Marquette women’s basketball is the only Division I program to return every player from its 2024-25 roster this season.
And Friday night’s preseason Blue & Gold scrimmage at the Al McGuire Center provided a first look of the Golden Eagles in year two under Cara Consuegra.
Before the scrimmage began, the video board showed the program’s terms and definitions for this season, like Consuegra’s motto “HEART” and “Winning Plays.”
Marquette women’s basketball has adopted some key terms to watch for this season. I’m at the Blue and Gold Scrimmage; follow along for live updates and a takeaway analysis article @MUWireSports #muwbb pic.twitter.com/AcxbKtl3Xl
— Mikey Severson (@MikeySeversonMU) October 3, 2025
The team played for 40 minutes of game time. Half came in a tradition intra-squad scrimmage format, while the team played against its practice squad for the other 20 minutes. Lee Volker, Olivia Porter, Skylar Forbes and Jaidynn Mason headlined Team Blue, while Bridget Utberg, Jordan Meulemans and Halle Vice highlighted Team White.
Here are some takeaways from the action at the Al:
Marquette’s offense in rhythm
The Golden Eagles returning everyone means the team-building and chemistry-sorting of last summer is no more.
It’s a completely different ballgame than it was 365 days ago — and you could tell from the jump.
Mason scored the first points of the scrimmage with one of her signature speedy layups to the glass, the first of multiple throughout the night.
To end the first quarter, Porter — who was third on the team in number of 3-pointers made last year (20) — drained her first of the night.
Nearing the end of the second quarter, in another deja vu moment from last year, Forbes — a reigning All Big East First-Team selection— received a ball from Porter in the post.
Porter was patient with the pass, waiting for Forbes to signal for the pass as she backed down Vice. Once she received the ball, Forbes pulled off a spin move to face the basket and put the ball through the net.
Olivia Porter to Skylar Forbes in the post for a basket pic.twitter.com/fMa9CrI5Ln
— Mikey Severson (@MikeySeversonMU) October 3, 2025
The Blue and White portion was back-and-forth throughout the 20 minutes of play before finishing tied 21-21.
Bridget Utberg delivers from beyond the arc
A calling card for senior guard Utberg has been coming off the bench and giving Marquette a spark from beyond the arc.
Friday night, 3-point shooting continued to be a focal point of her game.
Utberg scored her team’s first points of the scrimmage with a 3-pointer, a confidence that stayed present until the final buzzer.
In the second part against the practice squad, trailing close with the clock ticking down, Utberg stepped up to the top of the key and fired up the crowd by delivering a scrimmage-winning buzzer beater that sent the Marquette bench into a frenzy.
Another 3-point threat with Utberg on team white was Meulemans. Meulemans, a sharpshooter who went 42.4% from deep in the 2023-24 season, transferred from Butler after missing last year with an ACL tear.
JJ Barnes’ Injury
With over two minutes left in the first quarter, first-year guard JJ Barnes went down near the basket as she looked to make a play towards the hoop.
She was down for a couple of minutes, clutching her knee and had to be assisted off the court by two staff members. Later in the scrimmage, she returned to the team bench with a brace on her left leg.
It’s unclear what the injury was or how long Barnes may be sidelined.
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at michael.severson@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU.