Junior guards Lauren Scott, who averaged 6.9 points a year ago, and Mikaya Miller (4.5), are the top two returning scorers, which meant Hoffman needed instant help.
“In this day and age, building your roster definitely is a challenge. We worked really hard in the spring to pinpoint transfers that would fit our team well. We feel really good about all of them,” she said.
Hoffman brought in six transfers along with three freshmen recruits, and Amaya Staton, a 6-foot-1 forward in her fifth year of eligibility, looks to be the jewel of the bunch.
She started two years at Merrimack, averaging 10.9 points last season while shooting 46% from the field and 80.5% from the foul line.
The other transfers also come from Division-I schools but are short on experience: 5-7 sophomore Olivia Brown (Akron), 5-10 redshirt freshman Abbie Riddle (Bowling Green); 6-3 junior Chloe Chard Peloquin (Canisius) and a pair from Appalachian State, 6-1 sophomore Lexi Bugajski and 5-9 sophomore Makenzie Drout.
Drout suffered a torn ACL and is out for the season.
“We were trying to find younger transfers. Last year, being really old and then losing most of our production because they graduated, I just don’t want to do that every year,” Hoffman said.
“You want to be able to build year to year and stop having to teach everything brand new. I feel really good about the girls that chose us. We choose them, but they also have to choose us in the transfer process. We expect production from almost all of them.”
The Raiders finished 18-15 last year — a 10-win improvement from 2022-23 — finished fourth at 11-9 in the Horizon League and reached the semifinals of the league tourney.
They were second in the HL and 38th nationally in 3-pointers at 7.9 per game, but they were last in the league in rebound margin at minus-4.2.
Another deficiency was interior defense. They actually gave up more points (70.8) than they scored (70.2).
Staton is considered a difference-maker there.
“We’ve had a hard time guarding in our league because we haven’t had that rim protector. And Amaya gives us that immediately,” Hoffman said.
“She’s been everything we’d hoped for and more. She said she’s loving basketball again. She’s playing with a lot of joy.”
The biggest loss was point guard Alexis Hutchison, who led the league in scoring (19.3) and was fifth in assists (3.2).
“Olivia Brown has been really solid for us and is getting a lot of reps as a point guard. She just has a really good knack of making plays for her teammates,” Hoffman said.
The Raiders, who officially start preseason practice Tuesday, open the season at Wisconsin on Nov. 5, play at Evansville on Nov. 10 and then have their home opener against Indiana State on Nov. 12.
A highlight of the non-league schedule is a trip to Phoenix for the Grand Canyon tourney Dec 18-21.
Wright State opens against the host Antelopes and then play Georgia Southern and Florida Atlantic.
“I expect us to be playing our best ball in March. I think this crew is going to be potentially a late-bloomer,” Hoffman said.
“I hope I’m wrong about that, but I do see us improving at a high clip right now. That will, hopefully, continue all the way through March.”
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