TAMPA, Fla. - FIU women's basketball will open up the 2025-26 season on the road when they take on South Florida in Tampa on Monday, November 3 at 6 p.m.

Monday, Nov. 3 at USF

• Time/Site: 6 p.m. / Tampa, Fla

• Series History: FIU trails, 8-14

QUICK FACTS

This will be the first meeting between the Panthers and Bulls since 2017. USF beat the Panthers that day, 82-52. FIU's last victory over South Florida came in 1995 when the Panthers cruised by USF, 72-45.

Head coach Jesyka Burks-Wiley was hired to lead the Panthers in 2020. Coach Burks was previously an assistant coach at USF for three seasons. This will be the first time coach Burks plays her previous coaching stop in her head coaching career.

FIU welcomes back five returners to Miami in senior Parris Atkins, redshirt-sophomore Fantasia James, junior Judit Valero and sophomores Ndate Ndiaye and Claudia Marina.

Parris Atkins and Fantasia James were both honored with CUSA All-Conference awards last season. Parris Atkins, then in her first season as a Panther, was an immediate contributor and made the CUSA All-Conference Second Team. James, a redshirt freshman at the time, was named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team for her performance during the 2024-25 season.

FIU has the most international players rostered in Conference USA. The Panthers boast 12 of their 14 players born outside of the United States.

This matchup marks the first time the Panthers will start their season on the road in 1,796 days, when the Panthers played at North Florida on December 3, 2020.

The Panthers are 3-2 in opening night matchups in the Burks-Wiley era.

FIU is coming off a 2024-25 season that saw the Panthers go 11-18 overall and 7-11 in conference-play, ending sixth in the conference. 

SCOUTING THE BULLS

USF was voted the top-ranked team in The American Conference women's basketball preseason poll after finishing the 2024–25 season third in the league with a 23–11 overall record and a 13–4 mark in conference play. The Bulls went on to win The American Tournament, defeating nine-seed Rice in the championship game. USF entered the NCAA Tournament as a 12-seed but fell to Tennessee in the first round, 101–66.

Offensively, the Bulls ranked sixth in The American last season, averaging 66 points per game. Defensively, they were among the conference's best, tying for second by allowing just 61.6 points per game.

The 2025–26 season marks a new era for USF, as the Bulls will have a new head coach for the first time in 25 years. Longtime head coach Jose Fernandez departed to become the new head coach of the WNBA's Dallas Wings, while assistant coach Michele Woods-Baxter steps in as interim head coach until a permanent replacement is named.

FIU is looking to earn its first victory over a team from The American since the 2023–24 season, when the Panthers defeated in-state rival Florida Atlantic, 65–62.

TICKETS

For more information on FIU tickets to FIU basketball home games, including student ticketing, call 305-FIU-GAME or visit HERE

SOCIAL MEDIA

Fans are encouraged to follow the Panthers on Instagram (@fiuwbb), Twitter (@FIUWBB), and Facebook (@FIUWBasketball) for all the latest Women's Basketball news. General athletic news can also be found at @FIUSportson Facebook and @FIUAthletics on Twitter and Instagram.