TURLOCK, Calif.---  Stan State women's basketball team will begin their 2023-24 season with three games in the Bay Area including an exhibition game this Thursday, November 9 at 4pm against the University of San Francisco.  The Warriors will participate in the Pioneer Conference Challenge this Friday-Saturday, November 10-11 on the campus of Cal State East Bay in Hayward, Calif.  They will face Northwest Nazarene on Friday at 7:30pm and Central Washington on Saturday at 1pm.  
 
2022-23 WARRIORS:  Stan State went 7-21 in 2022-23 including 3-19 in the CCAA.  The Warriors averaged 61.9 points per game while gave up 70.3 points per game.  Joia Armstrong is the Warriors' leading returning scorer and rebounder with her 9.0 scoring and 6.0 rebounding averages.  Armstrong blocked a team high 30 shots last year for the Warriors.  Also back for the Warriors are ten letter-winners in Da'Myiah Lewis (7.9 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game), Liliana Marques (7.8 points per game, 31 three's), Alexis Woodson (5.7 points per game, 23 steals), Aunika Hornung (4.0 points per game, 16 blocked shots), Jadyn Patterson (105 points, 24 three's), Ashmeen Sran (85 points, 22 assists), Iman Addison (77 points, 75 rebounds), Ashley Lewis (50% shooting), and Lyric Richardson (37 points, 67 rebounds).  
 
Coming back after a season off is Taylor Pilot who was named to the All-CCAA Team in 2021-22.  During that season, she averaged 10.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.  Pilot was joined on the All-CCAA Team in 2021-22 by Lewis and Marques along with current assistant coach Kyanna Davis.  
 
FIVE NEWCOMERS:  The Warriors have five newcomers this season including junior transfer Mya Blake.  The four freshmen are Kaylyn Harris, Asha Walker, Aariah Fox, and Talia Maxwell.
 
Maya Blake:  Blake is a 5-4 guard from Stockton, Calif. Blake is transferring to Stan State this Fall from San Francisco State where she was a two-time All-California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) honoree.  This past season, she was named to the All-CCAA Second Team.  In 2022-23, Blake started in 25 of the 27 games she played while averaging 13.7 points per game. Blake dished out 78 assists and recorded 41 steals.  She graduated from Edison High School after beginning her interscholastic career at Bear Creek High School, where she was a three-time Team and League Most Valuable Player.  Blake was the 42^nd Annual Stagg Tournament Most Valuable Player.
 
Aariah Fox:  Fox is a 5-9 forward from Angels Camp, Calif., where she attended Bret Harte Union High School.  She was named to the First Team All-League for basketball the past two seasons.  Fox was selected to the 2022-23 MaxPreps All-Sac Joaquin Section Basketball Team.  In 2021-22, Fox was named the Athlete of the Year. Besides being on the basketball team, Fox was on the volleyball and track and field teams at Bret Hate Union HS.  She was the 2022-23 Most Outstanding Player for volleyball and the section champ in the Triple Jump in 2021-22.  Bret Harte High School captured the 2022-23 D5 State Championship.  They also were Norcal basketball champions and finished second in the league this past season. 
 
Kalyn Harris:  Harris is a 5-7 guard from Fairfield, Calif., hailing from Vanden High School.  She is a three-time All-Monticello Empire League honoree.  The Fairfield native was an honorable mention selection during her freshman, sophomore, and senior seasons.  She was a member of the four-time Monticello Empire League Championship Team.  Vanden High School captured the Sac-Joaquin Section championship title twice during Harris' interscholastic career.
Talia Maxwell:  Maxwell is a 6-1 forward from Fresno, Calif.  She was a member of the Division II State Championship Team at Central East High School.  In the State Title Game, Maxwell scored 24 points and grabbed 24 rebounds.  She was the Best Offensive Player and Team Most Valuable Player for Central East.  Maxwell earned First Team All-Conference honors this past season.  She was the Co-Most Valuable Player of the track and field team. 
 
Asha Walker:  Walker is a 5-10 guard from Fremont, Calif., and was a three-time Team Captain for the girls' basketball team at American High School.  Her senior season, Walker was selected to the First Team All-League for the third time during time during her interscholastic career at American High School.  Walker was a member of the 2020-21 and 2019-20 MVAL Championship Teams.  American High School was a NCS Semi-finalist during the 2019-20 season.
 
STAN STATE HEAD COACH WAYMAN STRICKLAND: Coach Strickland enters his eleventh season at the helm of the Warrior women's basketball team.  He is 110-162 in his coaching stint at Stan State.  In 2013-14, he led the Warriors to one of the best turn-around seasons in program history, going from 2-25 to 13-13 and just missing out on the CCAA tournament.  In February of 2017, the Warriors posted their first postseason victory since 1990 and advanced to the CCAA semifinals.  He has coached 23 All-CCAA honorees including two First Team selections.  Zahria Hendrix (2017-18) and Ana Burch (2013-14) were CCAA Freshman of the Year honorees.  Prior to his arrival on the CSU Stanislaus campus, Strickland was the assistant coach for the women's basketball program at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton between 2009 and 2012. Before his at Delta College, Strickland was the varsity girls coach (2007-09) and varsity boys assistant coach (2002-07) at Stockton's Edison High School.  Strickland spent nine years as a professional player in Europe and Asia.  His accolades include being named the top point guard in the Asian Basketball Championships three times (1996-98). He was the most valuable player of the 1997 Asian Basketball Championships. He was a four-year starter at the University of San Diego from 1988 to 1992, when he amassed 1,040 career points. Currently, he still holds the third spot in the USD record book with 408 assists.

UNIVERSITY OF SAN FRANCISCO DONS:  The Dons went 19-13 overall last year in 2022-23 including 9-9 in the WCC.  Ioanna Krimll led the team with her 16.6 scoring and Debora dos Santos averaged 12.4 points per game and shot 54% from the field.  Krimll led the team with her 84 three's made.  
 
NORTHWEST NAZARENE NIGHTHAWKS:  The Nighthawks went 11-15 overall and 7-11 in the GNAC.  Danika Starr is the leading returners from the Nighthawks with her 9.0 scoring and 5.1 rebounding averages and her 46% shooting from the field. 
 
ALL-TIME SERIES:  Northwest Nazarene leads the all-time series with the Warriors 8-2.  Last year, NNU defeated the Warriors 63-55 on Nov. 11, 2022, in Idaho. Liliana Marques led the way for the Warriors with 12 points.   The last Warrior win over NNU was on Nov. 13, 2021, in Turlock, 76-67.  Current assistant coach Kyanna Davis had 25 points while Da'Myiah Lewis chipped in 20 points.  Marques added 15 points and Taylor Pilot had eight points and ten rebounds.
 
CENTRAL WASHINGTON WILDCATS: Central Washington is 1-2 to begin the season.  The Wildcats defeated nationally ranked UT Tyler 64-61 on Sunday.  Asher Cal leads Central Washington with her 21.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game average.  Valerie Huerta is next with 17.3 points per game and 90.9% shooting from the line.  
 
ALL-TIME SERIES:  The Wildcats lead the all-time series with Stan State 6-2.  Last year, CWU won 86-62 in Idaho.  The last Stan State victory over the Wildcats was 69-59 in Turlock on Nov. 28, 2009.
 
CCAA NETWORK:  For all of Stan State women's basketball home games and games involving CCAA opponents, you can watch the games on the CCAA Network at www.ccaanetwork.com/STAN. The CCAA network has a monthly subscription rate of $9.95, which can watch any CCAA sport that is hosted at any CCAA institution during that 30-day period.
 
UP NEXT:  After Saturday's game in Hayward with Central Washington, the Warriors will host the Warrior Classic November 17-18.  The three other teams will be Academy of Art, Simon Fraser, and Cal State East Bay.  November 17:  Cal State East Bay vs. Simon Fraser at 5pm; Stan State vs. Academy of Art at 7pm.  November 18:  1pm:  Cal State East Bay vs. Academy of Art; 3pm:  Stan State vs. Simon Fraser.  
 
CCAA OPENER: The Warriors will have their 2023-24 CCAA and home opener on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 5:30 p.m., when they host Cal State East Bay at The Fitzpatrick Arena.