Washburn University of Topeka Women's Basketball

Former Washburn women's basketball student-athlete Lora Westling enters her fourth season as the head coach of her alma mater in 2025-26 after being hired on April 13, 2022.   Westling has compiled an 42-46 (26-37 MIAA) record in two seasons back in Topeka. Inside of Lee Arena the Ichabods have gone 26-15 under Westling. She has coached five total All-MIAA selections and two members of the MIAA All-Defensive team and a Co-Newcomer of the Year while at Washburn.  In each season with the Washburn, Westling has increased the Ichabods' win total including the first winning season for the program since 2018-19 in the 2024-25 season where she led Washburn to a 18-13 record.  Westling was a standout member of Washburn's women's basketball team from 2001-05 and helped the Lady Blues to the school's first NCAA Division II national championship in 2005. Her name is found throughout Washburn's record book and she is currently sixth in games played (132), sixth in career three-pointers made (144), 10th in assists (299), and 14th in three-point field goal percentage (.363). She also played one season of soccer for the Lady Blues. Westling, a native of Casper, Wyoming, earned her bachelor's degree in business in 2005 and her MBA in 2007 from Washburn University.   Westling returns to her alma mater after six seasons at Western Colorado, where she compiled a record of 77-78 and led the team to back-to-back NCAA Tournament selections – the first two in program history. She guided the team to three-consecutive RMAC Tournaments, after having not made the postseason for seven seasons. Her overall victories is second on the Western all-time list and her 63 RMAC wins is tied for second in program history.   In 2019-20, the Mountaineers went 20-7 overall, which was the third time the program reached the 20-win mark and the first time since 1986-87. Western went 18-4 in RMAC play to finish in second place - the most conference wins in program history. The team earned its first-ever bid to the NCAA Tournament, only for it to be canceled the day before it started because of the COVID-19 pandemic.   Prior to Western Colorado, Westling spent three seasons as the head coach of Illinois College. In her first season as head coach at Illinois College, Westling guided the team to a five-win improvement in both its overall and MWC records. Illinois College followed that in 2014-15 with its first trip to the MWC Tournament in five seasons. Before accepting the head job at Illinois College, Westling was the top assistant at Truman State from 2010-13. She was part of a staff that built a team that finished the 2012-13 season 20-8 and spent 11 weeks in the national rankings. At Truman State, Westling was the recruiting coordinator and guards/defensive coach.  Westling's first full-time position came at University of Missouri-St. Louis where she was the top assistant from 2007-10. At UMSL, she was the recruiting coordinator and position specialists for guards.   Westling got her start in coaching at Washburn, where she served as a graduate assistant for the women's basketball and women's soccer teams. Westling and her wife, Amy, reside in Topeka, with their daughter, Luka.   Westling Year-by-Year Breakdown Year  School  Overall Conf. Postseason 2013-14  Illinois College  12-11 10-8 2014-15 Illinois College 14-10 11-7 MWC Tournament Semifinal 2015-16 Illinois College 12-11 9-9 2016-17  Western Colorado  7-19 6-16 2017-18 Western Colorado 9-19 6-16 2018-19 Western Colorado 16-11 12-10 RMAC Tournament Quarterfinal 2019-20 Western Colorado 20-7 18-4 Qualified for NCAA Regional 2020-21 Western Colorado 14-6 12-4 NCAA West Region Semifinal 2021-22 Western Colorado 11-16 9-12 RMAC Tournament Quarterfinal 2022-23 Washburn 11-17 7-15 2023-24   Washburn 13-16 8-14 MIAA Tournament First Round 2024-25 Washburn 18-13 11-8 MIAA Tournament Semifinals TOTAL CAREER RECORD  157-156 119-134 TOTAL DII CAREER RECORD 119-124 89-110  

Katie Dalton enters her second season as an assistant coach on the women's basketball coaching staff for the 2025-26 season. finishing her playing career at Western Colorado in 2022.   Dalton reunited with head coach Lora Westling who was her head coach from 2017-22 with Western Colorado in Gunnison where Dalton finished her playing career in 2022. In her time with Washburn she has helped coach a pair of All-MIAA selections, an All-Defensive Team member and one MIAA Co-Newcomer of the Year.  Between the end of her playing career and joining the Ichabods Dalton has worked as a head rehabilitation technician at Evolve Chiropractic in Huntley, Il., and as a physical therapy technician in Carol Stream, Il. There she has helped create and implement patient-specific therapy treatments and perform range of motion/muscle resistance tests to track patient compliance to treatment plans.   As a student-athlete she was a two-time second team All-RMAC selection and was an honorable mention after her freshman campaign. She was an RMAC Academic Honor Roll member twice. She played in 96 career games making 91 starts scoring 921 points with 405 career rebounds and 88 blocks. While in Gunnison she also helped assist with the women’s basketball camps for four seasons.   Dalton graduated from Western Colorado in May 2022 with her bachelor's degree in Biology Pre-Med and Exercise Sports Science. She is originally from Magnolia, Texas.  

Robin Stahl enters her first season as part of the Washburn women's basketball coaching staff in the 2025-26 season. Stahl will join Washburn after coaching stops in the MIAA with Central Missouri and most recently with Ottawa University in the 2024-25 season.  Prior to her season with the Braves she spent one season with the Jennies as a graduate assistant in 2023-24. She assisted with preseason workouts, helped with on-campus recruiting visits, and was involved with team and individual player camps.  She began the 2022-23 season as a graduate assistant with Central Missouri before injuries forced her to join the active roster. She played in all 30 games making seven starts scoring 4.7 ppg with 2.1 rpg.   Stahl, an Alliance, Ohio native, began her career spending four years at Malone University averaging 13.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg and 3.6 apg with the Pioneers while earning GMAC All-Conference honors all four seasons.  She graduated from Malone with a double major in sport management and business administration with a minor in coaching. She finished her masters degree in sports management with Central Missouri in 2024.