By RICK PETERSON
TopSports.news
Washburn University women's basketball will finish out its week with the second half of the Sunflower Showdown Friday night, heading to Lawrence to face Kansas in a 6:30 p.m. exhibition.
Lora Westling's Washburn women's basketball team will play an exhibition at Kansas on Friday night. [Photo courtesy of Washburn Athletics]
Washburn is coming off a 13-16 season in 2023-24, finishing 10th in the MIAA with an 8-14 record in the conference and advancing to the first round of the MIAA Tournament.
The Ichabods were picked to finish ninth in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll and were tabbed 10th by the coaches.
Kansas was picked to finish eighth in the Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll. The Jayhawks are coming off a 20-13 (11-7 Big 12) season where they advanced to the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament and the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
Washburn played its first exhibition game of the season on Wednesday at No. 13-ranked Kansas State, falling 89-36.
Friday's matchup against Kansas is the first since an 87-43 exhibition loss on Nov. 4, 2018.
Yibari Nwidadah leads a group of eight Washburn returners after earning All-MIAA honorable mention honors as a sophomore. The Olathe native was second on the team with a 12.4 scoring average while shooting a team-high 54.8 perceent from the field. She also was tops on the team with a 9.1 rebounding average.
Aniah Wayne averaged 7.6 points and made a team-high 45 3-pointers last season as a sophomore in her first season at WU.
Junior transfer Payton Sterk led Washburn with 12 points on 5 of 13 shooting and was tied for the team lead with five rebounds.
Sophomore S'Mya Nichols leads Kansas' returners after pacing the Jayhawks in scoring at 15.4 points per game on 46.0-percent shooting a season ago. Nichols was named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team.
Former Washburn Rural multi-sport standout Zoe Canfield is in her first season at Kansas.
Washburn will begin its official season at the Central Region Crossover in St. Cloud, Minn. next week, beginning with Southwest Minnesota State on Friday, Nov., 8 at 4 p.m.
The Ichabods will play in Lee Arena for the first time on Monday, Nov. 25, against Lincoln University.
