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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) \u2013 The 49th season of Atlantic Coast Conference Women\u2019s Basketball tips off on Monday, November 3, with nine league teams in action beginning at 11 a.m. ET.<\/p>\n
Headlining Monday\u2019s slate is California and Duke opening the season in Paris, France, for Oui Play against two nationally ranked opponents. The seventh-ranked Blue Devils will face No. 16 Baylor at noon ET on ESPN, followed by California taking on No. 19 Vanderbilt at 2:30 p.m. ET on ESPNU. It marks the third consecutive season that at least one ACC team has opened the season in Paris.<\/p>\n
In addition to the pair of games in Paris on Monday, ninth-ranked NC State and No. 20 Louisville will also play neutral-site games against ranked opponents. The Wolfpack will meet No. 8 Tennessee at First Horizon Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina, while the Cardinals will face top-ranked UConn in the Peraton Armed Forces Classic\u00a0in Annapolis, Maryland, on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
On Sunday, NC State will play its second ranked opponent of the week when it travels to the Ally Tipoff\u00a0in Charlotte, North Carolina, to face No. 18 USC, while Florida State visits UConn.<\/p>\n
Weekly Schedule (All Times ET)
\nMonday, November 3
\nNC Central at #11 North Carolina | 11 a.m. | ACCNX
\nUSC Upstate at Clemson | 11 a.m. | ACCNX
\n#7 Duke vs. #16 Baylor | Noon | ESPN
\n\u00a0\u00a0Oui Play – Paris, France
\nCalifornia vs. #19 Vanderbilt | 2:30 p.m. | ESPNU
\n\u00a0\u00a0Oui Play – Paris, France
\nRadford at Wake Forest | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
\nHofstra at Miami | 5 p.m. | ACCNX
\nFlorida A&M at Florida State | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nHoly Cross at Boston College | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nUNCG at Stanford | 10 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
Tuesday, November 4
\nGrambling State at SMU | Noon | ACCNX
\n#9 NC State vs. #8 Tennessee | 4 p.m. | ESPN2
\n\u00a0\u00a0Battle in the ‘Boro – Greensboro, N.C.
\n#20 Louisville vs. #1 UConn | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN
\n\u00a0\u00a0Peraton Armed Forces Classic –\u00a0Annapolis, Md.
\nTowson at Virginia Tech | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nDrexel at Pitt | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nStony Brook at Syracuse | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
\nMorgan State at Virginia | 7 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
Wednesday, November 5
\nFDU at #15 Notre Dame | 7 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
Thursday, November 6
\nBethune-Cookman at Miami | 11 a.m. | ACCNX
\nNew Hampshire at Boston College | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
\nGeorgia Southern at Florida State | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nPresbyterian at Wake Forest | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nRadford at Georgia Tech | 6 p.m. | ACCNX
\nElon at #11 North Carolina | 7 p.m. | ACCNX
\nClemson at Mercer | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
\nSanta Clara at Stanford | 10 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
Friday, November 7
\nUAlbany at Syracuse | 7 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
Saturday, November 8
\nMount St. Mary’s at Pitt | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
\nKansas State at SMU | 5 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
Sunday, November 9
\nUMass-Lowell at Boston College | Noon | ACCNX
\nHoly Cross at #7 Duke | 1 p.m. | ACCNX
\nHampton at Wake Forest | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
\nPrinceton at Georgia Tech | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
\nBucknell at Virginia | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
\nNorthern Kentucky at #20 Louisville | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
\nLoyola Maryland at Virginia Tech | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
\n#9 NC State vs. #18 USC | 3 p.m. | ESPN
\n\u00a0\u00a0Ally Tipoff – Charlotte, N.C.
\nChicago State at #15 Notre Dame | 3 p.m. | ACCNX
\nCal Poly at Stanford | 4 p.m. | ACCNX
\nFlorida State at #1 UConn | 4:30 p.m. | FS1
\nSacramento State at California | 10 p.m. | ACCNX<\/p>\n
ACC Teams in the Top 25
\n\u2022 The 2025-26 season begins with six ACC teams in the Associated Press (AP) Poll and the USA Today Coaches Poll.<\/p>\n
\n\tAP Poll: Duke (No. 7), NC State (No. 9), North Carolina (No. 11), Notre Dame (No. 15) and Louisville (No. 20). Stanford is currently receiving votes.
\n\tUSA Today Coaches Poll: Duke (No. 6), NC State (No. 8), North Carolina (No. 11), Notre Dame (No. 13) and Louisville (No. 19). California, Florida State and Stanford are receiving votes.
<\/p>\n
\nPreseason Outlook
\n\u2022\u00a0Duke was picked as the conference favorite in the annual Predicted Order of Finish. In addition, Notre Dame guard Hannah Hidalgo was tabbed the Preseason Player of the Year for the second consecutive season.
\n\u2022 Four All-ACC First Team members return for the 2025-26 season and all landed on the 10-member Preseason All-ACC. The list included: Hidalgo, Kymora Johnson (Virginia), Zoe Brooks (NC State) and Toby Fournier (Duke).<\/p>\n
Preseason Honors
\n\u2022 Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo was named to the Preseason AP All-American for the second consecutive season.
\nNaismith Preseason Watch Lists<\/p>\n
\n\tNancy Lieberman Award Watch List: Rachael Rose (Clemson), Taina Mair (Duke), Zoe Brooks (NC State), Reniya Kelly (North Carolina), Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame), Kymora Johnson (Virginia)
\n\tAnn Meyers-Drysdale Award Watch List: Lulu Twidale (California), Ashlon Jackson (Duke), Tajianna Roberts (Louisville), Zamareya Jones (NC State), Laila Phelia (Syracuse)
\n\tCheryl Miller Award Watch List: Jadyn Donovan (Duke), Skylar Jones (Louisville), Nyla Harris (North Carolina)
\n\tKatrina McClain Award Watch List: Toby Fournier (Duke), Allie Kubek (Florida State), Khamil Pierre (NC State), Nunu Agara (Stanford), Sa’Myah Smith (Virginia)
\n\tLisa Leslie Award Watch List: Sakima Walker (California), Laura Ziegler (Louisville), Ra Shaya Kyle (Miami), Tilda Trygger (NC State), Kennedy Umeh (Stanford)
<\/p>\n
ACC and the NCAA Tournament
\n\u2022 Duke was the only ACC team to advance to the Elite Eight, as the league has sent at least one team in the Elite 8 for 23 straight seasons, the longest active streak of any conference. The next closest streak is 15.
\n\u2022 Duke, North Carolina, NC State and Notre Dame all clinched spots in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Women\u2019s Basketball Tournament. The ACC has had at least three teams make the Sweet 16 in each of the last 11 NCAA Tournaments (including 2025). That is the longest active streak among all DI conferences.
\n\u2022 Current ACC member institutions have combined for six NCAA Championships (Stanford 3, Notre Dame 2, North Carolina 1) and made 40 trips to the Final Four. Ten current ACC institutions have earned a spot in the Women\u2019s Final Four.
\n\u2022 Current ACC teams have made eight trips to the Final Four in the last seven NCAA Tournaments.
\n\u2022 In the last seven NCAA Tournaments, ACC teams have earned 56 selections, the most of any conference.
\n\u2022 The ACC is tied for the most NCAA Tournament victories since 2014 at 141.
\n\u2022 Tying a league-record for the seventh straight season, the ACC earned eight NCAA Tournament bids in 2025. The tournament field includes: Duke (2 seed), NC State (2), North Carolina (3), Notre Dame (3), Florida State (6), Louisville (7), California (8) and Georgia Tech (9).
\n\u2022 The ACC had four teams as a No. 3 seed or better in the 2025 NCAA Tournament, tied for the most by any conference (SEC). The only other times the ACC had this many teams seeded as such was in 2019 (four) and 2009 (four).<\/p>\n
ACC & The WNBA
\n\u2022 For the 28th consecutive year, the ACC had at least one student-athlete selected in the WNBA Draft, as six former standouts heard their names called. The selections included:<\/p>\n
\n\tRound 1 \u2013 3rd, Sonia Citron, G, Notre Dame \u2013 Washington
\n\tRound 1 \u2013 8th, Saniya Rivers, G, NC State \u2013 Connecticut
\n\tRound 1 \u2013 12th, Aziaha James, G, NC State \u2013 Dallas
\n\tRound 2 \u2013 16th, Maddy Westbeld, F, Notre Dame \u2013 Chicago
\n\tRound 2 \u2013 19th, Makayla Timpson, F, Florida State \u2013 Indiana
\n\tRound 3 \u2013 28th, Liatu King, F, Notre Dame \u2013 Los Angeles
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\u2022 Selected third overall, Notre Dame\u2019s Sonia Citron becomes the highest selected ACC player since former Louisville standout AD Durr went second overall to New York in 2019. Citron also becomes first ACC player selected in the first round since Louisville\u2019s Emily Engstler in 2022.
\n\u2022 With three first-round selections, the ACC saw multiple players picked in the first round for the first time since 2019, when five ACC players were selected.
\n\u2022 Six former standouts from current ACC schools will participate in this year\u2019s WNBA Finals, as the eventual WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces were represented by Dana Evans (Louisville), Chelsea Gray (Duke), Jewell Loyd (Notre Dame) and Jackie Young (Notre Dame). The Phoenix Mercury were represented by Kathryn Westbeld (Notre Dame) and Kiana Williams (Stanford).<\/p>\n
On The Sidelines
\n\u2022 Two new head coaches will on ACC sidelines this season: Karen Blair (Georgia Tech) and Adia Barnes (SMU).
\n\u2022 Current ACC schools have earned 12 WBCA Coach of the Year awards since 1989. Six of the 10 WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year awards have gone to current ACC schools.
\n\u2022 NC State Head Coach Wes Moore ranks second among active Division I coaches in wins at 859 for his career. The next closest in the ACC is Miami’s Tricia Cullop with 490 career victories.
\n\u2022 Duke Head Coach Kara Lawson was named the head coach of the USA Basketball Women’s National Team. Notre Dame’s Niele served as an assistant coach for the USA Basketball U19 Women’s World Cup team, which captured gold in July 2025.<\/p>\n
Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament
\n\u2022 Duke claimed its ninth ACC Tournament title and first since 2013. Duke avenged regular-season losses to Louisville, Notre Dame and NC State en route to the title, becoming the lone ACC team to beat all other 17 conference opponents.
\n\u2022 The tournament drew over 70.000 fans for the first time since 2009 (70,204). The championship game drew a record 11,823 fans.
\n\u2022 The 2025 Ally ACC Women\u2019s Basketball Tournament marked the 48th edition of the longest running conference women\u2019s basketball championship in the nation and it was the 25th time in the last 26 years that First Horizon Coliseum hosted the event.
\n\u2022 In 2026, the Ally ACC Women\u2019s Basketball Tournament moves to Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia. It will mark the first time the tournament will be played outside the Carolinas since 1980.<\/p>\n
ACC\/SEC Challenge Returns for Third Season
\n\u2022 The ACC has posted 13 victories over two seasons of the ACC\/SEC Challenge. The Challenge returns this season on December 3-4, as all 16 matchups will be featured on ESPN linear networks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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