The Spire

Brendan Grudberg ’28

Staff Writer

The Holy Cross Women’s Basketball team is coming off a transitional 2024-25 season, having lost both its head coach and four of its five starters from the 2023-24 team that made its second straight NCAA tournament appearance. However, with Head Coach Candice Green removing her “Interim” title and the Crusaders returning four starters from last year’s Patriot League semifinalist squad, the team looks to return to its championship standards heading into the 2026 season.

“Lots of replacement [last year]. Four starters gone, getting lots of players to adjust from secondary to primary roles, and reserves moving to secondary roles,” Head Coach Candice Green said in an interview with The Spire. “This year it’s totally different. Last year we had the built-in excuse of losing a lot of people, new head coach… but it felt weird being satisfied with not winning it all. Our roles are now understood. Now we can focus on the championship.”

The Crusaders may have less uncertainties heading into this season compared to last, but one 2025 graduate leaves a hole that will be tough to fill: All-Patriot League center Lindsay Berger.

“It’ll be hard, without a doubt,” Green said about replacing Berger’s production on both ends. “One of my favorite players I’ve ever coached. Could bang in the post, understood help and rotation really well, had a feel for that ‘anchor’ spot.”

Green said she’s counting on senior forward Meg Cahalan to fill in the void left by Berger. Headed into her second season as a starter, Cahalan provides a great blend of outside shooting and inside post play on the offensive end, but has big shoes to fill slotting in for Berger at the five spot defensively.

“She’s one of the best post players in the Patriot League. I’m not worried about her on the offensive side, it’s the defensive side where we need her to show up most,” Green said. 

Green complimented Cahalan’s determination to improve on the defensive side all offseason, as well as her outside shot (42 three-pointers made last season – second on team) providing more versatility and flexibility to the offense.

“[Her outside shot] just gives us more space. In our system, space is everything,” said Green. “If she can stretch the floor, it’s giving our guards space to drive lanes.”

Looking beyond the transition at the center position, the Crusaders return their other four main starters from 2024-25– all seniors– who have the chance to leave an exclamation point on their Holy Cross careers this season.

“There’s championship pedigree on this team. The senior class has a huge opportunity to win the Patriot League again to make themselves 3-time champions,” Green said. “It’s a championship or bust mindset around here. It’s not a championship every day, so we need to respond to adversity and build off of it–trying to keep our mindset on getting better and understanding what we need to do.”

Senior guards Kaitlyn Flanagan and Simone Foreman return after a campaign where they led the team in assists and points, respectively. Flanagan’s 5.2 dimes a game earned her All-Patriot honors, and Foreman looks to stay fully healthy following a breakout–but injury riddled– 2024-25 season. Joining them in the frontcourt as seniors are Mary-Elizabeth Donnelly and the aforementioned Cahalan, who provide excellent outside shooting and rebounding to the bunch. 

 Junior guard Kendall Eddy also returns after being the Crusaders’ key bench player last year, now fully acclimated to Coach Green’s system following her first year in purple (2024 transfer from Providence). Eddy could see some more starts come her way beside Flanagan in the backcourt, possessing a crafty scoring punch to compliment Flanagan’s top-tier playmaking. 

With how much continuity the squad has from last season, Green expects this to be more of a developmental year for the five first-years they brought in. Guard Kimora Berry (Buffalo, NY) has stood out as a tough competitor in practice, bringing a physicality to the team that will permeate through the lineup, whether she’s on the court or not. Center Mackenzie Teevan (Holmdel, NJ) stands at 6’4”, giving height and a versatile skillset to a team who lost its longtime anchor at the five position.

“You can’t teach height”, Coach Green said, bluntly, about her new first-year center. “Great touch around the rim, can shoot the three. Needs some time to build strength, get used to the college pace of play,” something she said was very common for young centers at the college level. 

Rounding out the first-year class are guards Brianna McDermott (Yonkers, NY), Asia Wilson (Rochester, NY), and Megan Roche (Millis, MA), who Green said have all provided different skillsets to the table and are all working extremely hard in practice. She complimented Wilson’s on ball defense and the outside shooting of McDermott and Roche as stand out skills to watch out for.

The Crusaders also bring in some changes to the coaching staff, all who have changed the dynamic in the locker room and provide crucial help to the championship-aspiring machine Green is trying to establish. Anita Jennings reunites with Coach Green after the two worked together at Fordham, and brings personability as well as championship experience to the locker room, being a former player herself. 

“Her biggest impact is off the court,” said Green. “Mother of five, [she] brings a different touch to all our kids. Our girls feel that warmth, that she cares about them on a different level past basketball.” 

Lindsay Werner also joins as an assistant from University of Vermont, who has already taken a key role in skill development. A former star at Merrimack College (2016-19), Werner has been crucial in developing the players’ finishing, outside shooting, and reads on ball screens. She also brings championship experience–UVM made three straight America East title games during her three year tenure and won once.

Rounding out the coaching staff changes is Director of Operations Shawna Mell, who jumped over from reigning Patriot League champion Lehigh, where she spent the last two seasons in the same role. Green joked that Mell “brings the collective nice-ness up” of the coaching staff, being a Minnesotan in a locker room with no shortage of New Englanders.

Coach Green’s squad has set lofty expectations for themselves this season, but the team is ready to embrace the challenge head on. With plenty of familiar faces back on the court, combined with the unique personalities and skillsets the newcomers have brought with them, the Crusaders are ready to simultaneously embrace a new era of the team while also sending the Class of 2026 out with a bang–hopefully with one more ring on their fingers.