LAS VEGAS – Heather Ezell already had several sizable voids to fill.
 
Following the run to the 2025 Mountain West Tournament championship game, Wyoming had to replace conference player of the year Allyson Fertig, defensive player of the year Emily Mellema and four other seniors.
 
The Cowgirls also lost their starting point guard when Kati Ollilainen suffered a season-ending injury before the 2025-26 opener.
 
UW, which won 63 games over Ezell's first three seasons as head coach, struggled to a 10-20 finish to the transition year.
 
Ollilainen is now healthy and eager to get the program back on the winning track.
 
"It feels really good to be here and to be back on the court. It means a lot to me, and I'm just grateful to be playing basketball again," Ollilainen said during Wednesday's MW basketball media day event at Palms Casino Resort. "It definitely wasn't the easiest year, but at the same time I was still trying to do everything I can off the court. It wasn't where we wanted to be. I'm just excited to be back on the court and now I can hopefully help the team more vocally too on the court."
 
One of the Cowgirls Ollilainen was cheering on and coaching from the bench was Jane Rumpf. The 6-foot-2 sophomore was named to the preseason all-MW team after earning conference freshman of the week honors three times and averaging 7.4 points and 4.6 rebounds in conference games.
 
The versatile Rumpf, who also led UW with 1.3 blocks per game and was second on the team with 53 made 3-pointers, joined Ollilainen in the Las Vegas spotlight.
 
Ezell believes the emerging star can be a special player like Fertig and Malene Pedersen, who both won MW Freshman of the Year honors and were all-conference standouts throughout their careers.
 
"When you look at our history, we've always had really good freshmen that have worked their way up in our system," Ezell said. "Jane's just another one of those that has a lot of success as a freshman and is now ready to take that next step. …
 
"The odds are pretty much in her favor to be able to follow in their footsteps."
 
Pedersen averaged 17.2 points during her senior season. Now Rumpf will be circled on opposing teams' defensive scouting reports.
 
"I think I am ready for it," Rumpf said. "We've been working on it in practice a lot. I'm expecting it this season, but I think it's really good for me because it grows my game in other ways, not just being a strict 3-point shooter. It gets me to my mid-range, it gets me to the rim. I think it'll be a really good growth for me this year."
 
Having Ollilainen running the motion offense will help. The redshirt junior from Helsinki, Finland, played in 61 games during her first two seasons at UW.
 
"It was amazing to see how she was able to step up as a freshman and build her confidence," Ollilainen said of Rumpf. "I'm excited for her to keep building on that this year. It's nice as a point guard to have shooters on the court, and I'm just excited to play with her and hopefully we can really make a deep run this year."
 
The Cowgirls improved the athleticism and size on the roster via the portal with the additions of 6-2 forward Hayley Johnson and 6-1 forward Norah Clark. Two guard/forward transfers, Jersey Berg and Merceius Mili, and true freshman Taylor Donaldson have also been impressive during preseason practices.
 
Payton Muma, who started 17 games at point guard last season, returns to help Ollilainen run the show.
 
"I know games are coming up fast, but I think we'll be ready," Ollilainen said. "We're working to kind of understand each other, too, like what everyone can do on the court and be able to put everyone in the best places to be successful."

The Cowgirls have exhibition games against Colorado Christian (Oct. 26) and South Dakota Mines (Oct. 30) before opening the regular season against Santa Clara on Nov. 2 in the Arena-Auditorium.
 
Follow Ryan for more stories on Wyoming athletics on X at @By_RyanThorburn on Facebook at Wyoming Athletics and Instagram at wyoathletics. Also follow him at Pokes Insider at Gowyo.com/pokesinsider.
 
Don't just watch the game — change it. The most powerful way to support University of Wyoming student-athletes is by joining the Cowboy Joe Club. Your membership fuels scholarships, provides essential resources, and helps Cowboys and Cowgirls succeed both in the classroom and in competition. Your gift is not just support — it's access. As a member, you'll enjoy exclusive benefits that bring you closer to the action than ever before. Be a champion. Join our team. Visit CowboyJoeClub.com or call 307-766-6242.