CHICAGO – The Missouri Valley Conference opened the week by announcing the 20-game schedule for each of its 11 members, completing the UIC women's basketball schedule for the 2025-26 season Monday morning.

The Flames will once again face their fellow members in The Valley in 10 home and road contests, culminating with the 2026 MVC Credit Union 1 Arena Women's Basketball Tournament March 12-15 at the Xtream Arena in Coralville, Iowa.

The MVC continues to be a highly competitive conference of women's basketball. Alongside UIC, six other teams from The Valley all earned postseason bids, tying a conference record set in 2012 and 2024.

"We are thrilled to be a part of another competitive year in the Valley," head coach Ashleen Bracey said. "We are excited about the new era and cannot wait to start MVC play with our first four games in and around the Chicagoland area. It's also always a competitive advantage to end conference play with a two-game home slate. We have a great opportunity ahead of us, so we will continue to roll up our sleeves and work to be prepared for a very tough conference schedule."

For the first time in four years, members of The Valley will begin conference play before the Christmas holiday, as the Flames open conference play Sunday, Dec. 7 on the road against Valparaiso at the Athletics Recreation Center. They then return to Credit Union 1 Arena to host Drake in their MVC Opener, before closing out 2025 in front of the home crowd against UNI.

Bracey is set to embark on her fourth year leading the Flames. A season ago, she led the Flames to their third consecutive playoff appearance, a program first. UIC returned to the Women's National Invitation Tournament this past March, earning its first tournament win in program history in a 63-48 victory over UAB.

The full 2025-26 UIC women's basketball schedule can be found here. Tip-off times and broadcast information will be revealed in the coming days.

Highlights of the 2025-26 conference schedule include:

• A mid-week matchup at home against Illinois State on Jan. 22 as the Flames face off against Bracey's alma mater. The Redbirds are coming off a Fab Four appearance in the WNIT a season ago.
• The Flames' longest homestand of conference play stretches from late January into February, featuring Valparaiso (Jan. 31), Southern Illinois (Feb. 5) and Evansville (Feb. 7) at Credit Union 1 Arena.
• Two weeks of road play soon follows that homestand, highlighted by matchups against Belmont (2025 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament runners-up) on Feb. 13, and facing off against the reigning MVC champions Murray State on Feb. 15.
• Key road contests to wrap up the month of February include stops at Drake (Feb. 22) and UNI (Feb. 28), perennial top-five finishers of the MVC.
• The Flames close out conference play at home in rematches against Murray State (March 5) and Belmont (March 7).

 
All UIC home games are played at the Flames' historic Credit Union 1 Arena, and fans can learn more about purchasing season tickets and securing access to the spacious and elite Courtside Club by contacting the UIC Athletics Ticket Office (312.413.UIC1; athleticsticketing@uic.edu).

 Special ticketing plans and single-game tickets for the 2025-26 UIC women's basketball season will go on sale in the very near future, along with announcements on game promotions, tip times and TV coverage.

For more information on UIC women's basketball, fans are encouraged to visit UICFlames.com, or follow the Flames on social media through X (@UIC_WBB and @UICFlames) and Instagram (@uic_wbband @uicflames).
 
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