Virginia Women's Basketball Opens Season With Dominant Victory Over Drexel

The University of Virginia women's basketball team began its 2026–27 season with an emphatic 89-60 triumph over Drexel, marking the biggest win and most significant offensive display for the Cavaliers to date. Despite trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half due to poor shot selection from Virginia's bench players, the team rallied behind aggressive transition scoring fueled by a historic 18 steals—the program record number of such plays at John Paul Jones Arena—to secure a decisive victory.

Head Coach Ryan Odom praised Drexel for their physical approach but emphasized that his squad still needs to improve its half-court execution and shot selection, noting issues with missed jumpers and rim shots during the second-half slump. While players like Elijah Gertrude and Martin Carrere earned rotation minutes thanks to Christian Harmon's ongoing recovery from a foot injury, Silas Barksdale received minimal playing time after struggling against Carrere in terms of impact.

Virginia enters its next home game on Wednesday at JPJ with a 3-0 record, led by standout performer Kymora Johnson who has scored over 20 points in three consecutive games. The Cavaliers are ranked highly among the AP and USA Today Coaches polls for both men's and women's basketball programs this season.