BYU-Utah Women’s Basketball To Play Nationally Televised Game

PROVO, Utah— As women’s basketball continues to rise in mainstream American sports, the Big 12’s Utah Utes and BYU Cougars women’s basketball teams will be on full display when they face each other on ESPNU in January.

The Cougars will host Utah at the Marriott Center on Saturday, January 25. The Big 12 Conference game will be televised on ESPNU. Tip-off is at 2:30 p.m. MT. This will be the first game between these teams as Big 12 opponents.

𝐆𝐀𝐌𝐄 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓

🗞️ https://t.co/z3QIgAnFpC pic.twitter.com/HXZjQ8NgCP

— BYU Women's Hoops (@byuwbb) October 9, 2024

Utah won the most recent game between these programs, 87-68 in Salt Lake City back in December 2023. The last time BYU won was in 2021, defeating the Utes 85-80. The Utes and Cougars have won 18 games apiece against each other since 1999, with Utah winning four of the last five matchups.

Utah Utes looking to continue trending up

Under Lynne Roberts, the Utes have shown incredible growth in recent seasons. Utah went 27-5 in 2022-23, capping the season by advancing to the Sweet 16 before falling to eventual champion LSU. Injuries limited Utah last season as the squad fell to 23-11, bowing out in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Utes finished the season No. 22 in the final AP Top 25 poll.

Gianna Kneepkins returns from an injury that limited her to eight games last year. Kneepkens is joined by eight returners from last year’s squad, three first-year students, and two transfer portal additions in Chyra Evans and Mayé Touré.

BYU hopes to rebound from rough season

Sophomore guard Amari Whiting returns alongside six other Cougars from last season’s 16-17 team. Delaney Gibb headlines BYU’s four-player freshman class. Gibb was the No. 77 recruit out of Canada in 2024 and was a U19 Canadian National Team member at the 2023 World Championships.

Losing all-time leading rebounder Lauren Gustin will hurt, but head coach Amber Whiting hopes three transfer portal additions will ease the adjustment. Former Utah and Cal guard Kemery Martin joins BYU alongside junior forward Hattie Ogden (Buffalo) and junior guard Marya Hudgins (Santa Clara).

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Brian Preece is a sports.ksl.com insider covering Locals in MLB and Salt Lake Bees. Follow Brian’s Bees and Beehive baseball coverage here.

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