Senior guard/forward Abby Stoddard looks to pass the ball during practice. Photo by Claire Runkel.

BRENDAN O’ROURKE | SPORTS REPORTER | beorourke@butler.edu 

In their second year under head coach Austin Parkinson, the women’s basketball team will look to take another step forward after a 10-win improvement a season ago. These are the marquee matchups that fans should be looking forward to.

10) Detroit Mercy Titans vs. Butler Bulldogs, Nov. 12, 5 p.m.

The Bulldogs will play their first regular season game in front of a home crowd when they take on Detroit Mercy on Nov. 12 at 5 p.m. This will be the first time that fans see the new squad play in Hinkle featuring the debut of several new faces, including first years Karsyn Norman, Riley Makalusky and Cristen Carter. Butler also brings in IUPUI graduate transfer Rachel Kent along with Purdue transfer Lilly Stoddard. Detroit Mercy went 5-25 last year which included a 3-17 record in the Horizon League. The Bulldogs will look to make a statement with a big win in front of their home crowd in their opener.

9) Vanderbilt Commodores vs. Butler Bulldogs, Dec. 7,  7 p.m.

In the marquee home non-conference game, the Bulldogs will take on an SEC opponent when the Commodores travel to Hinkle. Vanderbilt went 12-19 last season with a 3-13 SEC record. This will be a good early-season test as this is the only Power Five opponent the Bulldogs will face at home. Butler went 5-5 in non-conference games last season. If they have hopes of having a winning record in non-conference this year, this matchup will be an important one for them to win. This early season test will tip off at 7 p.m..

8) Xavier Musketeers vs. Butler Bulldogs, Feb. 21, 6:30 p.m, FS2

Whenever Xavier comes to town, Hinkle is always filled with energy. Even though Xavier ended last season winless, they will have a new energy around the program with new head coach Billi Chambers. The Musketeers will be looking for revenge against the Bulldogs as Butler swept the season series last year with 79-65 and 60-43 wins. The tip off for this rivalry game will be at 6:30 p.m..

7) Butler Bulldogs vs. Wisconsin Badgers, Dec. 3, 1 p.m.

Last year, the Bulldogs went 0-2 against Big 10 opponents in non-conference play with losses against Indiana and Illinois. This year the Dawgs will have another chance at a Big 10 opponent when they take on Wisconsin. Wisconsin finished last year with an 11-20 record including 6-12 in Big 10 play. This game will tip off at 1 p.m..

6) Georgetown Hoyas vs. Butler Bulldogs, Jan. 3, 7 p.m., BEDN

The Bulldogs will get a chance to play the team that knocked them out of last year’s Big East Tournament in their conference home opener. Butler won both regular season games last year, but the Hoyas ended their season by eliminating them in the first round of the Big East Tournament. This game will tip off under the Hinkle lights at 7 p.m..

5) Butler Bulldogs vs. Iowa St., Nov. 6, 12 p.m.

The Bulldogs will begin their 2023-24 campaign in Ames, Iowa when they take on the Iowa State Cyclones. Last year, the Cyclones won the Big 12 Championship and were a five seed in the NCAA Tournament before getting upset by the 12 seeded Toledo Rockets. This year’s Iowa State team will look very different as their top three scorers from a season ago will all be gone. The Bulldogs will look to start their season 1-0, but it will be a tall task as they will be tested right out of the gate. Their season opener will tip off at 12 p.m..

4) Villanova Wildcats vs. Butler Bulldogs, Jan. 13, 7:30 pm, BEDN

The Villanova Wildcats are coming off a season where they had a 30-7 record and finished second in the Big East with a 17-3 record in conference play. Even though they lost the nation’s top scorer, Maddy Siegrist, they returned their next four leading scorers from a season ago. The Wildcats look like they will once again be one of the top teams in the Big East. This will be an intriguing matchup for the Bulldogs early in Big East play. This game will tip off in primetime at 7:30 p.m..

3) No. 22 Creighton Bluejays vs Butler Bulldogs, Feb. 4, 2 p.m., BEDN

The Creighton Bluejays are one of the two Big East teams ranked in the top 25. The Bluejays are coming off a season where they finished third in the Big East with a 15-5 record in conference play and a 22-9 overall record. Creighton is projected to have similar success this year, considering they return their top three scorers from last season. This game will tip off at 2 p.m..

2) Marquette Golden Eagles vs. Butler Bulldogs, Mar. 2, 3 p.m., BEDN

The Bulldogs will conclude their regular season against Marquette when the Golden Eagles come to Hinkle. Last season, the Golden Eagles went 21-11 overall and 13-7 in Big East play which included two victories over Butler. The Golden Eagles are once again projected to be one the top teams in the Big East as they return their top scorer from a season ago, Jordan King, who averaged 15.9 points per game. The Dawgs will look to get revenge and head into the Big East Tournament on a high note. Their regular season will conclude with this Saturday afternoon matchup at 3 p.m..

1) Butler Bulldogs vs. No. 2 UConn, Dec. 18, 7 p.m., SNY

The Bulldogs will open Big East play with their toughest test when they travel to take on the UConn Huskies. The Huskies once again are projected to be one of the top teams in the country, and they return their star Paige Bueckers who missed the entirety of last season with a torn ACL. Even without Bueckers, UConn won both the regular season Big East title and the Big East Tournament last season. The Bulldogs will look to improve their results against the Huskies as they were defeated twice last season with 80-47 and 73-39 losses. The Dawgs will open Big East play at 7 p.m..