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Mizzou Women’s Basketball Hosts Lincoln in Preseason Exhibition

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Mizzou women’s basketball will host Lincoln for a preseason exhibition this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Mizzou Arena, with admission free to the public, Mizzou Athletics reported. The Tigers enter the contest with a dominant exhibition history, posting a 36-2 record in such matchups since the 1999-00 season.

For the Mizzou community, the stakes are about more than a preseason tune-up; it is a litmus test for head coach Kellie Harper’s second year after she led the program to its most wins since 2017-18 and secured her 400th career victory last season.

Grace Slaughter Provides Veteran Stability for Rebuilt Tigers Offense

The focal point of the Tigers’ offense remains senior Grace Slaughter. After averaging 18.7 points per game last season to rank 33rd in the nation and sixth in the SEC, Slaughter begins the year as the program’s 12th all-time leading scorer. Because she is included on the watch list for the 2026-27 Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award, she is recognized as one of 13 players from the 2023 class to have accumulated at least 1,450 points and 445 rebounds in their collegiate careers.

While Slaughter provides the veteran stability, the roster around her has been fundamentally rebuilt. Mizzou currently holds the highest percentage of underclassmen on its roster at 61.54%, making them one of only four teams in the conference carrying five freshmen.

A Top-25 Recruiting Surge

The influx of young talent is headlined by a 2025 signing class that ranks No. 25 nationally—the program’s best since 2018. This group includes five top-100 recruits across the 2024 and 2025 classes, including Natalya Hodge (No. 54), Khloe Ford (No. 94), and Jada Maples (No. 95), along with Cecilie Brandimore and Ellie Muller.

Women's Basketball | Kellie Harper Previews Lincoln

To balance this, Harper has leaned into the transfer portal to add immediate depth.

The Tigers added three key transfers to stabilize the rotation:

  • Nevaeh Caffey (Indiana): A proven starter who appeared in all 32 games last season, averaging 8.5 points.
  • Tanyuel Welch (Arizona): A versatile presence who averaged 8.7 points and 5.2 rebounds across 28 games.
  • McKenzie Mathurin (Michigan): A spark plug off the bench who helped guide the Wolverines to the Elite Eight.

The Matchup: Mizzou vs. Lincoln

The Blue Tigers finished last season with a 5-22 overall record and struggled in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, where they went 3-17. Coach Addae Houston, now in his third year, will rely heavily on sophomore Bella Borgos, who averaged 9.1 points per game during her freshman year.

The disparity in resources and recruiting rankings between a program like Mizzou and a school like Lincoln can lead to lopsided exhibition scores. However, for Harper, the goal is the chemistry between the new transfers and the top-100 recruits.

Player/Entity Key Stat/Rank Context
Grace Slaughter 18.7 PPG 6th in SEC last season
2025 Class No. 25 Nationally Best Mizzou rank since 2018
Roster Youth 61.54% Highest underclassman % on roster
Kellie Harper 12-3 Start Best first-year HC start in program history

Season tickets for the 2026-27 campaign are currently available starting at $65, as the program looks to capitalize on the momentum of Harper’s first year.

The exhibition on Thursday is the final dress rehearsal before the Tigers enter their conference.

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