Akron Women's Basketball Faces Northern Illinois in MAC Matchup

Zips look to continue recent success against Huskies in Saturday matinee

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The University of Akron women's basketball team travels to DeKalb, Illinois, to take on Northern Illinois on Saturday afternoon. The Zips are looking to continue their recent success against the Huskies, having won the last matchup between the two teams in January 2025.

Why it matters

This Mid-American Conference matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions, with Akron looking to build on its recent strong play and Northern Illinois trying to turn around a difficult season. The outcome could have implications for the MAC standings and tournament seeding.

The details

Akron is led by a trio of players averaging double-digit scoring, including juniors Navaeh Wingate and Nadechka Laccen for Northern Illinois. The Zips will look to disrupt the Huskies' offense after forcing 14 turnovers in their last game against Central Michigan. Akron is the younger team, starting three freshmen, but has shown the ability to get contributions from its bench.

  • The game tips off at 2:00 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 14, 2026.
  • Akron defeated Northern Illinois 73-71 in their last meeting on January 8, 2025.

The players

Jacey Brooks

Head coach of Northern Illinois, in her first season with a 5-19 record overall.

Melissa Bainbridge

Head coach of Akron, in her third season with a 26-58 record.

Navaeh Wingate

Junior guard for Northern Illinois, averaging a team-best 12.0 points per game.

Nadechka Laccen

Redshirt senior for Northern Illinois, averaging 10.6 points per game.

Rasheed

Junior for Akron who scored a career-high 21 points in the last meeting with Northern Illinois.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, Grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Zips will return home to host Ohio on Wednesday, February 18 at 6:00 p.m. ET.

The takeaway

This MAC matchup features two teams heading in opposite directions, with Akron looking to build on its recent strong play and Northern Illinois trying to turn around a difficult season. The outcome could have implications for the conference standings and tournament seeding.