Three Early Takeaways From Oregon Women's Basketball's Big Ten Opponents

The Oregon Ducks gear up to improve their conference standing in a season that's expected to be loaded with top 25 Big Ten teams.

Oregon coach Kelly Graves cheers his team during the second half against USC's at Matthew Knight Arena Sunday, Jan. 1, 2023 in Eugene, Oregon. Ncaa Womens Basketball Uo Women Vs Usc Usc At Oregon | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK

The Oregon Ducks women’s basketball program learned their Big Ten opponents and where they’ll play for the 2026-27 season.

Oregon posted its conference matchups for the season across its social media channels on June 8. Now that the Ducks have more clarity about who and where they’ll play in the thick of the Big Ten season, there are three takeaways from the schedule that will be key to the team’s hopes of making a third-straight NCAA Tournament.

1. Opportunity for Multiple Wins vs. Ranked Opponents

Oregon head coach Kelly Graves talks to his team as the Oregon Ducks host the Penn State Nittany Lions on Jan. 24, 2026, at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Oregon. | Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Since the Ducks, the Washington Huskies, the USC Trojans and the UCLA Bruins moved to the Big Ten in 2024, the conference is becoming more and more of a powerhouse for women’s basketball.

In the 2025-26 season, a record-tying 12 Big Ten teams made the NCAA Tournament, while the National Champions were the Bruins in the Big Ten. In ESPN bracketologist Charlie Creme’s early top 25 rankings for the 2026-27 season, nine Big Ten teams made the list, and three of them ranked in the top 10.

The Ducks will have more than enough opportunities to pick up wins against ranked opponents next season, both on the road and at Matthew Knight Arena. Conference play hurt Oregon last season, with several hard-fought battles ending up going to their conference opponents.

If the program’s core is able to take lessons learned from 2026 and apply them to next season, those close games may end up in the Ducks’ favor, which will quickly bolster their national ranking.

2. Trip to Michigan Will Be an Important Road Swing

Oregon’s Katie Fiso, left, slides past Michigan State’s Grace VanSlooten, center, for a shot during the second half at Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene Jan. 11, 2026. | Chris Pietsch/The Register-Guard / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two of those close matchups from 2026 were against the Michigan State Spartans and the Michigan Wolverines. The Michigan schools have been an Achilles heel for the Ducks in their two seasons in the Big Ten.

Oregon blew a large first-half lead vs. the Spartans at home last season in an 85-81 defeat and couldn’t make its free throws in a 92-87 double-overtime loss to the Wolverines at home. The Ducks lost to Michigan again in the Big Ten Tournament by a much larger margin at a neutral site.

This season’s meetings with the Spartans and the Wolverines will be on the road, where they lost two away meetings to the two teams by double digits in 2024-25. Michigan State lost depth like former Duck Grace VanSlooten in the offseason, while Michigan is expected to be a top-five team.

Either way, Oregon will look to break a trend of tough matchups vs. teams in The Great Lakes State. That road trip should be a key indicator of where this Ducks team stands in the conference compared to years past.

3. USC Trojans Matchup an Opportunity to Seize National Attention

Mar 24, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; USC Trojans guard JuJu Watkins (12) dribbles the ball up court during the first quarter of an NCAA Tournament second round game against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Galen Center. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images | Robert Hanashiro-Imagn Images

Oregon’s conference meeting against a longtime foe this season will be arguably its biggest season of the regular season. The Trojans are set to play at Matthew Knight Arena this season after the Ducks took them down in a 71-66 thriller in Los Angeles last season.

Both Oregon and USC have a history of success, but the two programs’ winning seasons haven’t quite lined up. Last season’s rosters were perhaps the closest the programs have been in years, talent-wise.

The 2026-27 season will be different, with former Naismith Award winner JuJu Watkins set to return from injury. The Trojans enter the season as one of the favorites to win the National Championship, with Watkins prepared to play with National Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson for the first time and No. 1 recruit Saniyah Hall entering the program.

Oregon will have home-court advantage in the matchup. If returning stars Katie Fiso and Ehis Etute are able to make a statement in the game that USC isn’t the only West Coast squad with national star power, and Oregon’s depth steps up, it should be an interesting matchup in Eugene. A potential Oregon win would skyrocket the Ducks’ national ranking and would provide a critical boost to their NCAA Tournament seeding.

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