wv womens basketball schedule: Why This Season’s Grind Is Different

wv womens basketball schedule: Why This Season’s Grind Is Different

Honestly, if you haven't been keeping an eye on the wv womens basketball schedule this year, you’re missing a masterclass in how to build a program. Mark Kellogg isn't just "coaching" in his third season; he’s basically architecting a gauntlet. We’ve moved past the era where a few early-season blowouts at the Coliseum (now officially dubbed Hope Coliseum) were enough to get the engine humming.

This season is a slog. A beautiful, high-stakes slog.

We are currently deep in the belly of the Big 12 schedule, and the reality of a 16-team conference is finally hitting home. It’s not just about the travel—though flying from Morgantown to Provo and then back to Florida is a literal nightmare for sleep cycles—it’s about the lack of "off nights." There are no breaks.

The Remaining Big 12 Gauntlet: Dates to Circle

If you're trying to plan your life around the Mountaineers, the next few weeks are basically the "Separation Phase." You’ve got to look at the stretch starting in late January. After coming off that physical battle against TCU on January 14th, the road doesn't get any flatter.

Here is the breakdown of what is left on the wv womens basketball schedule for the 2025-26 regular season.

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  • January 18 (Sun): At Cincinnati. Fifth Third Arena always feels smaller and louder than it looks on TV. Tipoff is 2:00 PM.
  • January 21 (Wed): Arizona State at home. This is the "True Blue" game. If you're going, wear blue or you'll stick out like a sore thumb. 7:00 PM.
  • January 24 (Sat): At BYU. This is a late one—9:30 PM. The altitude in Provo is a real factor, and BYU’s crowd is notoriously relentless.
  • January 27 (Tue): At Utah. Another mountain road trip. 9:00 PM.
  • February 1 (Sun): Baylor at home. COAL RUSH. This is arguably the biggest home game of the year. Everybody wears black. It’s usually nationally televised on ESPN. 1:00 PM.
  • February 4 (Wed): At Colorado. 9:00 PM.
  • February 7 (Sat): Arizona at home. 2:00 PM.
  • February 11 (Wed): UCF at home. This is Community Night and a Black History Month celebration. 7:00 PM.
  • February 15 (Sun): At TCU. A rematch in Fort Worth. 8:00 PM.
  • February 21 (Sat): Oklahoma State at home. The "Pink Game" for breast cancer awareness. 2:00 PM.
  • February 25 (Wed): At UCF. 7:00 PM.
  • March 1 (Sun): Cincinnati at home. The regular-season finale. 2:00 PM.

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship starts March 4th in Kansas City at the T-Mobile Center. If the Mountaineers keep playing the way they have been, they’re looking at a high seed, which means a crucial double-bye.

Why the Non-Conference Choices Mattered

People sort of glossed over the early November and December games, but that's where the identity of this team was forged. Beating No. 15 Duke at The Greenbrier Tipoff (57-49) back in November was the moment people realized this defense is legitimate.

That Duke game was ugly. It was gritty. It was exactly what Kellogg wants.

Then you had the Baha Mar Hoops trip in the Bahamas. Losing to Ohio State by two points (81-83) on November 26th sucked, but it showed that Jordan Harrison and JJ Quinerly (while we miss her veteran presence) left a culture that Carter McCray and Sydney Woodley have completely embraced. McCray has been a double-double machine, and her presence in the paint is the only reason the Mountaineers can survive the size of teams like Baylor or TCU.

Managing the Travel Fatigue

You sort of have to feel for these athletes. The new Big 12 footprint is massive.

In a single ten-day stretch, they go from the humidity of Florida to the dry air of Utah. That matters. If you see the shooting percentages dip in those late-night BYU or Utah games, don't scream at your TV. It’s tired legs.

Kellogg has been using a deeper rotation this year—getting minutes for freshmen like Madison Parrish early on—specifically so the starters aren't gassed by the time February 15th rolls around.

How to Actually Watch the Games

Look, finding the games can be a scavenger hunt. Most of the wv womens basketball schedule lives on ESPN+. If you don't have the app, you're basically in the dark for 80% of the season.

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However, the "Big Ones" are different:

  1. Baylor (Feb 1): This is the marquee ESPN game.
  2. TCU (Feb 15): Also expected to have a national linear broadcast.
  3. The Greenbrier/Tournament Games: Usually land on ESPNU or FS1.

For the radio purists, the Mountaineer Sports Network is still the gold standard. You can find the Mark Kellogg Show at Kegler’s Sports Bar and Grille on select Mondays if you want to hear the coach break down the film in person.

The Verdict on the Home Court

There was some worry that changing the name to Hope Coliseum would mess with the "vibe," but the 14,000-seat arena remains one of the toughest places to play in the country. WVU finished last season perfect at home (14-0). Maintaining that home-court advantage during this February stretch is the difference between a Top 4 seed in the NCAA tournament and traveling to a hostile site in March.

If you're heading to a game, remember the themes. They take them seriously here. The "Coal Rush" against Baylor isn't just a suggestion—it’s an atmosphere.

Next Steps for Fans:

  • Check the official WVU Sports app for real-time tipoff changes; Big 12 TV windows sometimes shift games by 30 minutes at the last second.
  • If you're attending the February 1st "Coal Rush" against Baylor, get to the gates at least 60 minutes early—the pom-pom giveaway usually disappears in the first 20 minutes.
  • Sync the schedule to your Google or Outlook calendar directly from the athletics site to account for the weird 9:30 PM mountain time starts.