BACK IN ACTION
Utah State takes to the road for its final multi-game road trip of the regular season as it faces San Jose State on Wednesday, Feb. 18, at 8 p.m. (MT), before heading to Phoenix to take on Grand Canyon on Saturday, Feb. 21, at noon (MT).

FOLLOW ALONG
All games during conference play will be streamed on the Mountain West Network with live stats available through UtahStateAggies.com.

DEFENSIVE PROWESS
A key aspect of Utah State's defense has been defending the 3-point line. The Aggies currently rank fourth in the Mountain West in 3-point field goal percentage allowed during MW play, holding opponents to 30.3 percent from behind the arc. Utah State led the league in 3-point percentage allowed through the first four weeks of conference play, allowing a mark of 26.3 percent from its opponents through eight conference games.

THE STARTING LINE
Utah State has started 16 different lineups this season, the most in the nation. Due to a number of injuries, 10 different Aggies have made at least one start this season.

WINNING PLATEAUS
In games in which USU has scored 65 or more points, the Aggies have gone 6-3 this season and have gone 0-15 when failing to reach that benchmark. Utah State is 5-3 when hitting at least 30.0 percent of their 3-point attempts, but only 1-15 when below that figure.

The Aggies are 4-0 when winning the rebounding battle and only 2-18 when being outrebounded by their opponent. Utah State is also 5-5 when holding opponents to 40.0 percent shooting from the field or worse but only 1-13 when opponents clear that figure.

BUMPS AND BRUISES
Utah State has battled its way through more than its fair share of injuries this season. The Aggies lost senior guard Marina Asensio for the season early in conference play after Asensio had established herself among the top ranks in the Mountain West for scoring, assists and assist-to-turnover ratio. USU also has now lost its leading rebounder and third-leading scorer in Sophie Sene for the remainder of the year. USU also spent a prolonged period without leading scorer Aaliyah Gayles during league action. Elsewhere, the Aggies have at times been without senior guard/forward Jamisyn Heaton, senior forward Rachel Wilson and freshman forward Andjela Marojevic.

CONVERTING THE FREEBIES
USU currently ranks fifth in the Mountain West during league play with a 75.0 percentage mark from the free throw line. The Aggies have gone 159-of-212 from the charity stripe so far in MW action. 

Utah State is also tied for 25th nationally and first in the MW alongside Boise State with five players shooting over 70.0 percent from the free throw line on at least 30 attempts this season (Marina Asensio, Aaliyah Gayles, Jamisyn Heaton, Karyn Sanford, Sophie Sene). 

THREE-LEVEL SCORERS
Gayles posted a career-high 24 points in USU's game against Grand Canyon, shooting 10-of-21 from the field and 2-of-7 from 3-point range. Gayles also led the team with five rebounds, three assists and four steals, becoming the first Aggie to lead the team in all four categories in the same game this season.

Gayles scored a then-career-high 20 points in USU's game at San Diego, marking the first 20-point game this season by an Aggie. Asensio became the second Aggie to reach the plateau this year with a 20-point effort in the team's outing at Nevada. Heaton made it three Aggies with a 20+ performance this season against UNLV. Utah State had 15 such games last season, the most by the team in a single season since 2021-22.

HANDS OFF
Another key part of USU's defensive fortitude this season is the team's aversion to fouling. The Aggies are currently averaging 15.0 fouls per game, the second-fewest in program history, trailing only the 2011-12 team's mark of 14.7 fouls per game. That has led to opponents averaging only 14.8 free throw attempts per game, the second-fewest in program history and trailing only the 2019-20 team's mark of 13.9 free throw attempts allowed per game.

In the team's first game versus Wyoming, the Aggies committed only seven fouls, the fewest in a game since 2012 and tied for the third-fewest in a game since the program was restarted in 2003-04.

AGGIES VS EVERYONE
Utah State holds a 23-17 lead in the all-time series against San Jose State and has won each of the past four meetings, including a sweep of the season series last year. While the Aggies are 14-5 all-time at home against the Spartans, however, USU is only 9-10 in San Jose. USU began the series by winning 15 of the first 21 matchups before the Spartans then reeled off 11 wins in the next 15 meetings prior to Utah State's current three-game winning streak.

Grand Canyon has taken both of the previous meetings between the Aggies and Lopes, earning a 76-62 home win in the inaugural matchup last season in Phoenix before earning an 86-66 victory in Logan earlier this season. Saturday's matchup will also be the last meeting before USU leaves for the Pac-12 next season.

LAST TIME AROUND
In the first meeting between Utah State and San Jose State, the Aggies earned a 74-61 victory to improve to 6-6 and 2-1 early in conference play, tying for the program's best start to conference play since beginning the 2018-19 MW season at 5-1. The Aggies also began the 2020-21 conference season at 2-1. The sixth win was also USU's most before the New Year since 2016-17.

PIVOTAL POSITIONING
Wednesday's game will be crucial for positioning for the upcoming MW Tournament. The Aggies currently hold a one-game lead on the Spartans in the conference standings. A win Wednesday would give USU a two-game cushion plus the tiebreaker over the Spartans.

IN THE ALL-AROUND
Sanford, Gayles and Heaton lead the team with a combined 11 games this season scoring at least 10 points alongside three or more rebounds and assists. Sanford has done so a team-high five times, most recently with a 12-5-4 statline against Fresno State. Gayles and Heaton have each accomplished the feat three times this season. Sanford and Heaton both reached the plateaus in USU's effort against San Diego State, finishing with respective lines of 13-8-3 and 18-4-3.

HANG ON TO THAT BALL, PETEY
Utah State currently carries an average turnover margin of 0.6 per game. The Aggies have turned the ball over 15.6 times per game while forcing their opponents into 16.2 turnovers per game. This would be the first season USU has managed a positive turnover differential since the 2018-19 campaign.

DOUBLE OR NOTHING
Seniors Sophie Sene and Jamisyn Heaton each recorded double-doubles against San Jose State, the first game in which USU has recorded multiple double-doubles since Tamiah Robinson and Olivia Wikstrom did so against Arkansas State in December of 2022. Sene finished with 19 points plus 13 rebounds and a block while Heaton finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals.

FRESHMAN RHYTHM
Munoz Herreros went 3-of-3 on 3-point attempts against UNLV, becoming just the eighth freshman in program history to shoot 100 percent on at least three 3-pointers in a game. The Spaniard enjoyed her best week of the season last week, scoring 12 points against the Rebels and then recording a career-high 13 points agains San Diego State, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 15 seconds remaining.

OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT 
Utah State's win over Air Force to begin Mountain West action was USU's first in its conference opener since defeating Nevada to begin MW play in 2018-19. The Aggies had lost six-straight MW openers prior to this season. USU also snapped a nine-game losing skid to the Falcons with the victory. 

SPECTRUM MAGIC
Utah State won five-straight games at the Spectrum earlier this season, recording consecutive home wins over Omaha (77-69), Stanislaus State (96-41), Idaho (80-73), Air Force (65-53) and San Jose State (74-61). The five-game streak was USU's longest home winning streak since a six-game stretch spanning the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons.

SLOWING IT DOWN
Last season, the Aggies finished the 2024-25 season as the fastest team in the Mountain West, averaging 75.1 possessions per 40 minutes. New Mexico ranked second in the MW with 73.1 possessions per 40 minutes. But this season, USU has slowed their pace down to 71.3 possessions per game, now ranking fifth in the MW. San Jose State leads the league with 73.6 possessions per game while USU also ranks behind Grand Canyon, Boise State and Fresno State in average pace.

STUFFING THE STAT SHEET 
Junior guard Aaliyah Gayles led the charge in USU's 65-53 win over Air Force, scoring 19 points alongside 10 rebounds and four assists, becoming the first Aggie to hit those marks since Shannon Dufficy did so against San Jose State in 2019. Gayles finished 4-of-8 from the field, 2-of-2 from 3-point range and went 9-of-10 from the free throw line while recording her first career double-double. Heaton then matched the stat line in USU's win over San Jose State, going 7-of-12 from the field and 4-of-4 from the FT line and adding two steals in the victory.

STRETCHING THE FLOOR
Among centers, Sene leads the nation in 3-point percentage with at least 35 attempts this season. Sene is shooting 41.7 percent (15-of-36) from behind the arc this season and is the only center over 40.0 percent on the season. Expanding parameters to any player 6-foot-3 or taller, Sene still ranks fifth in the nation and first in the MW in 3-point percentage with at least 35 attempts.

A TALL TASK ACCOMPLISHED
Sene scored 17 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Idaho, including a career-high five made 3-pointers, becoming the fifth player 6-foot-3 or taller in the Mountain West to ever hit five threes in a game and the first since Boise State's Mallory McGwire did so twice during the 2020-21 season. 

Sene's true shooting percentage of 121.4% was the highest in program history with at least five field goal attempts.

STEP ON UP, KNOCK 'EM DOWN
Sene went a perfect 10-of-10 from the free throw line in the team's 68-65 win at Cal State Bakersfield, becoming just the eighth different player to go perfect from the charity stripe on at least 10 attempts in program history (14 total instances). Sene also added seven rebounds to lead the team. Sene currently ranks sixth in the Mountain West in free throw percentage with at least 30 free throw attempts with a mark of 86.1 percent.

HELPER HELPER
USU has recorded double-digit assists in 15 games so far this season and is 6-9 in those games. Five separate Aggies have recorded five assists in a game this season as Gayles, Livingston and freshman Bella Cosme have each done so once while Sanford and Asensio have done so twice, including Asensio's career-high nine assists against San Jose State, the most by an Aggie since Emmie Harris in 2022. USU had only eight games last season in which a player recorded five or more assists. 

HEROICS GALORE
The Aggies recorded two-straight wins over Cal State Bakersfield and Omaha, both featuring late heroics to earn the victory. Gayles hit back-to-back threes to help Utah State erase a five-point deficit with less than two minutes remaining to defeat Cal State Bakersfield, 68-65. This was the first time the Aggies have come back from five or more points down in the final two minutes since erasing a six-point deficit in the final two minutes to defeat Fresno State, 80-75, on March 6, 2022.

Against Omaha at home, USU was tied with the Mavericks at 69-69 before closing out the game on an 8-0 run, kickstarted by back-to-back 3-pointers from Livingston.

STARTER JACKETS
Utah State returns three players with extensive starting experience in Jamisyn Heaton, Elise Livingston and Sophie Sene. Heaton led the Aggies last season with 27 starts while Livingston followed close behind with 26 starts to her name. After missing several games early in the season due to injury, Sene returned to the lineup to make 17 starts last season. 

AN ALL-TIME OUTING
In USU's 96-41 win over Stanislaus State, the Aggies set a program record with 36 forced turnovers and became the first Mountain West team ever with nine players each hitting a 3-pointer in a game. The Aggies tied their program record with 14 made 3-pointers, standing alongside a pair of games in 2013 against Idaho and New Mexico State. The 55-point margin of victory is also USU's fifth-largest in program history. The Aggies recorded 20 steals as a team, the most by the team since recording 21 against Utah Valley in 2014. Utah State outscored Stanislaus State, 44-7, in points off turnovers. USU's 21 assists are also the most by the Aggies since recording 24 helpers against Fresno State in 2022. The Aggies' 96 points were also tied for the most points in a game since scoring 106 against Northern New Mexico in 2018.

RECORD BREAKERS
Utah State made 256 3-pointers last season, breaking the program record of 247 3-pointers made by the team in 2012-13. Utah State also surpassed the program record for 3-point attempts with 889 attempts from behind the arc, shattering the 2012-13 team's mark of 752 3-point attempts. This year, USU has recorded 149 3-pointers, currently on pace for a season total which would rank top 10 all-time in program history.

REINFORCEMENTS ON THE WAY
Utah State's 2025-26 roster is highlighted by the additions of Aaliyah Gayles and Marina Asensio, with the backcourt duo bringing a wealth of experience and pedigree to Logan. Gayles was ranked the No. 8 recruit in the nation and a Mcdonald's All-American coming out of high school in 2022, and spent the last three seasons at USC. Asensio played last season at Western Michigan and her first two seasons at South Florida. She has twice played in the NCAA Tournament and earned all-MAC honorable mention last season.

ALL THAT GLITTERS IS NOT GOLD, BUT THIS IS
Marina Asensio played this summer for the Spanish U21 National Team at the FIBA 3x3 U21 Nations League in Bratislava, Slovakia. Asensio led the tournament in scoring while leading Spain to a gold medal. PalomaMuñoz Herreros also competed for Spain this summer at the U18 3x3 European Youth Olympic Festival.

NOBODY EXPECTS THE SPANISH TEAM ADDITIONS
With four players hailing from Spain out of its 14-player roster, Utah State has the highest percentage of players from Spain of anyone in the nation this season.

PEER PRESSURE
The Aggies won back-to-back conference games last season against San Jose State and Nevada, their first time doing so since winning three-straight versus conference opponents in 2022. Utah State also swept San Jose State last season, USU's first sweep of a conference foe since defeating Air Force twice during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season. 

FINISHED STRONG
Over the last five games of the 2024-25 regular season, the Utah State offense averaged 75.2 points per game, the highest offensive output in the Mountain West during a team's final five games of the regular season.

AGGIE TRADITION
Sophomore forward Macie Brown is the daughter of Aggie Hall of Famer Tony Brown, a member of USU's All-Century basketball team in 2005. "Downtown" Tony Brown earned honorable mention All-America honors from Basketball News following his senior season and was named to the all-Big West first team as a junior. That season, Brown made one of the most memorable shots in school history in the finals seconds of regulation against No. 25 Ohio State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to tie the game. USU went on to defeat the Buckeyes in overtime to notch its first NCAA Tournament win in 31 years. 

ALLOW ME TO INTRODUCE MYSELF
The Aggies welcome in 11 newcomers for the 2025-26 season. In addition to Gayles and Asensio, Utah State brings in three more transfers in senior Rachel Wilson (Wheeling), senior Karyn Sanford (Tarleton State) and sophomore Macie Brown (College of Southern Idaho). Saskia Krüger and Andjela Marojevic join USU as sophomores after spending their freshman seasons in Europe. The Aggies also bring in four true freshmen in Aitana Rosello Lopez, Paloma Muñoz Herreros, Mirembe Twehamye Montanana and Bella Cosme. Seniors Sophie Sene and Jamisyn Heaton plus sophomore Elise Livingston return from last year's squad for USU.

INTERNATIONAL FLARE
This season, Utah State is majority international as the Aggies field eight players from overseas out of 14 players on the roster. USU boasts four players from Spain, the most in the nation, in Asensio, Rosello Lopez, Muñoz Herreros and Twehamye Montanana. Also represented on this year's roster is Zambia (Krüger), Serbia (Marojevic), Norway (Sanford) and France (Sene). This is the first time in program history that over 50 percent of Utah State's roster is from outside the United States. The Aggies last fielded even 50 percent international players in 2018-19 (seven out of 14).

STANDING TALL
Utah State's roster boasts six players standing 6-foot or taller in Sophie Sene (6-3), Rachel Wilson (6-2), Saskia Krüger (6-1), Paloma Muñoz Herreros, (6-1), Karyn Sanford (6-0) and Macie Brown (6-0). The Aggies fielded only three such players on last year's roster.

UP NEXT
Utah State returns to the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum for its penultimate home game of the 2025-26 season, hosting New Mexico on Wednesday, Feb. 25, at 6 p.m. (MT), before hitting the road for the final time this season to take on Boise State on Saturday, Feb. 28, at 2 p.m. (MT).

Tickets
Single-game tickets are on sale now and can be purchased here or by visiting the USU Ticket Office.

Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at /USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at /USUAthletics.
 
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