CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Harvard women's basketball (12-2, 1-1 Ivy) will host its first Ivy League contest of the season as it welcomes Brown on Saturday, January 18 at 2:00 p.m. ET.  Two days later, the Crimson will travel to Philadelphia to face Penn inside the Palestra on Monday, January 20 at 2:00 p.m. ET. 

What to Know

• The Crimson opened its 2024-25 season with 12 non-conference contests before starting its annual 14-game Ivy League slate in January. 
• Harvard played five of its 12 out-of-conference match ups inside Lavietes Pavilion, having started on opening night with UMass-Amherst and followed by Boston College and Northeastern. The Crimson only two December games closed out its home non-conference slate.  Harvard faced URI and then officially concluded its non-conference schedule with a 60-point win over BU and the cancellation of its contest versus Delaware.    
• For just the second time in program history, the Crimson have started its season 12-2.  The feat has only been matched and bested by a 16-1 start in the 2016-17 season. 
• Three of the Crimson non-conference victories came against Power Four opponents, beating No. 25 Indiana, Boston College, and Northwestern in consecutive weeks. 
• Harvard picked up its first Ivy win of the season and improved its win streak to 10 as it downed Yale, 61-43. 
• Most recently, it dropped its first contest since the opening week of the season, falling to Princeton, 50-52. 
• For the ninth time this season and in program history and for the eighth straight week, Harvard is receiving votes in the most recent AP Top 25 poll.  The Crimson continues to rise as it received its most votes yet with 10 in week 10 of the poll.    
• In the first NET Rankings of the season Harvard checking in at No. 36.  The ranking marked the current highest in the Ivy League and the highest in program history, topping its previous best of 58 from last season.  Since then, the Crimson has continued to rise, reaching as high as No. 32. 
• After its first 14 contests, the Crimson ranks fourth in free throw percentage (80.6%), fifth in turnover margin (9.9), and 14^th in steals per game (12.5) and turnovers forced per game (22.8) in the nation.  As a whole, the Crimson ranks as the seventh scoring defense in the country, holding opponents to an average of 52.4 points per game.   
• The Crimson has cemented itself as a title contender in the Ivy League with its 12-2 start.  Within the league Harvard ranks first in scoring defense (52.4), scoring margin (16.4), opponent field goal percentage (37.5%), turnover margin (9.9), and steals (12.5).  Additionally, it ranks second in opponent three-point field goal percentage (25.7%), offensive rebounds (13.3), and blocks (3.9). 
• Harmoni Turner currently ranks 19^th in points per game (20.3), nationally.  Additionally, on the defensive end the senior ranks fourth in steals per game with 3.6 per game and 13^th in total steals with 51. 
• The Crimson has three players inside the top five of steals in the Ivy League, led by Turner with the most in the conference with 3.6 per game and followed by Elena Rodriguez and Gabby Anderson following in third and fifth, respectively.    
• Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Katie Krupa was elected as team captain by her teammates. 
• The Crimson currently leads 62-34 in the all-time series versus the Brown Bears.
• Harvard has dominated the series in the past decade, having won the last 17 straight match ups.
• Additionally, Harvard holds the advantage in the all-time series with Penn, leading 55-38.
• The Crimson will look to sweep the Quakers for the first time since the 2011-12 season. 

Next Up

Harvard will open up a four-game home stand next weekend as it welcomes Yale to Cambridge on Saturday, January 25.  Tip-off is set for 2:00 p.m. inside Lavietes Pavilion and on ESPN+.