MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead women's basketball has announced its schedule heading into the 2023-24 season. The Dragons will find themselves on the road for five non-conference games before playing the NSIC gauntlet. 

MSUM will open the season in Claremore, Okla., as part of the annual Regional Challenge. The Dragons will match-up with host Rogers State on November 10 at 6 p.m. to start the challenge. MSUM will then play Central Missouri the following day to complete the challenge at 2 p.m. Karla Nelson's club opened the season last year playing both the Hillcats and Jennies, going 1-1 against them.

The Dragons will then take the long trek out to the Pacific Northwest as part of their annual Thanksgiving trip. MSUM will play Simon Fraser University in Burnaby, British Columbia, on November 21 with an official start time to be determined. It will be the first regular season game in program history to not be played on United States soil. 

MSUM will then travel back into the United States for the Western Washington University Thanksgiving Tournament on November 24 and 25. The Dragons are scheduled to play Western Washington and Central Washington as a part of that tournament with dates and times to be determined. Those late November tilts will be the final non-conference games of the year. 

The Dragons open NSIC play in Aberdeen, S.D., battling Northern State at 7:30 p.m. on November 30. MSUM will then see three home contests against Mary (Dec. 2), Bemidji State (Dec. 8) and St. Cloud State (Dec. 9) to open their home slate. Throughout the rest of the conference season, MSUM will play Minnesota Crookston (Dec. 15), Minot State (Dec. 16), Augustana (Jan. 5), Wayne State (Jan. 6), Winona State (Jan. 26), Minnesota State (Jan. 27), Bemidji State (Feb. 3), Mary (Feb. 10), Sioux Falls (Feb. 23) and Southwest Minnesota State (Feb. 24) on the road. 

Home contests inside Nemzek Fieldhouse include Southwest Minnesota State (Jan. 12), Sioux Falls (Jan. 13), Minnesota Duluth (Jan. 19), Concordia, St. Paul (Jan. 20), Minnesota Crookston (Jan. 30), Minot State (Feb. 8), Wayne State (Feb. 16) and Augustana (Feb. 17).

The Dragons welcome back nine returners from 2022-23's squad and will bring in five true freshman and one graduate transfer. Head coach Karla Nelson begins the year with 399 career victories.