PHILADELPHIA – The University of Pennsylvania women's basketball team tips off the 2026-27season on Tuesday evening, hosting NCAA Division III Swarthmore College.
 
Game 1: Penn (0-0, 0-0 Ivy League) vs. Swarthmore (0-0)
Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026 | 6 p.m.
The Palestra | Philadelphia, Pa.
Watch on ESPN+ | Live Stats | Tickets | Digital Game Program | Penn Game Notes (PDF)
 
Palestra 100
The 2026-27 season marks a monumental milestone as The Palestra celebrates its 100th anniversary, honoring a century of unforgettable moments, legendary sports figures, countless traditions, and the lasting impact on the sports and Philadelphia community. The Quakers will celebrate the rich history and legacy of "the Cathedral of College Basketball" with special events and tributes throughout the season.
 
The Swarthmore Series
Penn has an all-time record of 10-2 against Swarthmore College since the series began back in 1971. This will be the first meeting of the two squads since 1979.
 
The last time these two teams met, the Quakers won 80-39 on Jan. 30, 1979 at The Palestra. The first meeting was an 48-17 victory in favor of Penn on March 10, 1971.
 
Opening Week!
Penn begins its 2026-27 season with a matchup against NCAA Division III opponent Swarthmore at the Palestra. The Quakers host the first Big 5 matchup of the season on Friday afternoon against Drexel before hitting the road for against Norfolk State on Sunday.
 
The Red and Blue then return home for Homecoming, hosting Longwood on Thursday, Nov. 12 followed by a top-25 match-up with North Carolina on Saturday, Nov. 14.
 
A Bright Future
Like last year, the Quakers were picked to finish fourth in the Ivy League's preseason poll, earning 104 points voted on by members of the media.
 
Despite losing a pair of key starters—Simone Swayer and Saniah Caldwell—to graduation, Penn returns three key members of the starting lineup in Mataya Gayle, Katie Collins and Tina Njike. Collins (second-team) and Gayle (honorable mention) both earned All-Ivy nods last season.
 
The Quakers also bring back several impact players from off the bench. Brooke Suttle appeared in all 27 games last season, starting in four and averaging 21 minutes per game.  She scored a career high 16-points and tallied five rebounds in a 68-52 win against Yale last season, just second in scoring behind Gayle for that game.
 
Gabriella Kelley saw a significant increase in playing time last season, appearing in 25 games compared to just ten game in 2024-25. Familiar faces Ashna Tambe, Abby Sharpe, Ese Ogbevire also look to make an impact on the floor for the Quakers.
 
Fresh Faces
Penn has a freshman class of four this season. The Quakers also welcome two transfers, bringing the team total to 16 student-athletes.
 
Jayah Curtis (Parsippany, N.J./Montclair Immaculate Conception/Morris Catholic), Ava Jones (Memphis, Tenn./Hutchinson School), Madison Kocis (Chatham, N.J./Saint John Vianney), and Rachel Thatcher (Haddon Township, N.J./Paul VI) are all eager to make their collegiate debuts this season, maybe as soon as Tuesday evening. Of the four, two – Curtis and Thatcher – were recognized as 2026 McDonald's All-American nominees.
 
Transfers Candice Lienafa (Quebec, Canada/Champlain College Saint-Lambert/Davidson) and Christina Pham (Boston, Mass./Noble and Greenough School/Fairfield) will also make their debut for the Quakers. Lienafa appeared in all 32 games for Davidson, making six starts and earning her a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team. Pham played in 28 games with one start, scoring in double figures five times as a freshman.
 
In addition to the players, Mike McLaughlin has two new members to his coaching staff. Liam Shanahan transitioned into the role of assistant coach from an administrative role within Penn Athletics. Prior to his time at Penn, Shanahan served as a graduate assistant coach for the Indiana University women's basketball team. Kaity Healy also joins the staff as an assistant coach. Healy comes to University City after spending two years with the St. John's women's basketball program.
 
Scouting The Garnet
Swarthmore went 10-15 last season with a 6-9 record in conference action.
 
The Garnet freshman class led the charge in 2025-26. Catherine Chadwell is the team's leading returning scorer after averaging 14.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 34.5 minutes of action per game as Freshman. Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson is also back after averaging 13.1 points in 35.3 minutes per game.
 
Carly Murphy returns for her senior season after scoring 8.5 points and adding 5.1 rebounds per game.
 
Penn And The Power Six
Since head coach Mike McLaughlin took over in 2009-10, Penn has consistently faced one of the Ivy League's toughest non-conference schedules. The Quakers have squared off against six top-15 opponents over the last 13 seasons — including No. 3 Notre Dame (2011-12), No. 5 Notre Dame (2013-14), No. 4 Tennessee (2014-15), No. 14 Duke (2015-16), No. 3 Notre Dame (2017-18), No. 1 Notre Dame (2018-19), and No. 4 Texas (2025-26).
 
Penn has also regularly tested itself against programs from the Power Six conferences. During the 2013-14 season, the Quakers earned their first-ever win over an ACC opponent, edging Miami (Fla.) 67-66 on the road en route to an Ivy League title.
 
This season, McLaughlin has scheduled two elite match ups in preseason No. 12 North Carolina and No. 11 UCLA. The Quakers will first host the Tarheels at the Palestra on Nov. 14. North Carolina, led by familiar foe Courtney Banghart, finished at 28-8 and reached the Women's Sweet 16 last season. Penn will then travel to Los Angeles over Thanksgiving weekend to take on the reigning National Champion Bruins, who finished the 2025-26 season 37-1.
 
Magic Number: 60
The statistic that may most indicate a Penn win or loss? 60 points. Penn has won 175 of its last 192 regular season games when scoring at least 60 points in regulation. Over the last nine seasons under McLaughlin, the Quakers are 185-21 when reaching that number. In comparison overall, the Quakers are just 53-149 (.262) when they've scored less than 60 points under McLaughlin. The trend continues defensively. Over the last 11 seasons, the Red and Blue are 58-116 (.333) when allowing 60 points or more. But when holding opponents under that number, the Quakers hold a healthy winning record of 203-37 (.846).