Xavier University Athletics
Billi Chambers and the Musketeers “Keep Building” as the 2026-27 Season Approaches
08.05.26 | Women's Basketball
CINCINNATI - When Billi Chambers came to Xavier from Iona in 2023, the Musketeers didn't possess the collective identity nor the individual talent necessary to compete atop the Big East. Employing a patient approach centered on defensive toughness and intensity, Chambers has quietly improved Xavier from a lone victory in year one to double digit wins last season. Now, as she heads into year four in Cincinnati, Chambers has her eyes set on March after building her most complete, experienced and skilled roster.
In the modern landscape of collegiate athletics, developing and sustaining a winning culture year over year can be difficult. The transfer portal empowers players to chase the biggest payday each offseason, making roster turnover inevitable, yet Chambers has continued to emphasize the slow build. With the cornerstone ideas and players of her program now set in place, Chambers began utilizing the portal to her advantage. "We're searching for the talent that is going to help us win as quickly and sustainably as we possibly can in this tumultuous era," she said bluntly.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, that talent has come to Cincinnati from all across the globe. Similar to many of her teams at Iona, and certainly her first three squads at Xavier, this year's roster features a heavy dose of international flair. "I'm never going to turn away talent that is willing to come over and help us build," Chambers assessed.
As she went to work in the portal this spring, Chambers' main focus was to build a competitive roster around Finnish junior guard Meri Kanerva, one of many Musketeers competing overseas with national teams this summer. Kanerva has led Xavier in assists during each of her first two seasons, and also led the entire country in minutes played a year ago. But Chambers and Kanerva agree that she can be more of a threat to score the ball as a junior. "Leading in assists is phenomenal, but we've talked about her playing off the ball a lot more this year. That was our mindset going into the portal and through the spring because we want her to be a bit more dynamic scoring the ball," Chambers said.
The coach noted that Kanerva spent the spring working on her ability to create shots for herself, and has continued that emphasis while in Finland, where the national team is preparing to host the 2027 FIBA Women's EuroBasket next summer.
To complement Kanerva, Chambers and her staff targeted shooting and length, hoping that the Musketeers can play at a much faster offensive tempo than they have in previous years. Thus, it's not only players, but also the style of play that Chambers has taken from across the pond. "We've tried to mirror the European teams for a while now. We'll play some Princeton offense, but we also are trying to mold that 5-out, pass and cut offense as well."
Chambers continued to applaud the European approach to development, explaining, "They learn fundamentals. They learn to break down the game differently at such a younger age. I think that lends well to us being able to do different things offensively."
The program's biggest addition this offseason didn't come via the transfer portal, but once again taps into the international pipeline. The Musketeers were able to land freshman guard Kejia Ran from Dazhou, China, the 43rd pick in April's WNBA Draft. Ran possesses an all-around game that first caught Chambers' eye when the lengthy guard averaged a double-double at the U19 World Cup a summer ago.
Only the fourth Chinese product ever selected in the WNBA Draft, Ran received heaps of praise from her new coach. "She will handle it a lot in transition because she's such a tremendous defensive rebounder and we want to get it out fast. She can score. She can shoot the ball. She can get downhill. She's a great passer as well. She knows how to make reads. She knows how to make the people around her better. I think her mindset of wanting to be a pro and already having the attention of the pros is going to rub off on everybody around her," Chambers said.
With Kanerva moving off the ball and Ran possessing more of a combo guard skillset, Chambers turned to France to fill the point guard spot. Lucile Jerome and Stella Mavuanga will both join the roster after spending the summer competing internationally for France. "They are both very talented point combo guards. Our intention was to recruit players who can handle the ball as point guards, but also have the ability to score off the ball," Chambers expounded.
The next order of business was to secure some shooting, an area where the Musketeers have struggled. "At this level there's very good defensive teams and if you don't shoot it, them packing the paint can make it really challenging for us," Chambers said.
To do so, the Musketeers welcomed Purdue transfer Hila Karsh, who canned 33 triples last year as a true freshman, and Cincinnati native Diawna Carter-Hartley, who knocked down 32 treys at South Alabama. Karsh's limitless range should provide immediate spacing, while the 6-foot-1 Carter-Hartley's shooting ability can pull opposing bigs away from the basket to open the offense.
Carter-Hartley is relishing the chance to return home and compete in the Big East as the lone Ohioan on the roster. "To have the opportunity to come home and play in front of her family is important," Chambers, who has led Xavier to a nearly 60% attendance increase, said of the Princeton High School graduate.
With the roster set, Chambers is simply awaiting the return of her stable of international talent. Despite only having seven players on campus throughout the summer, she recognizes the benefits of international competition. "It's a really good balance for us this summer. I've always found it to be positive. Of course, as a coach, you're itching to see what your team looks like," she said. Chambers continued by saying, "I think there's huge benefits for them to have the opportunity to play at such a high level against such strong competition through the summer."
The group on campus has focused intensely on offensive skill development, improving everything from footwork and shooting to ballscreen reads. Chambers has also emphasized competition amongst the smaller group. "The biggest thing we talked about is our offensive efficiency. You're not going to win if you can't put the ball in the basket. We want to create that competitive culture when it comes to our ability to shoot the ball," she said.
With the team returning to campus for the advent of the fall semester, Chambers is confident that their separated summers won't be a detractor, but rather a blessing. "Building chemistry is the easy part, because they all get back knowing how to play the game," she said. "Now with everybody having a new roster year over year, you're not as far behind," Chambers added.
As November basketball rapidly approaches, Chambers and her staff, which now includes two former head coaches, have worked with HD Intelligence to build a non-conference schedule aimed at preparing the Musketeers for the grueling nature of the Big East.
To compete in the conference, Chambers hopes her new look roster will play a brand of offensive basketball that is challenging to guard, while simultaneously maintaining their own fire on the defensive end. She wants to see the Musketeers play with more pace, which should be easier to accomplish thanks to their newfound depth.
With less than 100 days between now and the season opener, Chambers is excited for the fanbase to witness the work that the Musketeers have put in as they keep building toward sustained success. "Hopefully [fans] feel a sense of excitement that the players share on the floor that carries over into the stands. We have players with such great personalities who have fun playing the game, but they're also so driven. We're going to press, we're going to play fast, we're going to put the ball in the basket."
In the modern landscape of collegiate athletics, developing and sustaining a winning culture year over year can be difficult. The transfer portal empowers players to chase the biggest payday each offseason, making roster turnover inevitable, yet Chambers has continued to emphasize the slow build. With the cornerstone ideas and players of her program now set in place, Chambers began utilizing the portal to her advantage. "We're searching for the talent that is going to help us win as quickly and sustainably as we possibly can in this tumultuous era," she said bluntly.
Heading into the 2026-27 season, that talent has come to Cincinnati from all across the globe. Similar to many of her teams at Iona, and certainly her first three squads at Xavier, this year's roster features a heavy dose of international flair. "I'm never going to turn away talent that is willing to come over and help us build," Chambers assessed.
As she went to work in the portal this spring, Chambers' main focus was to build a competitive roster around Finnish junior guard Meri Kanerva, one of many Musketeers competing overseas with national teams this summer. Kanerva has led Xavier in assists during each of her first two seasons, and also led the entire country in minutes played a year ago. But Chambers and Kanerva agree that she can be more of a threat to score the ball as a junior. "Leading in assists is phenomenal, but we've talked about her playing off the ball a lot more this year. That was our mindset going into the portal and through the spring because we want her to be a bit more dynamic scoring the ball," Chambers said.
The coach noted that Kanerva spent the spring working on her ability to create shots for herself, and has continued that emphasis while in Finland, where the national team is preparing to host the 2027 FIBA Women's EuroBasket next summer.
To complement Kanerva, Chambers and her staff targeted shooting and length, hoping that the Musketeers can play at a much faster offensive tempo than they have in previous years. Thus, it's not only players, but also the style of play that Chambers has taken from across the pond. "We've tried to mirror the European teams for a while now. We'll play some Princeton offense, but we also are trying to mold that 5-out, pass and cut offense as well."
Chambers continued to applaud the European approach to development, explaining, "They learn fundamentals. They learn to break down the game differently at such a younger age. I think that lends well to us being able to do different things offensively."
The program's biggest addition this offseason didn't come via the transfer portal, but once again taps into the international pipeline. The Musketeers were able to land freshman guard Kejia Ran from Dazhou, China, the 43rd pick in April's WNBA Draft. Ran possesses an all-around game that first caught Chambers' eye when the lengthy guard averaged a double-double at the U19 World Cup a summer ago.
Only the fourth Chinese product ever selected in the WNBA Draft, Ran received heaps of praise from her new coach. "She will handle it a lot in transition because she's such a tremendous defensive rebounder and we want to get it out fast. She can score. She can shoot the ball. She can get downhill. She's a great passer as well. She knows how to make reads. She knows how to make the people around her better. I think her mindset of wanting to be a pro and already having the attention of the pros is going to rub off on everybody around her," Chambers said.
With Kanerva moving off the ball and Ran possessing more of a combo guard skillset, Chambers turned to France to fill the point guard spot. Lucile Jerome and Stella Mavuanga will both join the roster after spending the summer competing internationally for France. "They are both very talented point combo guards. Our intention was to recruit players who can handle the ball as point guards, but also have the ability to score off the ball," Chambers expounded.
The next order of business was to secure some shooting, an area where the Musketeers have struggled. "At this level there's very good defensive teams and if you don't shoot it, them packing the paint can make it really challenging for us," Chambers said.
To do so, the Musketeers welcomed Purdue transfer Hila Karsh, who canned 33 triples last year as a true freshman, and Cincinnati native Diawna Carter-Hartley, who knocked down 32 treys at South Alabama. Karsh's limitless range should provide immediate spacing, while the 6-foot-1 Carter-Hartley's shooting ability can pull opposing bigs away from the basket to open the offense.
Carter-Hartley is relishing the chance to return home and compete in the Big East as the lone Ohioan on the roster. "To have the opportunity to come home and play in front of her family is important," Chambers, who has led Xavier to a nearly 60% attendance increase, said of the Princeton High School graduate.
With the roster set, Chambers is simply awaiting the return of her stable of international talent. Despite only having seven players on campus throughout the summer, she recognizes the benefits of international competition. "It's a really good balance for us this summer. I've always found it to be positive. Of course, as a coach, you're itching to see what your team looks like," she said. Chambers continued by saying, "I think there's huge benefits for them to have the opportunity to play at such a high level against such strong competition through the summer."
The group on campus has focused intensely on offensive skill development, improving everything from footwork and shooting to ballscreen reads. Chambers has also emphasized competition amongst the smaller group. "The biggest thing we talked about is our offensive efficiency. You're not going to win if you can't put the ball in the basket. We want to create that competitive culture when it comes to our ability to shoot the ball," she said.
With the team returning to campus for the advent of the fall semester, Chambers is confident that their separated summers won't be a detractor, but rather a blessing. "Building chemistry is the easy part, because they all get back knowing how to play the game," she said. "Now with everybody having a new roster year over year, you're not as far behind," Chambers added.
As November basketball rapidly approaches, Chambers and her staff, which now includes two former head coaches, have worked with HD Intelligence to build a non-conference schedule aimed at preparing the Musketeers for the grueling nature of the Big East.
To compete in the conference, Chambers hopes her new look roster will play a brand of offensive basketball that is challenging to guard, while simultaneously maintaining their own fire on the defensive end. She wants to see the Musketeers play with more pace, which should be easier to accomplish thanks to their newfound depth.
With less than 100 days between now and the season opener, Chambers is excited for the fanbase to witness the work that the Musketeers have put in as they keep building toward sustained success. "Hopefully [fans] feel a sense of excitement that the players share on the floor that carries over into the stands. We have players with such great personalities who have fun playing the game, but they're also so driven. We're going to press, we're going to play fast, we're going to put the ball in the basket."
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