What to know about Kentucky women’s basketball 2023-24 nonconference schedule

Kentucky women’s basketball dropped yet another piece of its upcoming 2023-24 season on Thursday, when the program announced its official nonconference schedule. This news arrived just one day after the team’s reveal of both its SEC home-and-away designations and its draw in the inaugural SEC/ACC Challenge.

The Herald-Leader learned via open records request earlier this month that the Wildcats will host Ohio State for a closed scrimmage in the Joe Craft Practice facility on Saturday, Oct. 28, the first installment in a home-and-home closed scrimmage agreement and the team’s first taste of competition this season.

From a Nov. 1 home exhibition game against Division II Kentucky state to a New Year’s Eve matchup against Samford, here’s everything you need to know about the Wildcats’ nonconference schedule:

Nov. 1: Kentucky State (Exhibition)

Following the closed scrimmage versus Ohio State, the Wildcats will host the DII Thorobreds for a free admission exhibition game. The location of many of the Wildcats’ home games this season is still to be determined, but per the exhibition contract obtained by the Herald-Leader, Kentucky State-UK is set for Rupp Arena. Kentucky State is coached by Terrance Slater.

Nov. 7: East Tennessee State

The Wildcats will open the regular season against ETSU. The Buccaneers are coached by Brenda Mock Brown, who posted an overall record of 25-10 (9-5 Southern Conference) in her first season at the helm. The team won 19 more games in Mock Brown’s first season than it had during the previous year, and Mock Brown was named the 2022-23 SoCon Coach of the Year. ETSU trails UK 2-1 in the all-time series.

Nov. 11: USC Upstate

South Carolina Upstate will look for its first-ever win against UK, which leads the all-time series 3-0. The Spartans last played the Wildcats in December 2021, when UK earned a 67-44 victory at Memorial Coliseum. The Spartans finished last season with an overall record of 11-20 (7-11 Big South) and are coached by Jason Williams.

Nov. 14: Austin Peay

Austin Peay head coach Brittany Young will bring a team full of fresh faces to Lexington. Following last season’s 17-12 (11-6 ASUN) overall record, the Governors have added six transfers, who combined for 401 career games, 338 starts, 3,369 points and 1,684 rebounds. Notably, Quinnipiac’s 2022-23 leading scorer Cur’Tiera Haywood (10.0 points), and Morehead State starter Sandra Lin, who led the Ohio Valley Conference with 162 assists and 5.2 assists per game last season, have joined the team.

Nov. 19: at Florida Gulf Coast

Last season, UK hosted FGCU in the first installment of a home-and-home agreement. The Wildcats lost 69-63 on Dec. 18 to the eventual ASUN champions. The Eagles, who finished the year with an overall record of 33-4 (17-1 ASUN) went on to reach the Round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament before falling 76-57 to Villanova. Head coach Karl Smesko enters his 22nd season with FGCU coming off the program’s fourth-consecutive season as Division I women’s basketball’s top 3-point program. The Eagles drained 11.5 3-pointers per game. FGCU lost its top two scorers but brought in seven transfers to reload for the 2023-24 campaign. The all-time series between UK and FGCU is tied 1-1.

Nov. 23: vs. North Carolina State (Paradise Jam)

NC State is the first order of business for UK at the 2023 U.S. Islands Paradise Jam. Wolfpack head coach Wes Moore led the team to a 20-12 (9-9 ACC) overall record in his 11th season on the sideline. The Wolfpack suffered a first-round exit to Princeton in the 2023 NCAA Tournament and lost leading scorers Diamond Johnson, Jada Boyd, Jakia Brown-Turner and Camille Hobby in the offseason.

Nov. 24: vs. Colorado (Paradise Jam)

Colorado head coach JR Payne led the Buffaloes to an impressive 25-9 (13-5 PAC-12) overall record during the 2022-23 season, which culminated in a Sweet 16 heartbreaker to eventual national runner-up Iowa. The Buffaloes return leading scorers Quay Miller, Aaronette Vonleh and Frida Formann and gain Michigan transfer Maddie Nolan and Mizzou transfer Sara-Rose Smith.

Nov. 25: vs. Cincinnati (Paradise Jam)

UK will finish the round-robin tournament against Cincinnati. The Bearcats enter the 2022-23 season under new leadership, with former Memphis head coach and Cincinnati alumna Katrina Merriweather taking charge. Cincinnati will return seven players and add seven newcomers, including George Rogers Clark High School graduate Brianna Byars. The Bearcats scored big in the offseason when All-AAC Freshman Team selection Destiny Thomas followed Merriweather to Cincinnati from Memphis.

Nov. 30: Boston College (ACC/SEC Challenge)

UK will host Boston College at the end of November in the first-ever ACC/SEC Challenge. The Eagles finished last season with an overall record of 16-17 (5-13 ACC) and return leading scorer Dontavia Waggoner, who averaged 13.2 points per game. Waggoner also led the team in rebounding, grabbing 7.3 boards per game.

Dec. 3: Tennessee Tech

Kentucky will start December with a home game against Tennessee Tech. The Golden Eagles, fresh off a 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Championship, are coached by Kim Rosamund. Tennessee Tech finished last season with an overall record of 23-10 (13-5 OVC) before defeating Monmouth in the First Four of the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles then lost to Indiana in the first round. The Wildcats lead the all-time series against Tennessee Tech 9-6.

Dec. 6: Minnesota

UK will host Minnesota in Lexington on Dec. 6, following last year’s matchup when the Wildcats defeated the Golden Gophers 80-74 in Minneapolis. The 2023-24 season marks head coach Dawn Plitzuweit’s first at Minnesota after leading West Virginia to an NCAA Tournament berth in 2023. Plitzuweit spent just one season with the Mountaineers following six successful seasons at the helm of South Dakota, where she led the Coyotes to four NCAA Tournament appearances and a trip to the 2022 Sweet 16.

Dec. 10: at Louisville

This year, Kentucky will travel to the Yum Center for its annual rivalry game against Louisville. The Wildcats are looking to break a six-game losing streak against the Cardinals, who’ve not lost to UK since 2015. Jeff Walz and the Cardinals will present a new-look roster during the 2023-24 season after losing leading scorer and face of the program Hailey Van Lith to LSU in the offseason.

Dec. 17: Furman

UK hosts Furman for just the second-ever meeting between the two programs. The Paladins welcomed new head coach Pierre Curtis earlier this month following a 2022-23 season record of 11-19 (3-11 SoCon).

Dec. 21: Lipscomb

The Wildcats will face its third ASUN opponent when the Bisons come to town. Lipscomb finished the 2022-23 campaign with an overall record of 20-12 (13-5 ASUN). This tied the program-high for wins in a single season, and tied for the most conference games since 2003-04. UK holds an all-time series record of 2-0 against Lipscomb. The Bisons are coached by Lauren Sumski.

Dec. 31: Samford

Kentucky will close out the year with a home game against SoCon member Samford, who finished last season with an overall record of 13-17 (7-7 SoCon) before a first-round exit to Furman in the 2022 SoCon Tournament. Samford is coached by Carley Kuhns.

Season tickets for Kentucky women’s basketball’s upcoming season are available via Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster is also where returning season ticket holders may renew their season tickets.

2023-24 UK WOMEN’S BASKETBALL NONCONFERENCE SCHEDULE

Nov. 1: KENTUCKY STATE-1

Nov 7: EAST TENNESSEE STATE

Nov. 11: SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE

Nov. 14: AUSTIN PEAY

Nov. 19: At Florida Gulf Coast

Nov. 23: North Carolina State-2

Nov. 24: Colorado-2

Nov. 25: Cincinnati-2

Nov. 30: BOSTON COLLEGE-3

Dec. 3: TENNESSEE TECH

Dec. 6: MINNESOTA

Dec. 10: At Louisville

Dec. 17: FURMAN

Dec. 21: LIPSCOMB

Dec. 31: SAMFORD

1-Exhibition game; 2-U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam at St. Thomas; 3-ACC/SEC Challenge

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