Tuesday, November 3
Morgantown, W.Va.
7 P.M.
West Virginia University
vs
Rhode Island
November 02, 2026 02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – The West Virginia University women's basketball team is set to open its 2026-27 season on Tuesday, Nov. 3, when the Mountaineers welcome Rhode Island to Hope Coliseum in Morgantown.
Tipoff against the Rams is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and gates open at 6 p.m. Tuesday's contest will be broadcast live on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 101.9 FM, with Andrew Caridi on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Varsity Network App.
Additionally, the game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Eric Little and Meg Bulger on the call. Live stats and game notes are available on WVUsports.com.
Tickets can be purchased at WVUGAME.com or by visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located inside the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. The home opener will serve happy hour. Join the Mountaineers as they tip off the 2026-27 season, where fans can toast the start with Happy Hour and half-off beverages from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., while students can enjoy a Mountaineer Maniacs giveaway.
The game marks the start of coach Kellogg's fourth season at West Virginia. In 21 seasons as a head coach, Kellogg owns a career record of 523-143 (.785), which makes him the fourth-winningest active Division I coach in the country by win percentage with 10+ seasons. During that span, he has also totaled 21 winning seasons and 17 20-win seasons, including three 30-win campaigns. He has won 25 games or more in each of his first three seasons in Morgantown.
West Virginia and Rhode Island meet for the 25th time, with WVU leading the series 17-7. The game is the first since 2007.
West Virginia is 37-16 all-time in season openers and has won the last 12 openers, dating back to the 2014-15 season. During that stretch, WVU is averaging 81.6 points in season openers and has limited the opposition to 42.5 points in those contests. The Mountaineers are averaging 70.6 points per game all-time in season openers.
What's more, West Virginia is 24-3 in season openers since the 1999-00 season.
The Mountaineer roster features two returners and 10 newcomers. West Virginia's 12-player roster breaks down into six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen.
WVU is headlined by senior guard Gia Cooke, who was named to the Big 12 Conference Preseason Team and most recently named to the Naismith Player of the Year Watch List. Cooke started 34 games and averaged a team-best 15.0 points per game while leading the Mountaineers with 525 total points last season. She reached double figures 30 times and highlighted her ability to score from all three levels, knocking down 59 three-pointers and converting 77.2% of her free-throw attempts.
Ten newcomers join the roster, including high-impact transfers like Skylar Forbes (Marquette), Zahirah Walton (George Mason), Khyala Ngodu (UCF), Kennedy Harris (George Mason), Marya Hudgins (BYU), Hawa Doumbouya (VCU), Alexis Bordas (Duquesne), Nylah Wilson (Pitt), and Divine Tumba (Pitt). The Mountaineers round out their roster with freshman Chante Murray.
The transfer class is touted as one of the best in the country, bolstering a combined 526 games played and 317 starts. Forbes and Walton are both listed as top portal gets this summer according to CBS Sports as Forbes, Walton and Khyala Ngodu were each named to the Naismith Starting Five Watch List for their respective positions.
WVU's lineup this season features six double-figure scorers from last season. Walton (18.1) leads the way for the Mountaineers as Forbes (15.5), Bordas (15.5), Cooke (15.0), Harris (14.1) and Ngodu (10.8) join her in averaging double figures a season ago.
Last season the Rams reached 28 wins, an A-10 regular-season crown, the program's first A-10 Tournament championship, and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years.
For the latest information on West Virginia women's basketball, visit WVUsports.com and follow @WVUWBB on social media.
Tipoff against the Rams is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET, and gates open at 6 p.m. Tuesday's contest will be broadcast live on the Mountaineer Sports Network, including 101.9 FM, with Andrew Caridi on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Varsity Network App.
Additionally, the game will be broadcast on ESPN+, with Eric Little and Meg Bulger on the call. Live stats and game notes are available on WVUsports.com.
Tickets can be purchased at WVUGAME.com or by visiting the Mountaineer Ticket Office, located inside the Gold Gate of the WVU Coliseum. The home opener will serve happy hour. Join the Mountaineers as they tip off the 2026-27 season, where fans can toast the start with Happy Hour and half-off beverages from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m., while students can enjoy a Mountaineer Maniacs giveaway.
The game marks the start of coach Kellogg's fourth season at West Virginia. In 21 seasons as a head coach, Kellogg owns a career record of 523-143 (.785), which makes him the fourth-winningest active Division I coach in the country by win percentage with 10+ seasons. During that span, he has also totaled 21 winning seasons and 17 20-win seasons, including three 30-win campaigns. He has won 25 games or more in each of his first three seasons in Morgantown.
West Virginia and Rhode Island meet for the 25th time, with WVU leading the series 17-7. The game is the first since 2007.
West Virginia is 37-16 all-time in season openers and has won the last 12 openers, dating back to the 2014-15 season. During that stretch, WVU is averaging 81.6 points in season openers and has limited the opposition to 42.5 points in those contests. The Mountaineers are averaging 70.6 points per game all-time in season openers.
What's more, West Virginia is 24-3 in season openers since the 1999-00 season.
The Mountaineer roster features two returners and 10 newcomers. West Virginia's 12-player roster breaks down into six seniors, one junior, three sophomores and two freshmen.
WVU is headlined by senior guard Gia Cooke, who was named to the Big 12 Conference Preseason Team and most recently named to the Naismith Player of the Year Watch List. Cooke started 34 games and averaged a team-best 15.0 points per game while leading the Mountaineers with 525 total points last season. She reached double figures 30 times and highlighted her ability to score from all three levels, knocking down 59 three-pointers and converting 77.2% of her free-throw attempts.
Ten newcomers join the roster, including high-impact transfers like Skylar Forbes (Marquette), Zahirah Walton (George Mason), Khyala Ngodu (UCF), Kennedy Harris (George Mason), Marya Hudgins (BYU), Hawa Doumbouya (VCU), Alexis Bordas (Duquesne), Nylah Wilson (Pitt), and Divine Tumba (Pitt). The Mountaineers round out their roster with freshman Chante Murray.
The transfer class is touted as one of the best in the country, bolstering a combined 526 games played and 317 starts. Forbes and Walton are both listed as top portal gets this summer according to CBS Sports as Forbes, Walton and Khyala Ngodu were each named to the Naismith Starting Five Watch List for their respective positions.
WVU's lineup this season features six double-figure scorers from last season. Walton (18.1) leads the way for the Mountaineers as Forbes (15.5), Bordas (15.5), Cooke (15.0), Harris (14.1) and Ngodu (10.8) join her in averaging double figures a season ago.
Last season the Rams reached 28 wins, an A-10 regular-season crown, the program's first A-10 Tournament championship, and the school's first NCAA Tournament appearance in 30 years.
For the latest information on West Virginia women's basketball, visit WVUsports.com and follow @WVUWBB on social media.
Players Mentioned
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