LAKE CHARLES—McNeese women's basketball first year head coach Ashton Feldhaus has announced her first signing class as Cowgirls head coach.  Feldhaus has signed 10 student-athletes that will join three returnees for the 2026-27 season.  All 10 signees are talented transfers who will make an impact and will build on last year's success.
 
 "With only two returning players who played minutes from last year's roster, this is the beginning of a new era for this program once again," said Feldhaus. "The rest of this group is made up of talented transfers who really believe in what we are building here at McNeese. We know there is a lot of work ahead of us, but my staff and I are fully committed to building a championship level program and building off of last year's momentum. We are excited about this group and hope the Lake Charles community will rally around them and help make McNeese feel like home. We are beyond excited to get them on campus and get to work."
 
Feldhaus, who spent last season at Morehead State is bringing two players from her 2025-26 team in guards Josefine Enander and Anja Ekstrom along with graduate transfer Valencia Fontenelle-Posson from Siena, senior Sarah Taub (North Florida), juniors Mariam Coulibaly (Chipola College), Sumaiya Ibrahim (Midland College), Zy Thompson (UT-Martin), Morgan Boyd (Presbyterian College), sophomore Matilde Motta (George Mason, and Laura Martinez (Ball State).
 
Josefine Enander
Enander is coming off a sophomore season at Morehead State where she played in all 33 games, averaging 5.3 ppg. and 1.4 rpg.  She was credited with 31 assists and 10 steals and shot 38.3 percent from three-point range in conference play.
 
"Josefine is someone I know extremely well from our time together at Morehead State, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to coach her again. She's a true knock-down shooter who can really stretch the floor and make defenses pay. Beyond her talent, she brings a positive personality and energy that impacts everyone around her every day. Josefine is the kind of teammate every program wants because she consistently puts the team first and helps create a great culture."
 
Anja Ekstrom
Played in all 33 games and started in 28 at Morehead State last season. She averaged 3.2 points and 0.9 rebounds per game while scoring a career-high 23 points on 8 of 9 from the floor against Murray State.
 
"Anja is the type of player every coach wants in their program because of her loyalty, consistency, and commitment to the culture we're building. She understands our system extremely well and brings a high basketball IQ to the floor every day. Anja is also a knockdown shooter who can impact games offensively in a lot of ways. What excites me most is her leadership ability and the example she sets for the rest of the team both on and off the court."
 
Sarah Taub
Sat out last season after playing in 31 games at North Florida during the 2024-25 season.  Taub was second on the team in free throws made and third on the team with a 43.0 field goal percent while averaging 6.9 ppg., 3.9 rpg., 2.3 apg. and 1.4 spg.
 
"Sarah is a high-motor guard who plays with a great deal of energy and toughness. She's a slasher who puts constant pressure on the defense and is at her best when attacking downhill. With her experience, she understands how to read the game and make winning plays in key moments. We're excited about what she brings because her pace, competitiveness, and experience will be valuable for our group."
 
Zy Thompson
Led UT-Martin with 5.9 rpg. and 26 blocks last season and was second on the team with 10.9 ppg.  Thompson shot 53.2 percent from the field and 57.1 percent from the free throw line and was credited with 35 steals and 37 assists.
 
"Zy is a dynamic post player who I had the opportunity to coach against last year, so I've seen firsthand the impact she can have on a game. She runs the floor extremely well for her size and uses her long, athletic frame to create mismatches all over the court. Offensively, she can finish consistently at the rim and also step out and knock down the three, which gives us great versatility in our frontcourt. Defensively, her length makes her a real rim protector for us, and we're excited to have her on our side this season."
 
Sumaiya Ibrahim
Played the last two years at Midland College (Texas). Played in 29 games, averaged 6.8 ppg. and 8.1 rpg. last season while shooting 36.3 percent from the field and 55.8 percent from the free throw line.
 
"Sumaiya is an incredible athlete who brings a level of toughness and physicality that really stands out. She rebounds the ball like a beast and has the ability to make a major impact with her effort and activity around the rim. Her versatility and length allow us to use her in a lot of different ways on both ends of the floor, which is really valuable for our system. We're excited to continue helping her grow and develop because she has a tremendous upside and fits perfectly with the group we're building."
 
Laura Martinez
Coming off her freshman season at Ball State where she played in nine games, averaged 0.8 ppg., and 0.9 rpg.  Martinez was credited with three steals, two assists, and one block.
 
"Laura is a young player coming from a really strong Ball State program, and we're excited about the experience and mentality she brings with her. She has a natural scoring mindset and plays with a confidence and edge that really stands out. Laura brings a lot of energy and spunk to the floor, and that competitiveness shows up every time she plays. We're looking forward to helping her continue to develop because we believe she has a very bright future in our program."
 
 
Valencia Fontenelle-Posson
Posson is a graduate transfer who played the last four years at Siena.  In her senior season at Siena, she played in 22 games, averaged 6.2 ppg., 3.5 rpg., 1.3 apg. and shot 80.8 free throw percent.
 
"Valencia is a versatile wing who brings a lot of experience and maturity to our team. As an older guard, she's someone we're going to rely on heavily for both production and leadership this season. She has an awesome presence about her and connects really well with the people around her, which makes a big impact on our culture. We're extremely excited she's here because she brings the kind of talent, toughness, and leadership that can help elevate our program."
 
Matilde Motto
Appeared in nine games, scored eight points and credited with five rebounds and one steal as a freshman at George Mason last season. Motto led her high school in scoring and was named first team all-conference as well as all-region and the Southwest District Team.  She also helped her team reach the championship round of the Serie A2 and finished second in the Italian Cup in 2025.
 
"Mati is a versatile stretch forward coming from a really strong George Mason program, and we're excited about everything she brings to our team. She plays with an extremely high motor and impacts the game in so many ways with her effort and toughness. Mati can step out and shoot the three, but she also takes a lot of pride in defending and doing the little things that help teams win. Her versatility on both ends of the floor makes her a great fit for the style we want to play."
 
Mariam Coulibaly
Coulibaly played in 26 games as a sophomore at Chipola College last season while averaging 5.6 ppg., and 7.0 rpg.  She ended the season with 53.1 field goal percent and shot 65.9 percent from the field in conference games.
 
"Mariam is a tough, physical post player who brings a really strong attitude and presence to the court. She has the versatility to stretch the floor, which adds an important dimension to our frontcourt. Around the rim, she has excellent touch and knows how to finish through contact. We're excited about what she brings because she gives us a combination of toughness, skill, and flexibility that will be very valuable for our system."
 
Morgan Boyd
Boyd averaged 7.0 ppg. and 4.8 rpg. in 25.5 minutes per game as a sophomore at Presbyterian College last season.  Boyd was second on the team in rebounds (4.8) and blocked shots (9), grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds against UNC Greensboro.
 
"Morgan is an athletic guard who has a great ability to finish at a high percentage both around the rim and from '3''. One of her biggest strengths is her physicality on the boards as a guard, where she consistently helps us create extra possessions. She brings a real toughness in that area that can change the momentum of games. Offensively, she also helps us push pace and play in transition, which fits really well with how we want to play. She is a great addition for our group."
 
WHAT FELDHAUS IS SAYING ABOUT THE RETURNEES
Avari Berry (Senior)
"Avari is a true point guard who really understands how to get her teammates involved and make the game easier for the people around her. She may be quieter by nature, but she competes at a very high level and leads through her play and consistency every day. She's a pass-first guard who fits exactly how we want to play offensively, and we're going to lean on her a lot this season. I'm excited about what she can bring to our team because her skill set, and mentality fit our system extremely well."
 
Carley Hamilton (Sophomore)
"Carley is a player who can impact the game on both ends of the floor, and that versatility is something we really value. Even though she came in under the previous staff, she's been completely bought in from the start and has approached everything the right way. She has a great demeanor about her and brings a positive presence to the gym every day. I'm really excited to have the opportunity to coach her and see the growth she'll continue to make in our program."
 
Jaslynn Walter (Redshirt Freshman)
"Jaz is a talented shooter who, when healthy, really changes the way defenses have to guard us. She's been working her way back from injury, and for us the priority is making sure we manage her process the right way so she can stay on the floor consistently. There's no question she has the ability to stretch the defense and provide valuable scoring for our team. We're focused on her continued progression and are excited about what she can bring as she gets fully back into rhythm."
 
2026-27 MCNEESE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL SIGNEES
Mariam Coulibaly (6-1, Junior, Forward, Bamako, Mali/Chipola College)
Matilde Motta (5-11, Sophomore, Guard, Saronno, Italy/George Mason)
Valencia Fontenelle-Posson (5-10, Graduate, Guard, Guilderland, N.Y./Siena)
Laura Martinez (5-10, Sophomore, Guard, Granada, Spain (Ball state)
Sumaiya Ibrahim (6-0, Junior, Foward, Abija. Nigeria (Midland College)
Anja (ayn-YA) Ekstrom (EK-strum) (5-6, Senior, Guard, Sponge, Sweden (Morehead State)
Sarah Taub (5-9, Senior, Guard, Marietta, Ga. (North Florida)
Zy Thompson (5-10, Junior, Foward, Zebulon, Ga. (UT-Martin)
Josefine (YO-sef-een) Enander (IN-ayn-der) (5-6, Junior, Guard, Sodertalje, Sweden (Morehead State)
Morgan Boyd (5-9, Junior, Guard, Highland Springs, Va. (Presbyterian College)
 
2025-26 RETURNEES
Avari Berry (5-6, Senior, Guard, Austin, Texas)
Carley Hamilton (5-7, Sophomore, Guard, Shreveport, La.)
Jaslynn Walter (5-10, Redshirt Freshman, Guard, Nashville, Tenn.)