Box Score TOLEDO, Ohio – The Western Michigan University women's basketball team lost its first game of the calendar year on the road to the Toledo Rockets 59-46.

The Broncos weren't able to contain Toledo's stiff defense under the glass to earn their first road win of 2026. WMU had one of its best games of the season controlling the ball on the floor, limiting its turnovers to only 14 through 40 minutes. Sophomore guard Kailey Starks led the Brown and Gold on offense with 16 points. While redshirt senior De'Ahna Richardson was right behind Starks with 15 points in her first game back with Western Michigan in almost a month.  

Both teams missed their first attempts of the afternoon, but it was Toledo who found the basket first. The Broncos got on the board on a light floater from sophomore guard Alli Harness three minutes into the game. Both offenses continued to struggle to make shots until WMU scored three straight layups, all from Starks for the first lead of the day. It was a back-and-forth affair the rest of the quarter with the Brown and Gold leading 12-10.

Western Michigan's offense went cold to start the second as Toledo had a six-point run over the first four minutes. Senior guard Alli Carlson broke the scoring drought for the Broncos with a layup. But WMU wasn't able to string together a scoring run of its own as the teams traded shots to keep things close. The Rockets were able to shut down the Brown and Gold for three minutes, pulling out to a nine-point lead. Western Michigan did take the last points of the half as junior guard Nile Mugeria Orbe made a steal that led to a layup for a 29-22 score.

The Bronco offense was shutout for almost half of the third quarter as Toledo pulled out to a double figure lead. Richardson got WMU's offense going again with a layup and a triple. Starks then got back on the board for the Brown and Gold with six points in the last three minutes of the third. Western Michigan faced an 11-point deficit going into the final frame at 46-35.

But another cold start to the fourth quarter put the game out of reach for the Broncos as the Rockets grew their lead to 17 points. WMU limited Toledo to only seven points in the final seven minutes of the game. The Brown and Gold added 11 more points before the final horn sounded on the 59-46 loss.

Carlson led Western Michigan on defense with five rebounds and five assists while adding a steal and a block. Sophomore forward D'Myjah Bolds had a strong game keeping shots from going in with a team high three blocks while Mugeria was the only Bronco with multiple steals, taking two. WMU returns home for its next game, welcoming Bowling Green to University Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 14.