HACKENSACK, N.J. – FDU women's basketball team starts the season on the big stage taking on, third ranked Iowa in their season opener. Tip-off on Big Ten+ is set for 7:30 p.m. ET. This game will mark the debut of first year head coach Stephanie Gaitley.
 

ABOUT FDU

The Knights are coming off a 24-8 season where they went 14-2 in conference play. Following a second-straight regular season championship, the Burgundy and Blue finished last season's conference tournament with wins against Central Connecticut State and St. Francis Brooklyn but fell short in the final against Sacred Heart. This year the Knights aim for redemption to take home the conference title.
 
FDU returns zero of five starters from last season, but retained five players who came off the bench: Abby Conklin, Abaigeal Babore, Allie McGinn, Mia Andrews, and Dominique García Blackwood. 
 
Conklin rejoins the Knights after seeing time in all 32 games last season where she totaled 108 points, 17 steals, 35 assists and 51 rebounds. Alongside Conklin, Babore looks to improve on the numbers she put up last season while seeing time in 19 games where she tallied 26 points, 5 steals and assists and 16 rebounds. 
 
Adding to the roster, FDU picked up graduate student guard Nickie Carter who had an impressive undergraduate career at, Division III, Montclair State where she posted 1,411 points over the span of her four years there. The Knights also gained senior forward/center Teneisia Brown, who transferred from Merrimack, where she was named to the Preseason All-NEC Team before the 2022-23 season. 
 
FDU has been selected fourth in this season's NEC Preseason Coaches Poll.
 

ABOUT THE MATCHUP

Iowa enters this season as favorites to return to the Final Four after putting up an impressive 2022-23 season where they made it to the national championship game. This is the first time in history the two sides will compete. FDU is 4-9 all-time against Big Ten schools. 
 

FIRST YEAR WITH THE KNIGHTS

• FDU first year head coach Stephanie Gaitley will make her debut against Iowa. Gaitley is the 12^th most winningest coach in collegiate women's basketball with an overall record of 684-393.
• The Knights have also welcomed six freshmen and one sophomore to their squad: Ciera Cevallos, Staci Williams, Wilma Sorensen, Bella Toomey, Rebecca Osei-Owusu, Jada Elston, and Lilly Parke.

UP NEXT

FDU is on the road again for their next game against Army at 1 pm on Sunday, Nov. 12 at West Point, N.Y. in Christl Arena. 
 
Connect with FDU women's basketball on X and Instagram, @FDUKnightsWBB.