RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University women’s basketball team returns to action hosting reigning NCAA Division III National Champion Transylvania on Thursday, Nov. 2 at 7:00 p.m. inside Baptist Health Arena.
 
Thursday’s preseason exhibition is also Fan Day at the arena. Fans are encouraged to arrive early and stay late to participate in a post-game autograph session with the team and various activities throughout the game such as face painting, yard games, photos with the mascot, and more.
 
Tickets to see the in-state duel are just $5 and can be purchased on the Colonels’ website here.
 
EKU enters the season with high praise nationally and in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Colonels were picked preseason No. 3 in the conference in both the coaches’ poll and the media poll – the highest preseason rank in its three-year membership in the league and for EKU since the 2016-17 season. 
 
For the first time since 2016, EKU enters the season with the Preseason Player of the Year in Antwainette Walker – who is coming off a stellar campaign last year where she nearly averaged a double-double with 21.0 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, she was named the ASUN Newcomer of the Year and First Team All-ASUN. 
 
Walker ended the season tabbed to three national awards in the 2023 Ann Meyers Drysdale Award, 2023 Dawn Staley Award, and was named Honorable Mention Mid-Major All-American.
 
This offseason, Walker has been named ESPN’s Frontrunner for ASUN Player of the Year and was named to the 2023-24 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Watchlist. The first player in program history to be tabbed to both honors.
 
EKU also returns three members off last year’s team in Alice Recanati, Bridgid Fox, and Brie Crittendon. Recanati was named preseason all-conference for the second consecutive year.
 
Head Coach Greg Todd was busy this offseason recruiting nine newcomers, seven of those NCAA DI transfers out of the portal. The Colonels signed Ivy Turner (Northern Kentucky), Raphaela Toussaint (Rider), NeKiyah Thompson (Jacksonville State), Althea Kara Angeles (Old Dominion), Sierra McCullough (Tennessee State), Kaitlyn Costner (Ohio State), and Jasmine McGinnis-Taylor (Illinois State) to their roster.
 
Todd also welcomes his first true-freshman class at EKU with in-state Saniyah Shelton (Bowling Green HS) and prep standout Kailani Lindsey (Foster HS) from Florida.
 
Todd, having been at the helm of Tansylvania from 2006-14, is 4-0 all-time when coaching against his former programs. During that span, Todd led the Pioneers to three NCAA Tournaments and was a four-time Heartland Conference Coach of the Year.
 
EKU will open its regular season just four days later against Hanover College on Monday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. back at Alumni Coliseum. 
 
Season tickets are still available starting at just $25 for general admission seating. Single game tickets are also available for purchase and can be found here.
 
For more information on the EKU women’s basketball program, visit EKUSports.com or follow @EKUWBB on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.