KCC Women’s Basketball Builds Momentum with 23-Win Season

KANKAKEE, Ill. — Kankakee Community College women's basketball put together a strong 2025-26 season, finishing 23-9 overall and continuing to build momentum as one of the top programs in Region 4.

The Lady Cavs were consistent throughout the year, opening the season with four straight wins and later putting together an 11-game winning streak from late January through the end of February. KCC finished 12-2 at home and 11-3 on the road, showing the ability to win in a variety of environments.

KCC's season started with a 69-48 road win at Spoon River College and quickly gained momentum with early victories over Danville Area Community College, Lake Michigan College, and Morton College. The Lady Cavs scored a season-high 104 points against Morton and followed with several strong wins throughout the year, including victories over Kansas City Kansas Community College, Marian University Ancilla, Muskegon Community College, Madison College, South Suburban College, Rock Valley College, Bryant & Stratton College, and College of Lake County.

The Lady Cavs averaged 74.6 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the field. KCC also showed strong depth and activity across the roster, finishing the season with 555 assists, 491 steals, and 1,375 total rebounds. The Lady Cavs averaged 43.0 rebounds per game and 15.3 steals per game, using pressure, pace, and balanced scoring to create problems for opponents throughout the season.

Leading the way was TaLeah Turner, who earned Second Team All-Region 4 honors after a strong all-around season. Turner averaged 11.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 2.1 steals per game while playing in all 32 games. She finished the year with 355 points, 189 rebounds, 86 assists, and 68 steals, giving KCC production in nearly every major category.

Turner's season was especially meaningful as a local player making an impact at KCC. 

KCC also received major production from Alana Ross, who led the Lady Cavs in scoring at 12.7 points per game. Ross finished with 407 points, 95 assists, and 81 steals while making 57 three-pointers. She was one of KCC's most reliable offensive players and also brought consistent defensive pressure throughout the season.

Adriana Barber gave the Lady Cavs another strong guard presence, averaging 11.8 points per game while leading the team with 110 assists. Barber also added 80 steals and 112 rebounds, making her one of the team's most complete perimeter players.

Inside, Ava Simpson was a major force for KCC. Simpson averaged 7.6 points and a team-best 10.1 rebounds per game while shooting 55.7 percent from the field. She finished with 324 total rebounds, 30 blocked shots, and 39 steals, giving the Lady Cavs a consistent presence around the basket.

Mariya Babilius added another important scoring option, averaging 9.1 points per game while making 48 three-pointers at a 37.5 percent clip. Braniyah Hickman contributed 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, while Keyana Sanderson, Jaida Taylor, Khalise Thomas, Morgan Johnson, Malaysha Flanagan, and Ana Marco Sabater all gave KCC valuable minutes throughout the season.

One of the defining stretches of the year came late in the season, when the Lady Cavs won 11 straight games. During that run, KCC picked up key wins over Highland, Harper, Madison, South Suburban, Rock Valley, Sauk Valley, College of DuPage, Waubonsee, Bryant & Stratton, Illinois Valley, and College of Lake County.

The season ended with a loss at Moraine Valley Community College in postseason play, but the year still marked another strong step for the program. KCC finished with 23 wins, a winning road record, a dominant home-court record, and an All-Region performer in Turner.

With a balanced roster, strong guard play, consistent rebounding, and several players making major contributions, the 2025-26 season gave the Lady Cavs plenty to be proud of and a strong foundation to continue building from.