CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team starts its 2026-27 schedule Monday night at Halton Arena in Charlotte against Richmond, with the opening tip set for 7 p.m.
It is the third year in a row the 49ers have opened at home. Preseason projections have Charlotte finishing 10th in the American Conference, while Richmond is picked eighth in the Atlantic 10.
History leans heavily toward the home side. Monday is the 14th meeting between the two programs, and Charlotte has won 12 of them, including the last 11. The most recent game, in 2021, went to the 49ers 63-45.
The night also marks the return of Charlotte head coach Tomekia Reed, now in her third season, who has been away from the bench since a medical leave that began in April. Reed has doubled the team’s conference win total in each of her first two years after six seasons at Jackson State, where she won five straight SWAC regular-season titles.
Zoe Best leads the returning group. The junior guard started 31 of 32 games last season and averaged 9.2 points and 3.4 assists. Senior guard Da’Brya Clark, who set the single-season record for 3-pointers at Norfolk State, joins her in the backcourt, and senior forward Ja’Navia Gage pulled down 6.7 rebounds a game a year ago.
Richmond is also starting over on the bench. Alisa Kresge, hired in April after eight seasons and a 145-89 record at Vermont, makes her Spiders debut. Her top weapon is senior guard Ally Sweeney, a preseason all-league first-team pick who put up 10.5 points and 4.4 assists last season.
The Spiders brought in eight newcomers, seven of them freshmen, including Duquesne transfer center Harriet Ford, who averaged 6.9 rebounds and 6.6 points.
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