The University of Pennsylvania women’s basketball team is preparing to face the University of Texas, currently ranked fourth in the nation, on Sunday in Austin. This game follows Penn’s recent 78-44 victory over the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
This matchup marks only the second time Penn and Texas have played each other. The previous meeting occurred during the 2014 NCAA Tournament, where Texas won 79-61. Sunday’s contest will be the first time Penn plays at Texas’ Moody Center.
Reflecting on their last game, Penn saw standout performances from Katie Collins, who scored 18 points with perfect shooting from three-point range, and Mataya Gayle, who contributed six assists and 14 points. Eight Quakers made at least one three-pointer as the team went 14-for-33 from beyond the arc.
Earlier in the week, Penn lost to Saint Joseph’s at home, falling to 0-2 in Big 5 pod play. Simone Sawyer led with 14 points and seven rebounds. Tina Njike added ten points, mostly in the third quarter. The Quakers had a total of 15 assists in that game.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s opponent, Texas enters undefeated after seven games this season and is recognized for its high-scoring offense—averaging over 98 points per game—and strong defense, allowing just under 52 points per contest. Madison Booker leads Texas with nearly 17 points per game while senior guard Rori Harmon averages more than six assists and ranks third nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Penn was selected to finish fourth in this season’s Ivy League preseason poll by media members. Despite graduating two key starters last year, they return several players including Gayle and Collins—the last two recipients of Ivy League Rookie of the Year—and Simone Sawyer. Ese Ogbevire is set to rejoin after missing last season due to injury.
The Quakers also welcome four freshmen this year: Ruke Ogbevire (Houston), Ari Paraskevopoulou (Athens), Kate Lipatova (Moscow), and Sarah Gordon (Alabama). Two were their high schools’ all-time leading scorers; Paraskevopoulou and Lipatova played for their national teams.
Coaching changes include Ryan Weise joining as assistant coach following experience at Holy Cross. Ashley Robinson has been promoted to associate head coach and recruiting coordinator after Kelly Killion left for American University.
This season’s team leadership features five captains: seniors Saniah Caldwell, Simone Sawyer, Georgia Heine; junior Mataya Gayle; and sophomore Katie Collins—a tie for most captains in program history.
Historically under Coach Mike McLaughlin’s tenure, scoring at least 60 points has been a strong indicator of success for Penn women’s basketball—winning most games when reaching that threshold both offensively and defensively.
