Quick flip into a winner

Published 9:22 pm Monday, March 9, 2026

Cowgirls waste no time becoming a power

Last spring, when Ayla Guzzardo became the women’s basketball coach at McNeese State, she immediately made her plans known.

Never shy, Guzzardo proclaimed the Cowgirls’ rebuild wasn’t going to be a long one.

“We are going to win here, we are going to win championships here, and we are going to do it right away,” Guzzardo proclaimed. “We have done this before, and we know how to do it.”

With her staff and nine players joining her journey from Southeastern to McNeese, the goal was to win the Southland Conference this season. However, the record numbers the Cowgirls have put up are a bit surprising even to Guzzardo. 

“I didn’t know it would be like this, this fast,” she said. “We do know how to do this and do know how to win. Maybe a little surprised, but the records are just stepping stones to where we want to go.”

The Cowgirls won the Southland going away, winning their final 20 games, all in conference play. That’s a program record. 

So is the 21-1 SLC and 27-4 overall mark. Eye-popping numbers on any level.

Still, this team wants more.

“We are just getting started,” said guard Arianna Patton, one of those players who came with Guzzardo from Hammond. “We want to win the tournament and make the NCAA. That’s what we are going for.”

The Cowgirls will start that run Wednesday when they host the Southland Championships in Townsley Law Arena, where they are 12-1. McNeese has not lost since 10 days before Christmas. 

Three of their four defeats have come at the hands of Power 4 Conference teams.

“Coach Guzzardo and her team have done an amazing job turning around the women’s program,” said McNeese Athletic Director Heath Schroyer. “It has been exciting to watch.”

A year ago, McNeese finished 10-21, 5-10 at home, and 5-15 in the conference. They missed the tournament for the second straight year. 

The 17-game turnaround is one of the largest in Division I history. Two years ago, things were even worse, as the Cowgirls were only 6-25 with just two victories over Division I teams.

Now they are one of the fastest-rising mid-major programs in the nation thanks to a top defense.

The turnaround is most noticeable to Kaili Chamberlin, who started her career at McNeese and was the Southland’s Freshman of the Year in 2022. She left after two years only to return this season with Guzzardo.

“It is completely different here now,” Chamberlin said. “There is much more interest, more excitement. This is fun.

“It is the perfect way for me to come full circle and end my career here. It’s been great to be back.”

The Cowgirls are looking to win their first conference championship since 2013 and just their third in program history. 

If they can do that, they will make their coach’s words come true.