PEORIA, Ill. – Bradley Women's Basketball begins a new era Tuesday evening as the Braves travel to Madison, Wis., to face the Wisconsin Badgers in their 2026-27 season opener. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT at the Kohl Center, marking the first game under first-year head coach Chaia Meier.
Game Information
Matchup: Bradley at Wisconsin
Date: Tuesday, November 3, 2026
Time: 6:30 PM CT
Location: Kohl Center | Madison, Wis.
Streaming: B1G+
Live Stats: Link
What to Watch
Bradley enters the 2026-27 season with a new look under Meier, who was named the 11th head coach in program history in April. A Central Illinois native, Meier returns to the region after spending the previous two seasons as an assistant coach at Marquette University. She brings 16 years of collegiate coaching experience, including eight seasons at Edgewood University in Madison, where she became the winningest coach in program history.
The Braves return seven players from last season's roster, including Ellie McDermid, Mya Wardle, Caitlin Washington, Lila Posthuma, Inia Jones, Kali Fortson and Claire McDougall. Bradley also welcomes three incoming freshmen and three transfers as the program begins its first season under Meier.
Tuesday's matchup opens a challenging nonconference schedule for Bradley, which also features road contests against Indiana, Bellarmine, DePaul and South Dakota. The Braves will play three of their first five games against opponents from the Big Ten and Big East conferences.
Wisconsin enters the season following a run to the semifinals of the 2026 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. The Badgers are entering their second season under head coach Robin Pingeton and will look to build on last year's postseason success.
Wisconsin opened its preseason with a 101-69 exhibition victory over UW-Eau Claire on October 28. The Badgers shot 57.6% from the field and 40.0% from three-point range while placing six players in double figures. Wisconsin also recorded 24 assists and held a 34-23 advantage on the glass.
Key Players to Watch
Ellie McDermid returns for her junior season after averaging 5.9 points and 5.6 rebounds per game during the 2025-26 campaign. The Green Bay, Wis., native led Bradley in total rebounds last season and will return to her home state for Tuesday's matchup. McDermid was named to the MVC All-Freshman Team in 2024-25 after becoming the first freshman in Bradley history to record more than 200 points and 200 rebounds in a season.
Mya Wardle returns to Bradley's backcourt after starting all 33 games last season. The Peoria native averaged 7.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while leading the Braves with 115 assists. Wardle also finished second on the team with 44 made three-pointers and will be an important contributor in Bradley's new-look offense.
Wisconsin freshman Adaline Sheplee made an immediate impact in the Badgers' exhibition victory over UW-Eau Claire, leading all scorers with 25 points on 8-of-10 shooting. Iowa transfer Teagan Mallegni added 17 points, connecting on five of seven attempts from beyond the arc.
The Badgers also received double-digit scoring contributions from Caia Rose, Laci Steele, Addison Deal and Alicia Courthiau. Deal and Rose each recorded six assists in the exhibition victory, helping direct a Wisconsin offense that surpassed 100 points in its final tune-up before the regular season.
