Utah Valley will begin its run in the 2026 Women’s National Invitational Tournament on Thursday, Mar. 19, according to an announcement by Triple Crown Sports. The Wolverines are set to play against San Francisco at 7 p.m. Mountain Time.
The matchup is significant as the winner will advance to face Montana State, the Big Sky runner-up, in the second round. This marks Utah Valley’s second consecutive appearance in the WNIT after reaching the second round last season and earning its first postseason win against Air Force.
San Francisco enters the tournament with an overall record of 18-14 and a conference record of 9-9 in the West Coast Conference. The Dons are led by Candy Edokpaigbe, who averages 17.8 points per game and was named First Team All-WCC. Freshman guard Aina Cargol also received Honorable Mention All-WCC recognition and was named to the Freshman Team.
Utah Valley has had success this season against West Coast Conference opponents, recording a narrow victory over regular-season champion Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles and a decisive win over Pepperdine at home. Pepperdine finished their season with a record of 19-12.
The Wolverines aim to build on last year’s postseason performance as they prepare for Thursday’s opening-round contest.
