2026-27 Women's Basketball Quick Facts
About Youngstown State
| Location | Youngstown, Ohio |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Enrollment | 12,240 |
| President | Bill Johnson |
| Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics | Ron Strollo |
| SWA/Sport Supervisor | Rebecca Fink |
| Faculty Athletics Representatives | Dr. Chet Cooper and Barbara Flinn |
| Nickname | Penguins (Nickname History) |
| Colors | Red and White |
Program Information
| Affiliation | NCAA Division I |
| Conference | Horizon League |
| Facility | Zidian Family Arena at Beeghly Center |
| First Year of Women's Basketball | 1975-76 |
| First Season at Division I | 1981-82 |
| All-Time Record (Through 2025-26) | 732-683 |
| Last NCAA Tournament | 1999-2000 (First Round) |
| Last Women's NIT | 2025-26 (Super 16) |
| Last WBI | 2018 (First Round) |
Roster Breakdown
| Letterwinners Returning / Lost | 7 / 3 |
| Starters Returning / Lost | 3 / 2 |
| Newcomers | 2 true freshman 3 transfers |
Pronunciations
Player Names
Mia Kalich » MEE-uh KAY-lick
Jada Leonard » JAY-duh
Dacia Lewandowski » DAY-shuh Lew-an-DOW-skee
Coach Names
Kayla DeCriscio » Di-CRISH-ee-oh
Player Hometowns
Venetia » vuh-NEE-shuh
Coaching Staff
| Head Coach | Melissa Jackson Season: Third Alma Mater: Richmond, 2004 Record at YSU (After 2025-26): 37-29 Career Record (After 2025-26): 109-98 |
| Assistant Coach | Courtney Davidson Season: Third in most-recent stint; Sixth overall at YSU Alma Mater: Michigan State, 2008 |
| Assistant Coach | Kayla DeCriscio Season: Second Alma Mater: Pitt-Johnstown, 2016 |
| Assistant Coach | Shayna Gore Season: Third Alma Mater: Marshall, 2019 |
| Assistant Coach/Director of Operations | Shannon Sword Season: First Alma Mater: Cleveland State, 2004 |
| Director of Creative Content / Event Specialist | Chloe Whitlock Season: Second Alma Mater: Morehead State, 2022 |
| Graduate Assistant | Chloe Jeffers Season: First Alma Mater: Butler, 2026 |
Athletics Communications
| YSU WBB Communications Contact/Radio Play-By-Play Announcer | Drae Smith dmsmith06@ysu.edu O: (330) 941-8359 C: (330) 727-6803 |
| Associate Athletic Director/Director of Athletics Communications | Trevor Parks tparks@ysu.edu |
| Assistant Athletic Director/Secondary WBB Contact | John Vogel javogel@ysu.edu |
| Horizon League Contact | Rachel White rwhite@horizonleague.org |
Support Staff
| Sports Performance Coach | Mariya Mendoza |
| Athletic Trainer | Jessie Rogge |
| Academics | Brian Welch |
| Marketing & Event Manager | Chris Sumner |
