CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – The Navy women’s basketball team concluded its season with a 73-52 loss to Harvard in the first round of the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) on Thursday, March 19, 2026, marking the conclude of a historic run for the Midshipmen.
The Crimson opened the game with a dominant 15-0 run, establishing control early. Harvard (19-11, 10-4 Ivy League) ultimately proved too strong for Navy (22-9, 15-2 Ivy League), securing a decisive victory. Abigail Wright led Harvard with 14 points, while Katie Krupa added 7 points. Harvard’s offense shot 63% from the field.
Morgan Demos led Navy with 12 points, while Zoe Mesuch contributed 7. The Midshipmen struggled to find their rhythm against Harvard’s defense, shooting just 30% from the field.
This marked Navy’s first appearance in the WBIT in program history. The team had previously completed a successful regular season, earning a postseason berth. The loss concludes a season where Navy achieved 22 wins, a program highlight.
The game took place against a backdrop of recent attention to the Army-Navy game, as President Trump signed an executive order on March 20, 2026, aimed at protecting the traditional broadcast time slot for the annual rivalry game. The order directs the College Football Playoff (CFP) to avoid scheduling conflicts with the Army-Navy game, and too instructs television networks to prioritize the game’s broadcast. The White House stated the order was intended to “preserve America’s game,” and President Trump celebrated the Navy football team’s recent Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy win at a White House event on March 20th.
The executive order follows concerns about potential conflicts with the CFP schedule, and builds on previous efforts to safeguard the Army-Navy game’s prominence. The administration has emphasized the cultural and historical significance of the game, and the importance of ensuring its continued accessibility to a broad audience.
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