Women's Basketball Opens Season Against Holy Cross

Monday, November 2

Chestnut Hill, Mass.

6 p.m.

Boston College

Holy Cross

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November 01, 2026 | Women's Basketball

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By: Athletic Communications

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - A new era gets underway on Monday, as new Head Coach Kate Popovec-Goss and Boston College women's basketball hosts Holy Cross in the 2026-27 season opener at 6 p.m. in Conte Forum.

PROMOTIONS
Fans who arrive early will receive a white BC T-shirt.

A new season starts on Monday! 🦅🏀 Wear white and show up early for the t-shirt giveaway 👊 https://t.co/FxvYbZSLJs
— Boston College Women's Basketball (@BC_WBB) October 31, 2026

About the Eagles
The Eagles hired their ninth coach in program history on March 27, 2026, announcing Kate Popovec-Goss at the helm. She arrived at The Heights after spending four seasons at Bradley, where she turned the program around from her first season with four wins to 20 in 2025-26. Boston College brought in nine newcomers with six freshmen and three transfers, while BC has three returners back on The Heights.

Coaching Staff
Carrie Banks - Associate Head Coach
Ollie Goss - Assistant Coach
JerShon Cobb - Assistant Coach
Stephanie Miller - Chief of Staff/Assistant Coach
Jahari Smith - Assistant Coach/Director of Player Development

Returners
Athena Tomlinson
Jocelyne Grier
Eleanor Trout

Newcomers
Samantha Davis
Natalia Hall-Rosa
Nora Arozena
Daniele Paunksnyte
Grace Oliver
Eunicia Salgado
Megan Hollingsworth
Gabriela Bernal Ortellado
Nuria Ausaverri

A Win Would
- Give Coach Pop her first win at BC.
- Start BC's season at 1-0.
- Win a ninth season opener in the past 10 seasons.
- Improve BC's mark to 35-11 against Holy Cross.

Season Openers
- The Eagles are 40-15 in season openers and have won eight of the last nine season openers.
- First-year head coaches are 5-3 in their opening debut.

Grace Oliver Named to 2027 Katrina McClain Award Watch List.
- Boston College women's basketball junior forward Grace Oliver was named to the 2027 Katrina McClain Award Watch List.
- The Katrina McClain Award, now in its 10th year, recognizes the top power forward in NCAA Division I women's college basketball. It is named after the two-time All-American, 1987 National Player of the Year, and Class of 2012 Hall of Famer. Previous winners of the Katrina McClain Award are Sarah Strong, UConn (2026), Aneesah Morrow, LSU (2025), Kiki Iriafen, Stanford (2024), Maddy Siegrist, Villanova (2023), NaLyssa Smith, Baylor (2021-22), Ruthy Hebard, Oregon (2018,' 20), and Napheesa Collier, UConn (2019).
- Oliver is one of four ACC forwards recognized by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, while she enters her first season with the Eagles.
- The Norwell, Mass., native comes off a breakout sophomore campaign, leading Wake Forest in scoring at 14.3 points per game and shooting 60.4 percent from the field, 38.8 percent from deep, and 73.7 percent from the line. Oliver led the ACC and ranked among the nation's top 10 in field goal percentage. She was one of just three players nationally to average at least 14.0 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 60 percent from the field, 70 percent from the line, and 35 percent from three-point range.

By the Numbers
3 - Jocelyne Grier was one of three BC players dating back to the 2001-02 season to average at least 9.5 points and make at least 40 3-pointers off the bench.
6 - Athena Tomlinson is six assists away from 200 for her career.
7 - The seven international players for BC are tied for the most in the ACC with Cal.
10.5 - Grace Oliver's scoring improvement of 10.5 points (3.8-14.3) from her freshman to sophomore season was the second-largest improvement in the ACC.
77.5 - BC shot 77.5 percent from the line last season, which was the highest mark since the 2020-21 campaign.

Five Things to Watch
- Watch if the Eagles can take care of the rock on Monday, as they committed just 14.3 turnovers per game last season.
- See if Jocelyne Grier can knock down her 3-point attempts at home, as 29 of her 44 3-pointers were in Conte Forum.
- Holy Cross was 4-6 last season when opponents attempted at least 15 free throws, while BC shot 77.5 percent from the charity stripe. See if the Eagles can get to the line.
- In Holy Cross' 10 losses last season, opponents averaged 17.9 points off turnovers. Watch to see if the Eagles force HC into turnover points.
- The Eagles ranked sixth in the ACC with seven 3-pointers per game, with five of their six best shooting performances from beyond the arc coming at Conte Forum. See if they can make shots from beyond the arc on Monday.

Scouting Holy Cross
- Holy Cross went 23-10 last season, won a third Patriot League Tournament in four seasons in 2025-26, and earned an NCAA Tournament berth.
- The Crusaders were picked to finish fourth in the Patriot League Preseason Poll.
- Head coach Candice Green is in her third season at the helm, boasting a 42-22 mark.
- Holy Cross brings back the likes of Kendall Eddy, Janie Bachmann, Hannah Griffin, and Simone Lewis.
- Eddy averaged 7.8 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game, and was named Patriot League All-Defense thanks to 70 steals.
- Holy Cross led the Patriot League and was No. 52 in the country, limiting opponents to just 37.5 percent shooting from the floor.
- The Crusaders were also third in the PL and 26th in the nation, allowing just 57.6 points per game.

Series History
- The Eagles are 34-11 against the Crusaders after HC captured last season's matchup in the season opener in a 72-71 win in Conte Forum. Jocelyne Grier scored 13 points with six rebounds and six steals in her collegiate debut, while Athena Tomlinson chipped in with nine points, six assists and five rebounds.

What's Next
- The Eagles return to action on Thursday when they head down the road to face Harvard on Thursday at 7 p.m.