UNI (0-0 / 0-0 MVC) vs. St. Thomas (0-0 / 0-0 Summit)


6 p.m. CT | November 2, 2026
McLeod Center | Cedar Falls, Iowa
ESPN+
Panther Sports Radio Network

 

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa — The UNI women’s basketball team is back in action on Monday, November 2, as the Cats play host to the St. Thomas Tommies. This is the fifth consecutive season that the Panthers have begun the season at home, with their last road season-opener coming in the 2021-22 season at Saint Louis.

This will be UNI’s second time hosting the Tommies inside the McLeod Center, both coming in the season opener. The last time St. Thomas visited Cedar Falls was in the 2022-23 opener, where UNI won 58-46. The Panthers are a perfect 3-0 all time against St. Thomas dating back to the teams’ first meeting in 2021.

The 2025-26 season saw the Panthers go 18-14 overall and 13-7 in Valley play, tying for third in the conference standings. At the MVC Women’s Basketball Conference Tournament in Coralville, the Cats beat the Bradley Braves in their first matchup before falling to the MVC regular-season and eventual MVC Tournament Champions, Murray State, in their second contest.

All-MVC Third Teamer and MVC All-Newcomer Jenna Twedt returns to the Panther lineup after a season that saw the guard lead the Panthers with 471 points, starting all 32 games.

Elise Jaeger is coming off a season that saw the junior forward set the UNI single-season defensive rebound record with 261 defensive boards. She finished the season with the nation’s fifth-most defensive rebounds per game, leading the MVC with 8.9.

UNI’s 20th season in the McLeod Center saw another season at or above .500 in the Panthers’ home venue. UNI has never posted a losing record at home in the history of the building, dating back to 2006.

Last season, UNI led the MVC with 28.2 defensive rebounds per game and was second in the league with 4.1 blocks per game, a 38.5% defensive field goal percentage, 15.8 fouls per game, a 64.3 scoring defense, and a 34.1% three-point percentage.

UNI’s 28.2 defensive rebounds per game were the 28th-most in Division I a season ago.

Individually, Elise Jaeger led the MVC with the nation’s fifth-most defensive rebounds per game, 8.9. Jaeger was second in the Valley with 9.7 total rebounds per game and third with 302 rebounds last season.

Jenna Twedt was second in the conference with a 37.5 three-point percentage, 84 total three-pointers, and 2.63 threes per outing. The guard attempted the fourth-most threes in the MVC a season ago.

The Panthers never shy away from a tough non-conference slate. This season, the Cats face seven non-conference teams that qualified for postseason play in 2025-26. Of those seven, five competed in the NCAA Tournament, including an NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 appearance from Minnesota. Two of the seven matchups will be held inside the McLeod Center (Iowa State and Green Bay).

UNI enters the 2026-27 season with an active program-record 578-game three-pointer streak that started December 6, 2008, versus Green Bay (6-of-19) following a 0-of-14 outing from behind the three-point arc December 3, 2008, against Northern Illinois. 

UNI owns active streaks of 18 consecutive seasons at .500 or better in Missouri Valley Conference play and 17 years in a row with at least a top-half finish in the league standings. These are the best active streaks among the 22 total MVC men’s and women’s basketball programs. The Cats have also recorded a win in the MVC tournament in 10 of the last 11 MVC Tournaments and have recorded 20 consecutive seasons at or above .500 inside the McLeod Center.

The dean of Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball, UNI head coach Tanya Warren has been the MVC all-time wins leader since her 320th victory on March 7, 2024, at Indiana State. Warren, the longest-tenured active head coach in Missouri Valley Conference women’s basketball, sits alone at the top of the Missouri Valley Conference leaderboard in Valley wins with her record-breaking, 202nd conference victory coming at Murray State. The 19-season veteran on the UNI bench has been the Panthers’ wins leader since a 65-64 victory on March 4, 2017, against Missouri State put her past Tony DiCecco. She claimed her 300th win in 2023 in an 83-60 blowout on February 12 at Valparaiso, and eyes win 375 in the upcoming 2026-27 season, needing just 18 victories.

This season, the Panthers return eight total players, including four that started at least one game in the 2025-26 season. Jenna Twedt and Elise Jaeger lead the returners as every day starters for the Cats last season. They are joined by Abby Tuttle, Mya Nicholson, Maren Schmotzer, Lauren Walker, and Kaylynn Janes who all saw action in 2025-26. Anna Greene is back with UNI after redshirting her freshman season last year. The eight returners combine for 272 total games played, but just 97 starts.

The Panthers bring in six newcomers, including five freshmen, Harper Whetstine, Emily Larsen, Le’Sedra Williams, Taylor Franck, and Callie Oakland, and University of Iowa transfer Callie Levin.

Levin appeared in 29 games for the Iowa Hawkeyes, including 19 a season ago, where she averaged just over six minutes a game. The 5-9 guard scored 23 points on the season and brought down 11 rebounds, dishing out 10 assists in her limited minutes in Iowa City.

Before attending Iowa, Levin played at Solon High School, where she finished with 1,984 career points, complemented by strong all-around production in rebounds, assists, and steals, showcasing her impact on both ends of the court. As a senior, she averaged 22 points, 6.9 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 4.8 steals per game.

She earned multiple top honors after her senior campaign, including Miss Iowa Basketball, USA TODAY Iowa Player of the Year, and several other statewide Player of the Year awards. She led Solon High School to the 3A State Championship, earned All-Tournament Team honors, and was named the tournament’s top producer.

UNI women’s basketball action can be followed all season long on social media on Facebook (UNI Women’s Basketball), X (@UNIwbb), and on Instagram (@uni_wbb). The 2026-27 schedule and roster, along with the latest Panther news and information can be found online at UNIpanthers.com.