Junior guard Grace Slaughter stated this week that she plans to return for her senior season, which is good news for the Missouri Tigers women’s basketball program. The Tigers are keen to improve in head coach Kellie Harper’s second season at Columbia after finishing the 2025–26 season with a 17–17 record (4–12 Southeastern Conference).
That is definitely more plausible when Slaughter is retained. Slaughter was immediately successful after joining the Tigers. In 2023–2024, the Grain Valley product was selected for the All-SEC freshmen team. She hasn’t slowed down, and the 2025–26 season was her most prolific to date.
Slaughter led the Tigers in minutes (1,222), total rebounds (232), and points (635). She surpassed Mizzou graduate Sophie Cunningham’s record of 624 points from the 2018–19 season to rank fifth in MU history. In a game against Northwestern on November 29, she surpassed 1,000 career points, marking yet another significant accomplishment during her junior year. She is the program’s 12th all-time top scorer with 1,459 points.
Slaughter was selected to the All-SEC second team on March 3 in recognition of her outstanding season. The Tigers still have a lot of room to grow as a team, even with Slaughter’s individual victories. During Harper’s second year in charge, they hope to make that leap, and Slaughter’s return might be the impetus.
Dowell parts ways with Mizzou
Shannon Dowell, a fellow junior guard, is leaving Missouri after just one season. On Tuesday, she made her departure public on social media. She wrote, “Missouri will always hold a special place in my heart, and I’m grateful for everything this journey has given me,” in an X statement. Dowell spent two years at Illinois State before transferring to Missouri and joining the Tigers prior to the previous season.
She performed well in her debut season in the SEC, averaging 14.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. She finished second in total rebounds (183), and her season total of 447 points was only surpassed by Slaughter’s. Together, Slaughter and Dowell led the way for the Tigers throughout the entire season.
With Dowell gone, Mizzou will have to find a dependable scorer to go along with Slaughter. Jordana Reisma, a senior forward for the Tigers, is also losing her eligibility. The Tigers will be scrambling to find a replacement for Reisma, who was Missouri’s lone true center last season. For a Missouri team that is still figuring things out, the offseason will undoubtedly be crucial.
