Women’s Basketball Begins 2026-27 Campaign At Cal - Long Beach State University Athletics

Thursday, November 5

Berkeley, Calif.

6 p.m.

Long Beach State University

California

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11/3/2026 3:39:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Game Notes

Beach set for their season opener in Berkeley.

By: James Hanson, Assistant Director, Athletic Communications

LONG BEACH, Calif. – The Long Beach State women's basketball team begins its 2026-27 campaign at Cal on Thursday, November 6 at 6 p.m.

GAME 1

Long Beach State (0-0) at Cal (1-0) | 6 p.m.| Haas Pavilion | LIVE STATS | ACCNX | TICKETS

OPENING TIP

Following a 5-25 2025-26 campaign, Long Beach State returns one player and one staff member from last years squad.
Sophomore forward Rosie Akot returns for the Beach after starting in 15 games and averaging 6.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Ashley Arroyo enters her second year as the Director of Operations.
Long Beach State is 11-7 in the all-time series against Cal.
The Beach are 2-6 on the road against the Bears and haven't defeated Cal away from home since 1985.
Cal is 1-0 after beating Washington State 80-58 at Haas Pavilion Monday night.
Senior guard Lulu Twidale led the way with 26 points and eight boards.
The Beach return to Long Beach for their home opener against the preseason WCC favorites, Santa Clara, Monday, November 9.
Following the home opener, Long Beach State hits the road for contests at Portland, San Francisco and San Jose State before closing out the month with a home matchup against Hope International.
Week 0 of the Big West slate will see the Beach visit Utah Valley on December 3 and welcome Cal State Fullerton to Long Beach on December 5.

A NEW ERA

Minyon Moore was named the ninth head coach of the Long Beach State women's basketball program, bringing championship experience, elite defensive expertise and a proven record of program development to the Beach.
Moore enters her first head coaching stint after three seasons as an assistant coach at TCU, where she helped transform the Horned Frogs into a national contender. During the 2025-26 season, TCU finished 32-6 overall and 15-3 in Big 12 play, captured its second consecutive Big 12 championship and advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight for the second straight year. Since Moore's arrival in 2023, TCU recorded an NCAA-leading 26-game improvement, emerging from an 8-23 season into a national power.
During her career as an assistant coach, Moore has made two Elite Eight appearances and been to the NCAA Tournament three times. She's also won two conference championships.
As a player, Moore was a three-time All-Pac-12 Defensive Team selection after competing at USC and Oregon. At Oregon, she helped the Ducks win Pac-12 regular season and tournament championships.
In addition to head coach Minyon Moore, the Beach added three additional coaches for the 2026-27 season.
Jeff Harada joins the Beach as the associate head coach after eight seasons as the head coach at Cal State Fullerton. During his time with the Titans, Harada made six Big West Tournament appearances and helped revitalize the program. During his tenure, Fullerton produced the 2019-20 Big West Player of the Year, the 2021-22 Big West Freshman of the Year, the 2021-22 Big West Hustle Player of the Year, multiple All-Big West selections and numerous All-Freshman Team honorees. His 2019-20 squad posted a 17-14 record, the program's first winning season since 1990-91, while leading the Big West in scoring, field goal percentage and defensive rebounds.
Lexi Petersen joins Long Beach State as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator after three seasons on Saint Mary's coaching staff, and four seasons with Seattle U. Petersen played for the University of Oregon from 2012-16 and appeared in a school record 126 games as she finished with 1,226 points.
Kaylin Randhawa joins the Beach as an assistant coach after a stint at Cal State Monterey Bay. Randhawa played for Pacific, Utah State and Sacramento State as she played in 143 games and scored over 1,000 points.
Long Beach State has also hired Ken Ammann as an Associate Athletic Director of Basketball Strategy & Revenue, who will serve as the General Manager for both the Men's and Women's Basketball programs at the Beach. Ammann recently retired after spending the last 25 years leading the Concordia University Irvine Men's Basketball program, winning 546 games in his career and two NAIA National Championship during his tenure with the Eagles.
In his role as General Manager, Ammann will be responsible for strategic guidance of business operations for the basketball programs with a focus on fundraising, donor relations, NIL partnerships, revenue sharing, roster planning and student-athlete support. Working closely will all members of the Beach Basketball community, this leadership role will help strengthen the competitiveness, community presence, and long-term success of Long Beach State's basketball programs.

PLAYER NOTES

Long Beach State has 12 newcomers on the 2026-27 squad. The Beach welcome seven transfers and five freshmen.
Sophomore forward Rosie Akot is the lone returner for the Beach. She started in 15 games and averaged 6.4 points and 5.0 rebounds per game during her debut season.
Redshirt sophomore forward Noemi Arvai joins Long Beach State from Sacramento State. Arvai missed the 2025-26 season due to injury and utilized a redshirt year. During the 2024-25 season, the Budapest, Hungary native played in 31 games, made one start, scored 55 points and grabbed 38 rebounds. She scored 10 points and grabbed seven boards in her collegiate debut at Eastern Washington.
Junior forward Kailyn Berry joins the Beach after two years at Howard College. Berry played and started in 59 games, scored 800 points, grabbed 456 boards and collected 67 steals during her time with the Hawks. A three-time WJCAC Women's Basketball Player of the Week selection, Berry played a key role in helping the Lady Hawks to a 21-9 record during her sophomore campaign and a berth in the NJCAA Region V Tournament.
Freshman guard Lucia Chico Fernandez joins Long Beach State after a decorated career with Club Baloncesto Araba. She helped lead her teams to four-consecutive Basque Championships and qualify for four Spanish Club Championships at the U14, U16 and U18 levels.
Junior guard Ashanti Dias joins the Beach after an outstanding sophomore season at Laney College. She started 24 of 30 games while averaging 15.9 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game, leading the Eagles in scoring and assists. She shot 40.3 percent from the field and finished the season with 476 points, 190 assists, and 57 steals.
Senior guard Amber Furch joins Long Beach State after three seasons at Saint Michael's. Over three seasons with the Purple Knights, Furch appeared in 62 games with 60 starts, totaling 520 points, 178 rebounds, 98 assists, and 89 steals while averaging 8.4 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. Off the court, she earned Northeast-10 Academic Honor Roll recognition in three consecutive semesters and is majoring in Psychology.
Redshirt sophomore forward Danijela Kujovic joins the Beach after two seasons at Hawaii. Over two seasons in the Big West Conference, she appeared in 21 games and gained valuable experience competing at the Division I level. She totaled 34 points and 21 rebounds over her 21 appearances.
Freshman guard Lara Perian joins Long Beach State after competing in Romania's top professional league, where she earned valuable experience against veteran competition while still in her teens. A versatile perimeter player capable of impacting the game on both ends of the floor, she has developed through Romania's national team system while continuing to compete at the professional level.
Junior forward Fia Proctor joins the Beach after competing in both the Mountain West and West Coast Conference. A versatile forward with the ability to stretch the floor, she continued her development at Seattle U after beginning her collegiate career at Wyoming. During her collegiate career, Proctor's played in 31 games, made one start, tallied 71 points and 28 rebounds.
Freshman guard Aryanna Reyes joins Long Beach State after a four-year career at Pioneer High School in Whittier, Calif.
Junior forward Selene Romero Olvera joins the Beach after spending her sophomore season at Florida International. As a sophomore with the Panthers, Romero Olvera appeared in nine games while earning Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition.
Freshman guard Malia Taulani joins Long Beach State after a four-year career at South Medford High School in Oregon. A three-time SWC First Team All-Conference selection, she earned All-State honors in 2026 after averaging 14.0 points per game during her senior season.
Freshman guard Ebony Taylor-Smith joins the Beach after a four-year career at Rancho Christian High School. She had one of the most accomplished high school careers in Southern California. Taylor-Smith averaged 16.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.9 steals per game over 95 career games while finishing with more than 1,900 career points.

CAREER MILESTONES

Ashanti Dias – 494 points
Rosie Akot – 193 points
Ashanti Dias – 195 assists
Amber Furch – 98 assists

UP NEXT

Long Beach State welcomes preseason WCC favorite, Santa Clara, to the LBS Financial Credit Union Pyramid for the home opener on Monday, November 9.
Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. and the game with be streamed on ESPN+. Links to live stats and the stream can be found on the women's basketball schedule page on longbeachstate.com.