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LAWRENCE, Kan. – The 56th season of intercollegiate women’s basketball at the University of Kansas tips off on Wednesday, Nov. 8, at Allen Fieldhouse as the Jayhawks host Northwestern State.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Big 12 NOW, with Leif Lisec and Jill Dorsey-Hall on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Jayhawk Radio Network from Learfield, with Steven Davis calling the action.
The Jayhawks have been picked to finish third in the Big 12 Conference during the 2023-24 season. Kansas earned a top-three conference projection for the fourth time in league history, and the first since being picked second prior to the 2009-10 season. Kansas is receiving votes in both the Associated Press and WBCA Coaches polls after finishing 25-11 and claiming the 2023 WNIT Championship last season.
Brandon Schneider is back for his ninth season leading the Jayhawks. The 2022 Big 12 Coach of the Year has guided Kansas to back-to-back 20-win seasons and postseason appearances. Last season, Schneider recorded his 500th career win and he enters his 26th season as a collegiate head coach with a career record of 508-274.
Kansas returns four starters and seven letterwinners from last year’s team, led by Preseason All-Big 12 selections Taiyanna Jackson, Zakiyah Franklin and Holly Kersgieter. The super-senior trio is back for their third year together at Kansas. Jackson was a unanimous Preseason All-Big 12 selection, while Franklin also earned a spot on the team and Kersgeiter received honorable mention.
Jackson headlines the list of returners for Kansas following a breakthrough 2022-23 season. She is one of 50 players named to the 2023-24 Naismith Women’s Player of the Year Watch List and one of 20 preseason candidates for the Lisa Leslie Award, recognizing the top center in college basketball. Last season, Jackson was a unanimous All-Big 12 First Team and Big 12 All-Defensive Team selection after becoming the first Kansas player since 1981-82 to average a double-double, totaling 15.2 points and 12.7 rebounds per game for the year. She also finished the season with 23 double-doubles, the third-most in KU history, and ranked second in school history by shooting 66.1 percent (230-of-348) from the field.
Franklin is a Preseason All-Big 12 selection and one of 20 candidates for the Nancy Lieberman Award, which recognizes the top point guard in college basketball. Franklin returns for her fifth year at Kansas after earning All-Big 12 First Team honors as KU’s leading scorer at 15.7 points per game last season.
Kersgieter is on the Preseason All-Big 12 Team for the fourth consecutive season. Last year, she ranked third on the team with 13.8 points per game and hit 64 three-pointers, which ranked sixth on KU’s single-season list.
From Natchitoches, La, the Northwestern State Demons come to Lawrence for their second game of the 2023-24 season. The Demons faced Nebraska in Lincoln on Monday, falling 90-42 to the Huskers. NSU was picked to finish seventh in the Southland Conference this year after posting an 11-18 overall record with a 7-11 conference mark last season.
Tickets
Single-game and season tickets for the 2023-24 Kansas Women’s Basketball season are on-sale now. For as low as $90, fans can lock in seats for the year, with single-game tickets ranging from $8-$15. To purchase today, visit KUAthletics.com or call 800-34-HAWKS.
Up Next
Kansas plays its first of five non-conference games against Power Five opponents on Monday, Nov. 13, at Penn State. That game will tip off at 5 p.m. CT from the Bryce Jordan Center in University Park, Pa., and be broadcast on the B1G Network.
