ST LOUIS – The Missouri Valley Conference office announced its 2026-27 women's basketball conference slate Friday, one that includes 10 games inside CEFCU Arena for Illinois State for Illinois State.
The Redbirds open MVC play with back-to-back home games against Valparaiso (Dec. 20) and Belmont (Dec. 29), before a New Year's Eve contest at Murray State (Dec. 31). The calendar will then flip to 2027, and the first contest of the year will take place in Carbondale against Southern Illinois (Jan. 3). ISU will then have three-straight home games versus Drake (Jan. 7), Northern Iowa (Jan. 9 and UIC (Jan. 12), followed by three on the road at Indiana State (Jan. 15), Evansville (Jan. 17) and Bradley (Jan. 22).
Illinois State will return home to take on defending MVC champion Murray State (Jan. 24) at CEFCU Arena, before heading to Drake (Jan. 28). A home contest against Southern Illinois (Jan. 31) will wrap up the month of January and the Birds will begin action in February at UIC (Feb. 4). ISU will then host Evansville (Feb. 7) and follow that with a road trip to take on Valparaiso (Feb. 12). A home game on Valentine's Day against Indiana State (Feb. 14) will follow, before ISU hits the road for a pair of tough contests at Belmont (Feb. 18) and Northern Iowa (Feb. 25). The Redbirds will then wrap up the regular season against Bradley (Feb. 27) as part of a Senior Day doubleheader at CEFCU Arena.
The Redbirds return seven players from last season's squad that advanced to the WNIT Championship game, including MVC assists leader Trista Fayta and Nevaeh Thomas, who returns for her senior campaign. Illinois State tallied a 24-14 record and advanced to the WNIT Championship game, earning a postseason bid for the sixth consecutive season and a 20-win campaign for the fourth straight year.
The returners will be joined by seven newcomers, including transfers Chloe Spreen (Indiana), Hannah Chicken (Portland State) and Ella Mason (Michigan Tech). The group also includes four prep standouts Danyella Mporokoso, Kennedy Stowers, Madison Young and Austria native Christina Köppel. Mporokoso highlights the group, coming to ISU after being named the 2025-26 Gatorade Illinois Girls Basketball Player of the Year and a four-star recruit.
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