Ten days remain in the regular season for most teams in the women’s college basketball power conference and Division I. There isn’t a lot of drama in the standings among the SEC, Big Ten, Big East and ACC, but there’s still a lot at stake in the NCAA Tournament.
As the regular season ends and Selection Sunday approaches, here are some games to keep an eye on:
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(All times are Eastern Time, statistics as of Wednesday)
Sunday, February 22
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If Vanderbilt and Texas lose *and* if the Wolverines win, Michigan has a chance to be a No. 1 seed. This task is easier said than done. Michigan ends the season against Iowa, Ohio State and Maryland, all three of which are currently top 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament. The reason we’re highlighting the game against the Hawkeyes is because the Wolverines haven’t beaten Iowa in four seasons, and the Hawkeyes have Ava Hayden inside, which could cause some difficulties for a guard-heavy Michigan team, especially in the raucous environment of Carver-Hawkeye Arena. If Iowa State can get the job done the rest of its schedule, it will likely solidify as the host team, but doing damage to another Big Ten team is always a plus.
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Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt, ESPN 2, 4 p.m.
The SEC is another conference that has a leader who will be hard to topple down the stretch of the season. However, like Michigan, Vanderbilt is competing for the No. 1 seed. The Commodores have several more chances to pad their resume with remaining games against Kentucky, Alabama and Tennessee — all ranked opponents. Earlier this month, Vanderbilt beat the Wildcats 84-83 at Kentucky in one of the best games of the season, with Mikayla Blakes grabbing the headlines with 37 points. The Wildcats will seek revenge and have a chance to enter the home meet with a big win. Kentucky is ranked No. 16 in the NET and just defeated Ole Miss, which was ranked No. 15 in the first reveal of the selection committee.
Wednesday, February 25
Rhode Island vs. Richmond, 6 p.m. on ESPN+
The Spiders, a midseason favorite last season, have slipped in the Atlantic Ten this season but still have a chance to punch their ticket to the Big Dance for a third straight time, even without winning the conference tournament to qualify automatically. They’re ranked 42nd among the Nets and would benefit greatly from a win over Rhode Island, which moves the team atop the A-10 rankings, while a win for the Rams would ensure they clinch the division title. Senior Maggie Doogan is eyeing first-round WNBA draft talk and could use more tape against power conference opponents after posting 57 points, 21 rebounds and 13 assists in the 2025 tournament against Georgia Tech and UCLA.
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Sunday, March 1
Duke vs. North Carolina, noon, ESPN
The first game between the Tobacco Road rivals lived up to expectations, with a productive offense (gasp!) and 16 lead changes as the Tar Heels nearly pulled off an upset. North Carolina, ranked 19th among the Nets, needs only to beat top-10 Duke to move into the top 16 for the second straight season. The ACC title could still be up in the air on the final day of the season, but if both teams end up with a loss, the Blue Devils will beat Louisville in the tiebreaker.
Duke is also pursuing its first undefeated ACC season since Notre Dame in 2015-16. This will be the fourth undefeated conference season in franchise history and the first since the 2006-07 season when the Blue Devils ended the regular season without losing to National Team Player of the Year Lindsay Harding.
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Ohio State vs. Michigan State, noon BTN
The Buckeyes appear to be heading toward a hosting berth, but they’ve lost their last two games and still have Michigan State and Michigan State on the roster. The Spartans are also on the hosting bubble. This will likely be a play-off battle for the right to stay home for the first weekend of the tournament. If any team slips, keep an eye on Minnesota. The Golden Gophers are fourth in the Big Ten, ahead of Ohio State and Michigan State, and eighth in the Nets. They just beat the Buckeyes and face the Spartans on February 22nd.
Baylor at TCU, ESPN 4 p.m.
The top four teams in the Big 12 standings have one loss against each other, but that’s the only game these four have left before the end of the regular season; Texas Tech and West Virginia end their seasons against three unranked opponents. The Bears have been largely uncompetitive in their last three ranked games, including a shocking 31-point loss to the Red Raiders, but they have a chance to shake up the Big 12 title race with a win over TCU. Win or lose, the Horned Frogs could be in a good home field position. Still, a Big 12 title means something, especially considering TCU could barely field a full roster two years ago.
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This article originally appeared in The Athletic.
Michigan State Spartans, Duke Blue Devils, Ohio State Buckeyes, Baylor Bears, North Carolina Tar Heels, Iowa Hawkeyes, TCU Horned Frogs, Michigan Wolverines, Women’s College Basketball
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