Three-time All-American Lexy Harris is the centerpiece of the Bears’ offense. Harris, alongside the Bears’ five other juniors, are the leaders of this WashU team. (Rachel Benitez-Borrego | Staff Photographer)

In the No. 15 WashU women’s basketball team’s victory over Case Western Reserve University on Jan. 18, the Bears scored 66 points. The Bears’ six-woman junior class scored all but 2 of those points. On Jan. 23, in a pivotal conference matchup against reigning national champions No. 1 New York University, all five of the Bears’ starters hailed from the junior class. 

With just one senior on the roster, WashU women’s basketball’s juniors — center Lexy Harris, forward Amelia Rosin, and guards Alyssa Hughes, Sidney Rogers, Sydney Starks, and Catherine Goodwin — are the backbone of the team. The Bears missed the NCAA tournament last season, but the leadership of their junior class has WashU on track for a return to postseason play amidst its best season since the mid-2010s. 

“They’re leaders on and off the court,” head coach Lisa Stone said of her juniors. “They bring joy to the game. They’re super, super talented on the court. … They’re kind of the bloodline because there are so many of them, and they’re on the court a lot.” 

While the juniors are the centerpiece of the Bears team, the six members of the class are also leaders off the court. The juniors are close friends, roommates, and lift each other up when things go wrong on the court.

“[Lexy Harris] probably has more belief in me than I have in myself,” Hughes said. “She’s always telling me that I’m going to make the next shot, and helping me move onto the next play. She instills so much confidence in me and the rest of the team.” 

Harris, a three-year starter, is the most decorated member of the class. The 6 ‘3’’ center has been the tallest player in the University Athletic Association (UAA) for her entire career and has used her height to her advantage. As the centerpiece of the WashU frontcourt, Harris is on track to be a top-10 scorer and rebounder at the end of her career. Harris recorded her 1,000th career point on Jan. 16, becoming the 17th player in WashU history to reach that mark. She was also named the D3Hoops.com National Rookie of the Year in 2023 and has been named an All-American all three seasons of her career. 

“[Harris] is one of the most talented, humble players I’ve ever coached,” Stone said. “She’s an unbelievable player. She’s been an All-American since her freshman year, and she is an All-American basketball player but she is also an All-American person.”

Guards Hughes, Rogers, and Goodwin are also three-year starters. As the Bears’ best 3-point shooter, Hughes is having a career year in 2025-26, averaging 12.2 points per game and setting a career scoring record against Christopher Newport University on Dec. 30. Rogers has played a full 40-minute game twice this season and is a reliable point guard for Stone. After a difficult 2024-25 season, Goodwin has rebounded to match her scoring and shooting percentages from her first season. With Harris leading the offense, the WashU backcourt creates a deep team capable of knocking off highly-regarded teams.

“We came in our freshman year, and a lot of us happened to start, so we’ve had a lot of experience playing together,” Harris said. “But I think that this class, especially this year, has really been stepping up.” 

This season, Starks and Rosin have taken on increased roles on the court, having both set career highs in scoring and rebounding. After spending much of their collegiate careers on the bench, Stone has turned to Starks and Rosin in each of the Bears’ 16 games this year. Stone has also come to trust the two in unexpected situations, including when a player is in foul trouble or suffers an injury. 

“It’s not about playing time, it’s about being ready,” Stone said. “They’ve never caused any issues. They’re just wonderful human beings with their eyes wide open and their hearts beating hard for each other, and they want to contribute in any way that they can.”

Despite a lack of senior class leadership, the Bears are making a serious push for an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. WashU has dropped four games so far this season, but three of those losses were to teams ranked in the D3Hoops.com poll. Past the halfway point of the season, the Bears will continue to rely on their juniors as they make a run into the postseason. 

“We know we’re going to be getting each team’s best effort against us,” Hughes said. “The NCAA tournament is the goal, but we’re really just looking at one game at a time, winning that night and then moving on to the next team and for the next game.”   

Should WashU make a run to the tournament, the junior class’s leadership will have taken them there. Stone, who has emphasized team culture in her two years as WashU’s head coach, commended the juniors for creating the “best culture [she’s] been around” as in her days as a coach.  

“The great thing about all six of us is that whenever someone texts and asks if anyone wants to shoot, someone will respond that they will go and shoot,” Hughes said. “We’re always just looking to help each other in any way we can.”