Big Ten announces Ohio State women’s basketball 2022-23 home, away conference games

On Thursday, Ohio State Women’s Basketball fans got their first view of the 2022-23 season with the Big Ten Conference announcing all of the home, away, and home/away conference matchups. It includes a big home game and competitive contests at the Schottenstein Center. The league did not announce the dates for the games, just the matchups, as the specific days and times will be revealed as the season approaches.

A potential home game to circle is when the Iowa Hawkeyes visit Columbus. In 2021-22, the Buckeyes and Hawkeyes split a share of the B1G conference championship, with the Scarlet and Gray earning the title after beating Iowa 92-88 in Iowa City.

Iowa and Naismith Player of the Year finalist Caitlin Clark went on to win the B1G Tournament after beating the Indiana Hoosiers. In the NCAA Tourney, they fell short after Creighton upset the Hawkeyes on their home court. Despite the postseason disappointment last season, the Hawkeyes will still bring an exciting, offensive, style of play to any game they play.

Ohio State will square off against other top-ranked teams including the Hoosiers, Michigan Wolverines, and Maryland Terrapins in home/away series — all three teams finished last season in the top 15. Head coach Kevin McGuff and the Buckeyes lost five of six against these three teams last season, but the new season will give Ohio State the chance to bounce back and get some revenge.

The Wolverines lost forward Naz Hillmon to the WNBA and Maryland saw three stars enter the transfer portal. Guard Ashley Owusu and forwards Angel Reese and Mimi Collins all left Maryland’s program in the offseason.

Outside of Iowa, Indiana brings the strongest test in the conference schedule. While the Hoosiers only return four playmakers from last season, two of them are All-B1G stars in forward Mackenzie Holmes and guard Grace Berger. Their dates on the calendar will certainly be matchups to watch.

An unfortunate loss on the released teams' list is one less matchup against the Michigan State Spartans. Ohio State played three entertaining games against Sparty last season. Ohio State swept the three games, but two were close and exciting until the final moments before the Buckeyes pulled away.

The Buckeyes clinched the conference co-championship on the final day of the season in East Lansing. Late rebounding and a clutch performance by guard Jacy Sheldon put Ohio State above Michigan State 61-55. Five days later, the Scarlet & Gray beat Michigan State in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament in a more convincing 74-58 rout.

Elsewhere, Ohio State adds an extra game against Minnesota and Northwestern after playing each team only once last season. Rutgers joins Michigan State as a team that the Buckeyes will only face once, after playing twice last year.

Non-conference matchups and the dates for the B1G games are slated to release later in the summer before the Buckeyes tip-off in the fall.

The full list of Ohio State’s home, away, and home and away opponents for the 2022-23 season:

Home & Away: Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Northwestern

Home Only: Illinois, Iowa, Michigan State, and Purdue

Away Only: Nebraska, Penn State, Rutgers, and Wisconsin