PORTLAND, Ore. – Portland Pilots women's basketball announced their non-conference schedule for the 2023-24 season on Monday. The loaded slate includes matchups against nine postseason teams from last year, including home games against powerhouses like the Oregon Ducks and the Villanova Wildcats, a road game at Stanford, and participation in the Las Vegas Holiday Hoops Classic.

The Pilots open the season at home against the San Diego State Aztecs on Nov. 6. The Pilots played the Aztecs last season, falling on a buzzer beater 55-53 to the Aztecs. SDSU finished the year 23-11, qualifying for the WNIT.
Portland follows that up with another home showdown against a quality opponent in the Villanova Wildcats on Nov. 10. The Big East powerhouse made the Sweet 16 last season in their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance and third appearance since 2018. They went 30-7 overall and 17-3 in Big East play, advancing to the finals of their conference tournament.

The Pilots will stay in the PNW for their first road showdown, travelling north to take on the Seattle U Redhawks on Nov. 14. Former Portland Pilots assistant coach Skyler Young recently took over as head coach of the Redhawks after spending the last five years with the Pilots. The Pilots return home after that to host Warner Pacific, a team the Pilots are 12-2 against all-time, on Nov. 16.

The Pilots will head to California to take on 2023 Women's Basketball Invitational champion Cal Baptist on Nov. 22 before making their way to the Las Vegas Holiday Classic during Thanksgiving weekend. The tournament runs from Nov. 24-25, with the Pilots playing against Northern Arizona on Nov. 24 and Rhode Island on Nov. 25 at the Orleans Arena. The Lumberjacks went 21-14 last season, losing in the first round of the WNIT while the Rams went 26-7 and advanced all the way to the Sweet 16 of the WNIT.

The Pilots return home the following week for a pair home games, welcoming the Oregon Ducks on Nov. 30 to the Chiles Center before hosting the Montana State Bobcats on Dec. 2. The Pilots and the Ducks have played each other three years in a row, with the Pilots most recently going down to Eugene. Oregon head coach Kelly Graves was also an assistant coach at the University of Portland from 1992-96, a stretch that saw the Pilots make the NCAA Tournament three times. The Bobcats, meanwhile, went 20-11 last season and made the NCAA Tournament in 2022 after winning the Big Sky Conference Tournament for the third time in program history.

More nonconference road games follow with the Pilots playing the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks on Dec. 7 and the UTEP Miners on Dec. 9 in Texas. The Pilots played SFA, who went 27-7 last season and participated in the WNIT, back in the 2021-22 season, winning 70-59 at the Chiles Center. The Miners qualified for the WNIT last season after finishing 20-12 last year.

Portland's final marquee nonconference matchup comes on Dec. 15, when they travel down to Palo Alto to take on the Stanford Cardinal. The Cardinal are one of the most prestigious programs in women's college basketball, having won the 2021 NCAA Championship and boasting 36 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Pilots have played Stanford each of the last two years, falling in both contests.

The Pilots play their final two nonconference games in Portland, hosting the Willamette Bearcats at the Chiles Center on Sunday, Dec. 17 before travelling across town to take on the rival Portland State Vikings on Dec. 20 at Viking Pavilion.

The Pilots are coming off one of the best seasons in program history, having finished 23-9 overall and 15-3 in WCC play for their best overall record since 1997 and their highest conference win total ever. They won the WCC Tournament championship for the second time in four years and played in their first NCAA Tournament game since 1997.

Season ticket deposits are being accepted now by visiting PortlandPilots.com/wbbtickets. See below for the complete schedule.

2023 Women's Basketball Non-conference Schedule
Nov. 6 vs. San Diego State^, 5 PM
Nov. 10 vs. Villanova, 6 PM
Nov. 14 at Seattle U, TBA 
Nov. 16 vs. Warner Pacific, 11 AM
Nov. 22 at Cal Baptist, 6 PM
Nov. 24 vs. Northern Arizona*, 12 PM
Nov. 25 vs. Rhode Island*, 12 PM
Nov. 30 vs. Oregon, 6 PM 
Dec. 2 vs. Montana State, 5 PM
Dec. 7 at Stephen F. Austin, TBA
Dec. 9 at UTEP, TBA
Dec. 15 at Stanford, TBA 
Dec. 17 vs. Willamette, 2 PM
Dec. 20 at Portland State, 2 PM

^Doubleheader with the Portland Men
*Las Vegas Holiday Classic
Home Games in bold