The Atlantic 10 Women’s Basketball Conference Schedule has been released! Learn which teams we believe got the toughest or easiest slates and which teams received the most or least tournament resume boosting opportunities.
The teams are listed in order of the final 2021-2022 regular season A-10 standings.
Loser: Dayton Flyers
After so much continuity the past few years, this year’s Flyers team is absolutely unrecognizable. The roster has changed and the coaching staff has changed thus making it rather difficult to predict how this new team of transfers and first years will do this season. Dayton is fortunate that their home/home opponents are Duquesne and Saint Louis. But, the schedule is rather difficult for this rebuilding Dayton squad. Tamika Williams-Jeter’s team has to play Loyola Chicago, Rhode Island, and VCU all on the road and their final four games of their schedule are a rough way to end the regular season.
1/1 @ George Mason (W)
1/5 @ Duquesne (L)
1/8 vs Fordham (L)
1/11 vs Davidson (L)
1/15 @ Saint Louis (W)
1/19 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
1/22 vs UMass (L)
1/25 vs Duquesne (W)
1/28 @ George Washington (L)
2/1 @ Loyola Chicago (L)
2/4 vs Richmond (L)
2/8 vs Saint Louis (W)
2/11 Saint Joseph’s (L)
2/15 @ VCU (L)
2/22 vs La Salle (L)
2/25 @ Rhode Island (L)
Record: 5-11
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/15 @ Saint Louis: The Arch Baron Cup rivalry will look very different when these teams collide at Chaifetz Arena on CBS Sports Network. These are two good programs who appear to be rebuilding so it’s important for the Flyers to show that they still have enough power to get a road win against their rival Billikens.
1/22 vs UMass (ESPNU): This rematch of last season’s thrilling Atlantic 10 championship game will be nationally televised on ESPNU and the Flyers will have their work cut out of them as they try to prevent UMass from getting their first road win at Dayton since 2007.
2/1 @ Loyola Chicago: The Flyers have a new geographical rival! February 1st will be the first time Dayton and new A-10 member Loyola Chicago clash in women’s basketball and each team has undergone some coaching changes since last season so like Dayton’s game above against Saint Louis, this is a good opportunity for Dayton to set the tone with Loyola Chicago that the A-10 runs through Dayton.
– Jacob Munch
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Loser: Rhode Island Rams
Rhody has two rather difficult opponents who they have to play twice in UMass and Saint Joseph’s. The Minutewomen are the presumptive conference favorites and the maturing Hawks eliminated the Rams from the A-10 tournament in a surprise last year. The start of URI’s schedule isn’t too bad save for a trip to Amherst but I’m saying Rhode Island is a schedule loser because of the end. Their last five games are extremely difficult and losing four of those five is highly possible.
12/31 vs Duquesne (W)
1/4 @ UMass (W)
1/8 vs La Salle (W)
1/12 @ Saint Louis (W)
1/15 vs Loyola Chicago (W)
1/18 vs Richmond (W)
1/22 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
1/25 @ George Mason (W)
2/1 vs Saint Joseph’s (W)
2/4 @ Davidson (L)
2/8 vs George Washington (W)
2/12 @ VCU (L)
2/16 vs UMass (L)
2/19 @ Saint Joseph’s (L)
2/22 @ Fordham (L)
2/25 vs Dayton (W)
Record: 11-5
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/4 @ UMass: The Rams gave the Minutewomen fits last season and although this URI squad looks a lot different from last year’s team, getting a win at their closest geographical rival vs the defending A-10 champions could set the tone for the rest of conference play.
1/8 vs La Salle: Both the Explorers and Rams are coming off of excellent regular seasons that abruptly ended early in the A-10 tournament. Rhode Island had so much success at the Ryan Center last year and coming off a likely emotional game against UMass, the Rams will have to be ready to defend their home floor.
2/1 vs Saint Joseph’s: This game could be a hugely important one for a URI team that has hopes for strengthening their at-large bid. To position yourself well, you can’t afford to lose many or any conference games at home. The Hawks have the potential to be very good after last year’s surprise semifinal run and the Rams will enter this game seeking revenge after Saint Joseph’s sent them to an upset exit in the A-10 tournament last year.
– Jacob Munch
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Loser: UMass Minutewomen
The reigning A-10 tournament champions return practically their entire team from last season and are trying to repeat as A-10 Champions but they didn’t get the easiest conference slate. After their opening game against the Bonnies, their schedule gets difficult as their next 6 games are against good teams. Their home/home opponents are Fordham and Rhode Island who are two tough teams as well. The Minutewomen will also be picking up a lot of airplane miles as they have to travel to Loyola Chicago, Dayton, Duquesne (Pittsburgh), and Saint Louis. Their home conference schedule is also slightly tougher than their road conference schedule which is good.
12/31 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
1/4 vs Rhode Island (L)
1/7 @ Loyola Chicago (W)
1/14 vs Saint Joseph’s (W)
1/18 @ Fordham (L)
1/22 @ Dayton (W)
1/26 vs VCU (W)
1/29 @ Duquesne (W)
2/1 vs Richmond (W)
2/4 @ La Salle (W)
2/8 vs Fordham (W)
2/12 @ George Mason (W)
2/16 @ Rhode Island (L)
2/19 vs Davidson (W)
2/22 @ Saint Louis (W)
2/25 vs George Washington (W)
Record: 13-3
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/4 vs Rhode Island: While UMass’s goal and plan is to repeat as A-10 tournament champions, just in case they don’t, their at-large bid relies slightly on not losing any home conference games. Rhode Island gave UMass a lot of issues last year and are the one A-10 team that really can be problematic for the Minutewomen.
1/18 @ Fordham: These teams played twice last season once in Amherst and once in Wilmington and both those games went down to the last minute but fell in favor of UMass both times. Fordham is very tough to beat at home and you know they will be looking for revenge after their two losses to the Minutewomen last year.
1/22 @ Dayton (ESPNU): The Minutewomen have not defeated the Flyers in Dayton since 2007. The Flyers will be out for retribution after UMass beat them in the A-10 Final last season. Yes this Dayton team is unrecognizable but going to a tough environment where they haven’t won in over 15 years makes this game very important for Massachusetts.
– Jacob Munch @JacobMunch1
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Winner: VCU Rams
The schedule for VCU is rather nice this season. Their home/home opponents are La Salle and Richmond, two opponents who are expected to be middle of the pack this season which is favorable for VCU. The Rams do have to go on the road to high quality opponents in Fordham, UMass and Saint Joseph’s, but by hosting Saint Louis, Dayton, and Loyola Chicago, VCU won’t have any long Midwest trips to make and that’s a win.
1/1 vs Saint Louis (W)
1/4 @ Fordham (L)
1/11 @ Richmond (W)
1/14 vs George Mason (W)
1/18 vs Davidson (W)
1/22 @ George Washington (W)
1/26 @ UMass (L)
1/29 vs Loyola Chicago (W)
2/1 vs La Salle (L)
2/4 @ Duquesne (W)
2/8 @ Saint Joseph’s (W)
2/12 vs Rhode Island (L)
2/15 vs Dayton (W)
2/18 @ Saint Bonaventure (W)
2/22 vs Richmond (W)
2/25 @ La Salle (W)
Record: 12-4
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/4 @ Fordham: The VCU Rams first road game of the season will be a tough one as they go to Rose Hill to battle a Fordham Rams that should be good this season and underperformed a little bit last year. While this Battle of the Rams probably won’t be the most difficult road game of conference play, it’s certainly up there and it would be big for VCU’s national postseason chances to get a win in their first A-10 road game of the season.
2/12 vs Rhode Island: Last year’s #2 and #4 teams in the regular season will play once this season and it’s at VCU. This will be a homecoming for former VCU guard and new Rhody Ram Madison Hattix-Covington so VCU might be extra motivated to get the victory. Not to mention, this will likely be the toughest home conference game of the season for VCU and if they want to improve their NCAA tournament or WNIT chances, it’d be big for them to go undefeated at home in A-10 play.
2/22 vs Richmond: A home finale vs the crosstown rival Spiders sets up to be an exciting match. VCU will likely be the favorite to win this game which increases the importance for the Rams. You know the Siegel Center will be rocking and it’ll be important for the Rams to finish off the home slate with a momentum building victory
– Jacob Munch
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Winner/Loser: La Salle Explorers
La Salle’s conference schedule has good parts and bad parts. The Explorers have Saint Joseph’s and VCU as their home/home opponents. Those are two top-half opponents, but La Salle is fortunate to be hosting top contenders in UMass and Fordham. A trip to a rearranged Rhode Island team early in the season caps a rather difficult 2 game road stretch as both Davidson and URI should be good. La Salle will get a lot of miles in their last road stretch of the year as they go to both Saint Louis and Dayton to cap the road slate. This schedule has both pros and cons.
12/31 vs Saint Joseph’s (W)
1/5 @ Davidson (W)
1/8 @ Rhode Island (L)
1/11 vs George Mason (W)
1/14 vs George Washington (W)
1/18 @ Saint Joseph’s (L)
1/22 @ Loyola Chicago (W)
1/28 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
2/1 @ VCU (L)
2/4 vs UMass (L)
2/8 @ Richmond (L)
2/12 vs Duquesne (W)
2/16 vs Fordham (L)
2/19 @ Saint Louis (W)
2/22 @ Dayton (W)
2/25 vs VCU (L)
Record: 9-7
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
12/31 vs Saint Joseph’s: A-10 fans were given a treat that the conference schedule will start with this Big 5 game between cross-town rivals. As the home school for this conference opener, it’s important for La Salle that they get a victory over a rising Hawks team and establish early city bragging rights.
2/16 vs Fordham: This home game features two Top 6 teams from last year’s regular season who both lost in their first A-10 tournament game and this game could be big in terms of determining the pecking order of the top half of the A-10 standings. Fordham has traditionally been very good but the Explorers can capitalize against a new head coach on their home floor.
2/22 @ Dayton: At the end of a high-mileage road trip, La Salle has to make sure they are mentally sharp and not looking over this game. While UD Arena is traditionally a tough place to play, this year’s Dayton Flyers team looks extremely different as they return very few players from last year’s NCAA tournament team.
– Jacob Munch
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Winner: Fordham Rams
For Fordham, they got unlucky with their home/home opponents as they’ll play UMass and Davidson twice. But, getting to host VCU, Loyola Chicago and Rhode Island is favorable and the trip to Dayton is much less intimidating this year. The start of conference play for Fordham will not be easy for Interim Head Coach Candice Green and her Rams. Starting with Davidson, VCU and Dayton is difficult as Davidson is one of the programs with the most upside this season after impressing in the A-10 tournament last season with a very young team, and VCU and Dayton were both semifinalists last season. Their last two games of the season could have huge seeding implications.
1/1 vs Davidson (W)
1/4 vs VCU (L)
1/8 @ Dayton (L)
1/11 @ George Washington (W)
1/14 vs Duquesne (W)
1/18 vs UMass (W)
1/22 @ Saint Joseph’s (W)
1/25 vs Richmond (L)
1/28 @ Saint Louis (W)
2/1 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
2/4 vs Loyola Chicago (W)
2/8 @ UMass (L)
2/16 @ La Salle (L)
2/19 vs George Mason (W)
2/22 vs Rhode Island (W)
2/25 @ Davidson (L)
Record: 10-6
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/8 @ Dayton: The first road conference game under Interim Head Coach Candice Green will come against the defending regular season champions. However, the Flyers also have a new coach this season and lost a lot of players from last year’s squad. UD Arena is always a tough place to play but getting a win in their conference road opener would be a huge boost to start the season.
2/8 @ UMass: If the Rams want to make their case for an at-large bid, they need at least one important win on the road and UMass is expected to be a borderline Top 25 team in the nation this season after winning the A-10 title last season. Fordham’s two games against UMass last season were extremely close but both times the Rams fell just short so after hosting UMass three weeks prior to this game, this year’s trip to Amherst could be the road win Fordham is looking for.
2/25 @ Davidson: The Wildcats have a young nucleus of players who got great postseason experience last year. On the last day of the regular season, this could potentially be a game where the winner grabs the fourth seed and the bye into the quarterfinals.
– Jacob Munch
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Winner: Saint Joseph’s Hawks
This young Hawks team is coming off an upstart A-10 tournament run last season with most of their core returning from last year with an additional year of experience. This year they play Rhode Island twice and La Salle twice which are two decently tough opponents for the home/home slate. St. Joe’s benefit from hosting VCU, Loyola Chicago and Fordham but playing at UMass and Davidson isn’t ideal.
12/31 @ La Salle (L)
1/4 @ George Washington (W)
1/7 vs Saint Louis (W)
1/10 vs Loyola Chicago (L)
1/14 @ UMass (L)
1/18 vs La Salle (W)
1/22 vs Fordham (W)
1/25 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
1/29 @ Richmond (W)
2/1 @ Rhode Island (L)
2/8 vs VCU (L)
2/11 @ Dayton (W)
2/15 @ Davidson (L)
2/19 vs Rhode Island (L)
2/22 @ George Mason (W)
2/25 vs Duquesne (W)
Record: 9-7
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
12/31 @ La Salle: It’s hard to find a better game to start the conference schedule than this battle between two Philadelphia rivals! The Hawks better be ready to go from the tip against an Explorers team that loves the 3. Also, the Hawks haven’t won at La Salle since 2019.
2/8 vs VCU: The VCU Rams have been one of the best teams in the A-10 recently and although they lost some key pieces from last year’s team, Rams Head Coach Beth O’Boyle with have her team playing well. If Saint Joseph’s wants to sneak into the fourth seed for the A-10 tournament, it could be imperative they get a win at home versus the Rams.
2/15 @ Davidson: This matchup between two teams who made impressive, albeit slightly surprising tournament runs as young teams last year will serve as a big measuring stick game for the Hawks especially when it could have a large impact on where the two teams are in the top half of the standings.
– Jacob Munch
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Loser: Richmond Spiders
This is a brutal schedule for the Spiders. After the first game against GW, 7 of their following 8 games are extremely difficult and a tough stretch like that right at the beginning of the season could derail the whole campaign. Their home/home opponents are Davidson and VCU, two good if not great teams this season. If there are any positives, it’s that starting with the Feb 8 game vs La Salle, the rest of the schedule is in Richmond save for a quick trip to Duquesne to play a mediocre Duquesne team.
12/31 vs George Washington (W)
1/4 @ Loyola Chicago (L)
1/8 @ Davidson (L)
1/11 vs VCU (L)
1/18 @ Rhode Island (L)
1/21 vs George Mason (W)
1/25 @ Fordham (L)
1/29 vs Saint Joseph’s (L)
2/1 @ UMass (L)
2/4 @ Dayton (W)
2/8 vs La Salle (L)
2/12 vs Davidson (L)
2/15 vs Saint Louis (W)
2/18 @ Duquesne (W)
2/22 @ VCU (L)
2/25 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
Record: 6-10
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/8 @ Davidson: A rematch of the A-10 tournament game that ended the Spiders’ season last year, this is a game that Richmond would love to win so that they have some positive momentum heading into a rivalry matchup with VCU the following game. This Davidson team blossomed late last year with a young team and now come into this season with more experience and talent so it’ll be up to the Spiders to prove they have what it takes to come away with the road victory.
1/21 vs George Mason: This home game against the Patriots is sandwiched in between two very difficult road games for the Spiders so it’ll be key for Richmond to get a victory this day, especially if their start of the season is difficult. George Mason surprised and impressed during the beginning of last season’s A-10 tournament but Richmond has to show that they still have the edge against a growing Patriots team.
2/18 @ Duquesne: The past couple of years, it has sometimes felt like the Dukes and Spiders have been in similar spots as teams that tend to meddle in the middle. They typically aren’t in the upper echelon of the A-10 yet aren’t playing in the Pillow Fight games either. This game is certainly a winnable one for the Spiders and any time you can pick up a road win, you have to take advantage.
– Jacob Munch
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Loser: Davidson Wildcats
Disclaimer: I am extremely high on the Davidson Wildcats for this season and I think they are going to be the surprise team of the year for the A-10. Now in terms of the schedule, their home/home opponents are Fordham and Richmond which isn’t the end of the world but is slightly difficult. The Wildcats would love to not get swept by Fordham but that may be tough. Trips to three of last year’s semifinalists in UMass, Dayton, and VCU aren’t ideal but fortunately for the Wildcats, it’s likely that Dayton will not be quite as strong. Davidson has very competitive games to end the year including three of their last four games. The Wildcats were the Consolation champions in the Women’s Basketball Invitational last year and led the A-10 with two postseason victories last season so while I believe this team will be a winner, I feel this schedule is a bit of a “loser”.
1/1 @ Fordham (W)
1/5 vs La Salle (L)
1/8 vs Richmond (W)
1/11 @ Dayton (W)
1/14 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
1/18 @ VCU (L)
1/22 @ Duquesne (W)
1/25 vs Saint Louis (W)
1/28 @ George Mason (W)
2/4 vs Rhode Island (L)
2/8 vs Loyola Chicago (L)
2/12 @ Richmond (W)
2/15 vs Saint Joseph’s (W)
2/19 @ UMass (L)
2/22 @ George Washington (W)
2/25 vs Fordham (W)
Record: 11-5
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/1 @ Fordham (CBSSN): Talk about a statement game opportunity! The upstart Wildcats begin their conference schedule on national television on CBS Sports Network on the road against a Fordham team who is typically good and very rarely loses at home on New Year’s Day. If Davidson is as promising and good as I think they will be, they have a stupendous opportunity to prove it right out of the gate in this game.
2/8 vs Loyola Chicago: Davidson gets to host the newest members of the Atlantic 10 in a game that will likely feature two fairly even, competitive teams. While the Wildcats aren’t the cream of the crop in the conference, they are good and it would benefit them to greet the Ramblers rudely by defeating Loyola.
2/15 vs Saint Joseph’s: I had a very tough time choosing a winner for this game because the Hawks and Wildcats are two very similar teams. They’re both young teams that have a couple of rock-solid veterans and had great finishes to their seasons last year. The Hawks made a surprise run to the A-10 semifinals and they return most of their talent. As both of these teams look to make the jump into the upper echelon of the standings, this game will be huge in determining which team is ahead of the other.
– Jacob Munch
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Loser: Duquesne Dukes
The Dukes start their season by traveling to Rhode Island who is a very difficult opponent. They also have to play Fordham and Saint Joseph’s on the road. Dayton and St. Bonaventure are their home/home opponents and while that could potentially be 4 wins for the Dukes, I think those games could prove difficult for Duquesne. As you can see below, the last five to six weeks of the season look to be extremely difficult. Duquesne plays the worst teams from last year early in their first six games versus SLU, Mason, and one Bonnies’ game. After that SLU game, there are really very few opponents who were terrible last year.
12/31 @ Rhode Island (W)
1/5 vs Dayton (L)
1/8 @ George Mason (W)
1/11 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
1/14 @ Fordham (L)
1/18 vs Saint Louis (W)
1/22 vs Davidson (L)
1/25 @ Dayton (L)
1/29 vs UMass (L)
2/1 @ George Washington (L)
2/4 vs VCU (L)
2/12 @ La Salle (L)
2/15 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
2/18 vs Richmond (L)
2/22 vs Loyola Chicago (L)
2/25 @ Saint Joseph’s (L)
Record: 5-11
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/5 vs Dayton: Duquesne’s first test to determine how much worse Dayton has gotten since last year. This’ll be the first home A-10 game of the year for the Dukes and could be the first sign that they’re ready to take a jump up from last year with their solid core of players.
2/1 @ George Washington: It is hard to get conference victories on the road but this game lines up a good opportunity for the Dukes. While Duquesne didn’t go far in the A-10 tournament last season, GW made a nice surprise run but this could certainly be a winnable road game for the Dukes.
2/12 @ La Salle: If you like three-pointers, then this will likely be the game for you! La Salle is well known for living off the 3 and Duquesne isn’t much different. They launch threes from all over and also try to score a lot in transition. Because of the Dukes’ ability to have a hot shooting game, this could be a potential upset win for Duquesne.
– Jacob Munch
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Winner: Saint Louis Billikens
The first thing I typically look for when evaluating the schedules is travel distances and time and Saint Louis is fortunate with how that aspect of the schedule shook out. They get to host UMass, Fordham, and Rhode Island, three teams that are very far away from Saint Louis and are also excellent teams. SLU’s road games shouldn’t be too difficult save for their first road trip of the conference schedule but there’s a lot of opportunities for the Billikens to pick up road victories.
12/28 vs Loyola Chicago (W)
1/1 @ VCU (L)
1/7 @ Saint Joseph’s (L)
1/12 vs Rhode Island (L)
1/15 vs Dayton (W)
1/18 @ Duquesne (W)
1/25 @ Davidson (L)
1/28 vs Fordham (L)
2/1 vs George Mason (W)
2/5 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
2/8 @ Dayton (L)
2/11 vs George Washington (W)
2/15 @ Richmond (L)
2/19 vs La Salle (L)
2/22 vs UMass (L)
2/25 @ Loyola Chicago (L)
Record: 6-10
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games
12/28 vs Loyola Chicago: It’s fitting that SLU is the first opponent for Loyola Chicago in what will be the first Atlantic 10 game in Ramblers Women’s Basketball history. The cities of Chicago and Saint Louis have long had big professional sport rivalries and it’s great that this will have the opportunity to spread to the collegiate level. For the Billikens, this game is a chance to establish the first tone in the rivalry.
1/28 vs Fordham: Both Fordham and Saint Louis are two teams on very similar paths. They both have a new coach this season after the departure of a long time coach, they both were slightly disappointing last season (SLU because of injuries, Fordham because of underperformance), and they both still have a couple great players (SLU: Brooke Flowers, Fordham: Anna DeWolfe). No one is super sure how Fordham will fare this season so the Billikens should hope for a victory here.
2/25 @ Loyola Chicago: All the talk above about the new geographical rivalry also applies here but as this game is the regular season finale, it’s vital for SLU to get a win in this game so they can take the momentum and run with it into the A-10 tournament. It’s possible that winning this game could be a stretch for the Billikens but it is a reachable stretch. It is certainly not impossible.
– Jacob Munch
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Winner: George Washington Colonials
GW is going into the 2022-23 season with high expectations after going on a mini-cinderella run in last season’s A-10 tournament, starting in the pillow fight and going all the way to the quarter finals before narrowly bowing out to VCU. They were handed a relatively advantageous schedule, with both of their home and home pairings being against beatable opponents–George Mason and conference newcomer Loyola Chicago. However, they do have to go on the road to face some of the conference’s toughest teams, like UMass and URI. Overall, this schedule provides them the opportunity to test themselves before the conference tournament while also padding their resume with some more winnable games.
12/31 @ Richmond (W)
1/4 vs Saint Joseph’s (L)
1/8 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
1/11 vs Fordham (L)
1/14 @ La Salle (W)
1/16 @ George Mason (W)
1/22 vs VCU (L)
1/25 @ Loyola Chicago (W)
1/28 vs Dayton (L)
2/1 vs Duquesne (W)
2/5 vs George Mason (W)
2/8 @ Rhode Island (L)
2/11 @ Saint Louis (W)
2/18 vs Loyola Chicago (W)
2/22 vs Davidson (W)
2/25 @ UMass (L)
Record: 10-6
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/16 @ George Mason: This game will be part of a Revolutionary Rivalry MLK Day doubleheader at Eagle Bank Arena and GW’s first opportunity to play on national TV. There should be a big crowd and a lot of eyes on this one!
1/22 vs VCU: VCU took down GW in the quarterfinals of the A-10 tournament last year. The Buff and Blue will hope to have a strong home court advantage for this one as they look to get revenge on the Rams.
2/25 @ UMass: UMass are the favorites to win the A10 this year, and GW will have their only shot at them in the final game of the regular season. If any team can slow them down on the offensive end, it’s GW and star forward Mayowa Taiwo. A strong showing in Amherst would be huge for GW heading into the conference tournament.
– David Korn @david_korn4
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Loser: St. Bonaventure Bonnies
The Bonnies had a disappointing 2022 Atlantic 10 season. Bona finished the season with seven straight losses and a poor record of 4-12. They were just a half-game better than last-place George Mason in the final standings. Unfortunately for the Brown and White, things do not look too optimistic in 2022-23. Leading scorer Asianae Johnson now plays for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, and last year’s starting point guard Tori Harris transferred to Long Beach State. Coach Jesse Flemming will need younger players to help fill this void.
Things get off to a difficult start for the Bonnies as they will open up Atlantic 10 play at Massachusetts, who won the conference crown a season ago. They will then have two home games against D.C. area teams, George Mason and George Washington, before hitting the road to face Duquesne and Davidson.
After Martin Luther King Day, the Bonnies host Dayton and Rhode Island, who finished first and second during the regular season a year ago. The Flyers and the Rams have had terrific teams over the past few seasons.
To finish January, Philadelphia will welcome the Lady Bonnies as they play at St. Joseph’s and La Salle. These are the only two games a Bonaventure team will play in the City of Brotherly Love this season. (The Men’s team will not play in Philly for the first time since 1983).
February kicks off with home games versus Fordham and St. Louis. The Rams finished 6th in the conference a season ago, while the Billikens finished 10th.
Another game against Geoge Mason looms as Bona will head to Fairfax to take on the Patriots on Feb. 8. Immediately after this trip to Northern Virginia, the Bonnies will trek to the Windy City to face Loyola Chicago for the first time in school history. The Ramblers finished the 2021-22 season with a solid 18-12 record but lost to Missouri State in the opening round of the Missouri Valley Tournament.
After the game in Chicago, the Bonnies will host Duquesne on Feb. 15 and then host VCU on Feb. 18. The Bonnies will then enjoy a week off before concluding the regular season at Richmond on Saturday, Feb. 25.
This year’s Bonnies team will likely struggle at times. Multiple teams in the Atlantic 10 could earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament as the conference will be pretty competitive at the top of the standings. Unfortunately for Coach Flemming, this year’s Bonnie team may struggle again.
12/31 @ UMass (L)
1/5 vs George Mason (W)
1/8 vs George Washington (W)
1/11 @ Duquesne (L)
1/14 @ Davidson (L)
1/19 vs Dayton (L)
1/22 vs Rhode Island (L)
1/25 @ Saint Joseph’s (W)
1/28 @ La Salle (L)
2/1 vs Fordham (L)
2/5 vs Saint Louis (W)
2/8 @ George Mason (L)
2/11 @ Loyola Chicago (L)
2/15 vs Duquesne (W)
2/18 vs VCU (L)
2/25 @ Richmond (L)
Record: 5-11
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/19 vs Dayton: The Flyers are the class of the Atlantic 10. This game will be a measuring stick for the Bonnies to see where they are against the cream of the crop.
2/18 vs VCU: The Bonnies will look to finish off strong on their home floor against a solid VCU team.
2/25 @ Richmond: The Spiders finished 8th in the conference a season ago. This game will likely impact seeding for the 2023 Atlantic 10 Tournament. The league’s postseason tournament once again returns to Wilmington, Delaware.
– Jack Milko @jack_milko
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Winner/Loser: George Mason Patriots
I’m not entirely sure if Mason falls into either of these two categories solidly. Getting both UMass and Rhode Island only one and getting them both at home is definitely a plus, but I’m not sure either game with yield a Mason victory. In the context of George Mason and the schedule as a whole, it’s worth noting that the Patriots will be the only team not to play on the final day of the regular season (Sat February 25). Time will tell if this will prove to be a blessing or a curse.
1/1 vs Dayton (L)
1/5 @ St. Bonaventure (W)
1/8 vs Duquesne (W)
1/11 @ La Salle (L)
1/14 @ VCU (L)
1/16 vs George Washington (W)
1/21 @ Richmond (L)
1/25 vs Rhode Island (L)
1/28 vs Davidson (L)
2/1 @ Saint Louis (L)
2/5 @ George Washington (W)
2/8 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
2/12 vs UMass (L)
2/15 @ Loyola Chicago (W)
2/19 @ Fordham (L)
2/22 vs Saint Joseph’s (W)
Record: 7-9
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
1/16 vs GW (CBSSN): The Revolutionary Rivalry games always seem to have a little extra intensity to them, especially in Women’s Basketball. Mason defeated the Colonials last year in Fairfax marking the Patriots’ first conference win in 24 games. But in the rematch in Foggy Bottom, GW got their revenge, upending the Patriots 65-57. This year’s opening matchup will be a part of a Men’s and Women’s Basketball double-header of Revolutionary Rivalry matchups at EagleBank Arena, a part of the A-10’s MLK Day triple-header of nationally televised games on CBSSN.
2/01 @ Saint Louis: The Patriots pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent A-10 Tournament history this past march, when George Mason became the first ever 14-seed to advance, by virtue of their 65-50 victory over the Billikens. That game proved to be the final game of Lisa Stone’s tenure at Saint Louis, leading to an avalanche of offseason changes. You just know both teams have this one circled on their calendars, as this will be the only meeting in the regular season between Mason and SLU.
2/15 @ Loyola Chicago: When these two teams face each other on February 15 in Chicago, it will mark the first time in program history that George Mason will face Loyola Chicago. Furthermore, the meeting will be Mason’s first trip to the Windy City in the Ramblers’ inaugural season in the Atlantic 10.
– Daniel Frank @n1a2v3y4
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Winner: Loyola Chicago Ramblers
This year the Atlantic 10 welcomes a new conference mate in Loyola Chicago. Last year the Ramblers enjoyed their most successful season since the 1988-89 season. They were invited to the postseason for the first time last year in the Women’s Basketball Invitational tournament. In addition to the new conference, Loyola will also welcome a new head coach to the helm in Allison Guth.
When Loyola’s schedule came out I was surprised to see two extreme differences in the opponents on it. After the first two games of the season, Loyola faces a very difficult series of games. Over a stretch of 8 games, Loyola will play all four teams that made the semifinals of the A10 tournament last season, as well as Rhode Island which finished second in the regular season. The toughest stretch might be a quick road trip to VCU on Sunday Jan 29th and then have to play reigning champ Dayton back home that Wednesday. After that tough stretch though, Loyola enjoys a bit of an easier stretch. Their last 6 games come against the teams who finished in the bottom 6 of the standings last season. I was tempted to predict wins for the Ramblers in all 6 games, but I think they might falter once along the way down the home stretch.
12/28 @ Saint Louis (W)
1/4 vs Richmond (W)
1/7 vs UMass (L)
1/10 @ Saint Joseph’s (L)
1/10 @ Rhode Island (L)
1/22 vs La Salle (L)
1/25 vs George Washington (W)
1/29 @ VCU (L)
2/1 vs Dayton (L)
2/4 @ Fordham (L)
2/8 @ Davidson (W)
2/11 vs St. Bonaventure (W)
2/15 vs George Mason (W)
2/18 @ George Washington (W)
2/22 @ Duquesne (L)
Record: 8-8
Top 3 Most Important A-10 Games:
12/28 @ Saint Louis & 2/25 vs Saint Louis: I am looking forward to both of Loyola’s matchups with St. Louis this season. They kick off the conference season against each other and end it. I believe that SLU will be a good gauge of comparison for Loyola this year. They will revive an old conference rivalry this year. The two teams played each other 10 times from 1986-1991 as members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference which later became the Horizon League. In this year’s contests, I am looking forward to seeing how Loyola deals with SLU’s 6’5” forward, Brooke Flowers. Loyola’s tallest player is 6’2” forward Sitori Tanin. She will need to play big in order to compete in the paint for these matchups.
1/7 vs UMass: The next matchup I am looking forward to is welcoming the defending A10 tournament champions into Gentile Arena. On Jan 7, UMass will come to Chicago and face off against our Ramblers. The 2022 Player of the Year, Sam Breen, will be sure to give Loyola all they can handle. The past two seasons, Breen has averaged over 17 points and 10 rebounds. The Ramblers will try to do something very few A10 teams were able to do last year, slow down Breen. I am looking for the St. John’s transfers Emma and Sophia Nolan. If they both have successful years, that bodes well for the success of Loyola.
2/1 vs Loyola Chicago: The last matchup I am looking forward to watching is when Loyola hosts Dayton. The defending regular season champions lost most of their scoring, but if Loyola wants to win this game, their veteran leaders are going to need to step up. Returning starters Sam Galanopoulos and Maya Chandler will need to have big games in order to defeat Dayton at home.
– Andrew Buchholz @Podcast63
