More teams are punching their tickets to the NCAA Tournament on Sunday as the major conference’s compete for championships. Other teams will be left sweating it out until Selection Sunday — wondering about their seedings, whether their bubbles burst or whether another team will slip up and provide them an opportunity.

Here’s the teams who have claimed bids for the tournament field.

NCAA Tournament automatic qualifiers

Automatic qualifierConference

Duke

ACC

High Point

Big South

Rhode Island

Atlantic 10

Samford

Southern

South Dakota State

Summit League

Texas

SEC

UCLA

Big Ten

West Virginia

Big 12

Western Illinois

Ohio Valley

Highlights from the championships:

Texas hits the trifecta with SEC win over South Carolina

A program-first SEC title? Check. A necessary statement win heading into the NCAA Tournament? Double check.

A path to the Final Four through Fort Worth (instead of Sacramento)? We’ll know for sure on Selection Sunday, but all signs would point to yes. So, check (in pencil).

Yes, there was plenty to celebrate for the Longhorns as the confetti fell on Sunday at the SEC championship. Their 78-61 win over South Carolina wasn’t just for the trophy. It should be what the Longhorns need to leapfrog South Carolina for the No. 3 spot in the committee’s ranking, earning Texas a preferential location for their regional — a one-hour flight from Austin to Fort Worth (as South Carolina likely preps for a cross-country, three time-zone shift flight to Sacramento).

The Longhorns jumped out to a 14-0 lead less than three and a half minutes into the game, prompting South Carolina coach Dawn Staley to call a timeout. But by that point, the cushion was built and the Gamecocks had a hard time overcoming the rough start.

“We just came out punching,” Longhorns fifth-year senior Rori Harmon said. “That’s how you know we’re ready.”

This was the seventh time Texas and South Carolina have met in the last two seasons. But despite the familiarity, South Carolina surprisingly appeared caught off guard by the Longhorns’ defensive pressure. If there’s anything that Texas has a reputation for, it’s tenacious defense that limits opponents’ ability to get into an offensive flow. In each of the previous six meetings, Texas has held the Gamecocks to 15 points below their season scoring average. South Carolina turned the ball over 10 times in the first half alone on Sunday, and the Longhorns converted those giveaways into 14 points.

Sophomore Justice Carlton, who has averaged less than nine points per game this season, helped build the early lead with 13 first-quarter points. After halftime, it was junior Madison Booker who carried the Longhorns, scoring 14 of her game-high 18 points in the second half.

What won’t show up in the box score is how disciplined Harmon was in managing Texas’ lead. Her four assists were far from a season high, but her patience and understanding of time and score were crucial to the victory.

Just a few weeks ago, after the Longhorns lost badly to Vanderbilt, coach Vic Schaefer questioned Texas’ heart, saying the players were the “softest” team he had coached in years. But the team that stepped on the floor in the SEC title game didn’t resemble that description in the least.

In front of a crowd that skewed almost entirely to South Carolina (the Gamecock faithful did their jobs and turned Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C., into Colonial Life Arena-Northwest), the Longhorns never blinked.

Now, Texas gets to bring home a trophy. As the Longhorns look to punch a ticket to their second consecutive Final Four, they’ve given their fans a chance to turn Fort Worth into the Moody Center-North. — Chantel Jennings

UCLA dominates Iowa, keeps pressure on UConn for No. 1 overall seed

Last season’s Big Ten championship was an annunciation for UCLA, the program’s entrance into the nation’s elite with its first conference title in nearly two decades.

The 2026 championship is more of an affirmation, a continuation of what the Bruins have done all season en route to an undefeated Big Ten regular season and a school-record 25-game winning streak. The conference tournament title, a dominant 96-45 win over No. 2 seed Iowa on Sunday, is merely one more step on the path to what UCLA is really chasing: its first NCAA women’s basketball championship.

Watching the Bruins against Iowa, it was easy to believe that a title is within their grasp. They obliterated the previous record for margin of victory (33 points) in a Big Ten title game and had the highest shooting percentage (63 percent) in a championship game. Six players scored in double figures, and UCLA had 34 assists on 40 made field goals. The Bruins limited the Hawkeyes to 17 field goals compared to 19 turnovers.

With 18 Quad 1 wins against the toughest schedule in the country, UCLA has a resume that generally results in a No. 1 overall seed. Undefeated UConn still has its grasp on that, though a loss in the Big East title game would open the door for the Bruins, but UCLA will be on the top line heading to Sacramento for the regional round. After returning from Indianapolis, the Bruins won’t have to leave the West Coast for the rest of the postseason.

Even in defeat, the Hawkeyes will likely hold on to a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, though the manner in which they lost could allow Louisville to slide ahead of them. The Cardinals lost in the ACC tournament final but at least pushed Duke to overtime.

—Sabreena Merchant

Is a Big 12 title enough for West Virginia?

West Virginia hasn’t appeared in either of the top 16 reveals this season, but with the conference tournament title to its name, could the Big 12 put two teams in hosting position?

Overall, the Mountaineers’ resume isn’t the most compelling on its own. West Virginia ranks No. 19 in the NET and is 3-3 in Quad 1 games. It’s uncertain how much the committee will weigh conference tournament results, and that could prove key.

From previous reveals, we know that head-to-head results have been pivotal, and the committee has given priority to recency. To the former point, it’s unlikely West Virginia would pass Ohio State, considering the Buckeyes beat West Virginia earlier this season.

To the latter point, this Big 12 tournament title run could be enough for the Mountaineers to leapfrog a few teams that were in the bottom quarter of the previous ranking. Maryland and Michigan State, which ranked No. 13 and No. 14, respectively, in the most recent reveal, were both upset in the second round of the Big Ten tournament. If one drops out of the top 16, it would open a spot for West Virginia, which is on a six-game winning streak and beat TCU — which ranked No. 11 in the most recent reveal.

The impressive way West Virginia beat TCU, holding the Horned Frogs to 30 points below its season average, could come into play for the committee’s “observable component” as it evaluates the defensive-minded “Press Virginia.”

This is largely a decision that could come down to how much the committee respects the depth of the Big Ten versus the top of the Big 12. In previous reveals, the Big 12 had only one team (TCU) and it was never in the top 10. Ultimately, the committee may decide that the Big 12 conference’s strength isn’t enough to push even the tournament champion into hosting position. — Chantel Jennings

LET’S GO pic.twitter.com/AO2aDXHuqz

— WVU Women’s Basketball (@WVUWBB) March 8, 2026

South Dakota State’s championship creates Summit League intrigue

For the fourth consecutive season, South Dakota State will advance to the NCAA Tournament as the Summit League champions. Led by tournament MVP Brooklyn Meyer, who averaged 25 points, nine rebounds and three blocks over the three games, the Jackrabbits defeated North Dakota State 64-51 in the final.

Though South Dakota State is a regular participant in the NCAA Tournament, and likely would have been dancing win or lose, the Bison were chasing their first bid in the 68-team field. North Dakota State won the Summit League regular-season title for the first time in program history, edging the Jackrabbits by one game. However, conference player of the year Avery Koenen injured her right ankle in the first game of the tournament and wasn’t quite at her best as a scorer against Meyer.

The loss leaves the Bison as the most intriguing team on the bubble. North Dakota State is 28-4 but with only one Quad 1 win. Summit League commissioner Josh Fenton started campaigning for the Bison the minute the buzzer sounded, saying, “Both of these belong in the field in two weeks when it’s announced,” before presenting the trophy to South Dakota State.

The Summit League has been a two-bid league twice in the last seven years, so it would not be without precedent.

North Dakota State was a No. 11 seed in The Athletic’s latest bracket and shouldn’t fall much further after a competitive loss to the solid Jackrabbits. However, other bubble teams had strong showings during championship week, including Colorado, Arizona State and Villanova.

The final spot could come down to the Bison or Richmond, another mid-major darling that didn’t win its conference tournament. North Dakota State is fortunate that Rhode Island won the Atlantic 10 tournament (the Rams’ first A-10 title and first NCAA Tournament berth since 1996), keeping George Mason from stealing a place in the field.

There will be much interest on Ivy Madness next week to see how many bids that conference requires; Princeton will assuredly make the NCAA Tournament, but if Harvard or Columbia win the Ivy League tourney, that could squeeze the Bison or the Spiders. Quinnipiac could also be a bid thief in the MAAC if it upsets Fairfield — a team it beat during the regular season — in the conference title game. – Sabreena Merchant

UConn continues Big East domination

UConn continued its perfect season and predictably advanced to Monday’s Big East championship game after dominating No. 5 seed Creighton 100-51 in Sunday afternoon semifinals.

The Huskies jumped out to a 29-9 lead by the end of the first quarter and never looked back en route to its third consecutive victory over Creighton this season — all by at least 40 points.

The Blue Jays entered Sunday on a high after beating No. 4 seed Marquette on Saturday, which had head coach Jim Flanery attempting backflips (can we call them that?) on the floor in an electric postgame locker room celebration.

Never a dull moment in the Bluejay locker room after a win! 😅🕺@JimFlanery | @CreightonWBB pic.twitter.com/4OGBdI6aCH

— BIG EAST WBB (@BIGEASTWBB) March 7, 2026

But as has been the case for essentially every team that has run into UConn this season, Creighton was overwhelmed from start to finish. UConn is now one step closer to locking down the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. A win Monday in the championship game would help solidify it.

Sophomore forward Sarah Strong led the Huskies with 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting, and she hauled in seven rebounds, all in just 25 minutes. KK Arnold added 18 points in 15 minutes, and Azzi Fudd recorded 16 points in 24 minutes of work. The Huskies shot 57 percent from the field to Creighton’s 33 percent and dominated down low with 44 points in the paint to the Blue Jays’ 18. With 23 fast-break points, UConn also continued to show off its speed and athleticism.

With Uconn up 57-22 at halftime and the game already out of hand, coach Geno Auriemma rested his starters, who should be plenty fresh for Monday’s title game.

The Huskies are on a 49-game winning streak, dating back to February 2025, and they continue to look every bit the part of a potential favorite to win it all and repeat as national champs. — Grace Raynor
 

Duke ties Maryland’s ACC championship record

Duke made history on Sunday.

With Sunday’s 70-65 overtime win over Louisville, the Blue Devils tied Maryland for the most ACC tournament championships, with 10.

They had to do it in dramatic fashion, much like the first meeting between the Blue Devils and Cardinals in February.

Down two points with 14 seconds left, Delaney Thomas converted a layup to tie the game and send it to overtime. Duke, with star forward Toby Fournier on the bench with five fouls, continued to watch Thomas come up clutch. She had a team-high 19 points and nine rebounds, with four of her points and three rebounds in overtime.

Her final rebound of the game might’ve been her biggest. Leading by two points, with 25 seconds left, her seventh offensive rebound of the game gave Duke an extra possession and ended in the game-sealing 3-point shot by Riley Nelson. Guard Taina Mair also had 19 points and led Duke with 12 rebounds.

This championship caps a remarkable turnaround for Duke, which will enter the NCAA Tournament with a 24-8 record. Six of those losses came before Christmas, playing into the fact that the selection committee likely will favor recent strength when evaluating teams for seedings. The Blue Devils began the season 3-6, with losses to South Carolina, South Florida, LSU, UCLA, West Virginia and Baylor.

Since then, Duke has been one of the most consistent teams in the country, running off 17 straight wins and making an argument to be a No. 2 seed when the tournament field is announced on March 15.

The Blue Devils entered Sunday as a projected No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament, according to The Athletic’s bracketology, but Michigan and LSU lost in the semifinals of their conference tournaments opening up an opportunity for other teams. The top 16 teams will be announced on Saturday, but their seeds will not come out until the following day with the entire field.

If the Blue Devils jump up, it will be the second straight year that they’ve won the ACC tournament and been a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Last season, they lost to South Carolina in the Elite Eight.

Meanwhile, Louisville should feel secure in its spot as a No. 3 seed heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Cardinals are expected to host the first two rounds for the first time since 2022, when they were a No. 1 seed and reached the Final Four. — Cameron Teague Robinson