AUBURN, Wash. (GRC) — Green River enters the season ranked 10th in the initial NWAC Coaches Poll. Season seven of the Karim McDonald era of Gator Women's Basketball is here. GRC returns five players who saw time on the court from last season's 15-win campaign that ended in the NWAC Sweet 16. The green and black welcome nine student-athletes who will see the floor for the program for the first time. Green River opens the regular season at Skagit Valley College and concludes the regular season at Highline College with a whole bunch of basketball in between. 

The Returners
First Team All-Region standout Jayla Keowla from Kentridge High School looks to lead GRC in her sophomore season. Keowla started all 28 games while she averaged 13.3 points per game a season ago, second most on the team. She added 9.8 rebounds per game, the eighth-highest mark in the NWAC. Emma Sondergaard, the Second Team All-Region key contributor from last year's squad, is back for her sophomore slate after she started 27 games last season. Sondergaard, who calls Chubbuck, Idaho home, averaged 9.2 ppg and was third on the team with an average of 5.6 rpg. She chipped in 1.4 steals per game as well. Kyra Okuyama from Wailuku, Hawai'i appeared in 25 games for the green and black a year ago; she averaged 9.4 ppg, the third-best mark on the team. Okuyama scored a season-high 18 points against Clark on December 30th, 2025; she made a season-high four shots from beyond the arc as well in the game against the Penguins. Tyra Vaughn appeared in 27 games with 12 starts last campaign. Vaughan scored a season-high 23 points on November 30, 2025 against Olympic College; the Casa Grande, Arizona native knocked down seven threes in the contest, a season high. Hope Nandrasana Razakamanana returns for the Gators as well. She appeared in 11 games her first year with the program. 

The Newcomers
Green River brought in transfer guard Juseana-Rae Delatori. Originally from Lahaina, Hawai'i, Delatori appeared in 31 games last year for NJCAA Western Nebraska, where she averaged 6.6 ppg and 3.0 rpg. She notched a season-high 18 points on December 14th, 2025, against Gillette College when she made four threes. In high school at Lahainaluna, Delatori was named Maui Interscholastic League Player of the Year. Ariyana Deloney is a local product from Auburn High School. At AHS, Deloney eclipsed the 1,500-point mark during her senior campaign. Riley Burns is a 5'9" forward from Kennedy Catholic High School, where she earned four varsity letters. Cadynce Lee is a 5'7" guard from Tumwater, Washington. Kieva Mapes graduated from C.M. Russell High School in Great Falls, Montana. Mapes was a two-time All-State basketball selection in high school. Olivia Pruitt is a 5'7" wing from Pasco, Washington. While at Pasco High School, Pruitt was a four-year varsity starter and three-time captain. Pruitt averaged 13 points her senior year. Autumn White joins the rotation after redshirting last season. Sasha Rees is a 5'11" center from Nathan Hale High School, where she was a varsity captain her senior season. Jazmyne DuBose, a 5'1" point guard from Thomas Jefferson High School, bolsters the Gator back court. DuBose also competed on the soccer pitch for the GRC Women's Soccer team. 

The Schedule
Women's Basketball begins the 2026-2027 regular season at Skagit Valley College on Sunday, November 15th at 2:00 p.m. GRC Women's Volleyball also began their season at Skagit. Last season, the Gators defeated SVC 73-62 on November 16th. The second regular-season match for Green River sees them travel to Bremerton to battle with the Olympic College Rangers. The Green and black bested the Rangers last season on November 30th at home, 72-69. 

December 4th - 6th, Green River will head to Port Angeles, Washington, for the Pirate Classic Tournament where they will take on Big Bend (an NWAC Elite Eight team from a year ago), Tacoma (in a non-region matchup), and Peninsula (a Final Four program from a year ago).

On Wednesday, December 9th at 5:00 p.m., the Gators will host Pacific Northwest Christian College in the first game of a doubleheader, with the GRC men matching up with PNWCC afterwards. 

December 11th - 13th, the green and black return to Mount Vernon for the NWAC Crossover hosted by the Cardinals of Skagit Valley. Their opening two contests at the Crossover will be against the two teams who matched up in the NWAC Championship a year ago. Friday, December 11th at 5:00 p.m., GRC goes head-to-head with Clackamas, voted NWAC Preseason #5. The following night, the Gators duel with the reigning NWAC Champion Walla Walla Warriors, who beat the Clackamas Cougars in the title game. WWCC is also the NWAC Preseason #1 team. Sunday, October 13th, GRC competes against the NWAC Crossover host, SVC, at 3:00 p.m.

December 16th and 17th, Green River will host four games; two of the games will feature the Gators, as South Puget Sound, Edmonds, and Whatcom all converge on Lea Hill. Wednesday, December 16th the green and black clash with the WCC Orcas at 7:30 p.m. Green River beat Whatcom last year on November 15th 81-47. SPSCC and Edmonds play beforehand in The Swamp at 5:30 p.m. The next evening, GRC squares off with Edmonds at 7:30 p.m. The Tritons finished last season 7-19. SPSCC and WCC play at 5:30 p.m. prior to the Gators' game.

Before the calendar year comes to an end, Green River will play three more games. All of them are hosted by Bellevue College. Monday, December 28th, the Green and black will meet with Lane on Bill O'Connor Court. The Lane Titans are ranked #2 in the Preseason Poll. Tuesday, December 29th, GRC will compete against Northwest Indian College from Lummi. Wednesday, December 30th the Gators get Bellevue who they took down last season 76-65.

Their first game of 2027 comes at home on January 4th at 6:30 p.m. against the Shoreline College Dolphins. A season ago, GRC topped Shoreline 80-72 on the road on December 10th. 

In a final tune-up before West Region action, the green and black host Wenatchee Valley at 4:00 p.m. The Green River men will duel with the WVC Knights afterwards in The Swamp. 

The West Region campaign begins with two road challenges. Tacoma on Saturday, January 16th and South Puget Sound on Wednesday, January 20th. GRC fended off TCC twice last season and split the series with the Clippers, with both programs winning on their home floor. 

Their next two contests will be at home. January 23rd, Green River College hosts Pierce, followed by Centralia on January 27th. The Gators swept both programs a year ago.

Green River College closes out the first round of region play on the road versus Lower Columbia on January 30th and at home in a rivalry duel with Highline on February 3rd. LCC is ranked fourth in the Preseason Poll. GRC split with Highline last campaign, with both teams winning on their home court. 

The West Region schedule continues with one more round in the same order as the schools swap home and away contests. 

Sophomore Day for Green River comes on Saturday, February 27th at 2:00 p.m. in The Swamp.

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