Women's Basketball To Play Stanford In 2017-18 Season

The game is set for Dec. 18, 2017 in Maples Pavilion.

MACOMB, Ill. — Western Illinois head women's basketball coach JD Gravina released the first announced non-league matchup for the Leathernecks, a Monday (Dec. 18) road game at Stanford University.

This will be the first meeting between the two programs, and the Leathernecks' first trip to Maples Pavilion in Stanford, Calif.

The Cardinal are coming off a 32-win season that included a Final Four appearance against the eventual 2016-17 NCAA Women's Basketball National Champion South Carolina. As a program, Stanford has accumulated two National Championships (1990 and 1992), 13 Final Four appearances, 24 NCAA Tournament Appearances and 23 Pac-10/12 Conference Championships.

The program is led by Tara VanDerveer, who is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2011) and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2002). She has accumulated over 900 career wins and has coached both National Championship teams.

"We are really excited at the opportunity to play Stanford," said Gravina. "While it will be a huge challenge to play a Final Four team, we can treat the experience like an NCAA Tournament game. With a veteran team returning, we have tried to really strengthen our schedule to prepare for another tough year in the Summit League."

The Leathernecks are coming off its most successful season in program history, including an unprecedented 26 wins, a Summit League regular season and Tournament championship and five different members of the team earning All-League Awards, including: Emily Clemens (All-League First Team/Summit League Player of the Year/Summit League Tournament MVP), Morgan Blumer (All-League First Team/All-Newcomer Team/Transfer of the Year/All-Tournament), Taylor Higginbotham (All-League Second Team), Olivia Braun (All-Newcomer Team) and Gravina (Summit League Coach of the Year).

The team also broke a combined 15 individual and team records, and ranked in the top-15 nationally in nine different categories.

For more 2017-18 schedule updates, be sure to check GoLeathernecks.com, and follow the team on Twitter (@WIUWBB), Facebook (Western Illinois Women's Basketball) and Instagram (WIUWBB).

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Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer: G; 5' 11"; Junior; Milton / Florida Gulf Coast

#3 Olivia Braun: F; 6' 1"; Junior; St. Catherine's / Toledo

#2 Emily Clemens: G; 5' 4"; Junior; Muscatine

#24 Taylor Higginbotham: G; 5' 10"; Sophomore; Germantown

Players Mentioned

#12 Morgan Blumer
: 5' 11"; Junior; Milton / Florida Gulf Coast
: G

#3 Olivia Braun
: 6' 1"; Junior; St. Catherine's / Toledo
: F

#2 Emily Clemens
: 5' 4"; Junior; Muscatine
: G

#24 Taylor Higginbotham
: 5' 10"; Sophomore; Germantown
: G