Women’s hoops schedule announced

Complete 2016-17 BYU women's basketball schedule

WCC interactive complete schedule

Complete WCC league schedule

PROVO, Utah— Teams from three power five conferences including 11 programs that participated in postseason play last year highlight the 2016-17 BYU women’s basketball schedule.

“This year’s schedule is just as difficult as the one we had last year,” said BYU head coach Jeff Judkins.

“We are excited to be playing some stiff competition in our nonconference portion of the schedule. We will also have a couple of huge home games against Oklahoma, from the Big 12 and Washington, from the Pac-12.”

The Cougar women open up the 2016-17 campaign with back-to-back road games at Utah Valley University on Nov. 11 and at SEC powerhouse Georgia on Nov. 16. This will be the first time that BYU has played in Athens.

BYU’s home opener is on Saturday, Nov. 19 when Big 12 power Oklahoma makes an appearance in the Marriott Center. The Sooners last played in Provo in 1989. 

Back-to-back tournament play has the Cougar women in Albuquerque for the Thanksgiving holiday and in Maui, Hawaii the following week.

On Friday, Nov. 25, BYU plays St. Joseph’s, one of the three schools participating in the UNM Thanksgiving Tournament. The following day, the Cougars will either play hosts New Mexico or Tulsa.

The Maui Wahine Classic has the BYU women playing UNLV on Friday, Dec. 2 and Oregon Sate on Saturday, Dec. 3. The Beavers advanced to the championship game of last year’s NCAA tournament before losing to UConn.

The Cougars host Weber State on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

Two matchups with in-state rivals are on tap for the Cougars in mid December. BYU is in Salt Lake City taking on Utah on Saturday, Dec. 10. The following Saturday, Dec. 17 the Cougar women are at Utah State in Logan.

Just the third home game in its nonconference portion of the schedule has BYU hosting Pac-12 foe Washington on Dec. 22. The Huskies advanced to the Final Four of last year’s NCAA tournament. Washington last played in Provo in 2010.

Defending West Coast Conference regular season champions BYU will look to clinch a second-straight conference crown beginning the last week of December.

“This year’s WCC race will be a little different because without travel partners we’ll have a home and an away game each week for the majority of the season,” Judkins said.

“The race for a regular season crown will be wide open this year and we'll need to come prepared and be ready to play each game.”

BYU opens league play at Santa Clara on Dec. 29 before hosting WCC foe LMU, Dec. 31.

On Thursday, Jan. 5, the Cougars are at home playing Saint Mary’s and are at Pacific on Saturday, Jan. 7.

A game at San Francisco on Thursday, Jan. 12 is followed by a home game against San Diego on Saturday, Jan. 14.

The following week, WCC play continues for BYU with a road game at Pepperdine on Thursday, Jan. 19 before the Cougars host Pacific on Saturday, Jan. 21.

They remain at home the following Thursday, Jan.  26 hosting Santa Clara, before taking a quick trip to Los Angeles, for a matchup against LMU, on Saturday, Jan. 28.

A two-game road swing to the Northwest has the Cougar women at Gonzaga and at Portland on Feb. 2 and Feb. 4, respectively.

BYU is back home for two games the second week of February. The team hosts Pepperdine on Feb. 9 and San Francisco on Feb. 11.

The Cougar women make their final road trip of the 2017 league race with a game at San Diego on Thursday, Feb. 16 and at Saint Mary’s on Saturday, Feb. 18.

BYU closes out WCC play at home the last week of February hosting Portland on Thursday, Feb. 23 and Gonzaga on Saturday, Feb. 25.

The 2017 WCC Women’s Basketball Championships are scheduled for March 2-7 in Las Vegas at the Orleans Arena.