On Wednesday, Lindenwood women's basketball head coach Phil Sayers announced the finalization of the 2026-27 roster with the addition of 10 players, consisting of six guards and four forwards.

Violet McNece | 6-0 | Junior | Guard | Morehead State | Marquette High School
McNece will be no stranger to the OVC after spending last season at Morehead State. In her lone season with the Eagles, McNece appeared in 31 games, starting 26 and averaged 9.5 points and 3.1 assists per game. The 6-0 guard scored in double figures on 14 occasions and was deadly from beyond the arc, connecting at 40 percent, while making 64 overall, fifth-most in the conference.

Coach Sayers on Violet: "Violet is a knockdown shooter! She has the ability to stretch the floor while also using her length to get to the rim. We are thrilled to welcome her back to Missouri and our fans will love watching her play. On top of what she brings on the court her positive attitude, confidence and commitment to being a great teammate makes her a perfect fit for our program."

McNece spent the 2024-25 season at Navy, appearing in 25 games, averaging 2.7 points and 1.5 rebounds per game.

At the high school level, McNece had a winning pedigree, leading her team to back-to back state championships at Incarnate Word Academy before heading to Marquette. McNece almost immediately started making an impact as she was named Second Team All-District as a sophomore before repeating the feat as a junior. McNece rounded out her junior campaign by being selected to the All-Missouri State Championship Finals Second Team. Her senior year competing with Marquette, she garnered spots on the All-District and All-St. Louis Suburban Yellow Conference First Teams, while serving has her team's captain.

Macie McNece | 5-7 | Redshirt Freshman | Guard | Saint Leo University | Broadneck High School
McNece joins her sister Violet in St. Charles after spending time at Saint Leo University. During her time with the Lions, she averaged 6.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, while shooting 58 percent from three-point range across four contests.

At Broadneck, McNece finished her career with over 1,000 points and knocked down more than 200 three-pointers. During her senior season, she averaged 19 points per game.

Coach Sayers on Macie: "We are so excited to add Macie to our Lindenwood Women's basketball program. You don't want to play Macie in a game of P-I-G! She can make shots, but her speed off the bounce makes her a very skilled offensive player. She plays with a chip on her shoulder and she is excited to come here and showcase her ability. We are thankful to have her be a part of the future we are building here." 

Bianca Silva | 5-6 | Senior | Guard | University of Louisiana at Lafeyette | Layton Christian Academy
Silva spent last season at Louisiana Lafeyette appearing in 31 games, making 21 starts. The native of Brazil averaged 5.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists across 28.3 minutes per game. She scored in double figured four different times, including a season-high 19 at Memphis on November 25.

Silva also spent time at Northwest College, appearing in 52 games, with 41 starts, averaging 11.5 points per game on 43 percent shooting during the two-year stay with the Trappers. Silva was the team's leading scorer as a sophomore and started 29 games in the 2024-25 season, averaging 13.3 points per game. The 5-6 guard shot a career-best 49 percent and averaged 5.3 field goal makes per game With her efforts, she earned a spot on the Region IX First Team, while also being selected to the Region IX All-Defensive team.

Coach Sayers on Silva: "We are excited to have Bianca joining our team this year. Her creativity with the ball in her hands and joy she displays while playing will be an asset to our team. She plays with an edge and a toughness that will help the success of our team. What stood out to us was her willingness to rebound from the guard position and was a no brainer to add one more veteran guard" 

Cadence Dykstra | 5-8 | Senior | Guard | University of Toledo | Grand Rapids West Catholic High School
Dykstra spent the last three seasons at the University of Toledo playing in 92 games, including 39 starts. During that time, she averaged 2.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in nearly 15 minutes of action. Dykstra scored a career-high 13 points against Long Beach State during the 2024-25 season and had the third most assists on the team a year ago In the classroom, she was two-time CSC Academic All-District and one-time Academic All-MAC.

At the high school level, Dykstra was a 2022-23 Michigan Miss Basketball finalist and led Grand Rapids West Catholic to an undefeated regular season as a senior while shooting 50 percent from the floor while averaging 14 points, six rebounds, five assists, and four steals per game. The Michigan native was a four-year starter in high school and a four-time all-conference honoree. She helped lead team to back-to-back district titles as a freshman and sophomore and nearly led team to third straight title as a junior in 2021-22.

Coach Sayers on Cadence: "Cadence is a natural born leader. Her work ethic speaks volumes, and she impacts the game in so many ways that go unseen. Watching her since she entered high school I have been able to see her growth as a player and a person while also witnessing the impact she had on helping her teams win. Our team will love her energy, toughness and competitive spirit. Cades is the perfect example of the willingness to do whatever it takes to win." 

Elisha Dykstra | 5-11 | Sophomore | Guard | University of Toledo | Grand Rapids West Catholic High School
Dykstra comes to Lindenwood after spending last season at the University of Toledo with her sister, Cadence. In 2025-26, she played in 23 games and totaled 107 minutes, while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists.

Dykstra was a four sport athlete in high school and was a Michigan Miss Basketball candidate, while earning All-Conference and All-State honorable mention honors.

Coach Sayers on Elisha: "Elisha is a long, lanky guard who plays with aggression. Her length and balance allows her to be a great defender while also making her a tough matchup on offense. Coming from a winning program in high school also makes her a special type of recruit. Elisha is on a mission to be the best player she can be and that mindset will aid her as we strive to be the most competitive program possible."

Mariah Dallas | 5-11 | Junior | Forward | Mineral Area College | Fort Zumwalt South High School
Dallas spent the last two seasons at Mineral Area College appearing in 45 games, making 31 starts. Last year, she averaged 16.9 points and 6.9 rebounds per game and went on to earn Region 16 First Team All-Region honors.

The junior forward also had a dominant high school career at Fort Zumwalt South. During her time with the Bulldogs, she averaged a double-double in every season and was a two-time GAC Central and District Player of the Year.

Coach Sayers on Mariah: "Mariah is a powerful, explosive athlete who will bring a great level of toughness and determination to our team. We are thrilled to welcome back a local product to Saint Charles. Mariah has a unique coachability that was very intriguing to our staff. She loved to do the little things that help teams win and we are excited to see her embrace that part of her game here at Lindenwood."

Ari Martinez | 6-0 | Junior | Center | Eastern Wyoming College | Institut Antoni de Martí i Franquès
Martinez comes to St. Charles after spending two seasons at Eastern Wyoming College. During that time, she appeared in 60 games, making 42 starts. Martinez led her region tournament both years and averaged 8.4 points and five rebounds per game. The 6-0 center shot 54 percent from the field and 78 percent from the line, while scoring in double figures 12 times during the 2025-26 season.

In high school, she led her team in scoring and won a regular season championship during her senior year.

Coach Sayers on Ari: "One thing that stood out to us in recruiting Ari was her appreciation of playing basketball. She has great feet and a physicality that we were looking for to add to our roster. Her best basketball is in front of her and we look forward to assisting her as she grows as a player."

Jarius Powers | 6-1 | Sophomore | Center | University of Illinois Chicago | Alton High School
Powers spent last season at the University of Illinois Chicago where she appeared in seven games during her freshman season.

At Alton, Powers was a three-year starter and finished her career as the second player in school history with 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds. The Redbirds went 34-3 during her senior season, going 12-0 in the Southwestern Conference and winning a title. in her junior season, Powers was selected to the Southwestern All-Conference First Team, as well as Illinois Basketball Coaches Association All-4A State First Team honors after averaging 13 points, six rebounds and over two steals per game.

Coach Sayers on Jarius: "We are excited to welcome Jarius back to the Saint Charles area! She brings a versatile game to the post position along with an infectious positive attitude. Her desire to improve and be coached stood out on her visit. Jarius wants to make a difference and we are confident she will do so here at Lindenwood " 

Brynn Owens | 5-7 | Freshman | Guard | Austin High School
Owens comes to Lindenwood after a decorated career at Austin High School in Austin, Ind. The 5-7 guard finished her four-year career with 2,242 points, ranking 23^rd on Indiana's All-Time scoring list, while topping the ranks at Austin. During her career, Owens was a four-time All-Conference selection.

Coach Sayers on Brynn: "We are excited to welcome Brynn Owens to our Lindenwood team. I was impressed at her ability to score the basketball at all three levels while watching her on film which started the process of recruiting her. Then when you talk to her you can feel her competitive spirit jumping through the phone. This refusal to be nothing but her best was evident on her visit here as well. We are thankful she chose to pursue a path a little out of her comfort zone and head to Lindenwood."

Jazlyn Powell | 6-1 | Freshman | Forward | Faith Family Academy
Powell brings a winning pedigree to Lindenwood as she has won State Championships in both basketball and volleyball. At Faith Family Academy Powell averaged 9.5 points 7 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1.3 assists per game. The Dallas native was recognized as a Defensive Player of the Year, two-time first team All-State, and two-time first team All-District selection during her high school career.

Coach Sayers on Jazlyn: "Jazlyn brings versatility, length and speed to our program. After watching her play one thing that really stood out to our staff was her ability to play and guard multiple positions. She comes from a winning high school program where she has been coached well and developed to be the player she is today. Jazlyn wants to guard! We got that vibe from her as we spoke and that was exciting as we went through this process. Her upside is tremendous and I believe we have the staff to assist in having her reach her potential." 

This group joins returners Anna McCarn, Konstantina Mantziori, and Justice Macon as well as High School signee Brenna Rucker who was inked last November.