LOGAN, Utah – Utah State women's basketball released its full schedule for the 2020-21 season on Tuesday, including a competitive non-conference slate and a revised version of the Mountain West schedule which was released in early October. 
 
"We are excited to have our schedule finalized and we're all looking forward to the start of the season on Nov. 25," said first-year head coach Kayla Ard. "We are very grateful to our administration here at Utah State and to the Mountain West for making sure we have a season. Our team has been working hard to make Aggie Nation proud this season."
 
Ard's head coaching debut will come on Wednesday, Nov. 25, as the Aggies play host to the Big Sky's Montana Grizzlies. This will be USU's first matchup with Montana since the 2016-17 season, a 65-47 win on the road. The Grizzlies finished the 2019-20 season with a 17-13 overall record.
 
Utah State will then hit the road for back-to-back contests starting with a game at Idaho State on Saturday, Nov. 28, as USU faces its second-straight Big Sky opponent. The Bengals are coming off five-straight winning seasons, including an 18-13 overall record last season, and a 9-5 mark at home. 
 
The Aggies then continue their road trip north to the Evergreen State to take on Seattle on Thursday, Dec. 3. This will be just the fourth all-time meeting between the Aggies and the Redhawks, the most recent coming last season in Logan where Utah State won, 70-63.
 
USU returns home on Monday, Dec. 7, to face its only in-state opponent of the season as the Aggies host BYU inside the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum. With 41 all-time meetings between the two teams, including contests each of the past 12 seasons, this is the Aggies' most-played series in program history. 
 
The final game before conference play begins will be on Sunday, Dec. 13, when the Aggies host UTEP. Utah State has swept the all-time series with the Miners, 5-0, though the two teams have not met since the 1978-79 season. 
 
In Mountain West play this season, teams will play a 20-game schedule that will play out over 11 weeks. In the new format, MW teams face each other twice at the same location with a one-day break between games. Each team plays five series at home and five series on the road, a format which is intended to help reduce travel and mitigate potential exposures to COVID-19. 
 
The first conference series for the Aggies will come on Monday, Dec. 21, and Wednesday, Dec. 23, as they take a pre-Christmas road trip to The Golden State to take on San José State. USU then wraps up 2020 and rings in 2021 with a home series against Air Force on Thursday, Dec. 31, and Saturday, Jan. 2.
 
Utah State will then face New Mexico at home on Thursday, Jan. 7, and Saturday, Jan. 9, before heading back on the road for back-to-back series. USU play at San Diego State on Thursday, Jan. 14, and Saturday, Jan. 16, followed by contests at Colorado State on Thursday, Jan. 21 and Saturday, Jan. 23. 
 
The Aggies get a break from travel as they return home for four-straight games, starting with a series against UNLV on Monday, Jan. 25, and Wednesday, Jan. 27, and then contests against Fresno State on Thursday, Feb. 4, and Saturday, Feb. 6. USU travels to the Cowboy State for a series against Wyoming on Thursday, Feb. 11, and Saturday, Feb. 13.
 
The final home series for Utah State comes as they host four-time defending MW champs Boise State on Thursday, Feb. 18, and again on Saturday, Feb. 20, on what will be USU's Senior Day. The regular-season portion of the season concludes for the Aggies as they travel to Nevada for a final series taking place Thursday, Feb. 25, and Saturday, Feb. 27.
 
The 2020-21 Mountain West Women's Basketball Championships will take place March 7-10 at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. 
 
The Aggies will enter the season with a very new look, as they bring not just an entirely new coaching staff, but also welcome in nine newcomers on the court, including five freshmen, three junior college transfers and a graduate transfer. Utah State will also be bolstered by the debut of redshirt sophomore guard Shyla Latone, who is now eligible to play after redshirting last season due to NCAA transfer rules.
 
Two starters from the 2019-20 squad return as well, including senior guard Emmie Harris and junior guard/forward Taylor Franson. Harris started 22 contests last season and ranked second on the team in steals, third in assists, and is the top returning scorer. Franson started 20 games and ranked second in blocks and third in rebounds a year ago. 
 
Fans can follow USU women's basketball on Twitter, @USUWBasketball, on Instagram, @USUWBasketball, as well as on Facebook, at /USUWBB. Aggie fans can also follow Utah State Athletics on Twitter, @USUAthletics, on Instagram, @USUAthletics and on Facebook at /USUAthletics.
 
 
2020-21 Utah State Women's Basketball Schedule
November 25 (Wed.) Montana
Nov. 28 (Sat.) at Idaho State
Dec. 3 (Thur.) at Seattle
Dec. 7 (Mon.) BYU
Dec. 13 (Sun.) UTEP
Dec. 21 (Thur.) at San José State*
Dec. 23 (Sat.) at San José State*
December 31 (Thur.) Air Force*
January 2 (Sat.) Air Force*
January 7 (Thur.) New Mexico*
January 9 (Sat.) New Mexico*
January 14 (Thur.) at San Diego State*
January 16 (Sat.) at San Diego State*
January 20 (Wed.) at Colorado State*
January 22 (Fri.) at Colorado State*
January 25 (Mon.) UNLV*
January 27 (Wed.) UNLV*
February 4 (Thur.) Fresno State*
February 6 (Sat.) Fresno State*
February 11 (Thur.) at Wyoming*
February 13 (Sat.) at Wyoming*
February 18 (Thur.) Boise State*
February 20 (Sat.) Boise State*
February 25 (Thur.) at Nevada*
February 27 (Sat.) at Nevada*

* = Mountain West Conference Game
 
-USU-