SETTING THE SCENE
The Cleveland State women's basketball team will be making its fifth straight postseason appearance this week, set to participate in the 2025 WNIT. The Vikings will open play with a second round contest on Tuesday, March 25, welcoming Coppin State to the Wolstein Center for a 7:00 p.m. contest. Entering postseason play, Cleveland State stands at 24-9 on the year, while Coppin State is 19-14 overall this season.
 
A WIN ON TUESDAY WOULD…
Advance the Vikings to the Super 16 of the WNIT…Mark the sixth postseason win for Cleveland State in program history…Give the Vikings 25 wins on the year for the third time under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
 
THE CLEVELAND STATE/COPPIN STATE SERIES
Tuesday's game will mark the first meeting between the two teams in program history.
 
2025 WNIT
This year's WNIT field features 48 teams, including 16 that received byes into the second round of the tournament. First round matchups were contested March 20-22, while second round games are being played March 23-25. Second round winners will advance to the Super 16 (March 26-28), while the Great 8 games are set for March 29-31, Fab 4 for April 1-2 and the 2025 WNIT Championship game is scheduled for April 5. All games will be hosted on campus sites.
 
…A LOOK AT THE BRACKET
Cleveland State is one of two Horizon League teams in the WNIT field, joining Purdue Fort Wayne who also received a bye into the second round of the tournament. The Mastodons are the only opponent in the field from the Vikings' 2024-25 schedule.
 
…CLEVELAND STATE IN THE WNIT
This will mark the second appearance for the Vikings in the WNIT, as they also earned a spot in the field during the 2014-15 campaign, falling at Michigan in a first round contest.
 
HOME-SWEET-HOME
Tuesday's game will mark the 16th home game for the Vikings this season, with Cleveland State owning a 13-2 record when playing on its home court this year. Over the last three seasons, the Vikings have gone 45-3 when playing at home, including a perfect 17-0 campaign last year.
 
…POSTSEASON PLAY AT THE WOLSTEIN CENTER
Tuesday's game will mark the second time in program history that the Vikings are hosting a postseason game in the Wolstein Center, and the first time for WNIT play to come to Cleveland. The Vikings' first time hosting came during the 2010-11 campaign, when they hosted Chicago State in the second round of the WBI.
 
LAST TIME OUT…
Cleveland State was last in action at the 2025 Horizon League Tournament, advancing to the semifinals for the sixth straight season. The Vikings, who were playing as the No. 3 seed in the tournament, dropped an 83-65 contest against second-seeded Purdue Fort Wayne in the semifinals after picking up a 92-61 victory over Detroit Mercy in the quarterfinals.
 
…PERDUE NAMED TO THE #HLWBB ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Mickayla Perdue was named to the Horizon League All-Tournament Team, picking up her second straight #HLWBB All-Tournament honor. Through two tournament games, Perdue averaged 28.5 points per game, notching back-to-back 20-point performances, including a career-high 33 points against Purdue Fort Wayne in the semifinals. Perdue also combined for 11 assists on the tournament, while shooting 40-percent from the field.
 
CSU ENTERS POSTSEASON PLAY WITH 24 WINS
After securing their fourth straight 20-win season with a 79-58 victory over Oakland earlier this year, Cleveland State enters WNIT play with 24 wins - the third most wins in a single-season in program history. The 24 wins marks the fifth 20-win campaign for Cleveland State over the last six years, while one more win would give the Vikings 25 wins for the third time under head coach Chris Kielsmeier.
 
PERDUE NAMED #HLWBB PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Earlier this season Mickayla Perdue was named the Horizon League Player of the Year, becoming just the fifth Viking in program history to earn Player of the Year honors. Perdue, who was also named to the All-League First Team, is averaging 20.1 points and 3.3 assists per game, and has recorded a league-high 18 20-point performances on the year, including a 33-point effort last time out in the #HLWBB Semifinals. For the season, Perdue has 663 total points, ranking 13th nationally among Division I payers.
 
…VIKINGS WITH PLAYER OF THE YEAR HONORS
Mickayla Perdue's Player of the Year honor marked the third straight season that Cleveland State has taken home the major award from the league. This marked the fourth time in #HLWBB history that the same school has earned Player of the Year honors during three straight seasons, but it was the first time that three different players from the same school have earned the recognition (2025-Perdue, 2024-Maples, 2023-Leo).
 
GUERREIRO, LEO & REISMA EARN ALL-LEAGUE HONORS
In addition to Mickayla Perdue, the trio of Sara Guerreiro, Destiny Leo and Jordana Reisma also picked up All-League accolades, with Reisma earning a spot on the All-League Second Team & All-Defensive Team, Guerreiro being named to the All-League Third Team & All-Defensive Team and Leo picking up All-League Third Team honors.
 
…LEO BECOMES FOUR-TIME ALL-LEAGUE HONOREE
With her All-League Third Team accolade this season, Destiny Leo became a four-time All-League honoree, picking up postseason accolades in each of her four complete seasons that she has played at Cleveland State. Leo becomes the fourth Viking all-time to be a four-time All-League honoree, and has earned Player of the Year, Sixth Player of the Year, First Team, Third Team, and Freshman Team nods.
 
PERDUE SETS SINGLE-SEASON SCORING RECORD
After finishing with 33 points against Purdue Fort Wayne last time out, Mickayla Perdue set the CSU Single-Season Scoring Record, currently owning 663 points on the year. Perdue is one of three players to hold multiple spots on the top-10 list after also ranking seventh with 607 points from last season, while she is one of just two Vikings all-time to record multiple 600-point seasons (Kailey Klein).
 
LEO SETS SINGLE-SEASON THREE-POINT RECORD
With a trio of three-pointers against Purdue Fort Wayne last time out, Destiny Leo set the CSU Record for three-pointers in a single-season, entering Tuesday's game with 93 on the year. Leo, who broke her own record of 90 three-pointers that she set during the 2022-23 campaign, is averaging 2.8 three-pointers per game so far this year. Leo, who is shooting 41-percent from behind-the-arc on the year, also holds the CSU Career Record with 317 total three-pointers.
 
REISMA EFFICIENT FROM THE FIELD
Jordana Reisma continues to be one of the most efficient shooters among Division I players, entering WNIT play with a .671 field goal percentage on the year. Reisma, who currently ranks second among all Division I players in field goal percentage, is shooting 186-for-277 on the year, while she currently sits at the top of the CSU Career Record Book with a .601 clip (408-678) for her career.
 
LEO ON THE CAREER SCORING LIST
Destiny Leo enters WNIT play ranked second on the CSU Career Scoring List, currently sitting at 1,920 total points. Leo is one of just two Vikings all-time with 1,900+ points on their CSU career, and is averaging 11.0 points per game this season to average double-digit points in all four complete seasons that she has played.
 
CLEVELAND STATE ON THE BOARDS
The Vikings continue to be the top rebounding team in the Horizon League, averaging 37.7 boards per game through 33 games played. Cleveland State also holds a league-best +6.6 rebounding margin, and has outrebounded its opponent 25 times so far this year. Cleveland State's current rebounding margin of +6.6 ranks second in the Single-Season Record Book, while the Vikings' 936 defensive boards so far this season also ranks second.
 
VIKINGS FROM THE FREE THROW LINE
Through 33 games played this season, the Vikings rank sixth nationally averaging 16.64 free throws made per game. For the season, Cleveland State has converted a league-best 549 free throws, including 20+ free throws during eight games this year. The 549 total free throws currently ranks fourth on the CSU Single-Season List, as one of just four teams all-time with 500+ made free throws in a campaign.
 
…AND FROM THE FIELD
As a team, Cleveland State has had one of the more efficient offenses this season, leading the Horizon League and ranking 11th among Division I teams with a .476 clip from the field on the year. The Vikings have shot 50-percent or better during 11 games so far this season. Cleveland State's .476 clip from the field, currently sits at the top of the CSU Single-Season Record Book, while the 75.3 points per game scoring average ranks fourth.
 
GUERREIRO NAMED TO #HLWBB ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
For the second straight season, graduate student Sara Guerreiro has earned a spot on the Horizon League All-Academic Team. Guerreiro, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in Mechanical Engineering last spring, is currently pursuing her master's degree in the same field, holding a 4.00 grade point average. Guerreiro was one of five #HLWBB players named to the team.
 
HEAD COACH CHRIS KIELSMEIER
The Vikings will be under the direction of seventh-year head coach Chris Kielsmeier, who currently owns a career head coaching record of 565-185. At Cleveland State, Kielsmeier owns a record of 149-69, with his 100th victory as a Viking coming in a 95-41 decision over Chicago State last season. Under his guidance, Cleveland State has posted five 20-win seasons, including a program-record 30 wins during the 2023-24 campaign.