Elijah Poe

New roommates often text, call or direct message each other before moving in together, but Ball State women’s basketball seniors Estel Puiggros and Annie Rauch never did. Move-in day of their freshman year was the first time they spoke.

Being a member of the LGBTQ+ community comes with peaks and valleys, especially for these former Ball State athletes and staff.

After ending the 2023 season just five months ago, Ball State football returned to the field for their annual spring game in the 2024 season. Here are three things learned from the 2024 football squad. 

Even in the loss, head coach Brady Sallee was thankful for the crowd that came to support the Cardinals. Regardless of the team feeling like “crud,” Sallee said it is easy to find gratitude in the community who supported Ball State all season long. 

The Ball State women’s basketball 2024 regular season is one filled with success. Regardless of being top-50 in multiple categories as a team in that nation, they are left out of the NCAA Tournament due to NET ranking. A 28-5 team should be in the NCAA Tournament.

The former Butler Bulldog is now excelling in year two as a Ball State Cardinal, averaging 9.7 points per game and dropping double-digit scoring marks more than 10 times this season.

With fans and players wearing some type of pink on their clothing, Ball State (23-3, 12-1 MAC) defeated Mid-American Conference (MAC) foe Central Michigan (5-18, 3-10 MAC) 78-54. 

As a player and coach, Audrey McDonald-Spencer has been involved with Ball State women’s basketball for nearly two decades.

Sallee said the group has a will to win games. He said everyone on the team trusts everybody. With trust, the team is able to win with so many options, causing problems for any opponent. 

Coming out with a 67-59 win, there was some tough sledding that came with the loss of junior Madelyn Bischoff, who was sidelined against the Hilltoppers. Sallee said Bischoff has been day-to-day, but did not want to risk anything playing her today and is more focused on the big picture.