undefined Women’s Basketball News

UCLA Women's Basketball Captures 2026 NCAA Championship

Big Ten Communications — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

UCLA Outlasts Texas, Advances to National Title Game

Big Ten Communications — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Ohio State's Jaloni Cambridge Honored with Dawn Staley Award

Big Ten Communications — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Central - April 2

Unknown — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results
Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics
NCAA NET Rankings | National Top 25 Polls (March 16-17)

Big Ten Weekly Release - April 2 | 2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Postseason Central

USC rookie Jazzy Davidson added to her collection on Wednesday after being named the 2026 WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year presented by Adidas, the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association announced. Earlier this season, she was honored as the 2026 USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Year and earned recognition as the National Freshman of the Year from The Athletic. Davidson became the second Trojan in program history to take home all three national newcomer of the year honors, joining teammate JuJu Watkins. She wrapped the season leading USC outright in every major statistical category including points (17.9), rebounds (5.6), assists (4.1), steals (2.0) and blocks per game (2.0), making her the only Division I player to accomplish that feat this year. The guard joined Watkins, Sarah Strong, Maya Moore, Cheryl Miller, and Candace Parker as the only freshmen in women's college basketball history to record 500+ points, 150+ rebounds, 100+ assists, 50+ steals and 50+ blocks.
The WBCA announced its All-America Team on Thursday, which featured 10 student-athletes from the Big Ten. UCLA’s Lauren Betts and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge made the list, followed by honorable mention selections in Indiana’s Shay Ciezki, Iowa’s Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke, Maryland’s Oluchi Okananwa, Michigan’s Olivia Olson and Syla Swords, UCLA’s Kiki Rice and Washington’s Sayvia Sellers.
Senior Lauren Betts was tabbed as a finalist for the 2026 John R. Wooden Award presented by Principal, the Los Angeles Athletic Club announced Tuesday. The UCLA standout was also selected as one of 10 Wooden All-Americans.
The Big Ten Conference is making its return to college basketball’s final weekend for the fourth time in as many years with UCLA set to face Texas in the NCAA Women’s Final Four on Friday at approximately 9:30 p.m. ET live on ESPN from Mortgage Matchup Center.
UCLA advanced to the NCAA Final Four in back-to-back years for the first time in program history by taking down Duke, 70-58, in the Sacramento 2 Region Final.
A familiar foe awaits UCLA in the semifinals on Friday. The Longhorns are the only team to defeat the Bruins this season after walking away with a 76-65 win in November.
Texas holds an 8-7 edge in the all-time series with UCLA, but the teams are tied at 2-2 when they’ve faced off in the NCAA Tournament.
Current Big Ten programs have advanced to the NCAA Women’s Final Four 24 times and have won four national championships (USC – 1983, 1984; Purdue – 1999; Maryland – 2006).
UCLA’s Lauren Betts was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Sacramento 2 Regional and was joined on the All-Regional Team by teammate Angela Dugalić. Michigan’s Olivia Olson and Syla Swords were on the Fort Worth 3 All-Regional Team, the first time in program history that two Wolverines made a regional team.
For the fifth time in the last six years, the Big Ten has collected double-digit wins in the NCAA Tournament. A pair of conference records were set with 15 victories through the first two rounds (11 in 2004; 10 in 2005; 13 in 2023 and 2025) and 18 wins through the Elite Eight, eclipsing the previous standard (16) from a season ago.
The Big Ten set a conference record by having a team reach the Elite Eight in seven consecutive tournaments, with seven different schools accounting for a combined 11 appearances (Michigan and UCLA – 2026; UCLA and USC – 2025; Iowa – 2024; Iowa, Maryland and Ohio State – 2023; Michigan – 2022; Indiana – 2021; Iowa – 2019).
For the sixth consecutive year, the Big Ten Conference sent at least two teams to the NCAA Sweet 16 as Michigan, Minnesota and UCLA took part this year. The Big Ten tied a conference record with four Sweet 16 participants in 2021 and 2022 and has sent at least three teams to the third round on nine occasions (2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026).
The Big Ten set a new conference record after 11 teams reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The previous record (10) was set last season.
For the 25th consecutive season (not counting the 2019-20 campaign that ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the Big Ten sent at least eight of its women's basketball programs into postseason play. Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington were selected for the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin has been representing the conference in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
For the second time in conference history, 12 programs earned their way into the NCAA Tournament, led by No. 2 overall seed UCLA. The 12 berths were the top mark among all Division I conferences, followed by the SEC (10), ACC (9) and Big 12 (8).
The 12 selections tied the conference record for most teams chosen in one season, which was set during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It is the 21st time in the past 25 years and 28th time in Big Ten history that at least six current conference members have been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament. The Big Ten has had at least four of its schools selected for NCAA Tournament action every year since 1986.
Northwestern named Carla Berube as its head women’s basketball coach on March 25. Berube spent seven years at Princeton, where she led the Tigers to 147 wins, five Ivy League championships and five NCAA Tournament appearances. The 26-year coaching veteran and seventh head coach in program history was recognized as the 2026 Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year by Her Hoop Stats.
Penn State welcomed back four-year letterwinner Tanisha Wright as the seventh head coach of the Lady Lion basketball program. Wright returns to Happy Valley following a five-year stint coaching in the WNBA, including three seasons as the head coach for the Atlanta Dream. This will be the first NCAA head coaching role for the 19-year WNBA veteran.
Rutgers hired Gary Redus II to lead the Scarlet Knights’ women’s basketball program. Redus is stepping into his first head coaching position after serving as an assistant coach at LSU for the past four seasons, which included the program’s first national championship in 2023.
Top-seeded UCLA won its second straight Big Ten Conference Tournament title with a 96-45 victory over second-seeded Iowa. For the first time in program history, the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament crowns after earning their first Big Ten Tournament Championship a season ago. The 51-point margin of victory broke the record for the largest in a Big Ten Tournament Final as the previous record was Iowa’s 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. The Bruins shot 63.5 percent (40-for-63), the highest field goal percentage by a team in any Big Ten Tournament game. UCLA also set the record for assists in any Big Ten Tournament game with 34 helpers and tied the record for most steals in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game with 15.
UCLA’s Kiki Rice was named the Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament after averaging 16.6 points and 5.3 assists over three games. Rice was joined on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team by teammate Lauren Betts, Ohio State’s Chance Gray and Iowa’s Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke.
UCLA captured the 2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship outright for the first time in program history. The Bruins finished the regular season undefeated on their home court for the first time since their 2016-17 campaign and wrapped up their conference slate with a perfect 18-0 record. UCLA was just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play – Ohio State (1985), Purdue (1999) and Maryland (2015).
HISTORY. MADE. The Big Ten is the first conference to ever have nine teams ranked in three different Associated Press (AP) polls in a single season – Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. The Big Ten has had nine programs ranked in the AP poll four times, first achieved on Dec. 2, 2024, and is the only conference to have nine ranked teams since 1996.
The Big Ten had a 170-33 (.837) combined record in non-conference play this season, which ranked second behind the SEC (197-24, .891) and ahead of the Big 12 (156-39, .800) and ACC (144-72, .667).
Big Ten Conference Deputy Commissioner and Michigan women’s basketball great Diane Dietz was honored Jan. 11 with the lifting of her No. 21 jersey into the rafters at the Crisler Center. Dietz, who competed in Maize and Blue from 1979-82, was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, a record that stood for more than 30 years. She still ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 2,076 points, a feat she achieved before the addition of the three-point line to the women’s game. Dietz is also second all-time in 30-point games (11) and in field goals made (940) and is only one of two players with at least 900 makes. She graduated as the Wolverines’ all-time leader in steals (229), a mark that currently ranks fourth in program history. Dietz was also a standout in the classroom and is one of only two Michigan student-athletes to have been inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2009). The three-time Academic All-American was the first female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1982, which is considered the most prestigious honor a Big Ten student-athlete can receive. Dietz was inducted into the Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame after her induction in 2019.
The 2025-26 season was the final ride for storied Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown, who announced on March 24, 2025, that he intended to retire at the conclusion of the season. McKeown is the longest-tenured and winningest head women’s basketball coach in Northwestern history. This was his 18th season in Evanston and his 40th season overall as a head coach.

USC's Jazzy Davidson Named WBCA NCAA Division I Freshman of the Year

USC Athletics — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT

No. 1-Seed UCLA Advances to Second Consecutive Final Four

UCLA Athletics — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Postseason Central

Unknown — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

MARCH 18 - APRIL 5, 2026

Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results
Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics
NCAA NET Rankings | National Top 25 Polls (March 16-17)

Big Ten Postseason Release - March 18

For the second time in conference history, 12 programs earned their way into the NCAA Tournament. Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will compete in the 2026 NCAA Tournament. Led by No. 2 overall seed UCLA, the 12 berths were the top mark among all Division I conferences, followed by the SEC (10), ACC (9) and Big 12 (8).

This marks the fifth time a Big Ten program has garnered a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in the last four years. UCLA was the overall No. 1 seed a season ago and reached the program’s first-ever NCAA Final Four.

The 12 selections tied the conference record for most teams chosen in one season, which was set during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It is the 21st time in the past 25 years and 28th time in Big Ten history that at least six current conference members have been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten Conference after being selected to participate in the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), which is in its third year. The Badgers are making their first appearance in the event and earned a No. 3 seed. The Big Ten has dominated the WBIT, having claimed every championship title. Illinois won the inaugural event in 2024 for its first-ever postseason crown with a 71-57 victory over Villanova. Minnesota defeated Belmont, 75-63, to take home the title in 2025.

(NOTES: Regional seeds listed with school names for NCAA Tournament only … all times listed below are Eastern … dates, times and TV coverage subject to change … all games on ESPN family of networks can also be seen on the ESPN app).

2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball NCAA Tournament Schedule

Wednesday, March 18, 2026 - First Four	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Sacramento 2 Region (Durham, N.C. - Cameron Indoor Stadium) #11 Nebraska def. #11 Richmond, 75-56	7 p.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Friday, March 20, 2026 - First Round	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Fort Worth 3 Region (Austin, Texas - Moody Center) #8 Oregon def. #9 Virginia Tech, 70-60	1:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 2 Region (Durham, N.C. - Cameron Indoor Stadium) #6 Baylor def. #11 Nebraska, 67-62	2 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Fort Worth, Texas - Schollmaier Arena) #6 Washington def. #11 South Dakota State, 72-54	2:30 p.m.	ESPNews	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 1 Region (Chapel Hill, N.C. - Carmichael Arena) #5 Maryland def. #12 Murray State, 99-67	3 p.m.	ESPNU	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 3 Region (Ann Arbor, Mich. - Crisler Center) #2 Michigan def. #15 Holy Cross, 83-48	5:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 2 Region (Minneapolis, Minn. - Williams Arena) #4 Minnesota def. #13 Green Bay, 75-58	6 p.m.	ESPNU	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Norman, Okla. - Lloyd Noble Center) #5 Michigan State def. #12 Colorado State, 65-62	7:30 p.m.	ESPNews	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Saturday, March 21, 2026 - First Round	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Fort Worth 1 Region (Columbus, Ohio - Schottenstein Center) #3 Ohio State def. #14 Howard, 75-54	11:30 a.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Columbia, S.C. - Colonial Life Arena) #9 USC def. #8 Clemson, 71-67 (OT)	3:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Iowa City, Iowa - Carver-Hawkeye Arena) #2 Iowa def. #15 FDU, 58-48	4 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 1 Region (Nashville, Tenn. - Memorial Gymnasium) #7 Illinois def. #10 Colorado, 66-57	9:30 p.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 2 Region (Los Angeles, Calif. - Pauley Pavilion) #1 UCLA vs. #16 Cal Baptist, 96-43	10 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Second Round	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Fort Worth 1 Region (Chapel Hill, N.C. - Carmichael Arena) #4 North Carolina def. #5 Maryland, 74-66	12 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 3 Region (Ann Arbor, Mich. - Crisler Center) #2 Michigan def. #7 NC State, 92-63	1 p.m.	ABC	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 2 Region (Minneapolis, Minn. - Williams Arena) #4 Minnesota def. #5 Ole Miss, 65-63	2 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 3 Region (Austin, Texas - Moody Center) #1 Texas def. #8 Oregon, 100-58	6 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Norman, Okla. - Lloyd Noble Center) #4 Oklahoma def. #5 Michigan State, 77-71	8 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Fort Worth, Texas - Schollmaier Arena) #3 TCU def. #6 Washington, 62-59 (OT)	10 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Monday, March 23, 2026 - Second Round	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Sacramento 4 Region (Iowa City, Iowa - Carver-Hawkeye Arena) #10 Virginia def. #2 Iowa, 83-75 (2OT)	2 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 1 Region (Columbus, Ohio - Schottenstein Center) #6 Notre Dame def. #3 Ohio State, 83-73	4 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Fort Worth 1 Region (Nashville, Tenn. - Memorial Gymnasium) #2 Vanderbilt def. #7 Illinois, 75-57	7 p.m.	ESPN2	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 4 Region (Columbia, S.C. - Colonial Life Arena) #1 South Carolina def. #9 USC, 101-61	8 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sacramento 2 Region (Los Angeles, Calif. - Pauley Pavilion) #1 UCLA def. #8 Oklahoma State, 87-68	10 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Friday, March 27, 2026 - Sweet 16	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Sacramento 2 Region (Sacramento, Calif. - Golden 1 Center) #1 UCLA def. #4 Minnesota, 80-56	7:30 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Saturday, March 28, 2026 - Sweet 16	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Fort Worth 3 Region (Fort Worth, Texas - Dickies Arena) #2 Michigan def. #3 Louisville, 71-52	12:30 p.m.	ABC	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sunday, March 29, 2026 - Elite 8	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Sacramento 2 Region (Sacramento, Calif. - Golden 1 Center) #1 UCLA def. #3 Duke, 70-58	3 p.m.	ABC	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Monday, March 30, 2026 - Elite 8	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Fort Worth 3 Region (Fort Worth, Texas - Dickies Arena) #1 Texas def. #2 Michigan, 77-41	7 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Friday, April 3, 2026 - Final Four	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Phoenix, Ariz. - Mortgage Matchup Center #1 UCLA def. #1 Texas, 51-44	9:30 p.m.	ESPN	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sunday, April 5, 2026 - National Championship Game	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
Phoenix, Ariz. - Mortgage Matchup Center #1 UCLA def. #1 South Carolina, 79-51	3:30 p.m.	ABC	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score

2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball WBIT Schedule

Thursday, March 19, 2026 - First Round	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
at Corvallis, Ore. (Gill Coliseum) Wisconsin def. Oregon State, 62-58	9 p.m.	ESPN+	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Sunday, March 22, 2026 - Second Round	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
at Coral Gables, Fla. (Watsco Center) Wisconsin def. Miami (Fla.), 72-65	12 p.m.	ESPN+	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Thursday, March 26, 2026 - Quarterfinals	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
at Madison, Wis. (Kohl Center) Wisconsin def. Harvard, 64-61 (OT)	7:30 p.m.	ESPN+	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score
Monday, March 30, 2026 - Semifinals	Time (ET)	Watch	Links
at Wichita, Kan. (Charles Koch Arena) Columbia def. Wisconsin, 67-50	2:30 p.m.	ESPNU	Live Stats \| Recap \| Box Score

Carla Berube Named Northwestern Head Women’s Basketball Coach

Northwestern Athletics — Thu, 26 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Central - March 25

Unknown — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results
Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics
NCAA NET Rankings | National Top 25 Polls (March 16-17)

Big Ten Weekly Release - March 25 | 2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Postseason Central

Big Ten. Big News.

Four Big Ten Conference programs are still in the midst of postseason play as the second week tips off Thursday with Wisconsin hosting Harvard in the quarterfinals of the WBIT at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
Wisconsin is on its first appearance in the WBIT, which is in its third year. The 32-team postseason single-elimination tournament has been dominated the Big Ten since its inception. Illinois won the inaugural event in 2024 for its first-ever postseason crown with a 71-57 victory over Villanova and Minnesota defeated Belmont, 75-63, to take home the title in 2025.
For the sixth consecutive year, the Big Ten Conference has sent at least two teams to the NCAA Sweet 16 as Michigan, Minnesota and UCLA are set to take part this year. The Big Ten tied a conference record with four Sweet 16 participants in 2021 and 2022 and has sent at least three teams to the third round on nine occasions (2003, 2004, 2005, 2009, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2025 and 2026).
The Big Ten set a new conference record with 11 teams reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The previous record (10) was set last season.
For the fifth time in the last six years, the Big Ten has collected double-digit wins in the NCAA Tournament and has set a conference record with 15 victories through the first two rounds (11 in 2004; 10 in 2005; 13 in 2023 and 2025).
Michigan is back in the Sweet 16 for the third time in program history under the guidance of head coach Kim Barnes Arico. The Wolverines, the No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth 3 Region, hosted the first two rounds at Crisler Center and topped Holy Cross and NC State. Michigan is seeking its first Elite Eight appearance since 2022.
Minnesota is headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time in 21 years and fourth time in program history. As the No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region, the Gophers earned the right to play at home in first two rounds and battled past Green Bay and Ole Miss at Williams Arena. Minnesota has only made one trip to the Elite Eight back in 2004.
UCLA is on its fourth consecutive trip to the Sweet 16 and seventh overall under head coach Cori Close. The Bruins, who earned a No. 1 seed, played host to the first two rounds at Pauley Pavilion as part of the Sacramento 2 Region and defeated Cal Baptist and Oklahoma State. A victory would push UCLA through to the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons.
USC rookie Jazzy Davidson won the 2026 Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Year Award on Wednesday, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association announced. She is the second Trojan in program history to earn the honor, joining teammate JuJu Watkins (2024). Davidson wrapped the season leading USC outright in every major statistical category including points (17.9), rebounds (5.6), assists (4.1), steals (2.0) and blocks per game (2.0), making her the only Division I player to accomplish that feat this year. The guard joins Watkins, Sarah Strong, Maya Moore, Cheryl Miller, and Candace Parker as the only freshmen in women's college basketball history to record 500+ points, 150+ rebounds, 100+ assists, 50+ steals and 50+ blocks. Davidson was also chosen as The Athletic’s National Freshman of the Year on March 6.
UCLA’s Lauren Betts was named as a finalist for the 2026 Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s Player of the Year and 2026 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Awards, the Atlanta Tipoff Club announced Wednesday. Betts repeated as an Associated Press First Team All-American, the first Bruin to earn the honor in consecutive seasons, and is averaging 16.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
Bruin head coach Cori Close was selected as a finalist for the 2026 Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year Award on Wednesday. The 2026 Big Ten Coach of the Year has guided UCLA to the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles and a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Close, who received the award in 2025, led the Bruins to a perfect 18-0 record in conference play as the fourth team in Big Ten history to go unbeaten in league action.
Penn State welcomed back four-year letterwinner Tanisha Wright as the seventh head coach of the Lady Lion basketball program. Wright returns to Happy Valley following a five-year stint coaching in the WNBA, including three seasons as the head coach for the Atlanta Dream. This will be the first NCAA head coaching role for the 19-year WNBA veteran.
Rutgers hired Gary Redus II to lead the Scarlet Knights’ women’s basketball program. Redus is stepping into his first head coaching position after serving as an assistant coach at LSU for the past four seasons, which included the program’s first national championship in 2023.
For the 25th consecutive season (not counting the 2019-20 campaign that ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the Big Ten sent at least eight of its women's basketball programs into postseason play. Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington were selected for the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin has been representing the conference in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
For the second time in conference history, 12 programs earned their way into the NCAA Tournament, led by No. 2 overall seed UCLA. The 12 berths were the top mark among all Division I conferences, followed by the SEC (10), ACC (9) and Big 12 (8).
The 12 selections tied the conference record for most teams chosen in one season, which was set during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It is the 21st time in the past 25 years and 28th time in Big Ten history that at least six current conference members have been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Ten has now had at least four of its schools selected for NCAA Tournament action every year since 1986. Current Big Ten programs have advanced to the NCAA Women’s Final Four 23 times (most recently by UCLA in 2025) and have won four national championships (USC – 1983, 1984; Purdue – 1999; Maryland – 2006).
Top-seeded UCLA won its second straight Big Ten Conference Tournament title with a 96-45 victory over second-seeded Iowa. For the first time in program history, the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament crowns after earning their first Big Ten Tournament Championship a season ago. The 51-point margin of victory broke the record for the largest in a Big Ten Tournament Final as the previous record was Iowa’s 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. The Bruins shot 63.5 percent (40-for-63), the highest field goal percentage by a team in any Big Ten Tournament game. UCLA also set the record for assists in any Big Ten Tournament game with 34 helpers and tied the record for most steals in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game with 15.
UCLA’s Kiki Rice was named the Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament after averaging 16.6 points and 5.3 assists over three games. Rice was joined on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team by teammate Lauren Betts, Ohio State’s Chance Gray and Iowa’s Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke.
UCLA captured the 2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship outright for the first time in program history. The Bruins finished the regular season undefeated on their home court for the first time since their 2016-17 campaign and wrapped up their conference slate with a perfect 18-0 record. UCLA was just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play – Ohio State (1985), Purdue (1999) and Maryland (2015).
HISTORY. MADE. The Big Ten is the first conference to ever have nine teams ranked in three different Associated Press (AP) polls in a single season – Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. The Big Ten has had nine programs ranked in the AP poll four times, first achieved on Dec. 2, 2024, and is the only conference to have nine ranked teams since 1996.
The Big Ten had a 170-33 (.837) combined record in non-conference play this season, which ranked second behind the SEC (197-24, .891) and ahead of the Big 12 (156-39, .800) and ACC (144-72, .667).
Big Ten Conference Deputy Commissioner and Michigan women’s basketball great Diane Dietz was honored Jan. 11 with the lifting of her No. 21 jersey into the rafters at the Crisler Center. Dietz, who competed in Maize and Blue from 1979-82, was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, a record that stood for more than 30 years. She still ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 2,076 points, a feat she achieved before the addition of the three-point line to the women’s game. Dietz is also second all-time in 30-point games (11) and in field goals made (940) and is only one of two players with at least 900 makes. She graduated as the Wolverines’ all-time leader in steals (229), a mark that currently ranks fourth in program history. Dietz was also a standout in the classroom and is one of only two Michigan student-athletes to have been inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2009). The three-time Academic All-American was the first female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1982, which is considered the most prestigious honor a Big Ten student-athlete can receive. Dietz was inducted into the Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame after her induction in 2019.
The 2025-26 season was the final ride for storied Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown, who announced on March 24, 2025, that he intended to retire at the conclusion of the season. McKeown is the longest-tenured and winningest head women’s basketball coach in Northwestern history. This was his 18th season in Evanston and his 40th season overall as a head coach.

USC's Jazzy Davidson Named USBWA Tamika Catchings National Freshman Player of the Year

USC Athletics — Wed, 25 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Alumna Tanisha Wright Named Lady Lion Basketball Coach

Penn State Athletics — Thu, 19 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Central - March 18

Unknown — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results
Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics
NCAA NET Rankings | National Top 25 Polls (March 16-17)

Big Ten Weekly Release - March 18 | 2026 Big Ten Women's Basketball Postseason Central

Big Ten. Big News.

For the 25th consecutive season (not counting the 2019-20 campaign that ended prematurely due to the COVID-19 pandemic), the Big Ten is sending at least eight of its women's basketball programs to postseason play. Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington will compete in the NCAA Tournament. Wisconsin will represent the conference in the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT).
For the second time in conference history, 12 programs earned their way into the NCAA Tournament, led by No. 2 overall seed UCLA. The 12 berths were the top mark among all Division I conferences, followed by the SEC (10), ACC (9) and Big 12 (8).
This marks the fifth time a Big Ten program has garnered a No. 1 seed for the NCAA Tournament in the last four years. UCLA was the overall No. 1 seed a season ago and reached the program’s first-ever NCAA Final Four.
The 12 selections tied the conference record for most teams chosen in one season, which was set during the 2025 NCAA Tournament. It is the 21st time in the past 25 years and 28th time in Big Ten history that at least six current conference members have been selected to compete in the NCAA Tournament.
The Big Ten has now had at least four of its schools selected for NCAA Tournament action every year since 1986. Current Big Ten programs have advanced to the NCAA Women’s Final Four 23 times (most recently by UCLA in 2025) and have won four national championships (USC – 1983, 1984; Purdue – 1999; Maryland – 2006).
Maryland leads all current Big Ten schools in NCAA Tournament appearances, with the Terrapins competing for the 33rd time this year. They are followed by Iowa (32nd appearance this year), while Ohio State earned its 30th NCAA bid this year, good for third-most among conference members.
Minnesota is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and will be hosting its first games since 2005.
Wisconsin is making its first appearance in the WBIT, which is in its third year. The 32-team postseason single-elimination tournament has been dominated the Big Ten since its inception. Illinois won the inaugural event in 2024 for its first-ever postseason crown with a 71-57 victory over Villanova and Minnesota defeated Belmont, 75-63, to take home the title in 2025.
The Associated Press (AP) and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) unveiled their All-America Teams. UCLA’s Lauren Betts received first-team honors and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge made the second team. Michigan’s Olivia Olson and UCLA’s Kiki Rice earned spots on the third team. Indiana’s Shay Ciezki, USC’s Jazzy Davidson and Iowa’s Ava Heiden were honorable mentions for the USBWA, while Davidson, Heiden, UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens and Maryland’s Oluchi Okananwa were honorable mentions by the AP.
Ohio State guard Jaloni Cambridge was tabbed as one of five finalists for the Dawn Staley Award (March 12). The award is given to a player that exemplifies the skills that Staley possessed throughout her career, ball handling, scoring, her ability to distribute the basketball and her will to win.
USC rookie Jazzy Davidson was named National Freshman of the Year by The Athletic on March 6, just the second Trojan to earn the award (JuJu Watkins, 2024). She wrapped the regular season leading USC outright in every major statistical category including points (17.9), rebounds (5.9), assists (4.3), steals (2.0) and blocks per game (2.1), making her the only Division I player to accomplish that feat this year.
The Big Ten Conference has multiple finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame positional awards. UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens is a finalist for the Ann Meyers Drysdale Shooting Guard of the Year Award, while teammate Lauren Betts is in the running for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award. Michigan’s Olivia Olson and UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez are both finalists for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award.
The Athletic (March 5) and ESPN (March 11) announced their All-America Teams, which featured the same trio of athletes from the Big Ten. UCLA’s Lauren Betts was a first team selection, while Michigan’s Olivia Olson and Ohio State’s Jaloni Cambridge were second team honorees for both outlets.
Top-seeded UCLA won its second straight Big Ten Conference Tournament title with a 96-45 victory over second-seeded Iowa. For the first time in program history, the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament crowns after earning their first Big Ten Tournament Championship a season ago. The 51-point margin of victory broke the record for the largest in a Big Ten Tournament Final as the previous record was Iowa’s 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. The Bruins shot 63.5 percent (40-for-63), the highest field goal percentage by a team in any Big Ten Tournament game. UCLA also set the record for assists in any Big Ten Tournament game with 34 helpers and tied the record for most steals in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game with 15.
UCLA’s Kiki Rice was named the Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player of the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament after averaging 16.6 points and 5.3 assists over three games. Rice was joined on the Big Ten All-Tournament Team by teammate Lauren Betts, Ohio State’s Chance Gray and Iowa’s Ava Heiden and Hannah Stuelke.
This week’s Associated Press (AP) poll featured seven teams from the Big Ten. UCLA held steady at No. 2 and was joined by No. 7 Iowa, No. 9 Michigan, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 17 Maryland, No. 18 Minnesota and No. 20 Michigan State. Oregon and Illinois received votes.
The same seven programs made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 poll – No. 2 UCLA, No. 7 Iowa, No. 8 Michigan, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 16 Maryland, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 19 Minnesota. Illinois garnered votes.
UCLA captured the 2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship outright for the first time in program history. The Bruins finished the regular season undefeated on their home court for the first time since their 2016-17 campaign and wrapped up their conference slate with a perfect 18-0 record. UCLA was just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play – Ohio State (1985), Purdue (1999) and Maryland (2015).
HISTORY. MADE. The Big Ten is the first conference to ever have nine teams ranked in three different Associated Press (AP) polls in a single season – Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. The Big Ten has had nine programs ranked in the AP poll four times, first achieved on Dec. 2, 2024, and is the only conference to have nine ranked teams since 1996.
The Big Ten had a 170-33 (.837) combined record in non-conference play this season, which ranked second behind the SEC (197-24, .891) and ahead of the Big 12 (156-39, .800) and ACC (144-72, .667).
Big Ten Conference Deputy Commissioner and Michigan women’s basketball great Diane Dietz was honored Jan. 11 with the lifting of her No. 21 jersey into the rafters at the Crisler Center. Dietz, who competed in Maize and Blue from 1979-82, was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, a record that stood for more than 30 years. She still ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 2,076 points, a feat she achieved before the addition of the three-point line to the women’s game. Dietz is also second all-time in 30-point games (11) and in field goals made (940) and is only one of two players with at least 900 makes. She graduated as the Wolverines’ all-time leader in steals (229), a mark that currently ranks fourth in program history. Dietz was also a standout in the classroom and is one of only two Michigan student-athletes to have been inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2009). The three-time Academic All-American was the first female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1982, which is considered the most prestigious honor a Big Ten student-athlete can receive. Dietz was inducted into the Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame after her induction in 2019.
The 2025-26 season was the final ride for storied Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown, who announced on March 24, 2025, that he intended to retire at the conclusion of the season. McKeown is the longest-tenured and winningest head women’s basketball coach in Northwestern history. This was his 18th season in Evanston and his 40th season overall as a head coach.

Big Ten Recognizes Winter Academic All-Big Ten Honorees

Unknown — Wed, 18 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. - The Big Ten Conference recognized a total of 1,127 students on winter sports rosters who have been named to the Academic All-Big Ten Team Wednesday.

The list of honorees includes 83 men’s and 119 women’s basketball students, 98 men’s ice hockey students, 59 men’s and 146 women’s gymnastics students, 154 men’s and 251 women’s swim and dive students, and 217 wrestling students.

To be eligible for Academic All-Big Ten selection, students must be on a varsity team (as verified by being on the official squad list as of March 1 for fall sports), have been enrolled full time at the institution for a minimum of 12 months and carry a cumulative grade-point average of 3.0 or higher.

Among the winter Academic All-Big Ten honorees, 30 had unblemished GPAs:

Men’s Basketball
Jacob Koch, Iowa, Sophomore, Business Direct Administration, Iowa City, Iowa

Women’s Basketball
Emma Shumate, Michigan State, Senior, Sustainable Parks, Recreation & Tourism, Dresden Ohio
Sammy White, Northwestern, Graduate Student, Sports Communication Cert, Timonium, Md.

Men’s Gymnastics
Jax Washburn, Illinois, Sophomore, Community Health, Portland, Ore.
Kellen Ryan, Penn State, Graduate Student, Engineering, Janesville, Wis.

Women’s Gymnastics
Chloe Cho, Illinois, Sophomore, Interdisciplinary Health Sciences, Santa Clarita, Calif.
Aurelie Tran, Iowa, Sophomore, Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Repentigny, Quebec, Canada
Kaia Vanney, Iowa, Senior, Interdepartmental Studies, Redondo Beach, Calif.
Eva Volpe, Iowa, Junior, Public Health, Pearland, Texas
Sarah Moraw, Minnesota, Graduate Student, Human Rsrc/Indus Rel M H R I R, Holland, Mich.
Megan Steensland, Minnesota, Graduate Student, Sport Management M Ed, Chaska, Minn.
Mika Webster-Longin, UCLA, Sophomore, History, Richmond, Calif.

Men’s Swim and Dive
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, Graduate Student, Social Work, Warren, Mich.
Joe Polyak, Minnesota, Junior, Biochemistry B S, Iowa City, Iowa

Women’s Swim and Dive
Mary Kate Cavanaugh, Indiana, Sophomore, Finance, Longmont, Colo.
Brady kendall, Michigan, Graduate Student, Pharmacy PharmD, Canton, Mich.
Letitia Sim, Michigan, Senior, Applied Exercise Science, Spanish Fort, Ala.
Jade Roghair, Minnesota, Senior, Neuroscience B S, Iowa City, Iowa
Rachel Bockrath, Ohio State, Sophomore, Biology, Wilmington, Del.
Delia Lloyd, Ohio State, Sophomore, Biology, Toronto, Canada
Caroline Frazier, Purdue, Sophomore, Environmental & Ecological Engineering, Spring, Texas
Elena Dry, UCLA, Junior, Molecular, Cell and Development Biology, Raleigh, N.C.

Wrestling
Dylan Connell, Illinois, Graduate, MS: Management, Marengo, Ill.
Charlie Fifield, Illinois, Graduate, MS: Management, Rolling Meadows, Ill.
Taye Ghadiali, Michigan, Graduate Student, Social Work, Warren, Mich.
Andy Hampton, Michigan State, RS-Senior, Media Analytics, Rochester, Mich.
Drew Roberts, Minnesota, RS-Senior, Non Degree, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
Lucas Cochran, Penn State, Graduate Student, Real Estate Law & Valuation, Perry, Utah
Patrick Adams, Rutgers, Graduate Student, Labor Studies and Employment Relations, Old Bridge, N.J.
Cale Anderson, Wisconsin, Graduate Student, M.S. Kinesiology, Viroqua, Wis.

Wisconsin Chosen for 2026 WBIT Field

Unknown — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Wisconsin will represent the Big Ten Conference after being selected to participate in the 32-team Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), which is in its third year. The Badgers are making their first appearance in the event and earned a No. 3 seed.

Wisconsin is unable to host due to facility conflicts and will travel to face Oregon State on Thursday. The selection marks the Badgers’ first postseason appearance since the 2023-24 campaign when they competed in the WNIT.

The Big Ten Conference has dominated the WBIT, having claimed every championship title. Illinois won the inaugural event in 2024 for its first-ever postseason crown with a 71-57 victory over Villanova. Minnesota defeated Belmont, 75-63, to take home the title in 2025.

WBIT games will be played March 19 (first round), March 22 (second round) and March 26 (quarterfinals), with the highest-seeded teams hosting games. The WBIT semifinals and championship game will be played March 30 and April 1 at Charles Koch Arena in Wichita, Kan. ESPN will broadcast all WBIT games, with the preliminary rounds held on ESPN+. The semifinals will air on ESPNU and the championship game will air on ESPN2 at 7 p.m. ET.

Game times will be announced at a later date.

Big Ten Conference Ties Record with 12 Programs Headed to the 2026 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament

Unknown — Mon, 16 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – For the second year in a row, a record-tying 12 Big Ten Conference schools received berths into the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship, the NCAA announced Sunday night.

For the second time in conference history, 12 programs earned their way into the NCAA Tournament, led by No. 2 overall seed UCLA. The 12 berths were the top mark among all Division I conferences, followed by the SEC (10), ACC (9) and Big 12 (8).

The First Four will be played Wednesday-Thursday (March 18-19) at four of the top 16 host sites, with the first-and second-round games being played on the campuses of the top 16 seeds from March 20-23. Tournament play then shifts to two eight-team regional sites in Fort Worth, Texas and Sacramento, Calif., from March 27-30. The four regional winners will advance to the NCAA Final Four, which will take place April 3 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Ariz., before the NCAA Championship Game on Sunday, April 5.

The 2026 NCAA Tournament will be televised live on the ESPN family of networks and can also be seen on the ESPN app.

For second time in as many years, UCLA is the Big Ten’s automatic qualifier into the NCAA Tournament after the Bruins won their second straight Big Ten Tournament title. UCLA is a No. 1 seed and earned a spot in the Sacramento 2 Region. The Bruins will take on No. 16 seed Cal Baptist inside Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles on Saturday. UCLA, which made it to the NCAA Final Four for the first time in program history last year, is making its 21st entry into the NCAA Tournament and owns a 29-20 record in the postseason event.

Iowa will play host to the first and second rounds for the fourth time in the last five years. The Hawkeyes, who gained entry into their 32nd NCAA Tournament, secured the No. 2 seed in the Sacramento 4 Region. Iowa will host No. 15 seed Fairleigh Dickinson in the first round Saturday.

For the second time in program history, Michigan will host the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines garnered the No. 2 seed in the Fort Worth 3 Region as they embark on their 14th appearance. Michigan is slated to play No. 15 seed Holy Cross on Friday and has a 12-13 mark in the tournament.

Ohio State is making its 30th NCAA Tournament appearance after claiming the No. 3 seed in the Fort Worth 1 Region. The Buckeyes are set to host at the Schottenstein Center and challenge No. 14 seed Howard in the first round. With a win, Ohio State would take on No. 6 Notre Dame or No. 11 Fairfield. The Buckeyes have a 33-29 postseason record.

Minnesota is headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018 and will be hosting its first games since 2005. The Golden Gophers are making their 11th venture in the NCAA Tournament and has a 12-10 record. Minnesota earned the No. 4 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region and will prepare to welcome No. 13 seed Green Bay on Friday.

Maryland earned the No. 5 seed in the Fort Worth 1 Region and is heading into its 33rd overall and 16th straight NCAA Tournament appearance. The Terrapins will travel to Chapel Hill, N.C., and take on No. 12 seed Murray State on Friday.

Michigan State will make its way to Norman, Okla., as the No. 5 seed in the Sacramento 4 Region to meet No. 12 seed Colorado State. The Spartans are looking to improve on their 20-20 record as they embark on their 21st overall appearance.

Washington is making back-to-back showings in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since it made three straight trips from 2015-2017. The sixth-seeded Huskies, in their 21st appearance, are set to clash with No. 11 seed South Dakota State in Fort Worth, Texas. Washington is hoping to improve its 21-20 record and is part of the Sacramento 4 Region.

Illinois, the No. 7 seed in the Fort Worth 1 Region, begins its journey against No. 10 seed Colorado in Nashville, Tenn. The Fighting Illini are back in the NCAA Tournament for the 11th time and hold a 9-10 record in the event.

Oregon is in the NCAA Tournament for the 19th time in program history. The eighth-seeded Ducks will open action in Austin, Texas, in the Fort Worth 3 Region against No. 9 seed Virginia Tech. Oregon is 18-18 in tournament play.

USC claimed the No. 9 seed in the Sacramento 4 Region and will face No. 8 seed Clemson in Columbia, S.C. The Trojans are headed to their 20th NCAA Tournament and advanced to the Elite Eight the past two seasons with a 35-17 mark in tournament action.

Nebraska is heading to its 18th NCAA Tournament after notching the No. 11 seed in the Sacramento 2 Region as part of the First Four. The Huskers will see fellow No. 11 seed Richmond in Durham, N.C., on Wednesday as they look to build on their 9-17 tournament mark.

Game times will be announced in the coming days.

Rutgers Tabs Gary Redus II To Lead Women’s Basketball Program

Rutgers Athletics — Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

UCLA Wins 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament Crown

Unknown — Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – Top-seeded UCLA won its second straight Big Ten Conference Tournament title with a 96-45 victory over second-seeded Iowa on Sunday afternoon inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. For the first time in program history, the Bruins won back-to-back conference tournament crowns after earning their first Big Ten Tournament Championship a season ago. UCLA also eclipsed 30 wins for the second consecutive season (31-1).

The 51-point margin of victory broke the record for the largest in a Big Ten Tournament Final. The previous record was Iowa’s 33-point victory over Ohio State in 2023. The Bruins shot 63.5 percent (40-for-63), the highest field goal percentage by a team in any Big Ten Tournament game. UCLA also set the record for assists in any Big Ten Tournament game with 34 helpers and tied the record for most steals in the Big Ten Tournament Championship Game with 15.

With Sunday’s win, the Bruins clinched the Big Ten’s automatic berth into the 2026 NCAA Tournament. The full 68-team field for this year’s tournament will be announced Sunday, March 15 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

It was an all-around effort for UCLA as six players finished in double figures. Graduate student Gianna Kneepkens paced the Bruins with 19 points, followed by senior Kiki Rice with 15 points and a team-high eight assists. Rookie Sienna Betts chipped in 14 points while shooting a near perfect 7-for-8 from the floor and added seven rebounds.

Ava Heiden led the Hawkeyes with 15 points and four rebounds. Teammate Addie Deal tallied 11 points and three assists in the game.

For the second year in a row, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds met in the championship game. UCLA is the first top-seeded team to win the Big Ten Tournament since 2021.

Rice was chosen by the media as the tournament’s Jim and Kitty Delany Most Outstanding Player. Rice and Heiden were joined by UCLA’s Lauren Betts, Iowa’s Hannah Stuelke and Ohio State’s Chance Gray on the Big Ten’s All-Tournament Team.

The Athletic Selects USC’s Jazzy Davidson as National Freshman of the Year

Big Ten Communications — Fri, 06 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Central

Unknown — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

MARCH 4-8, 2026
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2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Schedule (all times EASTERN)

Wednesday, March 4, 2026 - First Round
3:30 p.m. ( Peacock )	#13 Indiana def. #12 Nebraska, 72-69	Nebraska Pre-Game Notes \| Indiana Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
25 min. after Game 1 ( Peacock )	#10 Illinois def. #15 Wisconsin, 82-70	Illinois Pre-Game Notes \| Wisconsin Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
25 min. after Game 2 ( Peacock )	#11 Oregon def. #14 Purdue, 82-64	Oregon Pre-Game Notes \| Purdue Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
Thursday, March 5, 2026 - Second Round
12 p.m. ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#8 Washington def. #9 USC, 76-64	USC Pre-Game Notes \| Washington Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
25 min. after Game 4 ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#5 Ohio State def. #13 Indiana, 83-59	Ohio State Pre-Game Notes \| Indiana Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
6:30 p.m. ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#10 Illinois def. #7 Michigan State, 71-69	Michigan State Pre-Game Notes \| Illinois Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
25 min. after Game 6 ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#11 Oregon def. #6 Maryland, 73-68	Maryland Pre-Game Notes \| Oregon Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
Friday, March 6, 2026 - Quarterfinals
12 p.m. ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#1 UCLA def. #8 Washington, 78-60	UCLA Pre-Game Notes \| Washington Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
25 min. after Game 8 ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#5 Ohio State def. #4 Minnesota, 60-55	Minnesota Pre-Game Notes \| Ohio State Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
6:30 p.m. ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#2 Iowa def. #10 Illinois, 64-58	Iowa Pre-Game Notes \| Illinois Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
25 min. after Game 10 ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#3 Michigan def. #11 Oregon, 80-58	Michigan Pre-Game Notes \| Oregon Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
Saturday, March 7, 2026 - Semifinals
2 p.m. ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#1 UCLA def. #5 Ohio State, 72-62	UCLA Pre-Game Notes \| Ohio State Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
4:30 p.m. ( BTN/FOX Sports App )	#2 Iowa def. #3 Michigan, 59-42	Iowa Pre-Game Notes \| Michigan Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes
Sunday, March 8, 2026 - Championship Game
2:15 p.m. ( CBS/Paramount+ )	#1 UCLA def. #2 Iowa, 96-45	UCLA Pre-Game Notes \| Iowa Pre-Game Notes \| Live Stats \| Box Score \| Recap \| Post-Game Quotes \| Post-Game Notes \| All-Tournament Team

–

2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Tips Off Wednesday

Unknown — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results
Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | National Top 25 Polls (March 2-3)

Big Ten Weekly Release - March 4

Big Ten. Big News.

The Big Ten Conference announced the full bracket for the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will take place March 4-8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Single-session tickets are still on sale and available for $23.50 to $54.45, depending on the session (prices are inclusive of all Ticketmaster and facility fees). All seating is reserved for the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. Fans are encouraged to visit the official Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament website (bigten.org/WBBT) and follow Big Ten Women’s Basketball on X (@B1GWBBall) for more information on the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament.
All 14 games of this year’s Big Ten Tournament will be broadcast live to a national audience, starting with the opening round being streamed on Peacock. The Big Ten Network (and the FOX Sports app) will broadcast the second round through semifinal games from Thursday to Saturday. The championship game on Sunday, March 8 will tip off at 2:15 p.m. ET on CBS and will be the third time the network has carried the title game.
UCLA captured the 2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship outright for the first time in program history after defeating Wisconsin, 80-60. The Bruins finished the regular season undefeated on their home court for the first time since their 2016-17 campaign.
UCLA finished its conference slate with a perfect 18-0 record to lock in the No. 1 seed for the Big Ten Tournament. The Bruins are just the fourth team in Big Ten history to go undefeated in conference play – Ohio State (1985), Purdue (1999) and Maryland (2015).
The NCAA had its final top 16 reveal on Sunday, which included seven Big Ten teams. UCLA was tabbed as the overall No. 2 seed, while No. 6 Iowa and No. 8 Michigan rounded out the top 10. Maryland came in at No. 13, followed by No. 14 Michigan State, No. 15 Minnesota and No. 16 Ohio State. The Hawkeyes and Wolverines are projected to be 2-seeds, while the Terrapins, Spartans, Golden Gophers and Buckeyes are projected 4-seeds.
The Big Ten Conference announced its 2025-26 women’s basketball all-conference teams and individual award recipients Tuesday live on the Big Ten Network’s “B1G Today” show. UCLA senior center Lauren Betts pulled double duty after being selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by both the conference coaches and a select panel of Big Ten media members. USC guard Jazzy Davidson was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while UCLA graduate forward Angela Dugalić garnered Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year laurels. UCLA’s Cori Close was tabbed as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.
This week’s Associated Press (AP) poll featured seven teams from the Big Ten. UCLA held steady at No. 2 and was joined by No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 19 Minnesota. Washington and Illinois received votes.
The same seven programs made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 poll – No. 2 UCLA, No. 7 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 13 Maryland, No. 17 Michigan State and No. 20 Minnesota. Washington garnered votes.
The Big Ten currently leads all Division I conferences in assists (16.6 apg), field goal percentage (.454), three-point field goal percentage (.344) and free throw percentage (.740), while ranking second in scoring (75.4 ppg).
Through games on March 2, the Big Ten boasts nine teams in the top 25 and 12 in the top 50 of the NCAA’s NET Rankings, the top marks among all conferences. UCLA paces the Big Ten contingent at No. 2, followed by No. 6 Michigan, No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 Iowa, No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Michigan State, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 22 USC, No. 25 Nebraska, No. 26 Oregon, No. 28 Washington and No. 32 Illinois.
Through Tuesday’s contests, Big Ten teams have combined to win 74 Quad 1 games, the most among Division I conferences, with 12 teams posting at least two Quad 1 wins. UCLA leads the country with 14 Quad 1 victories and the Big Ten is the only conference that has seven teams with at least five Quad 1 wins.
Every day is a battle as the Big Ten has 14 teams in the top 25 for NET strength of schedule – UCLA (1st), USC (2nd), Michigan (5th), Iowa (6th), Penn State (8th), Ohio State (11th), Wisconsin (12th), Northwestern (13th), Michigan State (15th), Rutgers (16th), Nebraska (17th), Washington (19th), Purdue (21st) and Minnesota (25th).
Illinois leads the country shooting 81.6 percent from the free throw line. UCLA ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (1.72), assists per game (22.1), field goal percentage (.510) and rebound margin (15.8).
Offensive production continues to be the calling card of the Big Ten Conference. The league has eight teams ranked in the top 25 in field goal percentage – UCLA (2nd – .510), Iowa (6th – .498), Michigan State (11th – .482), Nebraska (12th – .478), Michigan (14th – .477), Indiana (15th – .474), Ohio State (23rd – .462) and Penn State (24th – .461).
Sharing the rock comes naturally for the Big Ten with seven teams featured in the top 25 rankings for assists per game, including five in the top 15 – UCLA (2nd – 22.1), Iowa (3rd – 21.2), Michigan State (10th – 18.4), Nebraska (12th – 18.3), Ohio State (13th – 18.1), Michigan (17th – 17.6) and Northwestern (19th – 17.5).
The Big Ten has consistently ranked among the top three conferences in women’s basketball attendance for the past three decades and that trend has continued into the 2025-26 season. Currently, 15 Big Ten schools rank among the top 40 in the nation in average attendance, including 10 in the top 25, with both figures leading all Division I conferences. Iowa is second nationally in attendance (14,998 fans per game), followed by Indiana (9th – 7,866), Maryland (10th – 7,213), Ohio State (12th – 5,930), Illinois (14th – 5,766), Nebraska (15th – 5,701), UCLA (18th – 5,320), Purdue (20th – 5,125), Oregon (22nd – 5,066) and USC (23rd – 4,750).
HISTORY. MADE. The Big Ten is the first conference to ever have nine teams ranked in three different Associated Press (AP) polls in a single season – Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. The Big Ten has had nine programs ranked in the AP poll four times, first achieved on Dec. 2, 2024, and is the only conference to have nine ranked teams since 1996.
The Big Ten had a 170-33 (.837) combined record in non-conference play this season, which ranked second behind the SEC (197-24, .891) and ahead of the Big 12 (156-39, .800) and ACC (144-72, .667).
Big Ten Conference Deputy Commissioner and Michigan women’s basketball great Diane Dietz was honored Jan. 11 with the lifting of her No. 21 jersey into the rafters at the Crisler Center. Dietz, who competed in Maize and Blue from 1979-82, was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, a record that stood for more than 30 years. She still ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 2,076 points, a feat she achieved before the addition of the three-point line to the women’s game. Dietz is also second all-time in 30-point games (11) and in field goals made (940) and is only one of two players with at least 900 makes. She graduated as the Wolverines’ all-time leader in steals (229), a mark that currently ranks fourth in program history. Dietz was also a standout in the classroom and is one of only two Michigan student-athletes to have been inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2009). The three-time Academic All-American was the first female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1982, which is considered the most prestigious honor a Big Ten student-athlete can receive. Dietz was inducted into the Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame after her induction in 2019.
The 2025-26 season will be the final ride for storied Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown, who announced on March 24 that he intends to retire at the conclusion of season. McKeown is the longest-tenured and winningest head women’s basketball coach in Northwestern history. This is his 18th season in Evanston and his 40th season overall as a head coach.
Each Big Ten institution played an 18-game conference schedule for the seventh time in eight seasons. During the conference season, each program played one school both home and away, while facing 16 teams once. Of the single-play opponents, institutions faced eight at home and eight on the road.

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Postseason Honors Announced

Unknown — Tue, 03 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced its 2025-26 women’s basketball all-conference teams and individual award recipients Tuesday live on the Big Ten Network’s “B1G Today” show.

UCLA senior center Lauren Betts pulled double duty after being selected as the Big Ten Player of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year by both the conference coaches and a select panel of Big Ten media members. USC guard Jazzy Davidson was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Year, while UCLA graduate forward Angela Dugalić garnered Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year laurels. UCLA’s Cori Close was tabbed as the Big Ten Coach of the Year.

Betts, who is included on various watch lists for national player of the year awards, repeated as the conference’s defensive player of the year after earning her first postseason accolade last year. The senior helped the Bruins capture their first-ever Big Ten regular-season title with a perfect 18-0 record. Betts earned her first Big Ten Player of the Year nod after averaging a team-leading 16.7 points while shooting 56.8 percent from the field and 8.6 rebounds per game. She is also second in the league with 11 double-double performances this season.

Davidson is the first Trojan to be named Big Ten Freshman of the Year. She was voted Big Ten Freshman of the Week seven times and was the USBWA National Tamika Catchings Freshman of the Week on four occasions. Davidson is the only Division I player this season leading their team in points per game (17.9), rebounds per game (5.9), assists per game (4.3), blocks per game (2.0) and steals per game (2.0).

For the second year in a row, the Big Ten Sixth Player of the Year is a Bruin. Dugalić appeared in 28 games for UCLA this season, averaging 9.1 points and 5.2 rebounds. The Des Plaines, Ill., native is shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 81.1 percent from the charity stripe.

After sweeping the national coach of the year awards a season ago, Close received her first accolade from the Big Ten Conference this year. Under her guidance, UCLA became the fourth program in Big Ten history to be undefeated in conference play, joining Ohio State (1985), Purdue (1999) and Maryland (2015). She has led the Bruins to a 28-1 overall record and the No. 1 seed in the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. Close has steered her team to 10 wins over ranked opponents and a No. 2 ranking in the national polls. The Bruins also own 14 Quad 1 wins in the NCAA NET Rankings, the top mark in the country, while standing second in assists/turnover ratio (1.72), assists per game (22.1), field goal percentage (.510) and rebounding margin (15.8). Close is also on the watch list for Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year.

Betts, Davidson, Illinois sophomore forward Berry Wallace, Iowa sophomore center Ava Heiden, Michigan sophomore guard Olivia Olson, Ohio State sophomore guard Jaloni Cambridge, UCLA senior guard Kiki Rice and Washington junior guard Sayvia Sellers were unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selections by the coaches, while Betts, Davidson, Cambridge and Rice were unanimous honorees by the media.

The Big Ten also recognized 18 Sportsmanship Award recipients in the sport of women’s basketball on Tuesday, one from each conference institution. The students chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These students must be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

The complete list of all-conference honorees and individual award winners is below.

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Big Ten coaches

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts, UCLA

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts, UCLA

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jazzy Davidson, USC

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Angela Dugalić, UCLA

COACH OF THE YEAR
Cori Close, UCLA

FIRST TEAM
BERRY WALLACE, ILLINOIS
AVA HEIDEN, IOWA
Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland
OLIVIA OLSON, MICHIGAN
Syla Swords, Michigan
JALONI CAMBRIDGE, OHIO STATE
LAUREN BETTS, UCLA
KIKI RICE, UCLA
JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC
SAYVIA SELLERS, WASHINGTON

SECOND TEAM
SHAY CIEZKI, INDIANA
Hannah Stuelke, Iowa
Kennedy Blair, Michigan State
GRACE VANSLOOTEN, MICHIGAN STATE
Grace Grocholski, Minnesota
Tori McKinney, Minnesota
BRITT PRINCE, NEBRASKA
Katie Fiso, Oregon
Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA
Kara Dunn, USC

THIRD TEAM
Chit-Chat Wright, Iowa
Yarden Garzon, Maryland
Amaya Battle, Minnesota
Grace Sullivan, Northwestern
Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State

HONORABLE MENTION*
Cearah Parchment, Illinois
Mila Holloway, Michigan
Mara Braun, Minnesota
Chance Gray, Ohio State
Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA
Avery Howell, Washington

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM*
Kylie Feuerbach, Iowa
Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland
Brooke Quarles Daniels, Michigan
Amaya Battle, Minnesota
Tori McKinney, Minnesota
Kennedy Cambridge, Ohio State
LAUREN BETTS, UCLA
Kiki Rice, UCLA
Jazzy Davidson, USC
Kennedy Smith, USC

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
DESTINY JACKSON, ILLINOIS
CEARAH PARCHMENT, ILLINOIS
Maya Makalusky, Indiana
Addie Deal, Iowa
Addi Mack, Maryland
Sienna Betts, UCLA
JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC
BRYNN MCGAUGHY, WASHINGTON

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Honors
As selected by Big Ten media

PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts, UCLA

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Lauren Betts, UCLA

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Jazzy Davidson, USC

SIXTH PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Angela Dugalić, UCLA

COACH OF THE YEAR
Cori Close, UCLA

FIRST TEAM
Shay Ciezki, Indiana
Ava Heiden, Iowa
Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland
Olivia Olson, Michigan
Syla Swords, Michigan
Britt Prince, Nebraska
JALONI CAMBRIDGE, OHIO STATE
LAUREN BETTS, UCLA
KIKI RICE, UCLA
JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC

SECOND TEAM
Berry Wallace, Illinois
Hannah Stuelke, Iowa
Kennedy Blair, Michigan State
Grace VanSlooten, Michigan State
Grace Grocholski, Minnesota
Grace Sullivan, Northwestern
Kiyomi McMiller, Penn State
Gabriela Jaquez, UCLA
Gianna Kneepkens, UCLA
Sayvia Sellers, Washington

THIRD TEAM
Amaya Battle, Minnesota
Tori McKinney, Minnesota
Katie Fiso, Oregon
Gracie Merkle, Penn State
Kara Dunn, USC

HONORABLE MENTION
Cearah Parchment, Illinois
Chit-Chat Wright, Iowa
Yarden Garzon, Maryland
Chance Gray, Ohio State
Avery Howell, Washington

ALL-DEFENSIVE TEAM
Kylie Feuerbach, Iowa
Oluchi Okananwa, Maryland
Brooke Quarles Daniels, Michigan
Rashunda Jones, Michigan State
Kennedy Cambridge, Ohio State
Elsa Lemmilä, Ohio State
Lauren Betts, UCLA
Jazzy Davidson, USC

ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Destiny Jackson, Illinois
Cearah Parchment, Illinois
Maya Makalusky, Indiana
Addi Mack, Maryland
Kylee Kitts, Ohio State
Sienna Betts, UCLA
JAZZY DAVIDSON, USC
Brynn McGaughy, Washington

UNANIMOUS SELECTIONS IN ALL CAPS
* Additional players due to tie in voting

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Sportsmanship Honorees
Gisela Segura, Gr., Illinois
Lenée Beaumont, R-So., Indiana
Taylor McCabe, Sr., Iowa
Saylor Poffenbarger, R-Sr., Maryland
Alyssa Crockett, Sr., Michigan
Emma Shumate, Sr., Michigan State
Sophie Hart, Gr., Minnesota
Callin Hake, Sr., Nebraska
Lauren Trumpy, Sr., Northwestern
Chance Gray, Sr., Ohio State
Sofia Bell, Jr., Oregon
Vitória Santana, Sr., Penn State
Madison Layden-Zay, 5th-Yr., Purdue
Kaylah Ivey, Gr., Rutgers
Charlisse Leger-Walker, Gr., UCLA
Brooklyn Shamblin, So., USC
Elle Ladine, Sr., Washington
Shay Bollin, Gr., Wisconsin

Michigan and Indiana Score Big Ten Weekly Women’s Basketball Honors

Unknown — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Olivia Olson, Michigan
So. – Guard – New Hope, Minn. – Benilde St. Margaret’s
• Led Michigan to wins over No. 13 Ohio State and No. 14 Maryland
• Scored a career-high 31 points, including the game-winning layup with less than three seconds remaining in overtime against the Buckeyes
• Was 12-for-24 from the floor while recording nine rebounds, four assists and a steal in 40 minutes of action at Ohio State
• Had 28 points on 11-for-18 shooting with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals versus the Terps
• Claims her second Big Ten Player of the Week recognition
• Last Michigan Player of the Week: Olivia Olson (Feb. 16, 2026)

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Ava Heiden, IOWA: Shot 72.4 percent from the field to average 22.0 points in a pair of Hawkeye victories
Jaloni Cambridge, OSU: Totaled 27.5 points, 6.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the Buckeyes’ 1-1 week
Sayvia Sellers, WASH: Put up 29 points, five rebounds and five assists in a win over Oregon

Freshman of the Week
Maya Makalusky, Indiana
Forward – Fishers, Ind. – Hamilton Southeastern
• Added 19 points, including four three-pointers, in a win at Rutgers to go along with four rebounds
• Contributed 15 points and five rebounds in the Hoosiers’ triumph over Penn State
• Went 9-for-10 at the charity stripe over two games
• Collects her second Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Indiana Freshman of the Week: Maya Makalusky (Dec. 15, 2026)

2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Players of the Week
Nov. 10
P: Shay Ciezki, Sr., IND
F: Hila Karsh, PUR
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

Nov. 17
P: Sayvia Sellers, Jr., WASH
F: Addi Mack, MD

Nov. 24
P: Ava Heiden, So., IOWA
F: Destiny Jackson, ILL

Dec. 1
P: Gabriela Jaquez, Sr., UCLA
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

Dec. 8
P: Lauren Betts, Sr., UCLA
F: Cearah Parchment, ILL

Dec. 15
P: Shay Ciezki, Sr., IND
F: Maya Makalusky, IND

Dec. 22
P: Yarden Garzon, Sr., MD
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

Jan. 5
P: Lauren Betts, Sr., UCLA
F: Cearah Parchment, ILL

Jan. 12
P: Jaloni Cambridge, So., OSU
F: Kylee Kitts, OSU

Jan. 19
P: Hannah Stuelke, Sr., IOWA
F: Addie Deal, IOWA

Jan. 26
P: Ava Heiden, So., IOWA
F: Cearah Parchment, ILL
F: Addie Deal, IOWA

Feb. 2
P: Ehis Etute, So., ORE
P: Kara Dunn, Sr., USC
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

Feb. 9
P: Shay Ciezki, Sr., IND
P: Kiki Rice, Sr., UCLA
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

Feb. 16
P: Olivia Olson, So., MICH
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

Feb. 23
P: Ava Heiden, So., IOWA
F: Cearah Parchment, ILL
F: Jazzy Davidson, USC

March 2
P: Olivia Olson, So., MICH
F: Maya Makalusky, IND

Big Ten Network Presents Coverage of 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament

Unknown — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The Big Ten Network’s coverage of the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament begins Thursday, featuring 10 games, on-site studio programming and a collection of experienced broadcasters in Indianapolis.

The 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament features seven teams ranked in the top 25, including No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, No. 11 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, No. 18 Michigan State and No. 19 Minnesota.

BTN will broadcast 10 games across the second round, quarterfinals and semifinals of the tournament, March 5-7. During the tournament, Sloane Martin and Krista Blunk will call the action alongside analysts Christy Winters Scott and Elise Woodward. Autumn Johnson and Woodward will report from the sidelines throughout the 10 games.

Mike Hall, Lisa Bluder, Shimmy Miller, Sydney Parrish, Deja Kelly, Johnson, Winters Scott and Woodward will provide studio coverage on-site from Gainbridge Fieldhouse throughout the full tournament, March 4-8. The group will deliver analysis across several shows, including B1G Live: Women’s Basketball Pregame, B1G Live: Game Break, B1G Live: Postgame and The B1G Show. A full schedule of BTN’s tournament programming can be found at bigten.org/btn/btn-tv-schedule .

BTN’s game coverage begins with the second round on Thursday at noon ET when Washington takes on USC, followed by game five tipping off at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET. Thursday's night session begins at 6:30 p.m. ET as Michigan State takes on the winner of Wednesday’s game between Wisconsin and Illinois, with the final game of the day tipping off at approximately 9 p.m. ET.

Friday's quarterfinals follow the same schedule as Thursday, with games at noon ET, 2:30 p.m. ET, 6:30 p.m. ET and 9 p.m. ET, while Saturday's semifinal games tip-off at 2 p.m. ET and 4:30 p.m. ET.

All games and studio programming on the Big Ten Network can be streamed via the web, smartphones, tablets and connected devices through the FOX Sports App. Throughout the tournament, additional coverage can be found via the Big Ten Women’s Basketball accounts on X , Instagram and YouTube .

2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament Bracket Announced

Unknown — Mon, 02 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference announced the full bracket on Sunday for the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, which will take place March 4-8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Single-session tickets are on sale and available for $23.50 to $54.45, depending on the session. Prices are inclusive of all Ticketmaster and facility fees. All seating is reserved for the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament. Fans are encouraged to visit the official Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament website ( bigten.org/WBBT ) and follow Big Ten Women’s Basketball on X ( @B1GWBBall ) for more information on the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament.

All 14 games of this year’s tournament will be broadcast live to a national audience, starting with the opening round being streamed on Peacock. The Big Ten Network (and the FOX Sports app) will broadcast the second round through semifinal games from Thursday to Saturday. The championship game on Sunday, March 8, will tip off at 2:15 p.m. ET on CBS, the third time the network has carried the title game.

Defending Big Ten Tournament Champion UCLA (28-1, 18-0 Big Ten) is the No. 1 seed this year after clinching its first-ever Big Ten regular-season crown. The Bruins have been ranked in the top four of the Associated Press (AP) and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today polls all season and are currently ranked second. UCLA also earned the No. 2 national seed in the NCAA Committee’s final top 16 reveal on Sunday.

The Bruins will open Big Ten Tournament play on Friday with a quarterfinal at 12 p.m. ET against the winner of the second-round game between No. 8 seed Washington and No. 9 seed USC.

Iowa (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten) claimed the No. 2 seed in this year’s bracket and is ranked ninth in both major national polls. The Hawkeyes, who garnered a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Committee’s reveal, own six Big Ten Tournament titles. Iowa’s postseason journey begins at 6:30 p.m. ET Friday with a quarterfinal game on the Big Ten Network. The winner of the first-round matchup between No. 10 seed Illinois and No. 15 seed Wisconsin will meet seventh-seeded Michigan State in the second round to battle for a chance to face the Hawkeyes in the quarterfinals.

Michigan (24-5, 15-3 Big Ten) earned the No. 3 seed for the tournament and is ranked eighth in both national polls. The Wolverines, who were tabbed as a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Committee’s reveal, are on a quest for their first Big Ten Tournament trophy. Michigan will open its postseason slate on Friday night against No. 6 seed Maryland, No. 11 seed Oregon or No. 14 seed Purdue.

Rounding out the top four seeds is Minnesota (22-7, 13-5 Big Ten) with the last of the tournament’s double-byes into the quarterfinal round. The Golden Gophers have been ranked in the national polls each of the past two weeks and are seeking their first tournament crown. Minnesota’s postseason bid starts Friday afternoon against No. 5 seed Ohio State, No. 12 seed Nebraska or No. 13 seed Indiana in the quarterfinals.

The complete 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament schedule is as follows:

Wednesday, March 4 – First Round

Game 1 | #12 Nebraska vs. #13 Indiana | 3:30 p.m. ET | Peacock

Game 2 | #10 Illinois vs. #15 Wisconsin | 25 minutes following Game 1 | Peacock

Game 3 | #11 Oregon vs. #14 Purdue | 25 minutes following Game 2 | Peacock

Thursday, March 5 – Second Round

Game 4 | #8 Washington vs. #9 USC | 12 p.m. ET | BTN

Game 5 | #5 Ohio State vs. G1 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 4 | BTN

Game 6 | #7 Michigan State vs. G2 Winner | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN

Game 7 | #6 Maryland vs. G3 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 6 | BTN

Friday, March 6 – Quarterfinals

Game 8 | #1 UCLA vs. G4 Winner | 12 p.m. ET | BTN

Game 9 | #4 Minnesota vs. G5 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 8 | BTN

Game 10 | #2 Iowa vs. G6 Winner | 6:30 p.m. ET | BTN

Game 11 | #3 Michigan vs. G7 Winner | 25 minutes following Game 10 | BTN

Saturday, March 7 – Semifinals

Game 12 | G8 Winner vs. G9 Winner | 2 p.m. ET | BTN

Game 13 | G10 Winner vs. G11 Winner | 4:30 p.m. ET | BTN

Sunday, March 8 – Championship

Game 14 | G12 Winner vs. G13 Winner | 2:15 p.m. ET | CBS

NOTES: All times are Eastern (local to site), approximate and subject to change…BTN games are also available on the FOX Sports app…CBS games are available on Paramount+, CBSSports.com and CBS Sports HQ…for more information, please visit the tournament central at bigten.org/WBBT .

Digital Program — 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament

Unknown — Sun, 01 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

2026 Allstate Big Ten Women's Basketball Tournament
March 4-8, 2026 | Gainbridge Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, IN

Digital Program Contents
	Big Ten Conference
Statistics	Tournament Results	Tournament Records
Illinois	Roster	Statistics
Indiana	Roster	Statistics
Iowa	Roster	Statistics
Maryland	Roster	Statistics
Michigan	Roster	Statistics
Michigan State	Roster	Statistics
Minnesota	Roster	Statistics
Nebraska	Roster	Statistics
Ohio State	Roster	Statistics
Oregon	Roster	Statistics
Purdue	Roster	Statistics
USC	Roster	Statistics
UCLA	Roster	Statistics
Washington	Roster	Statistics
Wisconsin	Roster	Statistics

Big Ten Receives 2026 NCAA/MOAA Opportunities & Impact Award

Unknown — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

INDIANAPOLIS, Indiana -- The Big Ten Conference has been named the Division I winner of the 2026 NCAA/MOAA Opportunities and Impact Award, the NCAA and Minority Opportunities Athletic Association — an affiliate of the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics — announced Thursday.

READ: NCAA and MOAA announce 2026 Opportunities and Impact Award recipients

The award recognizes and celebrates the initiatives, programs and efforts of athletics departments and conference offices in Divisions I, II and III that embrace environments of belonging and well-being and elevate the student-athlete voice in intercollegiate athletics communities. NCAA and MOAA representatives will present the awards June 7-10 in Las Vegas during the MOAA Symposium.

"We're proud to accept this honor on behalf of our 18 schools, whose support makes these initiatives possible," Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti said.

Omar Brown, Big Ten senior vice president for community and impact, added, "This humbling recognition is a direct result of the leadership and alignment we have from Commissioner Petitti, throughout the conference office, and in collaboration with our campuses. Big Ten student-athletes always are aiming for excellence in competition, in the classroom and in their communities. We will continue to build on this foundation to create transformational opportunities for their development and deliver impact to the many locales we call home across the nation throughout the year."

The Big Ten Conference continues to engage, educate and empower its student-athletes, coaches, administrators and its broader community base with programs, initiatives and engagements that make a difference and encourage positive change. For four years, student-athletes from Big Ten schools have traveled to Alabama for an immersive journey that included learning about the Civil Rights Movement, visits to historic sites, community service projects and panel sessions with local leaders. The Big Ten has also added new elements to the transformative experience each year to deepen understanding and inspire civic responsibility.

WATCH: Big Ten Community & Impact makes a difference

Additionally, the conference creates leadership opportunities for its student-athletes. It partners with James Russell Lowell Elementary School in Indianapolis, connecting its 18 member schools with classrooms that include mentorship and encouragement via virtual meetings.

Another one of its many initiatives are structured conversations with administrators, coaches, athletes and employees to gather feedback and to inform future strategies. Examples include conducting student-athlete experience exit surveys and hosting standing committees, commissions and leadership councils to discuss progress, share feedback and assess strategic alignment. The conference also hosts numerous inclusive programs such as United as One, the B1G Fellows Program, the Student-Athlete Issues Commission, The Women's Volleyball Mentorship Program and the CBS Sports Ambassador Program & Sports Journalism Initiative. The conference also promotes several awards programs, which includes the Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award to recognize student-athletes who demonstrate leadership, service and volunteerism.

WATCH: Indiana honorees receive their Jackie Robinson Award jackets

WATCH: Purdue's Devin Mockobee dons his jacket while being recognized at Boilermakers basketball game

Along with the Big Ten, Saint Michael's College athletics department was recognized in Division II, and Occidental College's athletics department was the Division III honoree.

"This honor is an acknowledgment of NCAA member schools and conference offices that intentionally create spaces and opportunities for all student-athletes, coaches and administrators to feel seen, heard and valued," said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president of inclusion, education and community engagement. "It is important to recognize these outstanding recipients who diligently embrace a commitment to positively impact their athletic communities and make a significant difference for all humanity."

"Congratulations to this year's recipients," said Timothy Wise, MOAA president and assistant general manager at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. "The outstanding work by the winners showcases the commitment to providing opportunities in the ever-changing landscape and making a significant impact on their campus and in conference communities. Each of the winners is worthy of this honor, and MOAA looks forward to partnering with the NCAA to recognize these achievements at the 2026 MOAA Symposium in June."

###

Michigan State's Robyn Fralick Selected as Assistant Coach for U18 Women’s National Team

Big Ten Communications — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Discover, Big Ten Present Custom Jackets To Jackie Robinson Award Honorees

Unknown — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

ROSEMONT, Ill. – Presenting sponsor Discover will deliver custom letterwinner jackets to all 36 institutional winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award, the Big Ten announced Wednesday. Each university’s male and female honoree will receive a customized, one-of-one gift featuring unique school elements and visuals.

The first two custom jackets were presented in December at the Discover Big Ten Football Championship Game to 2025 national winners Dillon Fontus, from Maryland football, and Iowa wrestler Nanea Estrella.

Both of last year’s winners, and Sonya Pankey Robinson (Jackie Robinson’s granddaughter), attended the game as guests of Discover, seeing Indiana claim the title at Lucas Oil Stadium on their way to a perfect 16-0 campaign and CFP National Championship. The 2026 national winners will be announced later this spring from the cohort of 36 campus recipients.

In November, the Big Ten Conference announced the 36 student-athletes selected as institutional winners of the 2025-26 Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award presented by Discover. Now in its second year, the honor was created to recognize Big Ten student-athletes who strive to have a positive impact within their community in addition to excellence in competition.

Institution	Honoree	Sport
Illinois	TJ Griffin	Football
Illinois	Tali Joelson	Gymnastics
Indiana	Tyler Lillard	Wrestling
Indiana	Kristina Vincic	Track & Field
Iowa	Ava Bayless	Wrestling
Iowa	Will Ryan	Cross Country \| Track & Field
Maryland	Joey Schneck	Wrestling
Maryland	Madeline Komoroski	Gymnastics
Michigan	Kevin Kearns	Lacrosse
Michigan	Zoë Bormet	Field Hockey
Michigan State	Maddie Lawlor	Field Hockey
Michigan State	Jalen Thompson	Football
Minnesota	Charlie Sutherland	Baseball
Minnesota	Niamya (Nia) Holloway	Basketball
Nebraska	Katelyn Caneda	Softball
Nebraska	Michael Booker III	Football
Northwestern	Kansas Robinson	Softball
Northwestern	Najee Story	Football
Ohio State	Caleb Downs	Football
Ohio State	Makenna Webster	Ice Hockey \| Field Hockey
Oregon	Matt Bedford	Football
Oregon	Blessyn McMorris	Acrobatics & Tumbling
Penn State	Nick Dawkins	Football
Penn State	Elise DeWan	Field Hockey
Purdue	Devin Mockobee	Football
Purdue	Emma Bailey	Softball
Rutgers	Jude Essuman	Soccer
Rutgers	Caitlin Collins	Lacrosse
UCLA	Jordan Robinson	Track & Field
UCLA	Karson Gordon	Football \| Track & Field
USC	Maribel Flores	Soccer
USC	Robert Gref	Diving
Washington	Franck Kepnang	Basketball
Washington	Rhonda Newton	Track & Field
Wisconsin	Rico Hallman	Football
Wisconsin	Erin Connolly	Soccer

In recognition of their achievement and as an expression of the conference’s appreciation, each of the 36 campus winners will receive a medal bearing the likeness of Jackie Robinson and the logo of the Big Ten Conference in addition to their custom jacket.

WATCH: Indiana honorees receive their Jackie Robinson Award jackets

WATCH: Purdue's Devin Mockobee dons his jacket while being honored at Boilermakers basketball game

WATCH: Big Ten Community & Impact makes a difference

Jackie Robinson was a standout student-athlete at UCLA, where he was the school’s first four-sport letter winner, excelling in football, basketball, track and field, and baseball. Beyond his athletic prowess, he continues to be recognized and honored for his contributions off the field: integrating Major League Baseball and his lifelong commitment to social justice. He is the embodiment of the Big Ten's mission to develop strong student leaders, and this program honors his legacy and core values of courage, determination, teamwork, persistence, integrity, citizenship, justice, commitment, and excellence. As Jackie famously said, “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”

“It is our privilege and great honor to bestow this award in Jackie’s name upon these deserving Big Ten student-athletes and to express our appreciation for the support of the Jackie Robinson Foundation,” said Big Ten Conference Commissioner Tony Petitti.

Honorees were selected based on the following criteria:

Demonstrated Impact: Significant and tangible contributions to community projects or causes, including measurable outcomes or positive changes resulting from their involvement.
Collaboration and Teamwork: Ability to work effectively with others, including peers, organizations, and community members, to achieve common goals and enhance community impact.
Consistency and Commitment: Ongoing and consistent participation in community service activities over an extended period of time.
Visibility and Advocacy: Efforts to raise awareness and advocate for important groups or causes, leveraging their platform to promote positive change and engage others.

"The Big Ten Jackie Robinson Community & Impact Award celebrates Jackie’s legacy of excellence in community service,” said Sonya Pankey Robinson, Jackie’s first grandchild as well as Director and board member of the Jackie Robinson Foundation. "We are proud to recognize 36 outstanding men and women for the incredible impact they make in their community."

"Our student-athletes make significant contributions through competition, academics, and community impact,” said Big Ten Senior Vice President, Community & Impact, Omar Brown. “This award allows the Big Ten to recognize these efforts in improving communities, just as we do with their other athletic and academic achievements. Jackie Robinson embodies this award and our goal to honor student-athletes who positively affect others."

The Big Ten Conference’s commitment to athletics, academics and service goes back to the conference’s founding. Coupling the academic goals set forth by leaders of the charter members of the conference with their steadfast commitment to athletics, the conference instituted the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1915, the first award to demonstrate support for the educational emphasis placed on intercollegiate athletics. It is awarded annually by each member institution to one male and one female student of the graduating class who has attained the greatest proficiency in scholarship and athletics.

Big Ten Weekly Women's Basketball Central - Feb. 24-March 2

Unknown — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Big Ten Women's Basketball | Big Ten Standings | Big Ten Schedule & Results
Big Ten Statistics | NCAA Statistics | National Top 25 Polls (Feb. 23-24)

Big Ten Weekly Release - Feb. 24

Big Ten. Big News.

The final week of the 2025-26 Big Ten Conference regular season tips off Wednesday with five games, including No. 8 Michigan taking on No. 13/12 Ohio State at 8 p.m. ET on Peacock. No. 9 Iowa will host RV/NR Illinois at 9 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network for Thursday’s lone game. A 2:30 p.m. ET showdown on FOX is set for Saturday between No. 14/13 Maryland and No. 8 Michigan. Sunday features a doubleheader on BTN with No. 13/12 Ohio State at No. 15 Michigan State (12 p.m. ET) and No. 22 Minnesota at RV/NR Illinois (2 p.m. ET). No. 2 UCLA heads across town to face RV/NR USC at 6 p.m. ET on FS1. Remaining games will be streamed live on B1G+ (visit bigtenplus.com for more information).
UCLA captured the 2025-26 Big Ten Women’s Basketball Championship outright for the first time in program history after defeating Wisconsin, 80-60, on Sunday. The Bruins finished the regular season undefeated on their home court for the first time since their 2016-17 campaign.
Teams continue to clinch spots in the 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament, set for March 4-8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. So far, 12 teams have earned a berth into the tournament (listed in alphabetical order) – Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Oregon, UCLA, USC and Washington.
The NCAA had its first top 16 reveal on Feb. 15, which included six Big Ten teams. UCLA was tabbed as the No. 2 seed, while No. 6 Michigan and No. 9 Ohio State rounded out the top 10. Iowa was selected as the No. 11 seed, followed by No. 13 Maryland and No. 14 Michigan State. The final top 16 reveal will take place on Sunday, March 1.
Iowa’s Ava Heiden swept the weekly awards after being named the AP National Player of the Week, Jersey Mike’s Naismith Women’s College Player of the Week, one of five USBWA Ann Meyers Drysdale National Players of the Week and the Big Ten Player of the Week. The sophomore led the Hawkeyes to a 3-0 week with wins over Nebraska, Purdue and No. 6 Michigan. She had 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks against the Huskers. Heiden netted 21 points while shooting 83.3 percent from the field with 13 rebounds, three steals and three assists versus the Boilermakers. She posted her third straight double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) to go along with two blocks and two steals to upset the Wolverines.
USC’s Jazzy Davidson was tabbed as the Tamika Catchings National Freshman of the Week by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) on Tuesday. Davidson, the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week, turned in 24 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks versus Wisconsin. She had a career-high 32 points against Ohio State with six three-pointers and 11 made field goals, both career marks. Davidson is the only Division I player leading her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Illinois’ Cearah Parchment was selected as the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Week on Monday, her fourth laurel of the season. She registered 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block with zero turnovers versus Rutgers. She followed up that performance with 19 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists at Northwestern.
The Big Ten currently leads all Division I conferences in assists (16.7 apg), field goal percentage (.454), three-point field goal percentage (.343) and free throw percentage (.738), while ranking second in scoring (75.5 ppg).
Through games on Feb. 23, the Big Ten boasts nine teams in the top 25 and 12 in the top 50 of the NCAA’s NET Rankings, the top marks among all conferences. UCLA paces the Big Ten contingent at No. 2, followed by No. 6 Michigan, No. 8 Minnesota, No. 9 Iowa, No. 13 Michigan State, No. 14 Maryland, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 21 USC, No. 24 Oregon, No. 28 Nebraska, No. 29 Washington and No. 33 Illinois.
Through Monday’s contests, Big Ten teams have combined to win 65 Quad 1 games, the most among Division I conferences, with 12 teams posting at least two Quad 1 wins. UCLA leads the country with 14 Quad 1 victories and the Big Ten is the only conference that has six teams with at least five Quad 1 wins.
Every day is a battle as the Big Ten has 15 teams in the top 25 for NET strength of schedule – UCLA (1st), USC (2nd), Iowa (3rd), Penn State (6th), Michigan (7th), Nebraska (11th), Wisconsin (12th), Northwestern (13th), Indiana (16th), Ohio State (17th), Purdue (18th), Michigan State (20th), Rutgers (21st), Washington (23rd) and Minnesota (25th).
This week’s Associated Press (AP) poll featured seven teams from the Big Ten. UCLA held steady at No. 2 and was joined by No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, No. 13 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, No. 15 Michigan State and No. 22 Minnesota. USC, Washington and Illinois received votes.
The same seven programs made an appearance in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA)/USA Today Top 25 poll – No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, No. 12 Ohio State, No. 13 Maryland, No. 15 Michigan State and No. 22 Minnesota. Washington garnered votes.
Illinois currently stands second in the nation shooting 81.5 percent from the free throw line. UCLA ranks second in assist/turnover ratio (1.74), assists per game (22.2), field goal percentage (.514) and rebound margin (15.5). Iowa is third in assists per game (20.9) while Minnesota has a 1.59 assist/turnover ratio to come in fourth.
Six of the nation’s best long-range shooters reside in the Big Ten. Indiana’s Shay Ciezki (5th – .461) leads the pack, followed by Iowa’s Chit-Chat Wright (6th – .460), UCLA’s Gianna Kneepkens (7th – .459), Minnesota’s Grace Grocholski (14th – .438), Nebraska’s Logan Nissley (15th – .433) and Washington’s Avery Howell (24th – .424).
Offensive production continues to be the calling card of the Big Ten Conference. The league has eight teams ranked in the top 25 in field goal percentage – UCLA (2nd – .514), Iowa (6th – .494), Michigan State (10th – .485), Nebraska (13th – .478), Michigan (14th – .473), Indiana (16th – .472), Ohio State (20th – .464) and Penn State (22nd – .462).
Sharing the rock comes naturally for the Big Ten with eight teams featured in the top 25 rankings for assists per game, including five in the top 15 – UCLA (2nd – 22.2), Iowa (3rd – 20.9), Michigan State (9th – 18.4), Nebraska (11th – 18.1), Ohio State (15th – 17.8), Northwestern (21st – 17.6), Oregon (22nd – 17.4) and Michigan (23rd – 17.4).
HISTORY. MADE. The Big Ten is the first conference to ever have nine teams ranked in three different Associated Press (AP) polls in a single season – Dec. 8, Dec. 15 and Jan. 5. The Big Ten has had nine programs ranked in the AP poll four times, first achieved on Dec. 2, 2024, and is the only conference to have nine ranked teams since 1996.
The Big Ten had a 170-33 (.837) combined record in non-conference play this season, which ranked second behind the SEC (197-24, .891) and ahead of the Big 12 (156-39, .800) and ACC (144-72, .667).
Big Ten Conference Deputy Commissioner and Michigan women’s basketball great Diane Dietz was honored Jan. 11 with the lifting of her No. 21 jersey into the rafters at the Crisler Center. Dietz, who competed in Maize and Blue from 1979-82, was the program’s first 2,000-point scorer, a record that stood for more than 30 years. She still ranks fourth all-time in scoring with 2,076 points, a feat she achieved before the addition of the three-point line to the women’s game. Dietz is also second all-time in 30-point games (11) and in field goals made (940) and is only one of two players with at least 900 makes. She graduated as the Wolverines’ all-time leader in steals (229), a mark that currently ranks fourth in program history. Dietz was also a standout in the classroom and is one of only two Michigan student-athletes to have been inducted into the Academic All-America Hall of Fame (2009). The three-time Academic All-American was the first female recipient of the Big Ten Medal of Honor in 1982, which is considered the most prestigious honor a Big Ten student-athlete can receive. Dietz was inducted into the Michigan Athletics Hall of Fame in 1996 and is a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame after her induction in 2019.
The 2025-26 season will be the final ride for storied Northwestern head coach Joe McKeown, who announced on March 24 that he intends to retire at the conclusion of season. McKeown is the longest-tenured and winningest head women’s basketball coach in Northwestern history. This is his 18th season in Evanston and his 40th season overall as a head coach.
Each Big Ten institution will play an 18-game conference schedule for the seventh time in eight seasons. During the conference season, each program will play one school both home and away, while facing 16 teams once. Of the single-play opponents, institutions will face eight at home and eight on the road.
The 2026 Allstate Big Ten Women’s Basketball Tournament is set for March 4-8 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, marking the 27th time the tournament will be played in Circle City. Fifteen teams will qualify for the tournament, with three first-round games slated for Wednesday, March 4 on Peacock. The second-round, quarterfinal and semifinal contests on Thursday, Friday and Saturday will be carried on the Big Ten Network. CBS will broadcast the championship game for the third year in a row on Sunday.

Iowa, Illinois and USC Net Big Ten Weekly Women’s Basketball Honors

Unknown — Mon, 23 Feb 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Player of the Week
Ava Heiden, Iowa
So. – Center – Sherwood, Ore. – Sherwood
• Led Iowa to a 3-0 week with wins over Nebraska, Purdue and No. 6 Michigan
• Had 27 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and three blocks against the Huskers
• Netted 21 points while shooting 83.3 percent from the field with 13 rebounds, three steals and three assists versus the Boilermakers
• Posted her third straight double-double (24 points, 10 rebounds) to go along with two blocks and two steals to upset the Wolverines
• Claims her third Big Ten Player of the Week recognition
• Last Iowa Player of the Week: Ava Heiden (Jan. 26, 2026)

Big Ten Women’s Basketball Weekly Honor Roll
Kennedy Blair, MSU: Notched 17.5 points, 8.0 assists, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 steals in a pair of victories for the Spartans
Kiyomi McMiller, PSU: Recorded her fifth consecutive 30-point performance with 37 against Rutgers, the most of any Lady Lion in program history and first in NCAA women’s basketball history since Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (6) during the 2023-24 season
Lauren Betts, UCLA: Helped the Bruins capture their first-ever outright conference regular-season title after averaging 21.0 points and 11.0 rebounds over two wins

Co-Freshman of the Week
Cearah Parchment, Illinois
Forward – Whitby, Ontario, Canada – Fort Erie International Academy
• Registered 20 points, 10 rebounds, four assists, four steals and one block with zero turnovers versus Rutgers
• Chipped in 19 points, 10 rebounds, three steals and three assists at Northwestern
• Earns her fourth Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last Illinois Freshman of the Week: Cearah Parchment (Jan. 26, 2026)

Co-Freshman of the Week
Jazzy Davidson, USC
Guard – Clackamas, Ore. – Clackamas
• Turned in 24 points, six assists, five rebounds, four steals and three blocks versus Wisconsin
• Had a career-high 32 points against Ohio State with six three-pointers and 11 made field goals, both career marks
• Only Division I player leading her team in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks
• Collects her seventh Big Ten Freshman of the Week laurel
• Last USC Freshman of the Week: Jazzy Davidson (Feb. 16, 2026)