An experienced Kansas women’s basketball team looking to find its way back to the NCAA Tournament learned on Thursday morning exactly what sort of challenges await it this year.
The Big 12 Conference announced its 18-game conference schedule, which begins before the new year and concludes ahead of the league tournament on March 3.
The schedule unfolds mainly on Wednesdays and either Saturdays or Sundays this season, with a lone Tuesday game thrown in. The Jayhawks, who already knew they would be facing Iowa State, Kansas State and Oklahoma State twice each, will open their league slate at home this season against the Cowgirls, who had a headline-grabbing offseason, on Sunday, Dec. 20.
After a short holiday break, KU will make a two-game road swing through West Virginia (Dec. 30) and Cincinnati (Jan. 2), then return home for Arizona (Jan. 6) and Baylor (Jan. 9) before heading to Gallagher-Iba Arena for the rematch with OSU (Jan. 13).
Next is a road matchup with Utah (Jan. 16) and former Jayhawk Laia Conesa, followed by the home date with ISU (Jan. 20) and a road game at Colorado (Jan. 24), a return to the previous school of KU’s Anna Gooden. The Jayhawks will then host Arizona State (Jan. 27) and Kansas State (Jan. 31) as they look to build on a rare sweep of their rival last season.
KU will travel to BYU (Feb. 6), the league foe that knocked it out of the WBIT semifinals, and then host reigning two-time conference champion TCU (Feb. 10) before traveling to Houston (Feb. 13).
The lone Tuesday game is at home against UCF (Feb. 16), which has a new coach this year, and then KU returns to K-State (Feb. 20) and to Iowa State (Feb. 24), where it lost on a buzzer-beater in last year’s conference opener. Then, for the second straight season, the Jayhawks’ senior night will be against Texas Tech; they upset the No. 20-ranked Lady Raiders 68-59 last February.
Among others, the Jayhawks return accomplished star guard S’Mya Nichols for her senior year, as well as sophomore forward Jaliya Davis, who after missing most of nonconference play put together one of the best freshman campaigns in Big 12 history. They add a freshman class headlined by two-sport center Cydnee Bryant and a transfer class featuring Kansas City native Mariyah Noel, previously of Xavier.
The Jayhawks have exhibitions against Division II teams on Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 before they start the year against Omaha at Allen Fieldhouse on Nov. 3.
Here is the full conference schedule:
Dec. 20 (Sun.) — vs. Oklahoma State
Dec. 30 (Wednesday) — at West Virginia
Jan. 2 (Saturday) — at Cincinnati
Jan. 6 (Wednesday) — vs. Arizona
Jan. 9 (Saturday) — vs. Baylor
Jan. 13 (Wednesday) — at Oklahoma State
Jan. 16 (Saturday) — at Utah
Jan. 20 (Wednesday) — vs. Iowa State
Jan. 24 (Sunday) — at Colorado
Jan. 27 (Wednesday) — vs. Arizona State
Jan. 31 (Sunday) — vs. Kansas State
Feb. 6 (Saturday) — at BYU
Feb. 10 (Wednesday) — vs. TCU
Feb. 13 (Saturday) — at Houston
Feb. 16 (Tuesday) — vs. UCF
Feb. 20 (Saturday) — at Kansas State
Feb. 24 (Wednesday) — at Iowa State
Feb. 28 (Sunday) — vs. Texas Tech
