ISU to Open 2022 PKI Against Michigan State

AMES, Iowa – The slate for the 2022 Phil Knight Invitational (PKI) in Portland, Oregon was announced on Monday, with the Iowa State women's basketball team being given a first contest against Michigan State on Thanksgiving Day (Thursday, Nov. 24) at 6:30 p.m. Central on ESPNU at the Chiles Center on the campus of the University of Portland.

A win for the Cyclones over the Spartans would pit ISU against the winner of the other contest in the tournament between North Carolina and Oregon on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Central in the Moda Center. A loss on Thursday would mean the Cyclones would play the non-advancing team from the UNC-UO matchup on Nov. 27 at Noon Central in Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

This is the second edition of the Phil Knight Invitational, which was previously contested in 2017 to celebrate the 80th birthday of Nike co-founder and CEO Phil Knight, and has returned in 2022 to honor Knight's 85th birthday.

The Thanksgiving meeting between Iowa State and Michigan State will be the seventh in series history, with both ISU and MSU claiming three wins previously. The Cyclones have won the last two meetings, both in memorable NCAA Tournament victories. In the 2021 NCAA Tournament First Round in San Antonio, Ashley Joens racked up 33 points en route to leading the Cyclones to a 79-75 victory. In the 2009 Sweet 16, the Cyclones came from seven down in the final 70 seconds to get a 69-68 win and move on to the Elite Eight for the second time in program history.

The Cyclones have two previous meetings against North Carolina, the most recent coming in the 1999-00 Big 12-ACC Challenge, a 79-67 win for the Cyclones in Ames. Iowa State and Oregon have met three times previously, the most recent coming in Ames in the 1999 NCAA Tournament Second Round, with the Cyclones advancing to their first Sweet 16 in program history with an 85-70 win.

Moda Championships Packages (which includes tickets for both Iowa State men's and women's games during the week in Portland) are now on sale. Single session tickets will be on sale Friday, July 29 at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT with ticket information available here.

The remainder of the women's basketball schedule for 2022-23 will be announced at a later date. Season tickets for the 2022-23 season are on sale now and can be purchased, here.