As the season opener for FGCU women’s basketball versus Davidson College approaches quickly on Nov. 7, more is being learned about the Raina Harmon-led squad and the teams that they’ll be playing this season. FGCU will likely have the best betting odds to win the ASUN, but how will it look before conference play?
After the preseason Top 25 rankings were released, it was revealed that the Eagles will face one ranked team this season: No. 2 South Carolina on Dec. 20. However, the Eagles will also play Stanford and Columbia, both of which received votes but didn’t quite make the cut. Aside from these three schools, FGCU will play five other schools that either made the NCAA Tournament last season or play in a higher-rated conference than it does.
The Eagles open the season with two games that should be wins against Davidson College and Ave Maria University before facing their first test against George Mason University on the road. The Patriots return six players from last year’s NCAA Tournament squad. Considering it’s the first road game of Harmon’s tenure, the stats favor George Mason in this spot.
FGCU will have the opportunity to bounce back at Alico Arena against Indiana. In a game that could see the Hoosiers favored by double digits, the Eagles have a good shot to come away with the upset. This early in the season, Indiana won’t have the necessary film or scouting on a talented Eagles team with so many new pieces. This is also a possible look-ahead game for the Hoosiers, as just three days later, they’ll play Gonzaga and a preseason top-15 Iowa State in the Coconut Hoops Showcase in Fort Myers.
At 3-1, heading into Thanksgiving week, FGCU will head to Las Vegas to play Stanford and in the Resorts World Classic. The Eagles likely split their games here, losing to Stanford but bouncing back to beat Troy and close the weekend. Stanford is arguably the tallest team FGCU will play all year, with nine players listed at 6 feet or taller and features one transfer. While the game is played on a neutral site, the Cardinal will still have the travel advantage of not having to fly cross-country on short notice.
After the team finishes up in Las Vegas, they’ll play both FAU and Arkansas State on the road. The Eagles should beat FAU handily, as the Owls went a lackluster 11-21 last season and have only one player listed on the roster who isn’t a transfer. This will also be one of the occasions when FGCU is the taller team, as the Owls have just one player listed at 6 feet or taller. The game against Arkansas State will be a tough one, but the Eagles could very well win it and gain momentum going into the South Carolina game.
FGCU likely won’t be ranked come Dec. 20. However, South Carolina will still likely be a top 15 team in the country, even higher if the Gamecocks fare well against the gauntlet of a nonconference schedule they have. The Eagles will have both the rest advantage and home court advantage in this matchup, but the Gamecocks are loaded with size and top-tier talent.
While forwards Chloe Kitts and Ashlyn Watkins won’t be available for this game, South Carolina will still have seven players listed at or above 6 feet tall, including 6-foot-6 center Marina Okot. To go along with impressive size, the Gamecocks also brought in Ta’Niya Latson from Florida State. Latson is an elite scorer, averaging 25 points per game and shooting 45 percent from the field last season for the Seminoles. FGCU will have the chance to shock the world at home, but South Carolina will likely win this one.
The Eagles will close out nonconference play with two games that should both be wins. The University of Fort Lauderdale is a non-Division I school. Columbia, on the other hand, made the NCAA Tournament and beat FGCU last year. This will be a revenge game where Harmon and crew can make a statement before heading into conference play. Columbia was the last team to beat the Eagles with Karl Smesko at the helm, so defeating them now would be a big momentum boost for FGCU.
Overall, I project the Eagles to finish 8-3 by the end of the calendar year, before starting conference play against North Alabama on January 1, 2026. Coach Harmon has scheduled a much more demanding nonconference schedule for the team than we’ve seen in past years. Still, it could end up paying dividends if the Eagles can win games like George Mason, Columbia and Indiana.
Even with its impressive records over the last few seasons, FGCU generally gets ranked as a No. 13 or 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, partly because of its strength of record. If the Eagles can accumulate a few quality wins in the nonconference, the committee may look more favorably, even if it means suffering an extra loss or two.
