Meet the Missouri State Lady Bears' newcomers entering the 2023-24 season

Beth Cunningham enters her second season as Lady Bears head coach with a long list of newcomers and a few who are going to have to contribute immediately.

The list includes five freshmen, a Division II transfer and a pair from the Division I level. They will have to get acclimated with a team that features one of the strongest frontcourts in the Missouri Valley Conference and guards will have to step up following a few graduations from last season.

Natasha Barnes, freshman

Barnes makes her way to Springfield from Kenwood Academy in Chicago. There, she averaged 12.3 points, 2.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists as a senior. She's a 5-foot-9 guard who was an all-state honorable mention selection.

Barnes figures to fit into the Lady Bears' depth at point guard eventually. Cunningham said she'll be in the mix depending on how she comes along throughout the season.

Lacy Stokes, transfer from Missouri Southern

Stokes, a Mount Vernon grad, is expected to be the Lady Bears' starting point guard on opening night. She's coming off a great two-year stretch that earned her All-American honors at the Division II level both years at Missouri Southern.

More: Now a Lady Bear, Mount Vernon's Lacy Stokes is still out to prove her doubters wrong

"Lacy's as fast as they come," Cunningham said. "She's fast, she can defend and she's going to push the tempo for us. She's small in stature, but I think she has all those intangibles that you can't teach. She plays with a chip on her shoulder and brings passion every day she steps on the floor."

Katrine Jessen, transfer from Kansas

Jessen, at 6-foot-4, will immediately contribute to an already-strong Lady Bears frontcourt featuring reigning Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Year Jade Masogayo and All-MVC third-teamer Kennedy Taylor. Jessen provides depth to the frontcourt which has allowed Cunningham to get creative in the way she uses Indya Green.

"They all complement each other really well," Cunningham said. "I'd like to think we have some depth if we can stay healthy. I think we'll have some versatility there. I do love the potential of that group of kids."

As a junior, Jessen appeared in 20 games for the Jayhawks' WNIT championship team and grabbed 25 total rebounds.

Angel Scott, transfer from Stephen F. Austin

Scott is expected to be the Lady Bears' backup point guard after spending the last two seasons at Stephen F. Austin. As a sophomore, she started all 34 games while averaging 6.7 points and 2.4 rebounds per game. She played in all 33 games her freshman year and helped the Lady Jacks win the WAC Tournament and advance to the NCAA Tournament.

"We look at her as a one or two," Cunningham said. "She has a high IQ and picks things up quickly. She understands our offense and she's coachable. She brings a lot of value to both positions for us."

Kyrah Daniels, freshman

Daniels joins the Lady Beas from ThunderRidge High in Highlands Ranch, Colorado. She was a two-year high school starter where she averaged 17 points, 8.9 boards and 2.6 steals as a senior. She was named her conference's player of the year and all-state honors.

Daniels spent her first two years playing in Australia where she played semi-professional ball. Her mother played college basketball at Penn State and her father was a member of the Canadian National Team in the Olympics and at one point played a stint with the Denver Nuggets.

Kaemyn Bekemeier, freshman

Another one of southwest Missouri's favorite newcomers makes the move down the road from Republic to join the Lady Bears. She's among the best recruits to come out of the area over the last decade and she'll wear maroon and white.

Bekemeier averaged 23 points and 10 boards for the Lady Tigers last season. She is a three-time All-Central Ozark Conference Player of the Year and four-time all-state selection.

Bekemeier is going to have a chance to contribute this year but it's OK if she doesn't come in and light the league on fire. Cunningham has tried to ease the public's expectations of a player we've seen be great at the high school level ever since she stepped on a varsity court as a freshman as she enters her freshman year of college.

More: What Kaemyn Bekemeier's workout partner, Jackie Stiles, said about her signing with Missouri State

"Kaemyn is going to be great for us," Cunningham said. "She's really come in, trusted the process. It's hard for any freshman because you're going to have your ups and downs. But I have no question that Kaemyn is going to be great for us as a freshman and down the road. It's just the development process. Sometimes it takes a bit longer. I know that there are a lot of people that want to see Kaemyn just walk in and play like she did her senior year. It's hard.

"You're starting over again. I just want her to be able to settle in and really find some confidence in her role to the best of her ability and not worry about what expectations are. I think that's for any kid but it's always harder for a local product, right? You know it's so important to her. She wants to be a part of a winning program and a team that competes for championships and just have the attitude of doing whatever she can to help us do that."

Louis Volker, freshman

Volker is a 6-foot-1 forward who attended Paul VI in Purcellville, Virginia. She helped lead the program to two state titles during her final two years of college ball. She was a first-team all-state performer as a senior who averaged 14.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.

She finds herself playing a position the Lady Bears have a lot of depth at. Keeping an eye on her development will be something to watch all season.

Blake O'Grady, freshman

O'Grady is a 6-foot freshman forward from Dexter Southfield School in Brookline, Massachusetts. She averaged 12 points, six boards and three assists as a senior. She was listed as one of the top prospects out of the New England region by Prep Girls Hoops.

O'Grady is another young player who finds herself playing a position where the Lady Bears have a lot of depth. Her development will be something to keep an eye on.

Wyatt D. Wheeler is a reporter and columnist with the Springfield News-Leader. You can contact him at 417-371-6987, by email at wwheeler@news-leader.com or X at @WyattWheeler_NL. He's also the host of the weekly "Wyatt's World Podcast" on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and other podcasting platforms

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Missouri State women's basketball transfers and signings 2023-24