Bradley women hoping to cap off historic regular season

The Braves can take a big step towards program history this weekend by hosting the Missouri Valley Conference's top two teams.

Published on Feb. 20, 2026

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The Bradley women's basketball team is chasing some program history as they host MVC-leading Murray State on Friday and second-place Belmont on Sunday. The Braves, currently in third place in the conference race, are two wins away from earning just the fourth 20-win season in program history. Head coach Kate Popovec-Goss believes the team's success is a testament to the support of the community and the hard work they've put in.

Why it matters

If Bradley finishes in the top two in the MVC race, it will be the Brave's best finish ever in the league. The team's performance this season has been a pleasant surprise, as the program has often been overlooked in the past despite its potential for success.

The details

The Braves (18-8, 11-4) lost close games to both Murray State (93-82 in double overtime) and Belmont (78-57) earlier this season. However, the team believes they have learned from those losses and have only gotten better. A sweep of the top two MVC teams this weekend would be a major milestone for the program.

  • The Braves host Murray State on Friday, February 21, 2026.
  • The Braves host Belmont on Sunday, February 23, 2026.

The players

Kate Popovec-Goss

The head coach of the Bradley women's basketball team, who previously served as an assistant coach at Northwestern.

Kaylen Nelson

A senior on the Bradley women's basketball team.

Maya Foz

A freshman on the Bradley women's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“We've been talking about it all week. These two really big teams, really good programs. We came close to (beating) Murray the first time. Seeing where this team started and where we are at now, is this big jump.”

— Kaylen Nelson, Senior (centralillinoisproud.com)

“We are winning a lot of games. And the ones we've lost, we've learned from them. We have only gotten better from our losses. So, I think we are going to do great for the rest of the season.”

— Maya Foz, Freshman (centralillinoisproud.com)

“I believed what we could do at Bradley. It reminds me a lot of when I was at Northwestern. This perennial underdog in the league. People don't talk about Bradley as much and I never understood why.”

— Kate Popovec-Goss, Head Coach (centralillinoisproud.com)

“I didn't ever feel like this was a place where you couldn't be successful. Especially with the support of the community. It has been really special to see that come to light, especially because it takes time. The best stuff is on the other side of hard.”

— Kate Popovec-Goss, Head Coach (centralillinoisproud.com)

What’s next

If Bradley finishes in the top two in the MVC race, it will be the Brave's best finish ever in the league.

The takeaway

The Bradley women's basketball team's surprising success this season has been a testament to the hard work and determination of the players and coaches. Their performance has challenged perceptions about the program and shown that with the right support, even an underdog can achieve greatness.