Women's Basketball Begins 2025-26 With Gold Mine Exhibition Against Point Loma

Saturday, November 1

Long Beach, Calif.

1 p.m.

Long Beach State University

Point Loma

Photo by: John Fajardo

Women's Basketball Begins 2025-26 With Gold Mine Exhibition Against Point Loma

10/29/2025 11:46:00 AM | Women's Basketball

Game Notes - Point Loma

A throwback exhibition in the Gold Mine welcomes the new team under Amy Wright to the public.

By: Roger Kirk, Associate Athletics Director, Communications & Broadcast

LONG BEACH, Calif. -- Long Beach State Women's Basketball will begin the 2025-26 campaign with an exhibition test on Saturday, November 1, hosting Point Loma in the Gold Mine. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. and tickets are available through the Long Beach State box office. Live stats will be available through www.beachlivestats.com but no broadcast will be provided.

RIGHT AWAY
• Long Beach State led the Big West in scoring last season at 68.2 points per game, and were 9th in the nation while also leading the conference in rebounds per game at 42.5 points per game during the 2024-25 season, capturing the team's philosophy of Fast, Furious, Fun under head coach Amy Wright, who returns for her third season as the head coach of the Beach.

• Those efforts were led by a pair of seniors who have departed in Savannah Tucker and Rachel Loobie, but the Beach returns seven other letterwinners for the 2025-26 season as well as a pair of redshirts.

• Sophomore JaQuoia Jones-Brown is one of those key returners, back for the Beach after an All-Freshman Team selection last year. Jones-Brown ended the season in the starting lineup for the Beach, averaging 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game, second-best on the team as a guard in rebounding. She also shot 41.4% from the floor and 33.3% from three last season.

• Mykelle Richards also earned All-Freshman Team honors after a strong debut season, starting 20 games for Long Beach State and averaging 7.7 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. The sophomore is expected to miss significant time however after suffering a major injury over the offseason.

• Two returners will be counted on to step up in the absence of Richards in the frontcourt. The Beach will turn to 6-2 sophomore Judit Oliva Fernandez and 6-0 Kennan Ka for expanded roles. Oliva Fernandez played in 25 games and Ka participated in 20 last season for Long Beach State.

ABOUT THE BEACH
• Judit Oliva Fermandez has had extensive experience playing Internationally for Spain in 3x3 tournaments, an experience that she detailed for the Long Beach State Beach Reads series found at www.longbeachstate.com.

• Other returning players for Long Beach State in addition to Jones-Brown, Richards, Oliva Fernandez and Ka include sophomore guard Christy Reynoso, forward Brelynn Brice and center Haley Wright. The trio combined for 32 games played during the 2024-25 campaign.

• Two redshirts also return for Long Beach State. Tairat Samuel-Afolabi is a redshirt freshman from Sweden, while Lauren Cummings returns after playing 26 games in 2023-24 before redshirting last season.

• Khylee Pepe gives Long Beach State some veteran experience, joining the program as a senior after spending four years at San Diego State, including one as a medical redshirt in 2024-25. Pepe played in all 35 games for the Aztecs in 2023-24 as a junior, averaging 4.2 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. In total, Pepe played in 95 games with San Diego State after entering the program as a high school recruit from Bishop Montgomery High School

• Long Beach State brought in three high school recruits to join the team this season. Rosie Akot is a 6-2 forward whose intensity was noted by Wright, coming from Adelaide in Australia. Morgan Mack is a 5-10 guard from Lancaster, who finished her career as the top scorer in Hart HS history, while Brynna Pukis was a four-time first-team all-league selection at Glacier Peak High School in Washington.

• Long Beach State made two changes to the staff in the offseason. Jesse Clark joined the program as an assistant coach, coming to the Beach from the Academy of Art in San Francisco where he was the head coach for the last two seasons, capping over 25 years in coaching across multiple levels. The Beach added Ashley Arroyo as the team's Director of Basketball Operations, while Jashae Lee and Raru Archer return for their third seasons on staff with Amy Wright and Long Beach State.

KAY YOW SERVANT LEADER
Junior Kennan Ka was selected as a Kay Yow Servant Leader Award winner by the Kay Yow Cancer Fund, recognizing 64 women's basketball student-athletes nationwide who exemplify the values of leadership, selflessness and service.

The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award honors Coach Yow's legacy and the young people who carry the fight forward, inspiring others through their actions and leadership. It is presented
annually to student-athletes who demonstrate extraordinary dedication to making a positive impact in their communities – people with a servant's spirit and a commitment to selfless
leadership both on and off the court or athletic field. Award winners will receive a jersey patch to visibly recognize their accomplishments throughout the season.

The Kay Yow Servant Leader Award is very near and dear to my heart," said head coach Amy Wright. "Not only from losing so many friends, teammates, and colleagues to cancer, but also because all those women embodied exactly what it is to be associated with this award. Compassion, Selflessness & commitment are all characteristics that Kennan has displayed since I arrived at Long Beach State. She is a fierce competitor, which is exactly the primary quality it takes to be more and do more than just for yourself. Kennan exemplifies all these areas and more."

Ka is the second winner of the award from Long Beach State, as Lovely Sonnier was one of 14 recipients selected for recognition in the program's first year last year. She is joined by eight other recipients throughout the Big West.

STAYING SOCIAL
Follow Long Beach State women's basketball on X and Instagram at @LBSUWBB. You can also stay up-to-date on all things Long Beach State by following @LBSUAthletics on X Be sure to "like" us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram at @LBSU. And don't forget our hashtags #GoBeach and #LongBeachBuilt.

CATCH THE ACTION
All regular season home Long Beach State games will be broadcast live on ESPN+ with Jason Schwartz and Devin Hudson on the call. Fans can also follow live stats via BeachLiveStats.com.

UP NEXT
Long Beach State will start the season on the road, facing Wyoming on Friday, November 7 at 6 p.m.