Another year, another Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT) win for Army women’s basketball. The Black Knights showed grit in a dramatic 59–52 comeback win over NJIT. Army shook off a slow start and early poor shooting to overcome a 15-point deficit.
The game became a near replay of Army’s first-round WNIT win last year against Bryant. The Black Knights also trailed at halftime in that game but used an inspired defensive effort to rally for the win. Likewise, this year’s team allowed just 17 points in the second half yesterday against NJIT, including just seven in the fourth quarter, to spur the comeback.
Feeling Super 🎉#GoArmy | #SetTheTone pic.twitter.com/ALrFxFgugf
— Army Women's Basketball (@ArmyWP_WBB) March 22, 2026
Kya Smith became the star of this game, as has been the case throughout most of the season. Smith scored over a third of Army’s points with 21 and grabbed 17 rebounds for her staggering 14th double-double of the season. Smith’s dominance makes her a potential All-American for her Firstie season next year.
Plebe Reganne Reardon ignited the Black Knights with 12 points off the bench. Beyond playing for a title, tournament runs like these are crucial for Army as the team looks to build towards the future. Reardon is proof of this, showing she could be the next star in Army’s frontcourt.
The defense picked up the slack for an offense that began the game on a cold streak. While Army only made 24 of their 62 shots (39%), the Black Knights held NJIT to just 18 made field goals in 48 attempts (38%). Incredibly, Army held the Highlanders to an impressive 19.2% field goal rate during the second half.
𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦. 𝗜𝗦. 𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗛.#SetTheTone pic.twitter.com/92jv42GmG4
— Army Women's Basketball (@ArmyWP_WBB) March 22, 2026
Despite the win, Army must find its rhythm early in its next contest against the winner of the Binghamton-La Salle game. The RPI and NET metrics consider both schools superior to NJIT despite all three having similar offensive and defensive scoring rates. A slow start could be particularly disastrous against Binghamton, which scored 81 points in its WNIT first-round game against Mercyhurst.
Still, Army’s early struggles might simply have come from the ten-day layoff following their last Patriot League Tournament game versus Holy Cross. The Black Knights looked to have recaptured their offensive rhythm in the second half, making 15 of 25 shots for an efficient 60% shooting percentage after the break.
No matter what happens in the WNIT Super 16, this season has been one for the ages. The Black Knights did not experience a falloff after last year’s head coach, Missi Traversi, stepped down, winning 25 games in Coach Katie Kuester’s first season. Moreover, national powers seemed to take notice of the Black Knights. The WNIT awarded Army a first-round bye in this year’s tournament, the equivalent of a #1-seed. Furthermore, Guard Reece Ericson is the only Firstie graduating from the entire team. Not just the starting lineup, the entire team. That should give this squad a boost heading into next season.
Welcome to the history books, @KKuester15! #SetTheTone pic.twitter.com/YW6ya8kHmC
— Army Women's Basketball (@ArmyWP_WBB) March 22, 2026
It’s easy to feel discouraged given the disappointing end to the Patriot League Tournament this season, but there are even more reasons to believe the Black Knights will soon take the next step and return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in over a decade. It may not be the Big Dance, but the Black Knight women have a chance to make a deep run in the WNIT. A win in the Super 16 over La Salle or Binghamton would make a WNIT title run very realistic.
No one knows where this year’s Army WNIT story will end, but the Black Knights have already shown their staying power not just in the Patriot League, but on the national stage.
Go Army!
