https://riceowls.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule

The Owls have announced their schedule for the most part. The remaining games we mostly knew about - including games at UNLV and Middle Tennessee to finish out home and homes from last year - and hosting Princeton (same thing in reverse). The one I didn’t know about was hosting Houston in a schoolday holiday game on Dec. 11 (that’s a really good game for the screaming kids).

We don’t know the full conference schedule yet but we know who we are playing (and as you’d expect, the conference has us playing all the best teams twice).

Not a bad schedule really. If we can win some of the tough NC games, we absolutely will be helping the RPI a ton.

Hmm, may need to book a trip to Vegas in November…

(08-11-2026 02:37 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  https://riceowls.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule

The Owls have announced their schedule for the most part. The remaining games we mostly knew about - including games at UNLV and Middle Tennessee to finish out home and homes from last year - and hosting Princeton (same thing in reverse). The one I didn’t know about was hosting Houston in a schoolday holiday game on Dec. 11 (that’s a really good game for the screaming kids).
...

Tanner Gardner's new school, Pepperdine, visits on Nov. 22, beginning the Owls' six-game homestand. The Waves reached the Super 16 of last year's WNIT.

(08-12-2026 12:56 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(08-11-2026 02:37 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  https://riceowls.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule

The Owls have announced their schedule for the most part. The remaining games we mostly knew about - including games at UNLV and Middle Tennessee to finish out home and homes from last year - and hosting Princeton (same thing in reverse). The one I didn’t know about was hosting Houston in a schoolday holiday game on Dec. 11 (that’s a really good game for the screaming kids).
...

Tanner Gardner's new school, Pepperdine, visits on Nov. 22, beginning the Owls' six-game homestand. The Waves reached the Super 16 of last year's WNIT.

Hopefully, Tanner's our AD by then. :--) Hard to believe, but he's been at Pepperdine for almost 3 years now.

(08-12-2026 04:41 PM)waltgreenberg Wrote:  

(08-12-2026 12:56 PM)Almadenmike Wrote:  

(08-11-2026 02:37 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  https://riceowls.com/sports/womens-basketball/schedule

The Owls have announced their schedule for the most part. The remaining games we mostly knew about - including games at UNLV and Middle Tennessee to finish out home and homes from last year - and hosting Princeton (same thing in reverse). The one I didn’t know about was hosting Houston in a schoolday holiday game on Dec. 11 (that’s a really good game for the screaming kids).
...

Tanner Gardner's new school, Pepperdine, visits on Nov. 22, beginning the Owls' six-game homestand. The Waves reached the Super 16 of last year's WNIT.

Hopefully, Tanner's our AD by then. :--) Hard to believe, but he's been at Pepperdine for almost 3 years now.

+1

Rice has two of the top 40 returning defenders in D1-- #8 Adams, #40 Alexis...

https://x.com/SkimMilkey/status/2102808616805756930

...of course, UConn has 3 of the Top 6 and 5 of the Top 35!

Conference schedule has been released. We open conference play at ECU. Thankfully the conference has wised up and seems to be highlighting the key Rice-USF games. We finish conference play at home vs USF.

I saw this pre-season ranking had Rice at #25. I'm not as convinced.

25. Rice (29-6)
Junior guard Victoria Flores is the reigning AAC Player of the Year, having helped the Owls to a program record for wins. Two of the team’s other top five scorers are back as well.

https://www.hoopshq.com/womens-college-b...op-25-2026

(10-08-2026 02:04 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  I saw this pre-season ranking had Rice at #25. I'm not as convinced.

25. Rice (29-6)
Junior guard Victoria Flores is the reigning AAC Player of the Year, having helped the Owls to a program record for wins. Two of the team’s other top five scorers are back as well.

https://www.hoopshq.com/womens-college-b...op-25-2026

A lot is going to depend on how good Hazelton turns out to be (assuming she's fully hea lthy to start the season). We don't have the experienced depth we've had the past several seasons, but our starting 5 (Adams, Alexis, Hazelton, Flores, Battiston) is arguably the best in G5 (at least on paper).

(10-08-2026 02:04 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  I saw this pre-season ranking had Rice at #25. I'm not as convinced.

25. Rice (29-6)
Junior guard Victoria Flores is the reigning AAC Player of the Year, having helped the Owls to a program record for wins. Two of the team’s other top five scorers are back as well.

https://www.hoopshq.com/womens-college-b...op-25-2026

It’s kind of hard to take the write-up seriously when they can’t get Flores’ year correct. She’s a senior.

Personally, if you want to highlight one G5 team in the top 25, I’d go with Murray State (who is on our schedule). They return more than we do and made the NCAA tournament last year.

The coaches pick Rice to win the AAC, receiving 10 of the 13 first place votes. Flores selected as pre-season POY. Adams made the AAC second-team. Ridiculous.

Should be one of the best WBB teams at Rice for a long time if there is limited injuries.

(10-09-2026 02:49 PM)Texasowl Wrote:  Should be one of the best WBB teams at Rice for a long time if there is limited injuries.

Again, it depends upon whether Hazelton proves to be a quality 2-way post player for us. I think it's will be one of best defensive teams ever, but offensively will depend on Hazelton keeping the defense honest in the post and Alexis finally stepping up and being a consistent scorer for us.

Have you heard Hazelton is starting for sure? I’ve heard there is a lot of competition for the one starting spot (with Adams and Alexis), we could go smaller with the fifth starter.

I’m fine with the all conference first team. Turner was like 2nd in the conference in scoring and I guess they wanted to have someone from USF there. I would have put USF ahead of UTSA (who has lost one of their best transfers already to a season ending injury. USF brought in a ton of big time transfers.

We beat McNeese State by 22 in a secret scrimmage today at Tudor. I wasn’t there so this is all second hand info.

First off, McNeese was quite good last year (30-plus wins and they easily won the Southland but they lost their head coach). It was close today and we didn’t play great from what I heard but we actually went on a 21-0 run over the last quarter!

Cofer is currently out and Hazelton and the Swedish center didn’t play but the latter two should return soon. We started our usual four plus the Iowa State transfer center.

(10-15-2026 03:46 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  We beat McNeese State by 22 in a secret scrimmage today at Tudor. I wasn’t there so this is all second hand info.

First off, McNeese was quite good last year (30-plus wins and they easily won the Southland but they lost their head coach). It was close today and we didn’t play great from what I heard but we actually went on a 21-0 run over the last quarter!

Cofer is currently out and Hazelton and the Swedish center didn’t play but the latter two should return soon. We started our usual four plus the Iowa State transfer center.

Are you saying we started Flores and Battiston? That would mean Battison taking Ennis's spot in the starting lineup. We had them both in the lineup when we went "smaller". Which one would be the lead PG?

(10-15-2026 04:39 PM)dragon2owl Wrote:  

(10-15-2026 03:46 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  We beat McNeese State by 22 in a secret scrimmage today at Tudor. I wasn’t there so this is all second hand info.

First off, McNeese was quite good last year (30-plus wins and they easily won the Southland but they lost their head coach). It was close today and we didn’t play great from what I heard but we actually went on a 21-0 run over the last quarter!

Cofer is currently out and Hazelton and the Swedish center didn’t play but the latter two should return soon. We started our usual four plus the Iowa State transfer center.

Are you saying we started Flores and Battiston? That would mean Battison taking Ennis's spot in the starting lineup. We had them both in the lineup when we went "smaller". Which one would be the lead PG?

I fully suspect they'll both be in the starting lineup. As for lead PG, lol, Adams brought the ball up court more frequently than either of those two. My issue with Flores is she has a tendency to hold onto the ball in the half court far too long, then doing an out of control drive to the basket as the clock winds down.

Battison was today (PG) but it could change in the future I guess. She was one of three players in double figures today as Battison, Blackmon and the Iowa State transfer all had 11 points. Adams and Flores were close to being in double figures.

(10-09-2026 04:23 PM)Fort Bend Owl Wrote:  Have you heard Hazelton is starting for sure? I’ve heard there is a lot of competition for the one starting spot (with Adams and Alexis), we could go smaller with the fifth starter.

I’m fine with the all conference first team. Turner was like 2nd in the conference in scoring and I guess they wanted to have someone from USF there. I would have put USF ahead of UTSA (who has lost one of their best transfers already to a season ending injury. USF brought in a ton of big time transfers.

lol I meant Hilbreth (the Swedish transfer). If Hazelton is starting or getting the lions share of minutes we're not going to be as good as we expect to be. She cannot defend the post without fouling and she doesn't have good hands. She did improve as last season progressed, but she's simply a backup giving our starter a breather, IMO.

We got two votes in the preseason top 25 AP poll, which I guess ties us for 36th overall. Rice and Fairfield (also 2 votes) were the only non P5 conference teams to receive a vote (I include the Big East along with the SEC, Big 10, Acc and Big 12 as power conferences in women’s basketball).