2025 State of the WCAC Address

The WCAC for years was considered the top conference in the nation. Now it may not be what it was in it's heyday it is still a conference that commands national respect having national ranked teams in the conference year after year. With the graduation of some all-American level players and the emergence of the independent schools grabbing talent, the league may not be the crem de' crem but it is sure to make some waves on the national scale especially with the young talent coming up the pipelines. Here are our pre-season predictions based on last years results, newcomers, graduation, summer and fall leagues.   1. Bishop Ireton   Coach Walton got the monkey off of her back defeating the Mustangs in a post season tournament last season, marking the first time in recent memory that Ireton even when having great players had beaten McNamara. The took a huge blow losing a McDonald's All-American to graduation, but bring in a strong freshman class and a "blue" chip transfer, pun intended. Coach Walton knows what it will take mentally for her team to win a championship and she has been putting in the off season work to get her team ready for the challenge.   Key Players    Mackenzie is immensely talented and has a very mature game. Her court vision is exceptional as she sees plays develop before the players even get to their spots. She has a strong frame and uses her body well inside. She is a physical rebounder and has one of the best mid range games in the region. Ireton lost a lot but this transfer is a game changer.    2. Bishop McNamara   McNamara has lost a lot, also taking a hit by graduation and then to transfer. After the smoke cleared they still have a formidable team that's capable of winning it all. The defending league champions are not as deep as in the previous years but the starting five can match up nicely against anyone in the country. Armed with three of the top players in the conference the can score with anyone. What happens when it's time to substitute? We will see if college level practices, a top notch coaching staff and emphasis on skill development will have the the young reserves ready for prime time.    When asked who is the best player in the WCAC, you can't help but not mention Jaylah's name. Outside of her skill and athleticism, she does some intangible things that just can't be taught. She has a high IQ that seems to come naturally and a level of patience with the ball that typically doesn't come until players reach college. Her shot is looking really fluid. The Mustangs lost a lot to graduation and transfer but adding Jaylah softens the blow tremendously.     Qandace is a unique player with the size to play multiple positions. She has range that extends out of bounds and can never be left wide open. She is a good rebounder that can grab the board and go coast to coast in a single motion. Defensively her length is disruptive in the paint but it also causes a problem for perimeter players as she can block three point attempts with ease. She is fast but her movements look effortless. She knows what it takes to win a championship in the WCAC and will have to be the leader to let everyone on her team know the effort needed to win it all. If the Mustangs are to repeat, she will be the reason why.     Nyair plays the point guard position flawlessly. She reminds me a lot of the former PVI standout Dug McDaniel as it is useless to try and trap her. She makes excellent decisions with the ball and makes defenses pay for mistakes. She is getting consistency with her long ball which adds another problem for defenders. The Mustangs have depth at the point guard position so Nyair should be able to go all out and still be fresh late in the game.    3. Elizabeth Seaton   The Roadrunners have underachieved my expectations but I'm still a believer that talent can overcome in the end. Maybe this is the season for them to make the turn. They still have one of the top rosters in the WCAC since they were able to replace what they lost to graduation. On paper they have the size and firepower to win it all, making it manifest on the court has been the issue    Lala made the move to Seton and she is familiar with WCAC play. The timing couldn't have worked out better as the Roadrunners lost a lot of perimeter firepower to graduation. Adding a high level shooter that can also control the flow and pace of the game makes that a threat to get in the title game or at least vey close. She is a good defender and can exploits a few teams weaknesses at point guard. For her there is no "bad shot" so if she is open the ball should be going through the net.     Zoe has a relentless still of play that is unmatched by anyone in the conference. She can outwork her opponent into a double-double and get others into foul trouble with her physicalness. She is a glue player that can fit in with any team in any program. If her toughness can spread throughout the team they will be hard to contain this season.     Reneyia is a physical guard that feeds off of contact. Paired with Osby they make the toughest duo in the conference. She plays under control and can play both guard positions. She has a nice shot and can make defenders pay from outside, but when she drives she is more dangerous because when she attacks hard defenders have to let her go or foul her.    4. St. John's College   The Cadets seem to always find their way to the championship game and are no strangers to hoisting the championship trophy at the end. I have no incoming or outgoing transfer news and they bring back everyone from last seasons roster. Conventional wisdom would say that they should be the team to beat. Coach Scribner is one of the best their is however the level of coaching that he faces are just as good. If he can turn each game into a chess match their is no limit to how good they could be this season.    Morgan is one of the most underrated players in the conference, but is starting to get her due. She will be leading the charge for the Cadets and will be asked to do a lot. The good thing is that she has a lot in her game to give and have the experience of two rings. She has few weaknesses as she can dribble, shoot and defend. If the team rallies around her she can lead them to the finals. She can play all five positions but not at the same time so everyone is going to have to dig deep for the Cadets to be holding up the trophy in the end.     Zoe is scrappy as heck. She has no fear in her game and is surprisingly very quick. She is listed at 5'4" but plays as if she is 6'0". She battles for rebounds, dives for loose balls and will attack anyone no matter their size. You gotta love watching her play as she is a model for the way the game should be played.    5. Good Counsel   Last year Good Counsel's team was young, this season they are still young. Finishing in the middle of the pack should be a success, however, knowing Coach Milt that's not good enough. The Falcon's will seek to get everything possible out of their talented youngins with the possibility of a couple of freshmen starting and can be the shocker of the WCAC with a couple of unexpected signature wins. Can those wins come around playoff time?    Serae had some impressive summer showings and I'm excited to see what she will bring to the Falcons. She is just a freshman and looks to have a promising future, but for Good Counsel her future starts now as she may be one of those freshmen that can drop into the starting lineup on day one.     MacKenzie is another freshman with a lot to offer and Coach Milt will not hold players back if they are ready to go. The group looks like they will be competitive and even though they are young, they are talented enough to sneak up on some of the top tier teams.    6. Bishop O'Connell   I liked some of what I seen from the O'Connell in a recent tournament. They have some size and are scrappy, they have some shooters and could be dangerous if they are overlooked.    Watched O'Connell a few weeks ago and they have some talent. The name that stuck out was Carly a sharpshooter that can shoot from anywhere on the court. Their team looks balanced and if they can keep things close I can see her with some late game heroics to steal some wins.    7. Paul VI   Having the Panthers listed so low will probably be called an act of treason. The system has proven itself season after season. Coach Allen's team will be bringing full court pressure at times sending four players in the backcourt for pressure. Most of the WCAC have solid point guard play so taking the risk of getting beaten over top may or may not pay off. When all else fails they do have the 6th Man which is their home court secret weapon.    Paul VI can put five players on the court at any given time that can shoot from beyond the arc. When the shots are falling they're aren't many teams that will be able to keep up with them in a shootout. Sravya is one of those players that can fill it up. She is considered one of the top shooters in the conference and the way the Panthers move the ball she should get some good looks and have some big games.    8. Holy Cross   The word out of Holy Cross is that they are looking to surprise some people. They haven't added any new pieces but haven't lost any either. Either way the staff seems optimistic about the season.    If the coach is right and the Tartan will surprise some people then Kensley will be a big reason for that. The did finish the season strong last years outpacing the WCAC champions McNamara in the first half of the game in round one of the playoffs. If they can build off of that performance maybe they can surprise some people.    Archbishop Carroll and St. Mary's Ryken round out the WCAC and both teams have coaches that will pull everything out of their players. The WCAC goes in cycles and their time will come, if they can ride the wave, get better each game and stay injury free, who knows what to expect come playoff time.

The WCAC for years was considered the top conference in the nation. Now it may not be what it was in it's heyday it is still a conference that commands national respect having national ranked teams in the conference year after year. With the graduation of some all-American level players and the emergence of the independent schools grabbing talent, the league may not be the crem de' crem but it is sure to make some waves on the national scale especially with the young talent coming up the pipelines. Here are our pre-season predictions based on last years results, newcomers, graduation, summer and fall leagues.