ATHERTON, Calif. – The satisfying sounds of leather on hardwood, the swish of nylon, and the roars inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion are soon to be heard as the 2026-27 Menlo Women's Basketball campaign has nearly arrived. Coming off a year in which the Oaks narrowly missed the Pacific West Conference Tournament, Head Coach Shannon Spataro's program heads into its 28th season embracing the exciting challenge of not only a first year in the California Collegiate Athletic Association, but also one in which the NCAA Division II postseason is now an attainable goal.

Returning Oaks – Leading The Break
Composing a roster nearly split between nine returners and eight newcomers, Menlo turns to a sizable core of juniors for steady production in the season ahead. Forwards Zoe Carrillo and Taylor Westbrook anchor the Oaks' frontcourt after combining for more than 1,000 minutes played in 2025-26. A rugged rebounder and one of just two Oaks to start every game, Carrillo led the team with 7.0 rebounds per contest (top 10 in the Pacific West Conference) while the strong-willed scorer who is Westbrook put up points in each of her first 24 games and averaged the third-most minutes among returners.

At the guard position, two other key contributors off the bench last season were sophomore Angel Allen and junior Nadia Brown each in their respective first years on the court for Menlo. Allen, a confident facilitator, ranked first among returners with a .517 field goal percentage and Brown, a high-energy player, boosted the team over her first 20 games as an Oak. Though she did not compete last season, the leadership of senior guard Makolla Toure B was felt in the Oaks locker room as the Most Valuable Player of the 2022-23 Youth Sweden Regional Championship prepares to demonstrate her game-changing ability in her Menlo debut.

Newcomers – Immediate Impacts
Each bringing talents on both ends of the court to Atherton, Menlo's eight new faces arrive with accomplished backgrounds ranging from domestic to international. Among the collection of junior transfers are guard Keytonna Ross Wilson, whose quickness and smooth playmaking ability has led her to nearly 150 assists across University of Arkansas - Fort Smith and Laney College the past two seasons, and junior guard/forward Mia Henson, a versatile scorer who garnered Coast Conference MVP and First Team All-League honors with Hartnell College prior to a California Pacific Conference Championship with UC Merced in 2025.

Joining childhood friend and fellow junior guard Carmen Cruz, junior guard Lucy Larson brings a dynamic skillset to Menlo from Seattle University where she saw action in 48 games over two seasons, highlighted by a 13-rebound, six-assist effort this past year. Meanwhile, guard Anika Shaw headlines a four-member freshman class with her all-around production as Team Most Valuable Player and Regional All-Star leading Kaiapoi High School to a top-10 national finish.

Schedule Highlights – Sights Set On First NCAA Postseason
Tipping off the 2026-27 season in the North Bay, Menlo meets a pair of its former Pacific West Conference opponents in Dominican (Nov. 13) and Jessup (Nov, 14) to begin the year. From there, the Oaks initiate a five-part home stand that will feature non-conference matchups with Simon Fraser (Nov. 20), UC Colorado Springs (Nov. 25), and Pacific Union (Dec. 12) as well as the program's first two CCAA contests versus Chico State (Dec. 3) and Cal Poly Humboldt (Dec. 5).

Menlo then faces Cal State Dominguez Hills both on in Southern California (Dec. 18) and at home (Dec. 31) with a road game at Cal Poly Pomona (Dec. 20) in between before the calendar turns with Cal State San Marcos in town on Jan. 2. Five of the Oaks' next seven contests will be away from Atherton as the month of January takes them to Cal Poly Humboldt (Jan. 7) and Chico State (Jan. 9) then inside Haynes-Prim Pavilion to host San Francisco State (Jan. 14) before a trip to Cal State Monterey Bay (Jan. 16). First meetings with Cal State LA (Jan. 21 at home), Stanislaus State (Jan. 23 in Turlock), and Cal State East Bay (Jan. 28 in Hayward) ensue ahead of a home rematch with the Warriors on Jan. 30.

The regular season's final month begins in SoCal with CSUSM (Feb. 4) and Cal State San Bernardino (Feb. 6) then Menlo faces UC Merced twice in one week's time (Feb. 11 at home, Feb. 18 in Merced) split by a rematch with SF State (Feb. 13). Haynes-Prim Pavilion will be the site for the Oaks' matchups with Fresno Pacific (Feb. 20), CSUMB (Feb. 25), and CSUSB (Feb. 27), leading into the CCAA Championship Tournament, hosted by Cal State San Bernardino, on Mar. 3-6 as well as the NCAA Tournament to follow on Mar. 12-26.