WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
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Big Ten CommunicationsPublished: 11/4/2024, Last updated: 11/4/2024
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Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Central - Nov. 4-11

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Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results

2024-25 Big Ten Statistics | National Top 25 Polls (Preseason)

Big Ten Weekly Release - Nov. 3

  • The 44th season of Big Ten women’s basketball tips off Monday with 11 teams taking the court. The remaining seven schools will open play over the next three days. 14 teams will begin the 2024-25 campaign on their home courts. USC and UCLA will be overseas in Paris to challenge Ole Miss and Louisville, respectively, while Maryland visits in-state rival UMBC and Michigan heads to Las Vegas to face defending national champion South Carolina.  
  • The 2024-25 season welcomes the addition of four new members to the Big Ten Conference – Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington. Kelly Graves (ORE), Cori Close (UCLA), Lindsay Gottlieb (USC) and Tina Langley (WASH) have all been at the helm of their programs for at least four seasons.
  • A familiar presence in the Big Ten remains on the sideline for Iowa, but in a new role. Jan Jensen was named head coach of the Hawkeyes on May 13, 2024 after Lisa Bluder announced her retirement from coaching after 24 years at Iowa.
  • Six Big Ten teams earned rankings in the Associated Press (AP) preseason poll. USC led the AP balloting at No. 3, followed by No. 5 UCLA, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 18 Maryland, No. 23 Nebraska and No. 25 Indiana. Iowa, Illinois and Michigan State were receiving votes.
  • The same six programs made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today preseason poll – No. 3 USC, No. 6 UCLA, No. 14 Ohio State, No. 18 Maryland, No. 23 Nebraska and No. 24 Indiana. Iowa, Illinois and Michigan garnered votes.
  • 14 Big Ten players were named to the Jersey Mike’s Naismith Player of the Year Watch List presented by AXIA Time. Eight schools were represented, led by USC with four honorees – Makira Cook (ILL), Lucy Olsen (IOWA), Hannah Stuelke (IOWA), Shyanne Sellers (MD), Alexis Markowski (NEB), Cotie McMahon (OSU), Deja Kelly (ORE), Lauren Betts (UCLA), Charlisse Leger-Walker (UCLA), Kiki Rice (UCLA), Kiki Iriafen (USC), Rayah Marshall (USC), Talia von Oelhoffen (USC) and JuJu Watkins (USC).
  • For the sixth time in seven seasons, each member institution will play an 18-game Big Ten slate, playing one school both home and away, while facing 16 teams once. Of the single-play opponents, teams will play eight at home and eight on the road. The Big Ten season tips off on Saturday, Dec. 7 with three games – Indiana at Penn State, Maryland at Purdue and USC at Oregon. Following the holiday break, Big Ten competition will resume on Saturday, Dec. 28 with a four-game slate.
  • The 2024-25 television schedule features the most coverage on nationally distributed platforms in Big Ten women’s basketball history. Twelve Big Ten matchups, including eight regular season games, will be televised on a broadcast platform via NBC or FOX, the most in conference history. All 162 conference games will be nationally produced or distributed for the 11th consecutive season.
  • The 32nd annual TIAA Big Ten Tournament will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on March 5-9, 2025. The Big Ten has held its tournament in Indianapolis 27 times since the event began in 1982.
  • As season ago, the Big Ten concluded its non-conference slate with a combined 114-41 (.735) record. Big Ten teams dominated on their home courts with an 82-11 (.882) record.
  • Ohio State enters the 2024-25 campaign as the defending Big Ten Champion after going 16-2 in conference play last season. Iowa hoisted its third consecutive Big Ten Tournament trophy after defeating Nebraska, 94-89, in overtime in the 2024 TIAA Big Ten Tournament final.