Jacksonville opens its 2026-27 women’s basketball season Tuesday at FIU, leaning on preseason award winner Tatum Brown and a five-player freshman class. A win would give coach Special Jennings her 50th victory with the Dolphins.

By the Numbers
  • Jacksonville leads the all-time series, 10-5.
  • The Dolphins have won 6 of the teams’ last 8 matchups.
  • Jacksonville won the past 2 games by an average of 19.5 points.
  • FIU went 21-12 last season and added 10 new players.
Yes, But

Jacksonville has recent dominance in the matchup, but FIU is coming off a strong season that ended with a WNIT berth. The Panthers’ 10 newcomers also make this a notably different team.

State of Play
  • Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday at FIU’s Ocean Bank Convocation Center; the game streams on ESPN+.
  • Brown, the reigning ASUN Freshman of the Year, enters the season as the conference’s preseason Player and Defensive Player of the Year.
  • Five freshmen are expected to contribute, including forwards Geren Hawthorne and Samirah Mamoudou and guards J’Niya Weaver, Coco Rudolph and McKenzie Lewis.
What's Next

Jacksonville begins its title-defense season with a road test against an FIU team reshaped by its offseason additions. A victory would also mark a career milestone for Jennings.

Bottom Line

Jacksonville brings star power and a strong recent record against FIU, but the season opener will test how quickly its talented freshman class can make an impact.