KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Western Michigan University women's basketball team is back for another full week in University Arena, starting with Bowling Green.

LAST TIME OUT
Western Michigan lost its first game of the calendar year on the road to the Toledo Rockets 59-46 on Saturday. 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. Senior guard Alli Carlson led the Broncos 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 junior guard Nile Mugeria Orbe was the only WMU player with multiple steals, taking two.

STARKS STATS
Sophomore guard Kailey Starks led the Brown and Gold's offense over the past week. Starks averaged 14.5 points, 2 rebounds, 1.5 steals, and an assist over the two games. She then led Western Michigan at the Rockets with 16 points through 29 minutes on the floor while also adding three rebounds and an assist.

CARLSON'S CLIMB
Senior guard Alli Carlson continues to climb up the MAC rankings in assists on the season after helping on 12 buckets in two games last week. Carlson is now third in the MAC in assists, averaging 4.93 a game. She is also ranked 48th in the country for assists per game after the past week. 

Carlson is also in the national rankings for her time on the floor. She is currently the 13th ranked player in minutes per game, averaging 35.5 minutes a game. Carlson is second in the MAC in minutes per game as Eastern Michigan's Ainhoa Cea is just ahead at 36.5 minutes a game. 

FAMILIAR FACES
Head Coach Kate Achter has strong ties to the Broncos next opponent, Bowling Green. Achter was a decorated four-year player at BGSU from 2004-08. During her time as a player, Achter helped lead the Falcons to four MAC titles and a historic Sweet 16 appearance in 2007. Achter was also recognized nationally during her playing career as an All-American Honorable Mention.

Other awards Achter earned during her time as a player for Bowling Green included the 2008 MAC Player of the Year, All-MAC First Team, All-MAC Second Team, a three time MAC All-Tournament Team member and the MAC Tournament MVP in 2005 as a sophomore. She remains the Falcon's all-time leader in assists (688) and free throws made (551), and is the program's only player with over 1,000 points and 600 assists. Achter was inducted into the school's Hall of Fame in 2018.

SERIES HISTORY
It's another historic series this week for WMU in its 82nd meeting with the Bowling Green Falcons on Wednesday. The Falcons currently hold a seven-game edge in the series 44-37, but the Brown and Gold lead on their home court 21-18. The team's split their series last season, with each program winning on the road. Western Michigan's win on Jan. 22 gave then Head Coach Shane Clipfell his 180th victory to become the program's all-time wins-leader, passing Hall of Fame coach Fran Ebert. 

SCOUTING THE FALCONS
Bowling Green is one of three teams in the MAC, including Western Michigan, currently sitting at .500 with two wins and two losses on the season. The Falcons come into Wednesday's game off a big double digit win over the Northern Illinois Huskies 65-48 on Saturday at home. Bowling Green's two losses of the conference portion of the season have come to the other two Michigan schools with back-to-back losses to Eastern and Central. The Falcons have also picked up a win over Kent State to begin their MAC season back on Dec. 20.

Bowling Green has a duo of players averaging double figures going into Wednesday's game in junior guard Paige Kohler and sophomore guard Johnea Donahue. Kohler leads the Falcons on offense with 14.4 points while Donahue is second on the team in both points and rebounds, averaging 12.4 points and 5.6 rebounds a game. Bowling Green's leading defender is junior forward Taya Ellis with 6.7 rebounds a game for 10th among MAC defenders.