Women’s basketball conference tournaments are underway this week. NCAA Tournament automatic bids will be won, and hosting and seeding implications are plentiful. For some teams, they may be playing their last games when their bubbles burst at the conference tournaments.

Here are the takeaways from Saturday’s games:

More than an SEC title is on the line for South Carolina, Texas

South Carolina and Texas will meet on Sunday in the SEC tournament title game. It’ll be the seventh time in two seasons the Gamecocks and Longhorns have faced off with South Carolina holding a 4-2 edge in those matchups. South Carolina is going for its fourth consecutive SEC tournament title while Texas, in just its second year in the conference, is fighting for its first.

But it’s not just the tournament title that’s on the line. Larger stakes at play. South Carolina and Texas could be playing for a chance to be placed in the Fort Worth regional during the NCAA Tournament. Given that the alternative is Sacramento, this game has more riding on it than another conference championship.

In the two top-16 reveals by the selection committee, two things have become clear: head-to-head results and recency are valued. Because South Carolina and Texas occupied the No. 3 and No. 4 spots, respectively, in the most recent reveal, this head-to-head could be the deciding factor.

UConn likely has the No. 1 overall seed locked up, meaning the committee would opt to send the Huskies on a shorter trip to Fort Worth. If UCLA takes the No. 2 overall seed with a Big Ten tournament title win, its preferred destination would be Sacramento. Meaning, the split between the final two No. 1 seeds, if both go to SEC teams (which is highly possible), isn’t just for decoration. It would mean avoiding a cross-country flight with multiple time zone changes for either team. Fort Worth would be an easy jaunt for Texas. For South Carolina, even though it’d still be a few hours flight, that would be preferred to a West Coast swing.

This season, Texas and South Carolina split their two meetings. The Longhorns won a close one in an out-of-conference game against the Gamecocks during the Player’s Era Championship, and South Carolina returned the favor with a three-point win at home.

With their familiarity, the elite level of play — Texas junior Madison Booker and South Carolina senior are each coming off career-high nights in the SEC semifinals — and the high stakes, this SEC title game should have fireworks. The league will have a chance to crown a champ and give one of these teams a boost in a Final Four quest. — Chantel Jennings

West Virginia survives record low-scoring quarter, advances to Big 12 title

Maybe it’s the court.

How else to explain the second quarter of the Big 12 semifinal between West Virginia and Colorado, when the teams combined for three made field goals and three made free throws — a total of nine points? Nine points in one quarter comfortably set the record for fewest in a quarter in the Big 12 tournament, a mark that was previously held by Texas and Kansas State when they scored 14 total in the first quarter of a quarterfinal matchup.

The lowest-scoring quarter in Big 12 regular-season history came in 2015, an eight-point second quarter between Baylor and Oklahoma State.

Neither the Mountaineers nor the Buffaloes are particularly low-scoring teams, with West Virginia ranking in the 93rd percentile nationally of points per game, per CBB Analytics. But it was the defenses that rank in the 91st and 77th percentile in points allowed that had their way in that second quarter as the teams shot a combined 3 of 25 from the field and 3 of 6 from the foul line.

It should come as no surprise, in a game that included a 10-minute stretch of nine points, that every point mattered down the stretch. No. 2 seed West Virginia ultimately edged out No. 6 Colorado by one point, 48-47, thanks to a 3-pointer from Gia Cooke with 32 seconds remaining. Cooke was one of the few players to get on the board during that fateful second quarter, and the two points then helped the Mountaineers advance to the conference championship to face top-seeded TCU. West Virginia has won two conference titles in its program’s history, only one since joining the Big 12 in 2012.

Colorado’s postseason is far from over, as its win over Baylor in the quarterfinals likely secured an NCAA Tournament bid. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers are still jockeying for hosting position that could be earned with a win against the Horned Frogs. — Sabreena Merchant

South Carolina knocks off LSU (again), heads to SEC title game (again)

En route to its seventh consecutive SEC tournament title game, South Carolina extended another streak, securing its 19th straight win over LSU with an 83-77 victory. It’s a streak that dates back to 2012.

As is often the case in March, veteran guard play proved decisive. The Gamecocks’ backcourt of fifth-year senior Raven Johnson and senior Ta’Niya Latson were the class of the night in Saturday’s semifinals. Latson transferred to South Carolina from Florida State in the offseason to reunite with Johnson, her best friend and former high school teammate. Their reunion has proved essential for the Gamecocks.

The veteran duo scored 23 of South Carolina’s 36 first-half points, buoying the Gamecocks as their post players struggled to get established. Through the first 20 minutes, the Tigers outrebounded South Carolina, 24-14, as Joyce Edwards and Madina Okot combined for just five points on 2-of-9 shooting.

Coming out of the half, Johnson continued to dominate, scoring 12 third-quarter points (on a perfect 5-of-5 shooting) as the Gamecocks finally began to establish control of the game. In the fourth quarter, Edwards and Okot carried South Carolina over the finish line, combining for 16 of its 24 fourth-quarter points and finishing the second half with a plus-10 advantage on the glass.

The balanced scoring attack with a multitude of threats is South Carolina’s hallmark, but coach Dawn Staley has relied on a shorter rotation this season. During the Gamecocks’ 2024 national title run, no player averaged more than 27 minutes a game. During the 2022 national championship season, two players averaged more than 27 minutes a game. This season, four Gamecocks starters have averaged at least 28 minutes per game.

Against LSU, four players clocked at least 32 minutes, and Edwards played the full 40. Rest and recovery will be key for the Gamecocks in the SEC title game as well as the NCAA Tournament, where they’ll aim for their sixth consecutive Final Four appearance.

Johnson’s performance against LSU in the semis — she finished with 22 points, eight assists and three rebounds — probably felt like deja vu for Kim Mulkey and LSU. She went off against the Tigers when the teams met in February, scoring her previous career-best 19 points (and adding seven rebounds, six assists and four steals).

What @dawnstaley said 👇 pic.twitter.com/UIeU03r5ZE

— South Carolina Women’s Basketball (@GamecockWBB) March 8, 2026

It’s expected that great teams peak in March, and it’s unsurprising that veteran players bring out their best in high-pressure games. Considering South Carolina’s shorter rotation, tit’s probably good news for the Gamecocks that several of those players are seniors and the only underclassman — Joyce Edwards — is the only player other than A’ja Wilson to average 20 points a game through a season. (Not bad company, right?)

That’s quite the combination to help South Carolina fans to feel good about the upcoming weeks. — Chantel Jennings

Chalk reigns in the Big Ten

For the second straight season, it will be No. 1 versus No. 2 in the Big Ten tournament championship. This season, it’s UCLA versus Iowa.

The top-seeded Bruins took control early against Ohio State in Saturday’s semifinals, maintaining a near double-digit advantage throughout in the 72-62 win. In classic UCLA fashion, five players scored in double figures, with none exceeding 20.

The Hawkeyes had a similarly comfortable start against third-seeded Michigan behind the interior dominance of Ava Heiden, who recorded 10 first-half points to lead all scorers. It looked like a carbon copy of the 62-44 smackdown Iowa laid on the Wolverines near the end of the regular season.

The semifinals took a detour in the third quarter as Michigan turned up its defense and took a 34-33 lead four minutes into the period. But the Hawkeyes regained control in the fourth, outscoring the Wolverines 24-6 and finishing with a final margin of 59-42 that resembled the teams’ previous meeting.

Iowa hasn’t lost to Michigan in four seasons. Now, the Hawkeyes face a team that has had their number. UCLA won both matchups against Iowa since it entered the Big Ten, including a 23-point rout in Los Angeles on Feb. 1.

These Hawkeyes are much improved from that iteration. Iowa was in a post-Taylor McCabe injury tailspin then and has now won eight in a row. The Big Ten tournament has been a comfortable situation for the Hawkeyes recently as they’ve won four of the last seven titles, including three straight from 2022-24.

UCLA has also enjoyed the Big Ten tournament, winning the title in its only appearance last season. The regular-season champion is riding a program-record 24-game winning streak entering Sunday’s tournament championship.

The Bruins are likely assured a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament regardless of the outcome, and Iowa has played its way onto the No. 2 line.  — Sabreena Merchant

Western Illinois earns first 2026 NCAA Tournament bid

Madison Davis broke the full-court press in the final minute and stared down a two-on-one against Lindenwood’s defense. The Western Illinois sophomore could have pulled the ball out and wasted some clock to nurse a six-point lead in the Ohio Valley conference championship.

Instead, Davis went for the dagger. She threw a behind-the-back pass to Mallory Shetley, and Shetley finished the play to put the cherry on top of the Leathernecks’ first tournament title as a member of the OVC.

With the 71-65 victory, Western Illinois is the first team to punch its ticket to the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The Leathernecks saw their 14-point halftime lead dwindle to one in the fourth quarter but did just enough to hold on and earn their first trip to the Big Dance since 2017.

Western Illinois coach JD Gravina said in his pregame speech, “The whole game is the fourth quarter,” and the Leathernecks came out with that level of energy, building a 36-22 halftime lead. The Lions clawed back and had the momentum when Western Illinois’ leading scorer and OVC player of the year Mia Nicastro injured her ankle and left the game with 8:32 to play.

But Nicastro got taped up and came back in two minutes later, just in time for the turning point of the final period. Lindenwood appeared to have an offensive rebound putback on a missed jumper to take its first lead of the game, but Nicastro got into the mix and drew a foul, reclaiming possession and ensuring that the Leathernecks would not fall behind.

Shetley hit a jumper on the ensuing possession, and Nicastro pushed the lead to five with 3:05 to play, giving Western Illinois a little bit of breathing room down the stretch.

“When (Nicastro) came back in, that just sparked our emotion and our energy,” Gravina said on the ESPN+ broadcast postgame. “I don’t know — even just the freak-out level — if we win that game if she doesn’t come back.”

Nicastro led the way with 21 points, Shetley had 18 and Davis and Allie Meadows chipped in 10 apiece. The Leathernecks have only a six-player rotation after losing last season’s leading scorer Raegan McCowan to an elbow injury in December, but those six were enough. They avenged their regular-season ending loss to Lindenwood from one week ago.

The Lions fell in the conference title game for a consecutive season, but this one had additional stakes, as Lindenwood completed its Division I transition and was finally eligible for the NCAA Tournament. The Lions, who won two games in 2022-23 and seven games in 2023-24, were minutes away from clinching a berth in their first try, but they will have to wait at least one more year.

Instead, the Leathernecks will be dancing, with 67 more teams eager to join them in the coming days.

— Sabreena Merchant 

UConn starts postseason run with promising Serah Williams performance

UConn continued the defense of its national title with a dominant first game in the Big East women’s basketball tournament. The Huskies downed Georgetown, 84-39, in the quarterfinal matchup. It was their first time back out on the floor after closing out the regular season with a win over St. John’s last week, which notched the Huskies’ 11th undefeated season in program history.

Even as the national title favorite, there’s still always the worry of rust versus rest when it comes to time off ahead of big games. Ultimately, as the Huskies jumped out to a 47-18 lead at the half, there didn’t appear to be any rust.

“When you don’t play for a week, you don’t know what’s going to happen,” coach Geno Auriemma said. “We just wanted our defense to be really aggressive, and you want to make sure you’re creating a lot of activity. I thought we did that. … We got done what I wanted us to get done.”

In postseason games like this, when the Huskies’ opponent is well overmatched (UConn went 2-0 against Georgetown this season with an average 37-point win margin), the best thing for UConn is to stay healthy, get starters some rest and receive a surprising contribution. While it’s hard to consider contributions from Serah Williams, a 31-game starter this season, surprising, it’s definitely a boost for the Huskies to see more consistent outings as this season ramps up.

The senior, who transferred in from Wisconsin ahead of the season, posted a season-high 14 points a game after, arguably, the best outing of her season — 11 points, six rebounds, three assists and two blocks (in 20 minutes) against St. John’s. Auriemma said the Huskies need that version of Williams through the rest of the Big East tournament and in the NCAA Tournament. He explained that he has always thought that one big game might be an accident, two in a row could be a coincidence, but three great games in a row is usually a trend. So, he’d have a better idea of Williams’ trajectory after the Big East semifinals on Saturday.

If Williams can provide this type of inside presence as a rim protector and scorer for the Huskies moving forward, it bodes well for UConn’s ceiling in March and April.

“If this is the Serah Williams we’re going to have for the next three or four weeks,” Auriemma said, “that’s pretty good for us.” — Chantel Jennings 

Top seeds Duke and Louisville set for rematch in ACC title game

In a month that usually breeds chaos, the ACC tournament went about as expected as the top two seeds, Duke and Louisville, will meet in Sunday’s final.

The top-seeded Blue Devils will look to win their second straight ACC tournament title. The Cardinals are back in the title game after losing to Virginia Tech in 2023 and are aiming for their first championship since 2018.

Duke was the first team to earn its championship berth, holding off No. 5 seed Notre Dame 65-63 this morning, despite a stellar performance from Notre Dame star Hannah Hidalgo. The ACC Player of the Year finished with 24 points, eight rebounds and four steals, but she missed a potential game-winning shot with five seconds left to play.

Duke, which defended three potential game-winning or game-tying shots in the final 11 seconds, dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Irish 47-32. Kara Lawson’s team was led by Taina Mair (16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists) and Toby Fournier (14 points, eight rebounds and four blocks).

Louisville used a strong second half to get past No. 3 seed North Carolina 65-57. The Cardinals, who led by one point at halftime, went down by one with 3:54 left in the third quarter, but they built a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter and held on down the stretch. Guard Imari Berry led the Cardinals with a game-high 22 points off the bench.

Jeff Walzs’ team will keep an eye on forward Elif Istanbulluoglu, who left the game in the fourth quarter, and went into the locker room with an apparent ankle injury. She returned to the game three minutes later, and though she was limping, made three of four free throws in the final two minutes to help seal the victory.

Sunday’s championship, which is scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m., (ET) will be a rematch of the 58-57 thriller that Duke won in Louisville on Feb. 5. That game came down to a missed free throw by Berry in the final second of the game. — Cameron Teague Robinson
 

This story will be updated throughout the day.