FAYETTEVILLE – The Arkansas women’s basketball team will play in the Elevance Health Women’s Fort Myers Tip-Off over Thanksgiving, as announced on Tuesday. The second annual event is set for Thursday, Nov. 23 to Saturday, Nov. 25 at Suncoast Credit Union Arena on the campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in Fort Myers, Florida.
Arkansas will play in the Shell Division, which features a traditional bracket format with Boston College, Marquette and Wisconsin. The Hogs will square off against Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 24 at 1 p.m. CT and will play either Marquette or Boston College in the winner or consolation bracket on Nov. 25. The Shell Division third-place game is set for a 3:30 p.m. tipoff and the championship game will follow at 6 p.m.
The Hogs are 3-0 against Wisconsin in the all-time series with the last game being played in 2019 at the Bahamas Hoopfest, which resulted in a 68-64 win for Arkansas. In the series vs. Boston College, Arkansas is 3-0 with the last game leading to a 76-60 win for the Hogs in Fayetteville in 2001. A matchup with Marquette would be the second in the all-time series, in which Arkansas has a 1-0 edge following a 71-69 feat in 2007 in Hanover, New Hampshire.
The Razorbacks know its 2024 SEC opponents, as well as SEC/ACC Challenge matchup with Florida State on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. CT. The remaining non-conference schedule and full SEC slate will be announced at a later date.
Arkansas is coming off a 24-13 season in 2022-23, which was capped off by the Hogs’ fifth postseason berth (if including 2020) in the Neighbor’s era. Arkansas made it to the Great 8 of the Postseason WNIT before falling to the eventual 2023 Postseason WNIT Champion Kansas, 78-64.
Samara Spencer is the leading returning scorer, who is coming off averaging 14.4 points per game and a team-leading 154 assists. Saylor Poffenbarger paced the team on the boards with 6.9 per game and four-year starter Makayla Daniels is back for her fifth year after having averaged 13.2 points per game last season. The Hogs also bring in a top 15 recruiting class and return nine total from last year’s squad.