MOUNT VERNON – Cornell's 2021-22 women's basketball team will be one of the youngest head coach Brent Brase has fielded in 17 years leading the program.
 
What the Rams lack in experience, they'll look to make up for with promising talent and enthusiasm as the season gets underway next week.
 
Cornell is projected third in the MWC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 40 points. Three-time defending MWC regular-season champion Ripon is the favorite, receiving 64 points and eight first-place votes. Illinois College is picked second with 50 points.
 
The Rams have been annual contenders for the league crown, qualifying for the four-team MWC Tournament eight times the past nine years it has been contested. They've reached the title game five times since 2013, earning a pair of NCAA berths (2018, 2013).
 
Cornell opens play Monday with a Bremner Cup home game against rival Coe. Tipoff is 5:30 p.m. in the Small Sport Center.
 
The Rams stay home for six of their first seven games of the season, which includes dates with Dubuque (Nov. 18), UW-La Crosse (Nov. 20), Luther (Nov. 27), Illinois College (Nov. 30) and Lake Forest (Dec. 4).
 
Cornell went 2-2 in limited competition last February-March. With 14 freshmen and sophomores on this year's varsity roster, most of the Rams will be going through their first full season together.
 
"In a real sense, this is the first year for many of our players," said Brase, who owns 198 career wins on the Hilltop. "It was tough to simulate a traditional season last year. Our team is young, but eager to learn and grow. So far, the ladies have shown a willingness to play together."
 
The Rams will lean upon senior guard Grace Werlin and juniors Madison Wauters and Madison Osborn for veteran leadership. Wauters, a 6-foot-3 center, has averaged 8.9 points and 5.5 rebounds over two seasons, earning 27 starts during the span.
 
Osborn has played 16 games at point guard since joining the team midway through the 2019-20 campaign. She averaged 10.0 points in four contests last season.
 
Werlin, a three-year letterwinner, leads the Rams with 35 career games played. She is the team's lone senior.
 
"Grace provides such great leadership and genuinely cares about every single lady in our program," Brase said. "Her teammates pick up on that the more they are around her. She models how we want everyone to work and behave in our program."
 
Sophomores Kali March, Rachael Adewusi, Taylor Busch and Taeylor Reece provide starting experience from last year's condensed campaign. March averaged 10.0 points, 2.5 assists and hit seven 3-point goals. Adewusi added 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
 
Ilah Perez-Johnson and Megan Gandrup earned varsity letters as freshmen.
 
"We definitely have a good nucleus," Brase said. "We're just not as experienced as some of our other teams. I like where we're at for being this young."