Kelsi Musick
Arkansas basketball coach Kelsi Musick during the NCAA college basketball game against the Tennessee Lady Vols on January 11, 2026, in Knoxville, Tennessee. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect · USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

FAYETTEVILLE - Not much from Kelsi Musick's first year as the head coach of the Arkansas women's basketball team is worth mentioning.

The Razorbacks won only a single SEC game last season, going 12-20 and 1-15 in conference play. This year's team features 12 newcomers and only two returnees. It is essentially a fresh start for a regime with a year under its belt.

Here are six crucial games the 2026-27 Arkansas women's basketball season.

Wake Forest | Dec. 3

Arkansas should - emphasis on should - be 8-0 going into their first game against a power conference team this season against Wake Forest. A nationally televised home matchup in the ACC-SEC Challenge is the perfect opportunity for Musick's second Razorback squad to show that it is far better than her first.

A win would also be the start of UA building its NCAA Tournament resume, should it defy the odds and go into late February with an opportunity to make the Big Dance.

Arkansas State | Dec. 6

Why, you ask, is a game against a Sun Belt team in December this important? Because this game is about revenge and Arkansas getting some pride back. Destinee Rogers and the Red Wolves whipped Arkansas in Fayetteville last year, and Rogers' sister, UA freshman guard Whitley Rogers, will have plenty of motivation to beat her older sibling.

Destinee Rogers
Mar 22, 2025; Storrs, Connecticut, USA; Arkansas State Red Wolves head coach Destinee Rogers watches from the sideline as they take on the UConn Huskies at Harry A. Gampel Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect · IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

No matter the sport, there's no excuse for Arkansas ever losing to an in-state opponent - cue the late Frank Broyles rolling in his grave - and a comfortable win over the Red Wolves would ensure that, at the very least, ASU isn't seen as the premier women's basketball program in the state this season.

At Vanderbilt | Dec. 31

Is starting conference play on the road against the team that finished second in the SEC ideal? Certainly not, but in a league as deep as the SEC, there are no easy games. Even if Arkansas doesn't topple the Commodores, this game will be an important litmus test for the Hogs. An upset win or a close loss would indicate that Arkansas has the horses to at least be competitive in the SEC.

LSU | Jan. 17

Kim Mulkey and LSU had a down year last season, at least for their standards. The Tigers went 29-6, while their 12-4 record in conference play was only good enough for a fourth-place finish in the SEC.

Kim Mulkey
Mar 27, 2026; Sacramento, CA, USA; Louisiana State Tigers head coach Kim Mulkey reacts against the Duke Blue Devils during a Sweet Sixteen game of the Sacramento Regional 2 of the women's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Golden 1 Center. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect · IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like the Vanderbilt game, this isn't one Arkansas will be expected to win. But in front of what should be a relatively solid home crowd in Bud Walton Arena, the Razorbacks should at least be able to keep this game close and potentially pull off a season-defining upset.

At Auburn | Jan. 31

If things go poorly for Arkansas this season, this is their opportunity to right the ship. Auburn was the only SEC team Arkansas beat last season, though that game was in Fayetteville. Provided the Tigers don't take a massive step forward this year, Arkansas may have to go down to AU and steal a win if, in a worst-case scenario, its winless in SEC play at the end of January.

Tennessee | Feb. 28

Regular season finales are always huge games, but hosting a legendary program inside Bud Walton Arena in a game that, depending on Arkansas' season to this point, could have NCAA Tournament implications would be especially big. No matter Arkansas' record, expect the Razorbacks to be fired up to play against a Tennessee team that is once again expected to be a contender in the SEC.

Arkansas will open the 2026-27 season with an Oct. 29 exhibition against Musick's alma mater in Cameron before officially starting the year on Nov. 2 against New Orleans.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/arkansas as Six Games That Could Define 2026-27 Season For Arkansas Women's Basketball.

Source: Yahoo Sports