PHILADELPHIA - The La Salle women's basketball team will open the 2026-27 season Wednesday, Nov. 4, with a road matchup at Rutgers. Tipoff at Jersey Mike's Arena is scheduled for 7:00 p.m., with the game streaming on B1G+.

Mountain MacGillivray enters his ninth season leading the Explorers after guiding La Salle to a 19-14 record last season, the program's highest win total since 2006-07. The Blue & Gold finished 10-8 in Atlantic 10 play and earned their first WNIT berth since 1992. A 70-61 victory over Binghamton sent the Explorers to the WNIT Super 16 and marked MacGillivray's 100th career head coaching victory.

La Salle returns seven players and welcomes eight newcomers, including two transfers and six freshmen. With no seniors on the roster, the Explorers will lean on a returning core headlined by preseason All-Atlantic 10 selections Joanie Quinn and Kiara Williams. Quinn earned second-team recognition, while Williams was named to the third team.

Quinn returns as La Salle's leading returning scorer after averaging 11.2 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the field and 82.9 percent from the free-throw line. The Cardinal O'Hara product will take on a larger leadership role following the departures of Ashleigh Connor and Aryss Macktoon, last season's top two scorers.

Williams started all 33 games last season, averaging 9.6 points and 4.9 rebounds while adding 64 assists and 21 blocks. The Palm Bay, Fla., native scored in double figures 16 times and closed the season with career highs of 24 points and 11 rebounds against Army in the WNIT.

Lauren Patnode provides additional experience after appearing in all 33 games and making 13 starts. The 6-foot guard totaled 23 steals and 11 blocks and scored a season-high nine points in the postseason victory over Binghamton.

Sophomore forward Amiya Moses anchors the returning rim protection after leading La Salle and ranking fifth in the Atlantic 10 with 38 blocks. Moses recorded multiple blocks in 10 games, including six against Dayton, the most by an Explorer since 2017. Fellow sophomores Jana Mbombo Njoya, Charity Sawyer, and Ava Hoy round out the returning group.

Xavier transfer Vivien Nejašmic adds Division I experience to the backcourt. The junior averaged 6.9 points and 3.7 rebounds in 30 appearances last season, highlighted by a 24-point performance at Butler. Fellow incoming junior Hassana Amadu joins La Salle from Casper College, where she averaged 12.0 points and 9.5 rebounds while starting 30 games.

The six-player freshman class features Sophi Hutchison, Emilia Coleman, Tiana Thompson, Ioanna Samanta, Olivia Ostoni, and Zynaye Henry. Hutchison, Coleman, and Thompson each bring state championship experience, with Coleman arriving from nearby Upper Dublin after averaging 13.3 points and seven rebounds as a senior.

Rutgers enters Wednesday's matchup following an 83-52 season-opening victory over LIU. Mia Pauldo led the Scarlet Knights with 21 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and six steals. Rutgers forced 33 turnovers and scored 42 points off those opportunities.

Following Wednesday's opener, the Explorers return to John E. Glaser Arena to host Loyola Maryland on Saturday, Nov. 7, at noon for Homecoming. Other nonconference highlights include matchups with Temple, Virginia Tech, and Villanova, along with the Big 5 Championship and FDU Holiday Classic. La Salle opens Atlantic 10 play at home against George Mason on Dec. 2.