AMHERST, Mass. -- The Western Michigan University women's basketball team begins conference play to close out the calendar year.

LAST TIME
WMU's women's basketball team wasn't able to contain the 19th ranked Ohio State Buckeyes in a 95-47 loss. Senior guard Alli Carlson made a career-high five threes on Monday night to lead the Broncos in Columbus. Carlson was the only WMU player to get into double digits, scoring 15 points through 38 minutes of play. Four other members of the Brown and Gold scored eight points each, while senior forward Ariana Wilkes led on defense with 10 boards.

FINISHING OFF 2025
Western Michigan begins Mid-American Conference play on Wednesday against the conference's newest addition, the UMass Minutewomen. In their final game of the calendar year, the Broncos will be playing on New Year's Eve for the first time in seven years.

The last time WMU played on the final day of the year, the Brown and Gold took a home contest against Division II Saginaw Valley State 75-51. It was Western Michigan's final non-conference match of the 2018-19 season. 

WELCOME TO THE MAC!
The Mid-American Conference portion of the season will look a little different for Western Michigan as UMass rejoins the conference as a full member in 2025-26. UMass becomes the 13th member of the MAC after exiting the A-10 Conference at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. While the UMass football team was an affiliate MAC member from 2012-2016, no other program in Amherst was part of the conference. The Minutewomen are the Broncos first conference opponent of the season on Dec. 31 for the two teams third ever meeting. 

SERIES HISTORY
Wednesday is only the third meeting between WMU and UMass and the program's first as conference opponents. Currently the Brown and Gold hold a 2-0 series lead over the Minutewomen, taking both games after a home-and-home non-conference group in the mid 2010's.

In 2014 during the program's last meeting, Western Michigan rolled to a 63-41 victory over visiting UMass Friday night in the Broncos' season-opener. In his third season, Western Michigan head coach Shane Clipfell went 3-0 in season openers. The last WMU coach to win their opening game in three straight years was legendary Hall of Fame coach Fran Ebert (1978-80).

SCOUTING THE MINUTEWOMEN
The Minutewomen come in as one of the premier mid-major teams in the country. Currently ranked 16th in the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25, UMass entered the holiday break with an 8-2 record. The Minutewomen did drop their final game before beginning conference action against the Brown and Gold in a close 72-69 loss to the Youngstown State Penguins. The only other loss before MAC play for UMass was to Army on Dec. 6.

The Minutewomen are led by preseason All-MAC Second Team selections Yahmani McKayle and Megan Olbrys. Both players are averaging over 15 points a game for UMass, with guard McKayle leading the way at 16.1 points a contest. Along with averaging in double digits, senior forward Olbrys leads the team in rebounds with 7.8 boards through 40 minutes. The Minutewomen also have one other player averaging in double figures, graduate guard Allie Palmieri. Palmeieri typically puts up 10.9 points a game while also adding 4.4 rebounds.