Mizzou women feel ‘momentum’ going into year two under Kellie Harper

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Sports fans know the old saying that 'games are won in practice'...but how about in summer workouts?

From early June through late July, college basketball teams around the nation are hard at work building strength, conditioning and - most importantly - team chemistry. The Mizzou women's basketball team is no exception, as head coach Kellie Harper and her squad are wrapping up, what they say, has been a productive summer.

Team chemistry has been a big focus for this new-look group of Tigers, as Coach Harper brought in eight new players in the offseason, to compliment her five returners.

Despite having so many new players, building a bond has not been a struggle for this team.

"I feel like all of us clicked kind of instantly," returning guard Averi Kroenke said. "We have so many people who just have great personalities, great energy, great attitudes and we have so much fun together. We got to do the lake trip, we had a bonfire at our apartment, we've had team dinners, so we've gotten to do a lot of stuff to really get to know each other off the court and kind of more like who you are as a person."

After losing five players to the transfer portal after the 2025-26 season, Coach Harper had some work to do to rebuild her roster for her second season at the helm in Columbia. She did so with three exciting new transfers and a high-potential five-member freshmen class.

That transfer class included one player that fans of hoops in Missouri may recognize: Nevaeh Caffey.

After spending one season at Indiana, the Warrenton, Missouri native hit the transfer portal and decided to come home to help build something special in Columbia.

"It feels great to know that I'm only an hour away from home and I'm excited to be able to play, you know, at Mizzou in front of my friends and family," Caffey said. "[I was inspired to come to Mizzou after] the first phone call, talking with Coach Harper and just seeing how much her and her staff believes in me. Also, it's just a great group of girls, so I'm excited to play with them."

Caffey is joining the black and gold after starting in all 32 games for the Hoosiers in the 2025-26 season, averaging 8.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game.

She left high school knowing what winning looked like, as she helped lead the national powerhouse that is Incarnate Word Academy to four-straight Missouri Class 6 State Championships. In fact, her Red Knights squad achieved a mind-boggling 139-game consecutive winning streak, which set a national record.

"[Winning is] hard and people think it's easy, but it's really not. So, you go through a lot of ups and downs, there's a lot of trial and errors, but as long as you have the right, you know, surrounding team, you'll be fine," she said.

Caffey was a shining star in a season that had its ups and downs for the Indiana Hoosiers, as the group went 18-14 overall and road a 10-game losing streak at one point in the season. Despite facing some of that adversity, the newest Tiger learned a lot.

"A lot of adversity going on, like a losing streak when we were in conference, so I feel like just staying down and, you know, going into the next game like it's a new start," she said.

Caffey, as well as the seven other new players on the roster are adjusting quickly, thanks to a trio of returning seniors, who've been invaluable in the process.

Guards Grace Slaughter, Abbey Schreacke and Averi Kroenke are the leaders of the 2026-27 Tiger squad, as the group helped build the foundation in year one with Coach Harper.

"I think there's a lot of momentum going into this season," Kroenke said. "I'm really happy with the returners we have coming back and the transfers they picked up. They're amazing people, amazing players and the freshmen coming in, they just have such great energy and attitudes. Everyone on this team has really come in and worked hard every day. We're super competitive and that's what you want in a really good team."

Kroenke has brought a unique perspective to the court, this summer, as she missed the entire 2025-26 season with a torn ACL. That injury came just days before the team's season opener in November, as she was forced to watch from the sidelines.

Unfortunately, that wasn't the first time that the Rock Bridge alum had grappled with an injury at Mizzou, either. Just before the 2023-24 season opener, she suffered a severe right foot injury, which kept her out that season, as well.

While having those experiences could've been deflating, Kroenke alum found the positives.

"It was very devastating for me, especially just like with the past I've had before, but I truly believe that God works things for a reason," she said. "There's been other areas of growth that I've had during this time that maybe wouldn't have came, had injury not occurred. So, now I'm just super ready to implement what I've learned from sitting on the sideline and just have a really great season...I feel like definitely when you watch the game, you pick up on things that you don't when you're playing. I think especially with a new coaching staff [last year], you know, I would have gave anything to play, but with a new staff coming in, I feel like I was able to learn the system almost better from watching everything and hearing, you know, some notes that they're giving on the bench to all the different players."

Kroenke is now using all the things she's learned on the sidelines, on the court. She's stepped up as a leader for this new-look Tiger squad, as she said she knows what Coach Harper and her staff expect.

The 2026-27 roster has an opportunity in front of it, as Mizzou built a solid foundation in year one under Harper's watch. The Tigers went 17-17 overall and 4-12 in conference play, grabbing their first postseason win since 2023.

That excitement and momentum that has been building in Columbia is something that helped draw all these new players in...and now, they have high aspirations for the upcoming season.

"I want to win. I want to go to the conference, you know, make a run in the SEC," Caffey said, when asked about her goals. "I hope people see how competitive we are and I hope we bring in more people and know that we're going to win, and we're going to make it to the tournament this year."

Mizzou will tip off year two of the Kellie Harper era in November.