Lady Topper Basketball Announces Non-Conference Schedule

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – The 2025-26 WKU women's basketball non-conference schedule has been announced, featuring 11 total regular season games along with a preseason exhibition game. Six of those contests will be played in E.A. Diddle Arena.

Five of WKU's non-conference opponents made postseason tournament appearances in 2024-25, including two NCAA Tournament teams.

The season will unofficially get underway with an exhibition against Lindsey Wilson on Wednesday, Oct. 29. The game will serve as WKU's third annual Top'r Treat event. Children of all ages are welcome to come trick-or-treat around Diddle Arena before the game and there will be Halloween themed promotions throughout the night.

The regular season tips off with Kentucky State at home on Wednesday, Nov. 5. It will be WKU's third meeting in the last five seasons with the Thorobreds. WKU goes on the road to take on Longwood on Saturday, Nov. 8. It will be the first ever meeting between the two teams. The Lancers went 22-12 last season and advanced to the championship game of the Big South Tournament and narrowly lost in the first round of the WNIT.

The Lady Toppers return home for a three-game homestand starting with Wichita State on Tuesday, Nov. 11. It will be the second all-time meeting between the two teams after the squads faced off in Wichita, Kansas last season. WKU will host Indiana State on Friday, Nov. 14. It will be the eighth all-time meeting between the programs and the fourth in the last five years. Most recently, the Lady Toppers defeated the Sycamores 71-59 in Terre Haute to open the 2024-25 season.

The homestand concludes with Vanderbilt on Wednesday, Nov. 19 for the 37th all-time meeting between the two teams. It will be the third game between WKU and Vanderbilt in the last four years, two of those games happening in Diddle Arena. The Commodores are coming off an impressive season including a NCAA Tournament appearance. Vanderbilt went 22-11 on the season which included a 14-1 start to 2024-25. Vanderbilt will return SEC and National Freshman of the Year Mikayla Blakes.

WKU will have a two-game road swing in Illinois to end November. The Lady Toppers will face Illinois on Wednesday, Nov. 26 in Champaign and then travel to take on SIU in Carbondale on Saturday, Nov. 30. It will be the first meeting between WKU and Illinois since 2010 and the fifth meeting all-time. The Illini went 22-10 last season, finishing fifth in the Big Ten and advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. It will be the 16th all-time meeting between the Lady Toppers and SIU and the first since 2018.

The Lady Toppers return home to host a familiar foe in Florida Atlantic on Wednesday, Dec. 3 in the final non-conference home game of the season. It will be the 29th all-time meeting between WKU and FAU in a series WKU leads 25-3.

WKU wraps up non-conference play with three straight games on the road. First, the Lady Toppers will travel to take on Miami (Ohio) on Sunday, Dec. 7. WKU has had the RedHawks on the schedule every season since 2021-22. Miami finished last season 19-12 and made an appearance in the WNIT. Next, the Lady Toppers will travel to take on North Dakota on Sunday, Dec. 14. The two teams played last season in Bowling Green with WKU earning a 74-69 win. WKU concludes non-conference play at Chattanooga on Friday, Dec. 19. It will be only the third meeting all-time between the two teams and the first since 1983. The Mocs advanced to the championship game of the SoCon Tournament last season and advanced to the second round of the WNIT.

The 2025-26 Conference USA schedule was announced in July (story). All game times and streaming information will be determined later. For the most recent schedule updates, visit WKUSports.com.

How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on Lady Topper Hoops, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @LadyTopperHoops on X, @LadyTopperHoops on Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball.

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