Women's Basketball Unveils 2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule

Defending MVC Champion to host Wisconsin Nov. 19 and could face four 2021 postseason qualifiers

2021-22 Schedule

Bobby Parker, Associate AD for Communications Women's Basketball 9/10/2021 10:00:00 AM

PEORIA, IL – For the first time in the program's NCAA era, Bradley Women's Basketball will open the season with three consecutive home games, concluding with a matchup against Big Ten Conference opponent Wisconsin, according to the 12-game non-conference slate revealed today by the defending Missouri Valley Conference Tournament champion.

After improving its win total in a program-record five consecutive seasons, culminating with a program-best 22 wins in 2019-20, Bradley earned its first MVC championship and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2020-21. Sixth-year head coach Andrea Gorski will look to keep the momentum going with a squad that boasts the return of veteran backcourt stars Gabi Haack and Tatum Koenig and the influx of a talented, 8-player recruiting class.

"We have put in place the most-challenging non-conference schedule in recent memory," said Gorski. "With the strength of the MVC, we wanted to prepare ourselves to compete at the highest level once we start the Valley schedule. Our team is looking forward to playing some of the top teams in the country and can't wait to get started."

Of the 10 Division I opponents on Bradley's non-conference schedule, seven were at least .500 this past season with four advancing into the postseason. The final five non-conference opponents leading into Bradley's Valley opener combined for an 81-40 (.669) overall record with a NCAA Tournament appearance and two WNIT bids.

Bradley has opened a season with three consecutive home games twice before, both years before the program began competing under the NCAA umbrella – 1976-77 (2-1) and 1981-82 (3-0). Following a Nov. 4 exhibition game against McKendree, which is coached by former Bradley assistant Kari Kerkhoff, the Braves officially will open their 47th season Nov. 9 by welcoming Wright State to Peoria for a 6:30 p.m. tip at Renaissance Coliseum. Bradley will be looking to complete a sweep of the two-year, home-and-home series after earning a 66-61 victory last season in Dayton against a Raiders squad that would go on to cap a 19-8 campaign with a first-round NCAA Tournament win against Arkansas.

The second game of the season will showcase the Haack sisters when Upper Iowa visits Renaissance Coliseum Nov. 15 (6:30 p.m.). While the Braves are led by "super" senior guard Gabi Haack, who could be shooting for Bradley's all-time scoring record that night, Upper Iowa is led by her younger sister, Lydia, who paced the Peacocks in scoring at 14.5 points per game as a true freshman last season.

The season-opening home trifecta concludes Nov. 19 (6:30 p.m.) when the Braves welcome Wisconsin to Renaissance Coliseum. The Badgers will become the third Big Ten Conference program to visit Renaissance Coliseum since the building opened in 2010, following a pair of visits from Illinois in 2010 (73-51 loss) and 2013 (98-92 win), as well as a 96-88 win against Iowa Dec. 17, 2011. Bradley is 7-6 all-time in home games against Big Ten opponents.

Following its first road game of the season Nov. 22 at Northern Illinois, Bradley will get another taste of the Big Ten when the Braves visit Minnesota Nov. 26. The home team has won all five previous meetings in the series, which the Gophers lead by a 3-2 count. Bradley is facing a Big Ten team for the fourth time in five years, but this season marks the first time the Braves will face multiple Big Ten squads in the same season since 2010-11.

Bradley's December schedule will be bookended by home games against former Missouri Valley Conference institutions – Dec. 1 (11 a.m.) against Tulsa in the annual Field Trip Game and Dec. 28 (6:30 p.m.) against Saint Louis. Despite the MVC connection to the institutions, Bradley and Tulsa have never before met in a women's basketball game and Saint Louis had departed The Valley well before the series between the Braves and Billikens began in 1986 (Bradley has won eight of the 14 previous meetings).

In between the two December home games, Bradley will travel to the Dakotas for games Dec. 4 at North Dakota State and Dec. 6 at South Dakota, then will venture south for two games in the Tulane Classic – Dec. 20 against Little Rock and Dec. 21 versus either the host Green Wave, a 2021 WNIT first-round winner, or Tulane's opening tourney opponent.

Bradley's 18-game Missouri Valley Conference schedule is expected to be released soon. The 2022 Hoops in the Heartland MVC Women's Basketball Championship will be contested March 10-13 at iWireless Center in Moline.

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Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack: G; 5' 9"; Fifth Year

#13 Tatum Koenig: G; 5' 7"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack
: 5' 9"; Fifth Year
: G

#13 Tatum Koenig
: 5' 7"; Senior
: G

Women's Basketball Unveils 2021-22 Non-Conference Schedule

Defending MVC Champion to host Wisconsin Nov. 19 and could face four 2021 postseason qualifiers

Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack

#13 Tatum Koenig

Players Mentioned

#3 Gabi Haack

#13 Tatum Koenig