The No. 22 University of Minnesota Duluth Women's Basketball team is set to open the 2026-27 campaign with games against Arkansas Tech and RV Harding at Delta State University. The Bulldogs play the Arkansas Tech Golden Suns on Friday at 7:30 p.m. CST, and will play the Harding Lady Bisons on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. CST.

Bulldogs Start Season:

After the Bulldogs' run to the Elite Eight for the second time in four seasons, UMD is ready to hit the court for another season, with a familiar face taking the reins of the program.

Head Coach Brooke Olson returns to UMD after having led the Bulldogs to the National Championship Game in the 2022-23 season. Olson joins the Bulldogs after having been an assistant coach at UW-Stout and a graduate assistant at the University of Minnesota.

The Bulldogs were selected to finish fifth in the NSIC Preseason Poll, and second in the NSIC North Division after finishing tied for second in the NSIC, and winning the North Division Title. The NSIC will be very competitive this season, with teams needing to play strong night-in-and-night-out to compete at the highest level.

The Bulldogs Women's Basketball program is built on connectivity and trust, relying on each other to achieve their goals. The team is highly competitive and never fails to pursue excellence in everything that they do.

The Bulldogs' senior class includes Lilly Radcliffe, Drew Johnston, Ashley Fritz, Grace Counts, and Lexi Karlen. The seniors display ownership and are high-achievers, setting the benchmark for the program. They are focused on building up their strengths as well as empowering others to fulfill their purpose.

The Bulldogs' junior class includes Vanessa Bickford, Karly Jusczak, Claire Bjorge, and Gabrielle Kirchner. The junior class brings a high level of competitiveness to the program. They have a tremendous work ethic and are willing do to what it takes to achieve success. Their extreme goals and determined focus are what will continue to lead the Bulldogs to future success.

The Bulldogs' sophomore class includes Torie Neubauer, Keagan McVicker, and Elayna Boe. This class brings a lot of energy to the program, while being able to remain calm and confidence throughout new situations and responsibility. After redshirting their freshman year, the sophomores are excited to gain momentum and push this program to new heights, driven by their selfless determination.

The Bulldogs' freshman class includes Fallon Passanante and Elsie Ostmoe. The freshman class have an incredible work ethic and are always find a way to compete the right way. They embody an "earn it" mentality and will work tirelessly to bring success to the team.

About the Golden Suns:

The Golden Suns were one of the best offensive teams at the NCAA Division-II level last season, posting an offensive rating of 103.6. They are a team that handles the ball very well, giving up few turnovers, and can find their way to the free throw line.

Despite the coaching change, Arkansas Tech returns a few key players. Shayln Lyle played the second-most amount of minutes for Arkansas Tech, and produced 3.0 assists per game for the Golden Suns last season. AbbiGrace Cunningham is another, as she was Arkansas Tech's second-leading scorer last season. Desire Gehler plays a strong defensive role for the Golden Suns, having picked up nearly six rebounds a game last season for Arkansas Tech.

The Golden Suns also lost a couple of core contributors as well. Logan Young, their top scorer who played the most minutes for Arkansas Tech, transferred to Division-I Central Arkansas. They also lost seniors Jadah Pickens and ClaraGrace Prater.

Arkansas Tech was picked to finish sixth in the Great American Conference this season. Last year, Arkansas Tech finished third in the conference, and made it to the Great American Conference Tournament semifinals.

The Golden Suns started off the year 1-0, with a opening day win over the MIAA's Arkansas-Fort Smith at home in Russellville, Arkansas.

Head Coach Daryl Fimple:

Daryl Fimple enters his first year as a collegiate head coach with Arkansas Tech. Prior to becoming head coach, Fimple won six Arkansas State Championships in high school women's basketball with North Little Rock High School, and returns to his alma mater to coach the Golden Suns. During his time at Arkansas Tech, he played on a very successful Men's Basketball team that won two conference championships and made the NAIA National Semifinals before becoming an assistant coach with the Golden Suns during his junior year.

All-Time Series vs. Arkansas Tech:

ATU Leads 3-0
Last Game: ATU 67-63 (3/18/94)
Last UMD Win: N/A
Olson vs. ATU: 0-0
Fimple vs. UMD: 0-0

Arkansas Tech has won all three games against the Bulldogs, but it has been 32 years since their last matchup with each other.

From Last Game:

The Golden Suns took a narrow win against the Bulldogs in the NAIA National Tournament, 67-63, in Jackson, Tennessee.

This was the second defeat in the NAIA National Tournament at the hands of Arkansas Tech, as UMD fell to the Golden Suns in the 1988 edition of the tournament as well.

About the Lady Bisons:

The Lady Bisons were one of the best teams at the Division-II level last season, with Harding winning an outright Great American conference title. However, their NCAA Tournament run ended abruptly in Mankato with an overtime loss to Fort Hays State in the first round.

The Lady Bisons bring back a lot of players for this upcoming season. Two of the key returners for Harding include Josie Williams, Kori Sanders, and Maddi Holt. 

Josie Williams was a First-Team All-GAC player, recording 13.3 points per game during the 2025-26 season, and was a key drivier of the Lady Bisons' offense, with her reliable shooting being a big driver of Harding's success last season.

Kori Sanders was a Second-Team All-GAC player, and led the Lady Bisons in minutes last season as a freshman. She recorded 38 minutes per game, and was one of the top assisters in the country, averaging nearly 4.8 assists per game last season.

Maddi Holt was an All-GAC Honorable mention, and was stellar from beyond the arc, shooting 40.6% from three-point range.

Harding was picked to finish first in the Great American Conference this season. Last year, Harding won the Great American Conference regular season, but fell in the Great American Conference Tournament semifinals.

The Lady Bisons started off the year 1-2, losing games against Union and #12 Gannon, but won their last game entering this weekend with an 84-45 win against Southwest Baptist of the GLVC.

Head Coach Tim Kirby:

Tim Kirby enters his 22nd year with Harding. During Kelly's tenure as head coach, the Lady Bisons have won five Great American Conference titles and three Conference Tournament titles, while Kirby himself has been named GAC Coach of the Year four times. Harding has also made six NCAA Tournaments under his leadership.

All-Time Series:

First Matchup
Last Game: N/A
Last UMD Win: N/A
Olson vs. HU: 0-0
Kirby vs. UMD: 0-0

Harding and UMD will play each other for the first time in program history.