MISSOULA — It's a new chapter of Lady Griz basketball.
Montana tipped off the season earlier this week in a 81-44 victory over Division II Seattle Pacific, and with it officially began the Nate Harris era.
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After serving as interim coach partway through last season following Brian Holsinger's departure, Harris was hired for the job full-time and has taken the reins.
"When you get the full job, then all the aspects come with it, you know, the fundraising, the camps, the scheduling, just all the things that come along with a Division I women's basketball program," Harris said. "There's a lot of work, there's always something to do, but we're excited about it and we couldn't be more excited for the season and for the opportunity we have in front of us."
The Lady Griz will be led by the duo of senior point guard Mack Konig, and sophomore standout Avery Waddington, two players who were voted to the All-Big Sky preseason team. They were the catalysts behind a magical run to the conference tournament championship game last March in Boise, Idaho, after a rocky regular season that saw plenty of ups and downs on and off the court.
"I think the best thing to take away from this is that everybody right now is at the same place," Konig said. "We're all learning. We're all trying to figure out what our team identity will be. And moving forward, we just have to try to figure that out together. And then the best thing you can do is just come together and work through it."
"I feel like that definitely helped with leadership just because we have so many transfers this year and new people so just showing them the ropes and showing just how great Montana is and the culture behind and just showing them what it really means," Waddington added. "And they've done a great job adjusting to that too and following our culture really well."
Next to them will be a few other returners who could step into bigger roles.
That includes sophomore guard Macy Donarski and junior guards Draya Wacker and Aby Shubert as well as junior forward Adria Lincoln. Missoula natives Lauren Dick and Chloe Larsen also return for the Lady Griz.
The program sports six new faces as well, and thrown into the rotation in major ways will be key transfers like Butler forward Jocelyn Land, guard Kennedy Gillette, who was a junior college All-American at the College of Southern Idaho, a Division II all-conference talent from Colorado Christian in Maggie Hutka, plus true freshman Rae Ehrman who also figures to be in the mix out of the gates.
UM also added St. Thomas transfer guard Zoey Washington and South Dakota transfer guard Ava Cossette.
In the opener against Seattle Pacific, Konig, Waddington, Donarski, Gillette and Land started. All 14 players who suited up for the game got in.
"I think for me, I have been thinking a lot of my freshman year and just how fast it's been and I think that's a really common thing for seniors," said Konig, who was a second-team All-Big Sky selection last year. "But I'm just looking forward to enjoy this last season and take whatever it has."
"I'm definitely more comfortable. I feel like there's really no changes other than like I'm more comfortable with trying to be a leader and not being so much like freshman, newcomer or whatever," Waddington added. "But I feel like I'm still working my hardest and trying to get better every day. And so that just reflects with the team and just working on my leadership this year for sure."
Also of note, before the season began, senior forward Alex Pirog announced she was stepping away from the team and retiring from basketball, a move that MTN Sports confirmed. Pirog, a 6-foot-3 forward from Highlands Ranch, Colo., played in 76 games over three seasons with the Lady Griz including 10 starts. She scored 187 points and grabbed 197 rebounds and added 33 blocks in her career.
Last year as a junior, Pirog played in 25 games with eight starts and averaged 4.1 points and 3.3 rebounds in about 12 minutes per contest.
Montana was picked to finish second in the preseason polls, and now it's about proving it on the court.
"I would say it's just about us. Like, are we competing as hard as we can? Because it's going to be different," Harris said. "There's games when we compete as hard as we can and it means that you're going to blast somebody.
"There's games when you compete as hard as you can and you're going to be fighting to stay in it because they're a really talented team. And so I think it's more about us and us finding an identity of this is who we are. This is how hard we compete. This is how we defend, and going from there."
Lady Griz 2025-26 basketball roster in order by number
No. 0, Zoey Washington, JR, 5-foot-8, Mahtomedi, MN
No. 1, Macy Donarski, R-SO, 5-foot-8, La Crosse, WI
No. 2, Mack Konig, SR, 5-foot-9, Milton, Ontario, Canada
No. 3, Draya Wacker, R-JR, 5-foot-8, Melstone, MT
No. 5, Kennedy Gillette, JR, 6-foot-0, Rexburg, ID
No. 10, Avery Waddington, SO, 6-foot-3, Coeur d'Alene, ID
No. 11, Aby Shubert, JR, 5-foot-8, Kasson, MN
No. 12, Chloe Larsen, SO, 5-foot-10, Missoula, MT
No. 14, Lauren Dick, SR, 5-foot-10, Missoula, MT
No. 20, Rae Ehrman, FR, 5-foot-10, Eden Prairie, MN
No. 22, Ava Cossette, R-FR, 5-foot-10, Maple Grove, MN
No. 23, Jocelyn Land, SO, 6-foot-0, Chanhassen, MN
No. 24, Maggie Hutka, SR, 6-foot-0, Royse City, TX
No. 33, Adria Lincoln, JR, 6-foot-1, Monroe, WA
