2025-26 Women's Basketball Season Review

UC Irvine women’s basketball continued to raise the bar in 2025-26, winning a share of their second Big West regular-season championship in four years, and earning their fourth postseason berth in the last five seasons. The Anteaters broke the single-season school record in overall wins (26), conference wins (17), win streak (16), points scored (2,340), free throws made (566), free throw percentage (80.6%), and 3-pointers made (284). Individually, Hunter Hernandez was just the second ‘Eater in program history to be named the Big West Women’s Basketball Player of the Year. Hernandez broke UCI’s single-season scoring record with 655 points, tied the single-game school record with 41 points at Cal Poly, and topped UC Irvine's all-time charts in career free throws made (402). In addition, Jada Wynn was tabbed the conference’s Newcomer of the Year, while Tamara Inoue received her second career Big West Coach of the Year award. 

Nov. 5, 2025 - UC Irvine kicked off the record-breaking campaign with a 72-54 win over San Diego on Kids Day at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters drew a crowd of 1,204, which tied for eighth in the program’s attendance records. Jada Wynn and Nohe’alani Stores tied for the team lead with 17 points each. In her collegiate debut, Stores was 7-of-8 from the field.

Nov. 22, 2025 - UCI raced out to a 24-6 lead and held off a couple big runs from St. Thomas for a 63-55 victory in the championship game of the ASRC/ConocoPhillips Great Alaska Shootout in Anchorage. Jada Wynn, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, led the ‘Eaters with 20 points and nine rebounds. Hunter Hernandez also made the All-Tournament Team.

Dec. 4, 2025 - The Anteaters cruised to a 77-40 Big West-opening win at UC Riverside. It marked the sixth-straight year UCI won its conference opener. The ‘Eaters were dominant from the start, holding the Highlanders to a season-low 11 first-half points.

Dec. 13, 2025 - UC Irvine defeated eventual WAC champion and NCAA automatic qualifier California Baptist, 77-57, at the Bren Events Center. Hunter Hernandez, who entered the game needing 21 points to reach 1,000 in her career, finished with a game-high 27. She became the 16th member of UCI women’s basketball’s 1K club.

Dec. 18, 2025 - Hunter Hernandez went off for a then career-high 36 points to lead the Anteaters to a 93-72 victory at UTEP in the non-conference finale. It was UC Irvine’s program-record 10th-straight win. Hernandez was unstoppable, going 13-of-18 from the field, 4-for-5 from 3-point range, and a perfect 6-of-6 at the free throw line. As a team, the ‘Eaters shot a season-best 56.6% (30-53), while going 9-of-18 from distance.

Jan. 1, 2026 - Hunter Hernandez and Jada Wynn combined for 52 points in an 82-63 win over Cal State Bakersfield on New Year’s Day. Hernandez recorded her second double-double of the season with 27 points and 11 rebounds. Wynn finished with a career-high 25 points on 7-of-14 shooting. It was the first of three games where both Hernandez and Wynn scored 20+ points.

Jan. 10, 2026 - UC Irvine showed its resolve down the stretch of a 50-47 win over Hawai'i at the Bren Events Center. The Rainbow Wahine took a five-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but the Anteaters continued to battle, erasing the deficit over the next four minutes. Back-to-back threes from Lauryn Madsen and Hunter Hernandez put the ‘Eaters up, 45-38, with 5:36 to play, but UH responded by closing the gap to one. Jada Wynn, who scored UCI’s final five points, then came up clutch, sinking a turnaround jumper in the paint with 20 seconds on the clock to seal the three-point victory.

Jan. 22, 2026 - The Anteaters outscored UC Riverside, 20-10, in the fourth quarter to come away with a 74-68 victory and extend their program-record win streak to 16 games. The ‘Eaters also improved to 8-0 in Big West play for the first time in school history. Hunter Hernandez finished with a team-high 20 points and seven rebounds.

Feb. 12, 2026 - UC Irvine secured its fifth-straight 20-win season with a resounding 84-39 victory over Cal Poly at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters recorded their 20th victory in their 24th game, marking the fastest they reached the benchmark in program history. UCI was lights out from beyond the arc, making a season-high 14 threes at a 43.8% clip. The 39 points allowed were also a season low. Jada Wynn led the offense, going 8-for-10 from the field and 5-of-7 from deep for a game-high 21 points.

Feb. 21, 2026 - The ‘Eaters moved into first place in the Big West standings with a thrilling 70-68 victory over UC San Diego in La Jolla. UCSD went up by double digits midway through the third, but UC Irvine closed the quarter on a 9-0 rally. Jada Wynn then hit a jumper to start the fourth, giving UCI its first advantage since the first period. It continued to go back-and-forth before a three-point play from Wynn with 55 seconds left gave the Anteaters the lead for good.

Feb. 26, 2026 - Summah Hanson knocked down a clutch 3-pointer with six seconds left in regulation to lift UC Irvine to a 60-57 win over CSUN on Senior Night at the Bren Events Center. The Anteaters’ senior duo continued to produce with Hunter Hernandez recording a team-high 18 points and Jada Wynn leading the ‘Eaters with 12 rebounds. The two were honored in an on-court ceremony for their outstanding careers after the game.

March 5, 2026 - Hunter Hernandez tied the single-game school record with 41 points to lead UC Irvine to an 85-65 win at Cal Poly. Hernandez went 11-for-22 from the field and 16-of-18 at the charity stripe. Her 16 free throws made matched the most by an Anteater in a game, while she also passed Katherine Hamilton to become UCI’s all-time leader in career free throws made. Hamilton’s previous record of 368 had stood since 1983.

March 7, 2026 - The ‘Eaters clinched a share of the Big West regular season title and the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament with a 70-58 victory at UC Davis. It was a record-breaking end to the regular season as Hunter Hernandez became UC Irvine’s all-time single-season scoring leader, while the Anteaters set program-bests in overall (26) and Big West (17) wins.

March 19, 2026 - UC Irvine traveled to No. 4 seed San Diego State for the first round of the WBIT. It was the Anteaters' sixth postseason appearance, fifth under head coach Tamara Inoue, and fourth in the last five years.