Winning back-to-back national championships in college basketball is a rare feat, especially in the era of the transfer portal. Grand Valley State, however, has positioned itself well to potentially do just that.

The reigning and defending NCAA Division II national champion is loaded to the teeth once again, holding the No. 1 spot in major national polls and running through all of its competition to date. Talented in all facets, the Lakers are looking to turn their recent run of success into a dynasty and become the first D-II women’s squad to win repeat titles since Lubbock Christian in 2019 and 2021 (there was no 2020 tournament due to COVID-19).

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There’s a long way for GVSU to go in order to do that, but with the pieces it has at its disposal, good luck to any team in D-II trying to stop it over the next few months.

Here’s a look back at Grand Valley State women’s basketball’s season to date, along with what to watch out for with the Lakers going into the new year:

GVSU Season Recap (So Far)

In the Lakers’ two national championship seasons in 2006 and 2025, neither of them saw GVSU go perfect against D-II opponents. At 10-0 thus far this season, the Lakers' aspiration of running through an entire season without a scratch is off to a flying start.

GVSU hasn’t just gone unbeaten. It’s dominated. All 10 of the Lakers’ wins have come by at least 14 points, and some of them haven’t come against slouches, like when the Lakers toppled a West Texas A&M team currently ranked No. 9 in the country by a 73-59 margin Nov. 1. They’ve won their first two GLIAC games by a combined 97 points over Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State, and closed 2025 on a high note by blasting past Aquinas (93-21) on Sunday with a 29-0 run to start the game.

The Lakers have hit the 90-point mark on four occasions, held opponents to under 40 points twice and are the well-deserved No. 1 team in the country, unanimously holding the top spot in the latest edition of the WBCA Division II Coaches’ Poll.

GVSU Women's Basketball Key Stats

1. 81.9 points per game (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 11 nationally)
2. 50.7 points allowed per game (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 5 nationally)
3. 36.4% opposing field goal percentage (No. 1 GLIAC)
4. 23.7% opposing 3-point percentage (No. 1 GLIAC)
5. 41.8 team rebounds per game (No. 1 GLIAC)
6. 30.7 rebounds allowed per game (No. 1 GLIAC)
7. 18.1 offensive rebounds per game (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 6 nationally)
8. +11.1 rebounding margin (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 10 nationally)
9. 27.9 turnovers forced per game (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 8 nationally)
10. +11.7 turnover margin (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 4 nationally)
11. 15.7 steals per game (No. 1 GLIAC, No. 10 nationally)
12. 16.6 assists per game (No. 2 GLIAC)
13. 4.44 blocks per game (No. 2 GLIAC)
14. 43.6% field goal percentage (No. 3 GLIAC)
15. 7.8 3-pointers made per game (No. 3 GLIAC)
16. 1.02 assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 3 GLIAC)

GVSU Key Playmakers

MacKenzie Bisballe, F, Soph.

The Bisballe name is royalty at GVSU, and MacKenzie is doing her part in helping the family legacy continue. With sister and former All-American Rylie Bisballe now graduated, MacKenzie has had to step up and produce in a new role in her first year as a starter and has done just that, tying for the team lead at the holiday break at 14.7 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game. GVSU rarely has its players on the floor for long stretches, making Bisballe’s numbers even more impressive as she’s done it in an average of 18.9 minutes per game.

Paige VanStee, G/F, R-Sr.

VanStee has often been a key role player throughout her GVSU career, winning the GLIAC Sixth Woman of the Year award as a sophomore and winning the Midwest Regional Most Outstanding Player honor last season during the Lakers’ run to the national title. This time around, however, there’s no misunderstanding that VanStee is one of GVSU’s focal points. She is even with Bisballe in both points and rebounds per game going into Christmas, shooting 48.5% from the field to go with it while racking up a team-high 26 steals as the Lakers’ defensive anchor.

Nicole Kamin, G, Sr.

A returning starter from the national championship team, Kamin is a two-time First Team All-GLIAC selection and former All-GLIAC Defensive Team pick for a reason, even if the stats aren’t showing it on paper this season. Kamin has had a slower start offensively than previous years as she’s averaged just 5.9 points per game this season, but has been able to move some of her scoring responsibilities over to teammates while she continues to do what she does best — defend and dish. Kamin’s 3.7 assists per game rank first on the team, while her 19 steals rank second and are done across just 22.3 minutes per night.

GVSU Women's Basketball Games to Watch

GVSU vs Northern Michigan, 1 p.m. Jan. 3

Picked second in the GLIAC Preseason Women’s Basketball poll, Northern Michigan is the biggest obstacle standing in the Lakers’ way on the path toward what could be a fifth straight GLIAC title. The Wildcats have been fantastic at 11-1 going into the holiday break, being the highest-ranked non-GLIAC team in the national poll at No. 14 as of this writing. The X-factor in this game will be what breaks first — NMU’s elite 3-point shooting or GVSU’s elite numbers at defending the deep ball. The Wildcats fire away from long range to the tune of a 36.8% percentage and 8.2 triples per game, which rank Nos. 1 and 2 in the GLIAC, respectively.

GVSU vs Ferris State, 5:30 p.m. Jan. 19

The Anchor-Bone rivalry between GVSU and Ferris State is always high-stakes, and that’s especially true when both teams are among the best in D-II basketball. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 23 in the latest poll and had strong wins in nonconference play over North Georgia and Alaska Anchorage, but they have lost their last three games against their biggest rival and were emphatically swept by GVSU last season. FSU would love nothing more than to give the Lakers a midseason headache, especially with the knowledge that a perfect season for GVSU (should everything go to plan) is very much a possibility.

GVSU vs Parkside, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22

The Lakers’ trip to Parkside is less about if GVSU can defeat the Rangers — with Parkside sitting at 5-5, the Lakers should be heavily favored — and more about if the Lakers can exorcise some demons. GVSU had two losses on its way to the national championship last season; one came against Ohio State, the other came against Parkside in a huge mid-February upset, just a few weeks after the Lakers won their first meeting by 29 points. It was a rare off day for GVSU that cost it a shot at history, and the Lakers can stay perfect going into this game, the returners should have an added incentive to take care of business this time around.

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