Mines (0-0) at #6 Texas Woman's (3-0) – Friday, 6 p.m. CT – Denton, Texas [Live Stats] [FloCollege]
Mines (0-0) at UT Dallas (1-0) – Saturday, 3 p.m. – Richardson, Texas [Live Stats] [FloCollege]

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NEW SEASON
The Colorado School of Mines women's basketball team is on the precipice of a new season as they head to the Dallas, Texas, metroplex for their 2026-27 season openers. Oredigger action starts Friday at 6 p.m. CT against #6-ranked Texas Woman's inside Kitty Magee Arena in Denton, Texas. Mines wraps the road trip Saturday at UT Dallas with a 3 p.m. tipoff in Richardson, Texas. Despite a pair of tough opponents, the Orediggers will look for its fifth 2-0 start to the season since the dawn of the decade.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Fans can watch this weekend's games live with a subscription to FloCollege. After this weekend, the rest of Mines' home games and RMAC contests will be available with a subscription to the RMAC Network. The games in Texas will also have free live stats powered by StatBroadcast.
 
RMAC NETWORK
The RMAC Network continues to have a pay-per-view model for all events. Fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $12.50, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours. For technical support questions, fans can contact Hudl Support or email the RMAC directly (rmac@rmacsports.org). For further support, fans can visit the RMAC Network Help page.
 
LOOKING AT THE ROSTER
Mines' 2026-27 roster features a total of 16 players. There are eight Orediggers returning from last season. Newcomers include six true freshmen and two transfers. Head Coach Brittany Simpson benefits from the return of her scoring leader, rebounding, leader, and steals leader from the 2025-26 squad.
 
THE RETURNERS
The eight Orediggers who were on the roster in 2025-26 include Olivia Campbell, Lindsey Jones, Madison Gage, Emily Thomas, Sofia Baldessari, Emma Sixta, Jade Leon, and Sophia Baal. Baldessari was the team's leading scorer last year with 545 points in just 26 games for an average of 21.0 points per game. Baldessari also led Mines on the glass with 8.5 rebounds per game. Leon was right behind with 5.4 rebounds per game. Leon was the top Oredigger in steals as well with 51 in 32 contests.
 
FRESH FACES
As mentioned above, Mines' 2026-27 roster features eight newcomers. The true freshman are Hailey Durland, Izzy Johnston, Taylor Speir, Lauren Thompson, Tenley Bozeman, and Ellis McCool. Johnston and Speir both hail from Littleton, Colo. Durland is from Grand Rapids, Mich. Bozeman arrived by way of Shwerwood, Ore. Ellis McCool is from Homewood, Ala. Rounding out the fresh faces are a pair of transfers from South Dakota Mines. Sammy Darnell is a redshirt junior originally from Windsor, Colo. Janay Kravig is a redshirt freshman from Greeley, Colo.
 
PRESEASON ALL-RMAC
Sofia Baldessari was named Preseason All-RMAC late last month. She claimed the honor after earning First-Team All-RMAC last season. In 2025-26, Baldessari was also D2CCA Second-Team All-Region, CSC Academic All-District and two-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week. The highlight of Baldessari's 2025-26 campaign was breaking the program's single-game scoring record with 45 points against Nelson on Jan. 2. She finished the year ranked third in the RMAC in scoring average and broke the program record for scoring average in a season.
 
IN THE POLLS
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference also released its preseason coaches' poll last month, and Mines was voted sixth with a pair of third-place votes and a total of 133 points. That projects the Orediggers in this year's eight-team, RMAC tournament bracket. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. The top four on the list, in order, were Colorado Mesa, MSU Denver, UCCS, and Black Hills State. Fort Lewis was also projected ahead of the Orediggers.
 
SIMPSON'S SEASON OPENERS
Since taking over in Golden at the start of the 2012-13 campaign, Head Coach Brittany Simpson has guided her team to an 8-7 record in season openers. That mark includes five straight wins from 2020-21 through the season opener in 2024-25. The Orediggers toppled MSU Denver to start that campaign. They defeated St. Mary's, 85-54, to open the 2021-22 slate. The 2022-23 premier featured an 86-45 win at St. Mary's. Mines downed the Rattlers again in 2023-24, 81-68, inside Lockridge Arena. The Orediggers handled St. Mary's in the 2025-26 season-opener as well by a score of 72-49 in Austin, Texas. Last year, Mines started the season early at the D2CCA Tipoff Classic at the Trailhead in Billings, Mont. There, the Orediggers ran up against a ranked UT Tyler team and perennial powers Nebraska-Kearney and MSU Billings. Despite three losses, Mines' average margin of defeat at the tipoff event was just six points. Coach Simpson has only started a season at home twice since 2015.
 
LAST SEASON
The Orediggers' 2025-26 campaign ended with an overall record of 15-17 and a 10-10 mark in RMAC play. Mines' 10 conference wins helped the team return to the RMAC tournament where they faced eventual national runner-up Colorado Mesa. Sofia Baldessari, Jenny Shandy, and Emma Sixta were voted to the All-RMAC teams. Baldessari was also all-region. Mines thrived in the classroom as well with one RMAC First-Team All-Academic selection and four CSC Academic All-District nods.
 
SCOUTING TEXAS WOMAN'S
Texas Woman's is already 3-0 after starting its season at the D2CCA Tip-Off Classic in Canyon, Texas. That mark carries the momentum from the Pioneers' run to the region final where they fell to Colorado Mesa. Early action for TWU included a 66-57 win against MSU Denver and a pair of double-digit wins over Southern Arkansas and Nova Southeastern. Four individuals are averaging double-digit scoring numbers led by Summer Sodek's 14.3 points per game. Julie Kasanga has already pulled down 22 rebounds and grabbed five steals. Both Madi Lumsden and Avery McConnell have handed out 11 assists each. Also notable on the Texas Woman's roster are transfers from Tarleton State, Central Florida, Angelo State, Utah Tech, and Texas A&M-Kingsville.
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE PIONEERS
Mines and Texas Woman's have met a total of five times including four meetings across the last three seasons. The Pioneers have won each time including three single-digit margins. Last season, TWU came to Golden and left with an 80-55 win. Sophia Baal was the Orediggers' leading scorer in the game with 14 points along with three blocks. Jade Leon dished out three assists, scored seven points, had two rebounds, and grabbed two steals. Friday marks the fifth time Mines and Texas Woman's have played in Denton, Texas.
 
SCOUTING UT DALLAS
The University of Texas at Dallas is 1-0 after playing on the first allowable day of competition in the regular season which was Monday. The Comets defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State, 80-73, in Durant, Okla. Umi Otsuka scored 25 points in the win and Jayla Jackson-Allen scored 21 with six rebounds and five assists. Otsuka along with Danielle Oyakhire are both returning all-conference players for UTD. Otsuka was First-Team All-LSC last season and Oyakhire was selected to the LSC All-Freshman Team. The Comets finished 2025-26 with a record of 13-14 (10-10 LSC).
 
OREDIGGERS AGAINST THE COMETS
Nebraska-Kearney used to be a member of the RMAC which accounts for 45 total meetings with Mines. The Lopers lead the all-time series 35-10. The Orediggers renewed the rivalry with UNK in non-conference fashion during the 2021-22 season. They played at Kearney on Nov. 20 and lost, 76-57. During the 2022-23 season, the Lopers came to Golden and earned a 59-47 win. Mines' last victory against UNK was Jan. 28, 2012 by a score of 91-77.
 
AT THE HELM
Head Coach Brittany Simpson enters her 15th season leading the Mines women's basketball program. During her decade-plus tenure, she has become the winningest coach in program history both in terms of total wins and win percentage at 246-156 (61.2). Simpson is responsible for all three of the program's RMAC titles including regular-season championships in 2015-16, 2020-21, and 2021-22. She has also led the Orediggers in five of their six trips to the NCAA tournament. Simpson is a three-time RMAC Coach of the Year who has guided 40 All-RMAC selections including 17 first-teamers, 12 second-teamers, one third-team selection and 10 honorable mention performers. She has also coached one RMAC Player of the Year, two RMAC Defensive Players of the Year, and two RMAC Freshman of the Year award winners. Nine of Mines' 14 1,000-point scorers have surpassed the milestone under Simpson's watch.
 
UP NEXT
Mines returns to Golden next weekend for a region crossover event featuring Saint Martin's, Seattle Pacific, and Adams State as part of the Orediggers' home openers.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's basketball on "X" (formerly Twitter), Facebook, and Instagram at @MinesWBB. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.