Even with an expanded NCAA tournament for the 2026-27 women's college basketball season, winning a conference remains crucial, especially for nonpower leagues where an automatic bid is often the only path to March Madness. The competition for those spots begins as soon as the season tips off Nov. 1.
The return of the Pac-12 brings the total number of conferences back to 32, setting up an intriguing race this season. Meanwhile, the Western Athletic Conference has reformed as the United Athletic Conference, with many former members scattering to other leagues.
In several conferences, the player of the year races promise to be just as compelling. Sarah Strong is a massive favorite in the Big East, while Riley Weiss (Columbia) and Kaety L'Amoreaux (Fairfield) are mid-major players trying to repeat their individual accolades. Ju Ju Watkins' return to USC adds more firepower to an already loaded Big Ten talent pool.
In the America East, the Binghamton Bearcats are looking for their first NCAA tournament trip, led by seniors Bella Pucci and Kendall Bennett. Bennett, a second-team all-conference selection last year, led the league with 61.0% shooting while averaging 14.0 points and 10.1 rebounds. In the American Conference, South Florida hired Kristy Curry from Alabama, bringing 554 career wins and 14 NCAA tournament appearances to the Bulls.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing