Henrico, VA - On Thursday, the La Salle women's basketball team will begin their postseason pursuit at the 2026 Betterment Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Championship at the Henrico Sports & Events Center.
They'll face off with the eleventh-seeded Saint Louis Billikens who they previously lost to at home on January 14. The Billikens defeated Fordham tonight, 68-60 to put them through to the second round. The teams will face off with the winner slated to take on third-seeded Richmond in the third round.
Stole The Show
Aryss Macktoon became the first Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year in program history on Tuesday. Her 96 steals top La Salle's single-season leaderboard and rank top-ten nationally. She has recorded multiple steals in all but three games this season, and also ranks 23rd in the conference in blocks (14). Teammates Joan Quinn and Ashleigh Connor also sit among the league's top 15 in steals, helping the team lead the conference in team steals.
The AA Battery
Ashleigh Connor and Aryss Macktoon were each named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference Second Team, becoming the first Explorers selected to an All-Conference team since Kayla Spruill in 2021. Connor averages 3.9 assists per game, ranking third in the Atlantic 10, while raising her field goal percentage from 35.7% last season to 43.8% this year. She scored at least 20 points in seven games this season and reached double figures in all but three. In addition to her defensive prowess, Macktoon averages 7.3 rebounds and 15.2 points per game, ranking fourth and sixth in the Atlantic 10 respectively. She scored at least 20 points in six games this season and reached double figures in all but five.
5 In The Top 5
La Salle is the only team in the Atlantic 10 with a player in the top-five in points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks per game. Ashleigh Connor ranks fourth in points (15.6) and third in assists (3.9). Aryss Macktoon ranks fourth in rebounds (7.3) and first in steals (3.3). Amiya Moses ranks fifth in blocks (1.3).
In Her Bun Era
Since sporting a bun for the first time this season against Saint Joseph's, Joan Quinn is shooting 60% (18/30) from three over the past nine games. Over that stretch, she is averaging 13.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.9 steals while scoring in double figures in seven out of nine contests. The Explorers are 8-4 this season in games where Quinn makes multiple three-pointers and 12-5 when she scores at least 10.
Power In Numbers
Four Explorers have scored in double figures eight times this season. The team is 6–2 in such games, with both losses coming against Saint Joseph's.
Chasing The Century Mark
Head coach Mountain MacGillivray sits at 98 career wins heading into the Atlantic 10 Tournament, while Aryss Macktoon sits at 96 steals in the 2025-26 season.
Rhody Ends Here
On February 18, the Explorers knocked off RV Rhode Island, 63-59, at home, handing the Atlantic 10 frontrunner its first loss since before Thanksgiving. Sophomore guard Joan Quinn scored 21 points on 8/12 shooting from the field to lead the team, including a clutch three-pointer and and-one finish in the final minutes to seal the game. The victory marked the highest-ranked opponent Mountain MacGillivray has defeated while at La Salle.Â
Last Year...
Last year in Henrico, Ashleigh Connor delivered a clutch game-winning and-one to lift the No. 14 Explorers past VCU in the first round and into a matchup with Dayton. Connor scored six, while Quinn (12) and Macktoon (11) led the offense.
