Memphis Women's Basketball Eyes Undefeated Week Under Hana Haden

Memphis Women’s Basketball Eyes Undefeated Week Under Hana Haden

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The University of Memphis women’s basketball team enters a high-stakes week of home games looking to maintain an undefeated start to the 2026-27 season.

According to gotigersgo.com, the Tigers will host Little Rock on Monday, Nov. 9, followed by a matchup against SEC opponent Alabama on Thursday, Nov. 12.

Both contests are scheduled for a 6 p.m. tipoff inside Elma Roane Fieldhouse. These games represent a critical test for first-year head coach Hana Haden, who has guided the Tigers to a 2-0 start, marking the program’s first such opening since the 2021-22 campaign.

Testing momentum against Little Rock

On Monday night, Memphis aims to reach a 3-0 record by welcoming the Little Rock Trojans. The Tigers’ recent success is built on a foundation of defensive grit and individual standout performances. In their season opener on Nov. 2, Anjanae Richardson scored 23 points, while senior guard Daejah Richmond recorded a career-high eight steals.

The Tigers’ second victory on Nov. 6 against Middle Tennessee was defined by a defensive lockdown in the third quarter, where they held the Blue Raiders to just five points. That win ended a seven-game losing streak against Middle Tennessee and marked Memphis’ first victory in the series since March 11, 1999.

Little Rock enters the matchup with a 1-1 record. While they opened the season with a 108-12 win over Central Baptist College, they recently fell to Missouri with a score of 73-50. The Trojans are led by third-year head coach Steve Wiedower and preseason All-United Athletic Conference senior guard Mya Cotto. The all-time series between these two programs is currently tied at 9-9.

The SEC challenge awaits

The intensity shifts on Thursday when Alabama arrives in Memphis. The Crimson Tide carry a perfect 4-0 record into the week after defeating Queens, New Orleans, Alabama A&M, and Tulane. Alabama is also undergoing a transition period under first-year head coach Pauline Love, who took the position on April 1 after coaching stints at programs including Oklahoma and Arkansas.

For Memphis, the Alabama game is an opportunity to test itself against an SEC opponent. The Tigers have not defeated an SEC opponent since defeating Vanderbilt 71-60 in 2017-18. They have not beaten Alabama since the 1999-2000 season.

The following table compares the current standing and recent history of the two programs heading into Thursday’s game:

Metric Memphis Tigers Alabama Crimson Tide
2026-27 Record 2-0 4-0
Head Coach Hana Haden Pauline Love
Last Meeting Loss (2021-22) Win (2021-22)
All-Time Series Lead 3 wins 7 wins

While Alabama enters the week with a perfect 4-0 record, the Tigers have shown they can win even when their offensive shooting is inconsistent. During their recent win over Middle Tennessee, Memphis connected on only one of 17 attempts from beyond the arc but secured the victory through defensive pressure.

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