2025–26 Houston Cougars women's basketball team
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The 2025–26 Houston Cougars women's basketball team represents the University of Houston during the 2025–26 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. The Cougars, are led by first-year head coach Matthew Mitchell and play their home games at the Fertitta Center as members of the Big 12 Conference.
ConferenceBig 12 Conference
Record7–23 (1–17 Big 12)
Headcoach
- Matthew Mitchell (1st season)
Associate headcoachDamitria Buchanan
| 2025–26 Houston Cougars women's basketball | |
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| Conference | Big 12 Conference |
| Record | 7–23 (1–17 Big 12) |
| Head coach |
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| Associate head coach | Damitria Buchanan |
| Assistant coaches |
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| Home arena | Fertitta Center |
| Conf. | Overall | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Team | W | L | PCT | W | L | PCT | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 6 TCU | 15 | – | 3 | .833 | 32 | – | 6 | .842 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 18 West Virginia † | 14 | – | 4 | .778 | 28 | – | 7 | .800 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| No. 23 Baylor | 13 | – | 5 | .722 | 25 | – | 9 | .735 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma State | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 24 | – | 10 | .706 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Texas Tech | 12 | – | 6 | .667 | 26 | – | 8 | .765 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colorado | 11 | – | 7 | .611 | 22 | – | 12 | .647 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Iowa State | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 22 | – | 10 | .688 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Utah | 10 | – | 8 | .556 | 19 | – | 13 | .594 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| BYU | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 26 | – | 12 | .684 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona State | 9 | – | 9 | .500 | 24 | – | 11 | .686 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 22 | – | 14 | .611 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Kansas State | 8 | – | 10 | .444 | 19 | – | 18 | .514 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati | 6 | – | 12 | .333 | 11 | – | 20 | .355 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| UCF | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 11 | – | 19 | .367 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Arizona | 3 | – | 15 | .167 | 12 | – | 18 | .400 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Houston | 1 | – | 17 | .056 | 7 | – | 23 | .233 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| † 2026 Big 12 tournament winner Rankings from AP poll | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Previous season
The Cougars finished the 2024–25 season 5–25, 1–17 in Big 12 play to finish in last place. They lost in the first round to Colorado in the Big 12 women's tournament.
Head Coach Ronald Hughey announced his resignation from Houston on March 6, 2025, after 11 seasons.[1] The Cougars hired former Kentucky head coach Mitchell as his replacement on March 27.[2]
Offseason
Departures
| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Reason for Departure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leilani Augmon | 0 | G | 5'11" |  Senior | Orlando, FL | Graduated |
| Gia Cooke | 3 | G | 5'9" | Sophomore | Clinton, MD | Transferred to West Virginia |
| Maliyah Johnson | 5 | F | 6'0" | Senior | Columbus, OH | Graduated |
| Laila Blair | 14 | G | 5'8" | Graduate Student | Houston, TX | Graduated |
| Tatiana Arevalo | 20 | G | 5'9" | Sophomore | Frisco, TX | Walk-on; TBD |
| Kiera Edmonds | 21 | F | 6'2" | Sophomore | Brooklyn, NY | Transferred to Boston College |
| Avalon Miller | 22 | F | 6'3" | Senior | Salt Lake City, UT | Graduated |
| Eylia Love | 24 | G | 6'1" | Senior | Kansas City, MO | Graduated |
| Ashley Chevalier | 25 | G | 5'7" | Senior | Chatsworth, CA | Graduated |
| Peyton McFarland | 42 | F | 6'4" | Graduate Student | Boise, ID | Graduated |
Incoming
| Name | Num | Pos. | Height | Year | Hometown | Previous School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TK Pitts | 0 | G | 6'1" | Junior | Tulsa, OK | SMU |
| Briana Peguero | 1 | G | 5'7" | Graduate Student | Houston, TX | Troy |
| Kyndall Hunter | 7 | G | 5'7" | Senior | Houston, TX | Texas A&M |
| Amani Bartlett | 12 | F | 6'3" | Graduate Student | Cleveland, TX | LSU |
| Amirah Abdur-Rahim | 23 | F | 6'3" | Graduate Student | Marietta, GA | Texas A&M |
| Shun'teria Anumele | 24 | G | 5'8" | Sophomore | Houston, TX | Saint Louis |
| Jorynn Ross | 26 | F | 6'3" | Junior | Milwaukee, WI | Arizona |
Roster
| 2025–26 Houston Cougars women's basketball team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Schedule and results
| Date time, TV |
Rank# | Opponent# | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Non-conference regular season | |||||||||||
| November 4, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
UT Arlington | W 76–59 | 1–0 |
16 – Abdur-Rahim | 9 – Jones | 4 – Poole | Fertitta Center (1,025) Houston, TX | ||||
| November 8, 2025* 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
UTSA | W 52–48 | 2–0 |
21 – Merchant | 11 – Abdur-Rahim | 5 – Peguero | Fertitta Center (1,161) Houston, TX | ||||
| November 11, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Rice Rivalry |
L 56–70 | 2–1 |
12 – Tied | 14 – Merchant | 2 – Tied | Fertitta Center (1,104) Houston, TX | ||||
| November 17, 2025* 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Stephen F. Austin | L 78–82 | 2–2 |
20 – K. Hunter | 6 – Tied | 2 – Tied | William R. Johnson Coliseum (1,182) Nacogdoches, TX | ||||
| November 20, 2025* 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
at UT Rio Grande Valley | W 65–63 | 3–2 |
18 – Jones | 8 – Jones | 3 – Tied | UTRGV Fieldhouse (1,447) Edinburg, TX | ||||
| November 23, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
High Point | W 67–57 | 4–2 |
18 – Merchant | 12 – Jones | 4 – Peguero | Fertitta Center (1,225) Houston, TX | ||||
| November 28, 2025* 12:30 p.m., FloCollege |
vs. Arkansas State Nassau Championship Goombay Division semifinals |
L 66–83 | 4–3 |
12 – Pitts | 10 – Merchant | 4 – Tied | Baha Mar Convention Center (237) Nassau, The Bahamas | ||||
| November 30, 2025* 10:00 a.m., FloCollege |
vs. Tulsa Nassau Championship Goombay Division 3rd place game |
W 66–61 | 5–3 |
17 – Pitts | 8 – Pitts | 4 – Peguero | Baha Mar Convention Center (227) Nassau, The Bahamas | ||||
| December 7, 2025* 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Southern | L 62–70 | 5–4 |
14 – K. Hunter | 7 – Jones | 6 – Pitts | Fertitta Center (985) Houston, TX | ||||
| December 13, 2025* 8:00 p.m., MW Network |
at New Mexico | L 41–63 | 5–5 |
10 – Merchant | 8 – Jones | 3 – Pitts | The Pit (4,467) Albuquerque, NM | ||||
| December 16, 2025* 11:00 a.m., ESPN+ |
Montana | W 60–54 | 6–5 |
14 – Peguero | 12 – Pitts | 3 – Merchant | Fertitta Center (1,523) Houston, TX | ||||
| Big 12 regular season | |||||||||||
| December 21, 2025 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at West Virginia | L 46–101 | 6–6 (0–1) |
11 – Abdur-Rahim | 7 – Merchant | 2 – Abdur-Rahim | Hope Coliseum (3,968) Morgantown, WV | ||||
| December 31, 2025 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 10 Iowa State | L 62–80 | 6–7 (0–2) |
14 – Peguero | 15 – Pitts | 4 – Merchant | Fertitta Center (1,652) Houston, TX | ||||
| January 3, 2026 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Oklahoma State | L 52–83 | 6–8 (0–3) |
15 – Pitts | 8 – Pitts | 2 – Tied | Gallagher-Iba Arena (2,771) Stillwater, OK | ||||
| January 7, 2026 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Kansas State | L 62–71 | 6–9 (0–4) |
16 – Pitts | 8 – Abdur-Rahim | 3 – Tied | Fertitta Center (1,395) Houston, TX | ||||
| January 10, 2026 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
BYU | L 64–79 | 6–10 (0–5) |
19 – K. Hunter | 9 – Jones | 3 – Tied | Fertitta Center (1,075) Houston, TX | ||||
| January 13, 2026 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at No. 17 Texas Tech | L 59–71 | 6–11 (0–6) |
17 – Pitts | 14 – Abdur-Rahim | 2 – Tied | United Supermarkets Arena (5,003) Lubbock, TX | ||||
| January 17, 2026 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Utah | L 61–71 | 6–12 (0–7) |
14 – Pitts | 9 – Jones | 3 – Peguero | Fertitta Center (1,204) Houston, TX | ||||
| January 21, 2026 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Kansas State | L 65–69 | 6–13 (0–8) |
20 – K. Hunter | 10 – Pitts | 3 – Tied | Bramlage Coliseum (3,497) Manhattan, KS | ||||
| January 27, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at No. 14 Baylor | L 66–82 | 6–14 (0–9) |
17 – Abdur-Rahim | 5 – Ross | 7 – Peguero | Foster Pavilion (3,438) Waco, TX | ||||
| February 1, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
Cincinnati | W 72–70 | 7–14 (1–9) |
23 – K. Hunter | 7 – Pitts | 3 – K. Hunter | Fertitta Center (1,180) Houston, TX | ||||
| February 4, 2026 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
at No. 14 TCU | L 45–90 | 7–15 (1–10) |
12 – Merchant | 4 – Pitts | 3 – Peguero | Schollmaier Arena (2,968) Fort Worth, TX | ||||
| February 7, 2026 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 18 Texas Tech | L 61–85 | 7–16 (1–11) |
18 – Abdur-Rahim | 7 – Abdur-Rahim | 2 – Tied | Fertitta Center (1,910) Houston, TX | ||||
| February 11, 2026 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
Colorado | L 63–73 | 7–17 (1–12) |
21 – Peguero | 8 – Pitts | 3 – Pitts | Fertitta Center (976) Houston, TX | ||||
| February 14, 2026 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Kansas | L 68–85 | 7–18 (1–13) |
23 – Peguero | 6 – Pitts | 3 – Tied | Allen Fieldhouse (3,744) Lawrence, KS | ||||
| February 18, 2026 6:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
No. 12 TCU | L 50–72 | 7–19 (1–14) |
20 – K. Hunter | 11 – Pitts | 3 – King | Fertitta Center (1,098) Houston, TX | ||||
| February 21, 2026 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Arizona State | L 56–81 | 7–20 (1–15) |
13 – Tied | 7 – Pitts | 3 – Tied | Desert Financial Arena (4,740) Tempe, AZ | ||||
| February 24, 2026 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
at Arizona | L 67–75 | 7–21 (1–16) |
21 – K. Hunter | 9 – Abdur-Rahim | 3 – Tied | McKale Center (5,576) Tucson, AZ | ||||
| March 1, 2026 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ |
UCF | L 62–72 | 7–22 (1–17) |
13 – Pitts | 8 – Abdur-Rahim | 4 – Hunter | Fertitta Center (1,103) Houston, TX | ||||
| Big 12 Conference Tournament | |||||||||||
| March 4, 2026 1:30 p.m., ESPN+ |
(16) | vs. (9) BYU First Round |
L 66–76 | 7–23 |
17 – Amuele | 10 – Pitts | 2 – Merchant | T-Mobile Center Kansas City, MO | |||
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Central Time. | |||||||||||