The 2026–27 Rutgers Scarlet Knights women's basketball team will represent Rutgers University during the 2026–27 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. season. The Scarlet Knights will be led by first-year head coach Gary Redus II, and will play their games at the Jersey Mike's Arena in Piscataway, New Jersey as members of the Big Ten Conference.
On August 25, it was announced that incoming senior transfer Fatima Diakhate had departed from the program prior to the start of the season.
Previous season
The Scarlet Knights finished the 2025–26 season 9–20 overall and 1–17 in Big Ten play, their worst conference record in program history, to finish last in the Big Ten. They failed to qualify for the Big Ten tournament.
On March 2, two days after the conclusion of the season, Rutgers athletic director Keli Zinn announced that head coach Coquese Washington had been fired after four seasons with the program, which she posted a 42–84 record. A week later on March 9, LSU women's basketball assistant coach Gary Redus II was announced as the program's new head coach.
On March 17, four-star recruit Chante Murray, who had signed with the Scarlet Knights in October, announced that she had decommitted from the program and signed with West Virginia. However, on April 3, the team acquired an additional commitment from four-star guard Chikae Desdunes, who decommitted from Penn State on March 24.
Offseason Departures Rutgers Departures Kaylah Ivey 2 Guard 5'8" Graduate Student Forestville, MD Graduated Makaylah Moore 3 Guard 6'0" Freshman Brooklyn, NY Transferred to Maryland Eastern Shore Antonia Bates 4 Guard-Forward 6'3" Senior Easton, PA Graduated, transferred to Georgia Tech Nene Ndiaye 10 Forward 6'1" Junior Saly, Senegal Transferred to Oklahoma State Faith Blackstone 12 Guard 6'0" Graduate Student Harrisburg, PA Graduated Fatima Diakhate 21 Forward 6'5" Senior Dakar, Senegal Left team Yacine Ndiaye 32 Forward 6'4" Junior Pout, Senegal Transferred to Mount St. Mary's Janae Walker 44 Forward 6'3" Junior Tyrone, GA Transferred to Virginia
Incoming transfers Rutgers incoming transfers Mya Pauldo 2 Guard 5'6" Sophomore Paterson, NJ Tennessee Mia Pauldo 3 Guard 5'6" Sophomore Paterson, NJ Tennessee Jaylah Lampley 10 Guard 6'1" Sophomore Fishers, IN Mississippi State Hope Masonius 13 Guard 5'9" Junior Spring Lake, NJ Bucknell Zennia Thomas 24 Forward 6'2" Graduate Student Cleveland, OH Howard Tara Daye 44 Guard 5'10" Graduate Student Newark, NJ Purdue
Recruiting class
Roster Years are listed according to the new NCAA age-based eligibility model.
Schedule and results
!colspan=9 style=""| Exhibition
!colspan=9 style=""| Regular season
Sources:
References
Footnotes