WVU Women’s Basketball will travel to Paradise Island, Bahamas, this November to compete in Battle 4 Atlantis, one of the nation’s premier early-season women’s college basketball tournaments.
The reigning Big 12 Tournament champions join Davidson, Florida and Notre Dame in the four-team field, allowing the Mountaineers to face nationally recognized programs and quality non-conference competition before the start of Big 12 play. Read more: WVU Women’s Basketball headed to ‘Battle 4 Atlantis’.
Battle 4 Atlantis has become one of the nation’s marquee early-season events, annually featuring top programs from across the country and providing teams with opportunities to build their NCAA Tournament résumés before conference play begins.
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West Virginia returns to the Bahamas after competing in the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo this past season, where they went 1-1 in their two games, taking one against McNeese State before losing to Ohio State in a close one, 83-81.
The field
The tournament features a mix of Power Four programs and perennial postseason contenders, giving the Mountaineers an early opportunity to measure themselves against quality competition before Big 12 play begins.
Notre Dame headlines the field after another successful season under head coach Niele Ivey, while Florida enters the tournament aiming to keep rising in the SEC. Davidson rounds out the four-team event, setting up three challenging non-conference matchups for West Virginia in the Bahamas.
What it means
Battle 4 Atlantis will serve as a Quad 1/Quad 2 opportunity for West Virginia to help boost its résumé when the season concludes in March. West Virginia earned a spot in the NCAA Tournament last season due in part to its strong résumé and will aim to position itself for a return in March 2027.
For head coach Mark Kellogg, the tournament also serves as an early-season measuring stick against high-level competition. West Virginia will be able to evaluate its depth, experience and consistency away from Hope Coliseum before entering a demanding Big 12 schedule.
The event also offers national exposure on one of the sport’s most visible early-season stages during Thanksgiving week.
What’s next
The bracket and game times for Battle 4 Atlantis are expected to be announced at a later date. Once finalized, West Virginia will learn its opening-round opponent and path through the four-team field in Paradise Island.
Meanwhile for the Mountaineers, offseason preparations ahead of the upcoming campaign roll on, with non-conference play set to tip off in early October.
Following the tournament, West Virginia will have a few more non-conference games before Big 12 play begins.
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