach Mitchell Wagner, who is moving from the boys to the girls team.

Seniors Solymar Brown (point guard) and Isabella Herman (forward/center) will pace Lakenheath this season. Returning junior Amiah Morgan (guard) and junior transfer Luciana Hill round out the upperclassmen.

Bella Potenzone, Audri Applewhite, Aaliyah Fowler and Sage Galbraith are making the step up from the JV squad, while freshman Sydney DePont also should see some minutes this winter.

Ramstein

The Royals are looking to build off a strong finish to their first season under coach Christina Hewitt.

Ramstein lost three starters, all of whom earned All-Europe honors. Still, Hewitt said she’s confident others can step into the void.

One of the returners is senior Parker Ingram. The guard started last season and is expected to play an even bigger role this campaign.

Senior guard Grayen Canady, junior forward Feliciana Davis and junior guard Aaryanna Guishard also bring back some experience.

Junior transfer Ella Field joins the other upperclassmen who will lead the rest of the group. Hewitt said the underclassmen will add depth as the season progresses.

Stuttgart

A lot has changed for the Panthers.

Gone is longtime coach Robin Hess and two seniors who were named to the all-tournament and All-Europe first teams. Nathan Garrett takes over as the coach.

He might call it a rebuilding year, but Stuttgart still brings back plenty of firepower. Senior guard Mia Snyder received second-team All-Europe honors as well as making the all-tournament team, and junior forwards Serenity Sampson and Hannah Holmes logged key minutes in the title game last year.

Other veterans include junior shooting guard/small forward Addie Jennings and guard Alicia Wiggins.

The roster got a boost through PCS. Power forward Jedaiah Quinland and power forward/center Jedidah Quinland transfer from Kaiserslautern, while junior shooting guard Bella Farias joins from North Carolina. Guard Eve Henry also should see time this season.

Vilseck

The Falcons are a young squad, with just four upperclassmen on the roster.

But first-year coach Darci Neville has plenty of reasons to be excited. Vilseck has six sophomores – Giselle Villerreal, Lashya Owens, Lyla Ingram, Stella Druitt, Victoria Shields and Katelyn McMillan – who played last season.

Those six combined with senior Jayslin Santellano and junior Natalie Ingram give the Falcons a solid core.

Senior Maria Smith and junior Ana Swintala round out the upperclassmen contingent. Mayela Lokeni and Kamani Huskey are new sophomores, while Willa Greenwood, Jordyn Roscoe, Teagan Mulholland, Mary Lewis, Lucie Tchiakoua, D’Angela Boone, Allison Richardson, Emerencia Salgado, Maria Oanca, Reese Worby and Mariah Ingram will push for minutes as freshmen.

Wiesbaden

Coach Kristin Kachmar called the Warriors’ 2023-2024 campaign challenging, going 4-12 after winning the title the previous season.

The third-year coach is looking for a turnaround this winter behind a group of six seniors. That group includes center Natalia Bergdorf, forward Kariyah Housey and guards Katie and Angelica Shea.

Division II

American Overseas School of Rome

The Falcons are a seasoned team looking to take back the European crown this year after falling short in the title game last February.

Natalia DiMatteo enters her third season at AOSR with great expectations. The junior forward averaged 12 points and 12 rebounds per game last season, earning her first-team All-Europe and all-tournament honors.

Fellow junior Silvia Goldman also made her mark last season with 11.8 points and 4.5 steals per game. The guard made second-team All-Europe and the all-tournament team.

Guard Caitlin Duggan is the team’s lone senior, while Evelyn Campbell, Amit Keinan, Laila Lester and Nina Neroni bring years of experience with them.

Sophomores Gloria Olivieri and Leah Renk missed most of last season because of injuries and could contribute this winter.

Junior Keira Burke transferred from Munich, and Julia Gazulis, Mikaela Ramon and Isabella Santos are freshmen stepping onto the team.

Aviano

The Saints are more than ready to put last season’s struggles behind them.

Coach Moriah Barthold said this year’s roster has a depth that was lacking in 2023-2024, and she hopes that will lead to success.

Aviano will bank on the Zamora sisters, Ily and Nevaeh, to man the guard positions, senior Jazmyn Warren to play a role in the low post, Aubrey Cannon to help on the wings, Ariana Meraz to play forward, Clara Young to get some minutes at guard and Hayley Solitis to strengthen the forward position.

Sophomore transfer Gigi Fortuna brings confidence to the team, while freshman guards Emma Burrows and Elena Young are expected to fight for playing time.

Bahrain

The Falcons had a season to forget in 2023-2024, but they have a lot of optimism under new coach Sebastian Tavarez.

Bahrain has five returners in junior point guard Anya Dinkler, sophomore guard Jade Courts, senior forward Jayda Miller, sophomore guard Mitali Madan and junior guard Hanaah Oshin.

New this season are seniors Cailee-Michelle Terell and Jasmin Courts, sophomores Isabella May and Sahar Guerouache, and freshmen Aliana Foreman, Evelyn Lightfoot and Savanaah Oshin.

Marymount

The Royals have a mostly new squad. Just four are returning from last year, and eight have joined the roster this season.

Naples

The Wildcats had just one blemish en route to the Division II title in 2023-2024.

Many of those faces are gone, but Naples isn’t lowering the standard. In fact, the goal is to get back to the final.

Junior center Darcel Shine and junior forward Madisun Myers give the Wildcats a solid low-post presence. Junior newcomers Emily Anderson, Chloe Williams and Emma Heavey are expected to have an impact.

Rota

The Admirals pushed eventual champion Naples in the semifinals, finishing in third place last February.

Even with just two starters from that squad coming back, Rota is looking to take the next step and play for a championship in Wiesbaden.

Senior Allie DeMeritt and junior Jourdan Timmons lead the way. DeMeritt, a forward, averaged 12.2 points and 10 rebounds per game. Timmons scored nine points and corralled six steals per game, and the point guard earned all-tournament honors.

Other returners are junior guard Kate Warkentien, junior point guard Emcee Amatorio and forward Athena Stewart.

New to the team are senior forward Joyah Rawles, junior forwards Meher Sigala and Danaeyak Zollicoffer, sophomore center Keniya Belfon, freshman center Maven Evans and freshman guards Rebecca Babauta, Jeanice DeSilva, Ana Westberg, Noelle Ritenour, Rebeccah Babauta and Aaliyah Gaines.

Vicenza

John Kohut returns to the sideline for the first time since 2015, and he takes over a roster laden with underclassmen – 11, to be exact.

He doesn’t know what to expect from the squad, other than defense and athleticism will be the recipe for success.

The player with the most experience is junior guard Trishauna Lewis. Also back are sophomore guard Natalia Lopez and senior guards Dari Nieves-Lopez and Julia Rudy.

Yareli Telles transferred from the U.S. and will be an important addition. Kohut also pointed to freshman Jenina Smith as a promising talent.

Other newcomers are Emily Rodriguez, Gracie Perry and Lexie Pollard.

Division III

Alconbury

The Dragons don’t have numbers this season, but first-year coach Steven Casner said effort won’t be an issue with the team.

Seniors Kalila Te’o (guard) and Sofia Politis (guard/forward) provide Alconbury with strong leadership. Fellow senior Aila Zentner and juniors Elizabeth Schroeder (forward), Aspen Williams and Isabella Free (guard) are the team’s other returners.

New to the club are sophomores Naomi Little, Miiyah Parker and Maya Machawati and freshman Marylou Tellez.

AFNORTH

The Lions reclaimed the Division III title last year with a win over an upstart Ansbach squad.

They lost two starters, one of whom was an All-European player.

But AFNORTH brings back one of the biggest pieces in Selah Skariah. The senior guard was the Division III tournament MVP and made first-team All-Europe.

Also back are the leading rebounder from last year, senior Maggie Masse, and sophomore point guard Emery Koger. Role players senior guard Shannon O’Connor, junior forward Madelyne Hatfield and Hadley Keeton round out the team’s veterans.

Transferring in is junior guard Clara Pacios, who played for SHAPE last year. Freshmen Alma Horvath and Izzy Trosper add depth.

Ankara

Coach Rick Taitano has his work cut out for him, as the Trojans have just one returner and seven newcomers.

Still, he said the hope is to finish the season with a .500 record.

Ansbach

The Cougars entered the 2024 tournament as the fifth seed and a .500 league record, but they went on a magical run to reach the title game.

First-year coach Shannon Daniels, who used to coach the boys team, said Ansbach is seeking to carry over that form into this season – and possibly go a step further.

The Cougars have six veterans, starting with junior Kennedy Lange and sophomore Elizabeth Agudzi-Addo. Both players made the all-tournament team last February and provide height in the low block.

Junior forward Victoria Ortiz, sophomore guard Marga Marzan, sophomore forward Oliolisaga Cormier and Mya Henderson bring back experience from last winter.

Danniels said the new players – Eleanor Dutkiewicz, Bailey Eickmeyer, Emma Gross, Alyssia Hiapo, Jada Madison, Brighton Powell and Cloe Sutherland – have potential.

Baumholder

The Buccaneers want to forget the recent past and instead seek to bring the program back to where it was more than a decade ago.

But first-year coach Chris Schoonover has a project on his hands. Going winless last year, Baumholder has just two returners and many first-time basketball players or those making their high school debuts. Still, he mentioned seeing a lot of growth in a short time.

To be successful, the Buccaneers will lean on their defense.

Senior guard Yahna Talikschwili and junior forward Bella Anku are the lone returners. Those new to the team are juniors Emily Ramirez, Dariana Luna and Sara Ross and freshman Alesia Delinois, Marley Wilson and Leai Vaisagote.

Brussels

The Brigands are a mostly brand-new squad with a new coach in Andrew Patterson.

Just three are back from last year in senior guard/forward Nora Gibbons, junior guard/forward Kathleen Rullan and sophomore guard/forward Sonia Desir.

New to the team are Kate Baird, Jayda Diaz-Figueroa, Madeleine Hales, Emilie Isaacson, Arianna Harrison, Nino Kapanadze, Chrysoula Karakonstansis and Madison Powell.

Hohenfels

The Tigers made strides last season with a suffocating defense that became a takeaway machine.

The 2023-2024 season petered out in the postseason, but it should be a good jumping off point for 2024-2025.

Coach Monique Jones’ crew can turn to the physical play of senior guards Jalissa and Malea Jobity. The defensive pressing starts with those two.

Also back are senior forward Kariana Jones, senior guard Anastasia Felix, junior forward Jillian Odhiambo and sophomore guard Tayanna Carter.

Sophomore Eva Olson joins the squad this season, as do freshmen Dillyne Jones, Carissa Nguyen, Makenzie Clark, Angelaurie Owens and Lena Tocco.

Sigonella

The Jaguars lost their top two scorers and all-tournament selections, but new coach Caleb Pokorny likes the core returning from last year’s third-place finishers.

Senior guards Charlize Caro and Alex Quintanilla bring the senior leadership. Sophomore Alysia Dobbins and junior Victoria Dry will hold down the posts, while junior guard Madison Hoy should be a scoring threat.

Returner Vina Dimapilis and freshman Nayeli Rivera will provide valuable minutes off the bench in the backcourt.

Spangdahlem

New coach Katherine Garcia has high hopes for the Sentinels.

Senior team captain and point guard Caleya Morton will lead Spangdahlem, with help from fellow senior guard Miranda Valles. Other returners are junior guard Aniya Robinson, junior forward Alyssa Farmakis, sophomore forward Dahlia Malave and sophomore guard Bella Valenzuela.

New to the team are senior Brooklyn Shakir-Bacchus and juniors Kylie McVey and Rebecca Tremel.

related stories

• 2024-25 DODEA-Europe basketball schedule