Kansas University officials announced late Monday night that the school’s women’s basketball program had been selected to play in the Women’s NIT for the fourth consecutive season and the fifth time in the last six years.
The Jayhawks, who finished the season 20-12 and were ousted by national-title contender Baylor in the second round of the Big 12 Tournament last week in Kansas City, Mo., will play host to Wichita State at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The WNIT appearance is KU’s fifth under head coach Bonnie Henrickson, who is in her seventh year with the school. It marks the 21st time in school history that KU has advanced to the postseason.
After reaching the WNIT title game in 2009, the Jayhawks went 2-1 last season, picking up victories over Prairie View A&M and Creighton before falling at Illinois State in the third round.
The Jayhawks earned the Big 12 Conference’s automatic bid to the WNIT despite finishing just 6-10 in league play.
KU was led by all-Big 12 first-team selection Carolyn Davis, a sophomore forward, who averaged 18 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Davis was backed by sophomore guard Monica Engelman (12.1 ppg) and junior forward Aishah Sutherland, (8.8 ppg) and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds per game.
Wichita State enters Wednesday’s game at 17-14. The Shockers finished fifth in the Missouri Valley Conference this season and were knocked off by Northern Iowa in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Wichita State is coached by Jody Adams and led by Haleigh Lankster (13.3 ppg) and Jessica Diamond (9.4 ppg).
