It feels like just yesterday the women’s college basketball season was tipping off, but here we are, less than one week from March, less than two weeks from conference tournaments and less than three weeks from Selection Sunday.
But first, we have to get through the final week of regular-season play. There is a lot at stake, from regular-season conference championships to seeding for conference tournaments. And for the teams in the mix to host or on the bubble, this week provides key chances to either bolster or undermine resumes.
The 2025-26 campaign has been all over the place, which sets up a thrilling finish. Here are four major storylines to follow this week, including a guide of key games to watch.
Who will be the fourth No. 1 seed?
All season, last year’s four Final Four teams — UConn, South Carolina, UCLA and Texas — have been ranked in the top four of the AP top 25. But will they be able to finish the job and all earn No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament?
Well, No. 1 UConn is the undefeated reigning national champion and No. 2 UCLA has the strongest Quad-1 win total, so both have pretty much locked in a No. 1 seed. South Carolina, currently ranked No. 3, also has a strong case.
But the real drama comes with that final No. 1 seed. Vanderbilt received the final top seed in the selection committee’s early top-16 reveal on Feb. 14. However, that seems more unlikely now since the Commodores fell to a then-unranked Georgia the following day. Despite losing to No. 5 Vanderbilt earlier this month, No. 4 Texas has a stronger resume and for now has that last No. 1 seed, according to CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel.
But there’s not much room for error; while neither Texas nor Vanderbilt is likely to improve their stock this week, they could certainly do major damage to it. The Longhorns still have to take care of business against Georgia, now ranked No. 23, as well as No. 24 Alabama. The Commodores are also facing Alabama this week and will wrap up the regular season against now-unranked Tennessee.
Another long-shot contender is No. 6 LSU, currently fifth in the NET rankings. They will have to win their last two games against Tennessee and Mississippi State, and will definitely need Texas and Vanderbilt to stumble. This question will likely still be up in the air heading into the SEC tournament, but this week will have a big impact.
Key games:
- Tennessee at No. 6 LSU (Thursday, Feb. 26, 6:00pm ET)
- No. 24 Alabama at No. 5 Vanderbilt (Thursday, Feb. 26, 7:30pm ET)
- No. 23 Georgia at No. 4 Texas (Thursday, Feb. 26, 10:00pm ET)
- No. 4 Texas at No. 24 Alabama (Sunday, Mar. 1, 12:00pm ET)
- No. 5 Vanderbilt at Tennessee (Sunday, Mar. 1, 2:00pm ET)
Can ACC bubble teams keep their momentum going?
All season long, it has looked like a down year for the ACC, with only two teams — No. 9 Louisville and No. 12 Duke — safely in a spot to host the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. But while the focus was on the top, the ACC’s middle class continued to improve. Last Sunday, that improvement was on full display when Virginia pulled off a 74-72 victory at Louisville and Clemson took down Duke in the final seconds to end its 17-game winning streak and prevent the Blue Devils from securing the top seed in the ACC tournament.
In last week’s bracketology, Groel had four ACC teams on the bubble: Virginia Tech and Virginia were in the Last Four In, while Stanford and Clemson were in the Last Four Out. Stanford fell to Miami last Thursday, which drastically hurt its tournament chances. But Clemson and Virginia obviously gained ground on Sunday, and Virginia Tech didn’t hurt its chances last week with an OT loss to No. 21 North Carolina and a win over Georgia Tech.
There are a lot of storylines to follow in the ACC this week. There’s also a tight race for the fourth double-bye in the ACC tournament, with NC State, Syracuse, Virginia, Virginia Tech and even Clemson and Notre Dame in the mix, and the Tar Heels are trying to keep hopes alive for a top-four seed in the NCAA tournament. However, the bubble teams
In addition to Duke and Louisville, North Carolina, NC State, Notre Dame and Syracuse all look to be locks for the NCAA tournament field. That means if Clemson, Virginia Tech and Virginia all make it into the field of 68, the ACC would have nine teams in the Big Dance, which would be a conference record.
Key games:
- No. 21 UNC at Virginia (Thursday, Feb. 26, 7:00pm ET)
- Clemson at California (Thursday, Feb. 26, 10:00pm ET)
- Virginia Tech at Virginia (Sunday, Mar. 3, 12:00 pm ET)
- No. 12 Duke at No. 21 UNC (Sunday, Mar. 1, 12:00pm ET)
- Clemson at Stanford (Sunday, Mar. 1, 2:00pm ET)
Who will get the double bye in the Big Ten tournament?
Like the SEC and ACC, the Big Ten gives double-byes to the top four teams. UCLA already clinched at least a share of the regular-season title, which is the Bruins’ first since joining the conference. But the other top four seeds are still up for grabs.
Iowa is really close to locking in the No. 2 seed thanks to a win against No. 8 Michigan on Sunday. The No. 9 Hawkeyes just have to take care of business at home against Illinois and on the road against Wisconsin. They would be 15-3 in conference play if they win both.
Michigan, third in the standings, has a road game against No. 13 Ohio State and a home game against No. 14 Maryland remaining. Best case scenario would be a 15-3 conference record. Since that would tie them with Iowa’s best potential record, the Hawkeyes would have the advantage for that No. 2 seed.
Ohio State’s win over USC on Sunday helped keep the Buckeyes stay in contention for the double-bye. If Ohio State can beat Michigan at home and No. 15 Michigan State on the road, they would have a 14-4 conference record. However, there is not much room for error.
Minnesota, now ranked No. 22, dropped to fifth in the conference standings following a loss to Michigan State. The Golden Gophers only have Illinois remaining on their schedule, and a win would give them a 13-5 record. Minnesota beat Ohio State on Feb. 18, so the Buckeyes need to stay locked in. Michigan State and Maryland are both lurking not far behind, too.
Key games:
- No. 8 Michigan at No. 13 Ohio State (Wednesday, Feb. 25, 8:00pm ET)
- No. 14 Maryland at No. 8 Michigan (Saturday, Feb. 28, 2:30pm ET)
- No. 13 Ohio State at No. 15 Michigan State (Sunday, Mar. 1, 12:00pm ET)
Which mid-major team can boost its resume and earn an at-large bid?
We focus most of our coverage on the top four conferences, but there are plenty of storylines happening elsewhere in women’s college basketball. This week, it is particularly worth paying attention to the Summit League, Atlantic 10 and Ivy League, where teams are trying to secure an at-large bid in case they don’t win their conference tournaments next week.
In the Atlantic 10, all eyes are on the Richmond Spiders and one of the best players in the country, Maggie Doogan. Remember how Richmond was No. 24 in the AP Top 25 earlier this season? Well, the Spiders slipped and their recent losses to George Mason and George Washington didn’t exactly help. They were part of the First Four Out last week, but still have a chance at an at-large bid if teams above them make mistakes. Beating Rhode Island on Wednesday would be a big step towards dancing, as the conference-leading Rams are also in contention for an at-large bid if they fall in the tournament.
In the Summit League, the North Dakota State Bisons are the only undefeated team remaining in conference play and are projected as a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Tournament. However, the No. 2 team in conference standings, the South Dakota State Jackrabbits, will also be in consideration for an at-large bid. This week, the Jackrabbits can help their case with wins over the Bisons and the South Dakota Coyotes, currently third in the conference standings.
As for the Ivy League, Princeton and Columbia are currently projected to make it into the field of 68. However, they can’t afford any losses in the remainder of the regular season — which actually extends until March 7 in the Ivy. Both teams still have to face the Harvard Crimson, who are third in the conference standings. Columbia got in the conversation because they swept Princeton, but the Lions might still need to win the Ivy League tournament due to a weaker overall resume.
Key games:
- Rhode Island at Richmond (Wednesday, Feb. 25, 7:00pm ET)
- South Dakota State at North Dakota State (Wednesday, Feb. 25, 8:00pm ET)
- Princeton at Harvard (Saturday, Feb. 28, 7:00pm ET)
- Columbia at Harvard (Saturday, Mar. 7, 2:00pm ET)
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