Madness in March: Women’s Top 25 and Tournament Preview

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The regular season is in the rearview mirror, and as of March 2, 2026, the focus shifts to Indianapolis, Greensboro, and Greenville. This past weekend provided a definitive look at the elite tier of women’s college basketball, with an undefeated giant standing tall and a new No. 1 seed emerging in the final bracket reveal.

Here is the state of the Top 25 and what to watch for as conference tournaments begin.

1. The Undefeated Standard: UConn (31–0)

For the first time since the legendary 2016-17 run, UConn has finished the regular season with a perfect record.

The Statement: The Huskies capped their season on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden with a clinical win over St. John’s.
The Dominance: Winning by an average margin of 38 points, this team enters the Big East Tournament not just as the favorite, but as a squad that many believe is “Final Four or bust.”

2. The Big Ten’s New Queen: UCLA (28–1)

In their second year in the Big Ten, UCLA has officially claimed the throne.

Regular Season Champs: The Bruins (18–0 Big Ten) secured the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament after an unblemished league schedule.
JuJu-less USC: While UCLA thrives, their rival USC (No. 9 seed in the Big Ten) is navigating a difficult year following the pre-season ACL injury to superstar JuJu Watkins. Despite the loss of their leading scorer, the Trojans have remained competitive but face a tough path through the bracket.

3. SEC Power Struggle: South Carolina (29–2)

Despite two early-season losses, the Gamecocks remain the most feared defensive unit in the country.

SEC Clincher: South Carolina survived a major scare in Lexington on Sunday, defeating No. 16 Kentucky 60–56 to secure the SEC regular-season title.
The Identity: With a defense that holds opponents to just 33.7% shooting, Dawn Staley’s group is projected as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament alongside UConn, UCLA, and Texas.

AP Top 10 Snapshot (As of March 2, 2026)

Rank	Team	Record	Status
1	UConn	31–0	Big East #1 Seed
2	UCLA	28–1	Big Ten #1 Seed
3	South Carolina	29–2	SEC #1 Seed
4	Texas	28–3	SEC #2 Seed
5	Vanderbilt	27-3	SEC #3 Seed
6	LSU	26-4	SEC #4 Seed
7	Oklahoma	23-6	SEC #5 Seed
8	Michigan	24-5	Big Ten #2 Seed
9	Iowa	24–5	Big Ten #2 Seed
10	Louisville	25–6	ACC #2 Seed

Player of the Year Watch: Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame)

With the fastest path to 2,000 career points in ACC history (86 games), Hannah Hidalgo has been the most electric player in the nation. She recently broke the NCAA D-1 record with 16 steals in a single game and enters the ACC Tournament as the presumptive Player of the Year.

Conference Tournament Calendar

The “Power Four” tournaments are the final hurdle before Selection Sunday (March 15).

Big Ten (Indianapolis): March 4–8. Keep an eye on the Friday quarterfinals, where UCLA and Iowa are on a collision course.
SEC (Greenville): March 4–8. Can LSU or Vanderbilt unseat the Gamecocks?
ACC (Greensboro): March 4–8. This remains the most balanced tournament, with five teams ranked in the Top 20.
Big East (Uncasville): March 6–9. It’s UConn’s backyard; the field is fighting for second place.