Northwest Missouri State University women's basketball head coach Austin Meyer's 2025-26 roster will feature 13 players with the addition of six newcomers to the squad.
Bailey Birmingham – 5'9" Guard – Norwalk, Iowa
Birmingham led the Norwalk Warriors to a 23-2 record in 2024-2025, tying a school record for wins. Norwalk won a share of the Little Hawkeye Conference with a 9-1 record and advanced to the Class 4A state tournament semifinals.
She averaged 16.6 points (57% eFG), 4.3 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 2.6 steals per game. She shot 42% from three-point range and finished her high school career with a total of 1,668 points, becoming the third player in NHS history to reach 1,500 points.
Birmingham was a two-time IGCA Class 4A First-Team All-State selection. As a junior, she led the entire state in scoring with a remarkable 27.4 points per game. She was also a First-Team All-Conference, All-District and All-Region honoree in both the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 seasons.
She was a three-sport athlete, made the DMACC Dean's List, and was a member of the National Honor Society. She played for Joe Sigrist at Norwalk High School, competed in AAU basketball with All-Iowa Attack, and is the daughter of Tony and Monica Birmingham. She will be a freshman at Northwest.
Boston Wand – 6'1" Forward – Kansas City, Mo.
Wand led Park Hill to an 18-9 record last season, averaging 14.5 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. She shot 55% from the field as a senior.
She was a first-team all-conference selection and made the Class 6 all-district squad during her senior season. Additionally, she was selected for the DiRenna All-Star Game, which recognizes some of the region's top players.
Wand played for Kennedi Erhard at Park Hill High School, was a member of the National Honor Society, and played AAU basketball for Kansas Elite for coach Todd Zars. She is the daughter of Seth and Beth Wand, both Bearcat alums. She will be a freshman at Northwest.
Andrea Simmons – 5'11" Guard – St. Joseph, Mo.
Simmons led St. Joseph's Benton High School to a 24-7 record last season and a second-place finish at the Missouri Class 4A State Tournament. She averaged 15.1 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game, shooting 37% from beyond the arc.
Simmons helped her team to three state semifinal appearances in four years and earned first-team all-state honors twice. She also earned numerous all-conference and all-district selections. In addition, she was selected for the DiRenna All-Star Game.
Simmons played for Chris Michaels at Benton and competed in AAU basketball for Kansas Elite for coach Todd Zars. She is the daughter of Wes and Amy Simmons, both former Bearcat student-athletes. She will be a freshman at Northwest.
Kirsten Hauck – 5'9" Guard – Waukee, Iowa / William Jewell
Hauck was a member of the 2024-2025 GLVC All-Freshman Team at William Jewell.
As a true freshman, she averaged 9.1 points per game, shooting 81% from the free-throw line and 37% from three-point range, while averaging 27.9 minutes per game. Hauck scored 20 points against Washburn Nov. 19, 2024.
She was an all-state selection in 2023-2024 at Waukee High School in Iowa, where she averaged double figures in three of her four high school seasons and shot an impressive 41% from three-point range over her career.
Hauck played AAU for All-Iowa Attack. She is the daughter of Chad and Tara Hauck. She will be a sophomore at Northwest.
Andrea Lopreato – 5'9" Guard – Mt. Pleasant, Iowa / Black Hawk College
Lopreato was a junior college all-America choice and the Region 4 Player of the Year last season at Black Hawk College in Illinois. She averaged 23 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game, shooting 51% from the field.
She led her team to a 23-9 record and a conference championship in 2024-2025.
Lopreato played high school basketball at Mount Pleasant High School in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where she averaged 21.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game during her senior season. She was a first-team all-district, first-team all-conference and all-state selection.
She is the daughter of Chris and Andrea Lopreato. She will be a junior at Northwest.
Reese Pasternik – 5'9" Guard – Bakersfield, Calif. / Cuesta College
Pasternik is the all-time leading scorer at Cuesta College (Calif.), with 1,005 points in just two years at the junior college level, including a 42-point game.
Last season, she averaged 19.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game, shooting 37% from three-point range while leading her team to the most wins in a decade.
She was named Female Athlete of the Year for Cuesta College in 2024-2025.
Reese is the daughter of Jason and Renee Pasternik. She will be a junior at Northwest.
