Grace Slaughter to Return for Her Senior Season

After a breakout 2025-2026 season with Missouri, the team announced the return of Grace Slaughter on social media. The All-SEC swiss army knife has displayed the capabilities of playing the one through the five and will certainly be the focal point of the roster in year two under head coach Kellie Harper.

The program's 12th all-time leading scorer, Slaughter, a Missouri native and All-Freshman honoree in 2024, has continued to fulfill her potential for her home-state team with each passing year. After three seasons in Columbia, Slaughter remains just over 700 points away from the Missouri scoring record held by Sophie Cunningham.

HERE. TO. STAY. 🐯@graciekkay10 #MIZ x #OurZou pic.twitter.com/AZaZbaPNc5
— Mizzou Women’s Basketball (@MizzouWBB) March 31, 2026

This past season, Slaughter marked career highs in points, rebounds and assists per game. Her average of 18.7 points per game ranked 6th in the SEC. She also emerged as a top-15 rebounder in the conference. Due to a lack of frontcourt depth, Slaughter was often left as the Tigers' de facto big. This led to a plus-three increase in rebounds per night. Her 6.8 boards average finished 13th-best in the SEC.

The third year forward filled up the statsheet on several occasions this year. Slaghter has notched 10 career double-doubles, while eight of those outings occurred this season. She also reached a new scoring high. On Nov. 29, she led Missouri past the previously undefeated Northwestern with a career high of 33 points. She surpassed the 30-point threshold once again in the Tigers' biggest victory of the season. She added 31 points to help Missouri upset Mississippi State in Starkville, Miss., on Jan. 27.

Slaughter embraced a more ball-dominant role on offense. As a leader, she was the one Harper looked to when the Tigers needed a bucket. She also took on a leadership role ahead of her junior campaign. Now that she has settled into her responsibilities to the team on and off the floor, she will remain a cornerstone of the rising Missouri basketball program.

Year one under Kellie Harper was the Tigers' best season ever under a first-year head coach, culminating in a postseason win in the Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament. This marked the program's first postseason victory since 2023.

With the departure of Missouri's second and third leading scorers, Shannon Dowell (14.9) entering the transfer portal, and the graduation of the team's only center, Jordana Reisma (10.4), Slaughter is the lone double-digit scorer to return next season. Harper will be tasked with navigating a full offseason to flesh out the roster and build around Slaughter.

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