With the 2026 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Basketball Tournament in the rear view mirror, evidence suggests that the Falcons’ 2026-27 roster will embody numerous new faces to the team.
Bowling Green finished the season, placing seventh in the MAC, and met the Ball State Cardinals in the tournament’s quarterfinals, losing 75-63.
“Really proud of their effort,” said head coach Fred Chmiel following Bowling Green’s loss to the Cardinals. “It didn’t result in a win, but I thought they played their hearts out.”
Since that game, four of BG’s players have announced their intention to enter the transfer portal, with two notable names on the list. As of this article, junior guard Paige Kohler, sophomore guard Johnea Donahue, junior guard Jasmine Fearne and sophomore forward Laila Harrison have notified the team of their aspiration via social media.
Kohler and Donahue collectively led the program in points scored throughout each game. Kohler topped the team with 14 points per game, whereas Donahue averaged 11 points per outing.
Not only was Donahue an asset offensively, but she was also a force to be reckoned with on the defensive side of the ball as well. She concluded the regular season registering the third-most steals in the nation, averaging 4.2 steals per game.
“She’s a winner,” said Chmiel. “Her timing is impeccable. She has a high basketball IQ and an innate ability to get those steals.”
Kohler echoed Chmiel’s sentiments on Donahue’s impact.
“It just shows how hard she works,” Kohler said. “She takes pride in her defense; she knows that’s how she makes the biggest impact for this team.”
On top of that, the Falcons will most likely lose Fearne, who was a consistent starter throughout the season as well. Fearne averaged 14 minutes per night, posting four points on 34.2% shooting.
Aside from the high-profile departures, Harrison is the latest to announce her intention to leave the program. She recorded the second-fewest minutes among the rotation, recording just over five minutes per game on the hardwood this season.
Having said that, BGSU must embrace the next iteration of Falcons, including the current young talent, to compete for a MAC Tournament appearance next season.
This past season, Bowling Green featured two freshman athletes among the 13 total players on the roster, with Ky’Aira Miller and Sofia Moschen comprising that duo.
Moschen capped off her redshirt freshman year, logging the fewest minutes per game this season out of the entire depth chart. On the other hand, Chmiel incorporated Miller into the starting five as early as game one.
In fact, Miller started in the first five games of the regular season, while averaging 18.6 minutes per outing during that stretch.
Outside of the two current freshman players on the roster, BGSU has three high school commits who will join the team next year.
The three high school commits consist of Mar Segura, who plays the guard position from Spain, Kayla Stidhman, who plays both the guard and forward positions from Fishers, Indiana, and lastly, point guard Sophie Alexander, who is a native of Melbourne, Australia.
Chmiel may need to feature these three young athletes in the regular rotation, especially with Kohler, Donahue and Fearne in the transfer portal.
Beyond Kohler, Donahue and Fearne, sophomore forward Lauren Gerken and junior forward Taya Ellis were the two lone players who impacted BG’s output on a nightly basis that are currently on the team.
Gerken ended her 2026 season averaging 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Meanwhile, Ellis topped the roster with the most rebounds per contest with 6.7 boards per game, not to mention averaging 6.5 points per outing as well.
“The thing about Lauren is she’s still gaining confidence,” said Chmiel. “The more success she has, the more confidence she’ll get and the more she’ll be able to help us.”
Lastly, junior forward Joniyah Bland-Fitzpatrick may be asked to expand her workload as next season looms. Bland-Fitzpatrick scored 10 points or more in three games this past season, which came against No. 2 South Carolina, Lourdes and Coastal Carolina.
Bland-Fitzpatrick scored 10 points versus the Gamecocks during the Falcons’ second game of the campaign, 17 points against the Gray Wolves on Dec. 14 and 21 points against the Chanticleers on Feb. 7.
“I’m not really a person that looks for points, I’m just a hustle player,” said Bland-Fitzpatrick. “When you work hard, you get rewarded every time, and that just goes for anybody.”
Altogether, Bowling Green must rely on the next wave of athletes to compete for a MAC title next season.
