WVU Women's Basketball Game Against Kentucky Sells Out

Resale tickets still available on secondary market as Mountaineers chase first Sweet Sixteen berth since 1992

Mar. 22, 2026 at 7:11pm

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Monday's second-round NCAA Tournament game between No. 4 seed West Virginia and No. 5 seed Kentucky has been announced as a sellout, with the previous attendance record for a women's basketball game at Hope Coliseum expected to be broken. While general admission tickets on the secondary market are going for $12, the cheapest seat available is $194, with the most expensive ticket priced at $1,418. A win over Kentucky would secure WVU's first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1992.

Why it matters

The sold-out crowd is a testament to the growing popularity of women's basketball in West Virginia, with the Mountaineers looking to make a deep tournament run and end their 34-year drought of reaching the Sweet Sixteen. The electric atmosphere could provide a crucial home-court advantage as WVU seeks to advance past the Round of 32, which has been a stumbling block in recent years.

The details

West Virginia broke the previous attendance record for a women's basketball game at Hope Coliseum, which was set in 2013 when Baylor and Brittney Griner visited. Head coach Mark Kellogg praised the crowd, saying the environment was 'everything I think that you would want' and that the team 'felt that was coming' after their previous tournament win. With a victory over Kentucky, the Mountaineers would secure their first Sweet Sixteen berth since 1992, the final season for legendary coach Kittie Blakemore.

  • The game is scheduled for Monday, March 22, 2026 at 5 p.m. ET.
  • On Saturday, there were 13,504 fans in attendance, breaking the previous record for a women's basketball game at Hope Coliseum.

The players

Mark Kellogg

The head coach of the West Virginia women's basketball team.

Kittie Blakemore

The legendary former head coach of the West Virginia women's basketball team, who led the team to its last Sweet Sixteen appearance in 1992.

Caitlin Clark

The star player for the Iowa Hawkeyes, who defeated West Virginia in the Round of 32 in a previous tournament.

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What they’re saying

“What a great environment. We felt that was coming. It was electric. It was everything I think that you would want. I told them the other day to walk out there the first time, look up there, enjoy it, see it, you've earned the right to play in front of a crowd like that. Then don't look up there anymore and just kind of focus on the task at hand. Very appreciative of everybody coming. Let's run it back on Monday. I guess that will be the challenge now — see if we can maybe do that again because that was special for all of us.”

— Mark Kellogg, Head Coach, West Virginia Women's Basketball

What’s next

The winner of the West Virginia-Kentucky game will advance to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament.

The takeaway

The sold-out crowd and record-breaking attendance for the West Virginia women's basketball team's tournament game against Kentucky highlights the growing popularity of the sport in the state and the Mountaineers' opportunity to end their long drought of Sweet Sixteen appearances. The electric atmosphere could provide a crucial home-court advantage as WVU seeks to advance past the Round of 32, which has been a stumbling block in recent years.