The regular season has come to a close for the top conferences in women’s college basketball, which means it’s time for awards. All five of the major conferences — the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, Big 12 and SEC — have announced their end-of-season honors.
As the action on the court shifts to conference tournaments, here’s a look at which players were rewarded for their stellar play during the regular season.
Big East Player of the Year: Paige Bueckers, UConn As expected, Bueckers added another Big East Player of the Year trophy to her collection. She has now won the award in back-to-back seasons and three times overall, which is tied for the most in league history. Bueckers averaged 18.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, five assists and 2.1 steals on 53.4% shooting from the field.
Defensive Player of the Year: Lashae Dwyer, St. John’s Dwyer transferred to St. John’s after spending her first three seasons at Miami and made an instant impact on the defensive end. She had at least one steal in every single game she played and averaged a career-high three, which led the Big East and was tied for 12th in the country.
Freshman of the Year: Sarah Strong, UConn Sixth Player of the Year: Ashlynn Shade, UConn Co-coaches of the Year: Geno Auriemma, UConn and Cara Consuegra, Marquette ACC Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame Defensive Player of the Year: Hannah Hidalgo, Notre Dame Hidalgo’s terrific sophomore campaign was rewarded with Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year honors, making her the third player in ACC history to win both awards in the same season. A menace on both sides of the ball, Hidalgo averaged 24.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 3.7 steals, the latter of which led the ACC and was good for fourth in the country. Thanks in large part to Hidalgo, the Fighting Irish earned a share of the ACC title.
Freshman of the Year: Toby Fournier, Duke Sixth Player of the Year: Dani Carnegie, Georgia Tech Coach of the Year: Wes Moore, NC State Big Ten Player of the Year: JuJu Watkins, USC No surprise here, as Watkins might win Naismith Player of the Year later this spring. The star sophomore led the Trojans to the Big Ten regular-season title in their first season in the conference, and averaged 24.4 points, 6.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 2.1 steals and two blocks along the way.
Women’s college basketball rankings: USC, UConn rise while Texas retains No. 1 spot; Notre Dame exits top five Isabel Gonzalez Women’s college basketball rankings: USC, UConn rise while Texas retains No. 1 spot; Notre Dame exits top five Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Betts, UCLA Again, this one was a lock. The 6-foot-7 Betts was a dominant force in the paint for UCLA, whose only conference losses came to USC. Betts averaged a career-high 2.8 blocks per game, which led the Big Ten and was good for fifth in the country.
Co-freshman of the Year: Jaloni Cambridge, Ohio State; Olivia Olson, Michigan Sixth Player of the Year: Janiah Barker, UCLA Coach of the Year: Lindsey Gottlieb, USC SEC Player of the Year: Madison Booker, Texas Booker was named Freshman of the Year in the Big 12 last season, and has now earned Player of the Year honors upon Texas’ move to the SEC. The do-it-all sophomore averaged 16 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.6 steals while shooting 41.7% from 3-point range for the Longhorns, who are ranked No. 1 in the country.
Defensive Player of the Year: Clara Strack, Kentucky Strack followed Kentucky coach Kenny Brooks from Virginia Tech and made an immediat impact for the Wildcats. A 6-foot-5 center, Strack averaged an SEC-leading 2.5 blocks per game, as well as 6.9 defensive rebounds, which helped Kentucky finish fourth in a loaded SEC.
Freshman of the Year: Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt Sixth Player of the year: MiLaysia Fulwiley, South Carolina Coach of the Year: Vic Schaefer, Texas Big 12 Player of the Year: Hailey Van Lith, TCU Van Lith transferred to TCU for her fifth and final college season and looked rejuvenated in North Texas. The veteran guard averaged 17.6 points, 4.4 rebounds and a career-high 5.4 assists to lead the Horned Frogs to their first-ever Big 12 regular-season title.
Defensive Player of the Year: JJ Quinerly, West Virginia West Virginia is known for their disruptive defense, which is led by Quinerly, who was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season. Though just 5-foot-9, Quinerly is a menace on the perimeter and averaged a career-high 3.1 steals.
But because both Lindenwood and Southern Indiana — each playing in Friday’s OVC semifinals — are ineligible for the NCAA Tournament, we may be just hours away from finding out whether the league’s automatic berth will go to Tennessee Tech or Western Illinois.
Eight more automatic bids will be won Sunday, including in the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten and SEC. And by the end of Monday, the Big East will join the party, marking the end of play for the traditional power conferences.
This is the last chance for teams on the bubble to make a statement to the selection committee. And sometimes, those games come against one another.
On Wednesday, a surging Washington team in the Last Four In took on a Minnesota team in the First Four Out.
Washington advanced, and even after a Thursday loss to Michigan, the Huskies appear likely to end on the right side of the bubble while Minnesota, which won just two of its final 10 games, does not.
It was a similar story Thursday as Colorado took down Arizona to reenter the field while the Wildcats’ late-season push came up short.
But some teams don’t make it long enough to play a make-or-break game. One of those teams is Stanford. The Cardinal have made 36 straight NCAA Tournaments, but will almost certainly not hear their name called on Selection Sunday after losing to No. 14 seed Clemson in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.
Stanford’s historic NCAA Tournament streak likely ending: Analyzing what went wrong, how Cardinal can rebound Jack Maloney Stanford’s historic NCAA Tournament streak likely ending: Analyzing what went wrong, how Cardinal can rebound It was far from the week’s only upset. In the SEC, Tennessee was stunned at home by Georgia to end the regular season and then lost to Vanderbilt in the second round of its conference tournament while Florida shocked Alabama later in the day.
Now, the Lady Vols and Crimson Tide appear to have missed out on a top 16 spot while a different SEC team, Ole Miss, is fighting to join that group after back-to-back Quad-1 wins.
Here’s where things stand ahead of a busy few days. We’ll be back Tuesday when the dust settles.
No. 1 seeds
Texas (29-2, 15-1 SEC): NET 3
Despite being the projected No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament, Texas is not the No. 1 seed in the SEC Tournament thanks to losing an actual coin flip against South Carolina (can we get some better tiebreakers moving forward?)
The Longhorns still picked up a few wins — both against Florida to end the regular season and in Madison Booker being named SEC Player of the Year. Texas is one victory away from its first back-to-back 30-win seasons since the late 1980s.
*USC (26-2, 17-1 Big Ten): NET 6
After completing the season sweep against UCLA, the Trojans are nearly guaranteed a No. 1 seed, but they shouldn’t take their foot off the gas pedal quite yet given the strength of the top six teams in the country.
In its first season in the Big Ten, USC won its first regular-season conference title since 1994 and has lost just a single game in the last 100 days.
UCLA (27-2, 16-2 Big Ten): NET 5
UCLA has never been a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. While its chances of making history aren’t quite what they were a few weeks ago, this team still has 11 Quad-1 wins and is clearly on the top line right now.
If the Bruins make the Big Ten championship (which requires beating Nebraska and then either Ohio State or Iowa), they should be fine, particularly if they run into USC in the Big Ten championship. I don’t think a UCLA team that’s lost to just one other school misses out.
But if UCLA loses either of its next two games, it could get dicey.
*South Carolina (27-3, 15-1 SEC): NET 2
Dawn Staley believes her team is playing some of its best basketball of the season right now. While I personally believe this team deserves a No. 1 seed regardless of what happens between now and Selection Sunday, the Gamecocks can’t afford a slip-up given how they were punished for the UConn loss.
The Huskies (and Fighting Irish of Notre Dame) will be looking to pounce on a South Carolina slip-up. The Gamecocks begin the SEC Tournament against Vanderbilt.
No. 2 seeds
Notre Dame (25-4, 16-2 ACC): NET 4
Perhaps the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament was a blessing in disguise. Notre Dame will avoid both teams it lost to in the regular season (NC State and Florida State) and North Carolina until a potential ACC championship.
That’s not to take away from ACC quarterfinal opponent California or possible semifinal opponents Duke and Louisville, but the Irish have had fairly comfortable wins over all three in the last month.
*UConn (28-3, 18-0 Big East): NET 1
Even by its lofty standards, UConn’s domination of the Big East season was impressive. If this was the College Football Playoff, the Huskies would have a No. 1 seed as one of the four highest-ranked conference champions.
Locked into at least a No. 2 seed, UConn can crack the top line with a Big East Tournament title and the right combination of results ahead of it.
LSU (27-4, 12-4 SEC): NET 10
After a pair of losses down the stretch, LSU is no longer a No. 1 seed contender and instead should be focused on holding onto a suddenly tenuous hold on a No. 2 seed.
Flau’Jae Johnson is out for the SEC Tournament, but the Tigers got a gift when Florida beat Alabama. There is now a very winnable path to the SEC Semis, where either Texas or Ole Miss awaits.
*NC State (24-5, 16-2 ACC): NET 16
NC State seems to be fighting with LSU and TCU for the final No. 2 seeds, although I’m not ready to rule out the other teams on the No. 3 line should they win their conference tournament.
Incredibly, the Wolfpack has defeated each of the ACC’s three other double-bye teams (Notre Dame, Duke, Florida State) since the start of February. After starting the season 4-3, NC State has lost just twice since the start of December and has sneaky victories like Ole Miss and James Madison that are looking better and better.
No. 3 seeds
*TCU (28-3, 16-2 Big 12): NET 8
The game between TCU and Baylor for the Big 12 regular-season title was a low-scoring affair at 51-48, but TCU was able to capture its first conference championship as a member of the conference.
Now with a season sweep over Baylor, the Horned Frogs are up to seven Quad-1 wins, one more than either LSU or NC State in the close No. 2 seed battle.
Duke (23-7, 14-4 ACC): NET 7
With three straight wins to close the regular season, Duke is back in a rhythm. Toby Fournier has led the way, as the freshman is averaging 23 points and more than seven rebounds per game over the win streak.
Now, the Blue Devils draw Louisville, the last team they lost to, in the start of a difficult ACC Tournament draw.
Oklahoma (24-6, 11-5 SEC): NET 14
Reagan Beers is averaging 24 points per game over her last five contests while shooting 79.7% from the field (47 of 59). That’s just silly. Eight straight wins have taken Oklahoma from a team in the No. 6-7 seed range to a No. 3 seed with a ton of momentum heading into the SEC quarterfinals.
But how much of a true contender are the Sooners? They went 0-4 this season against SEC teams that received a double-bye in the conference tournament, but can pick up a win Friday against Kentucky.
North Carolina (26-6, 13-5 ACC): NET 20
The last week hasn’t exactly inspired confidence for Tar Heel fans. First, UNC lost at home to a Virginia team outside of the NCAA Tournament picture. They followed it up by entering the fourth quarter tied against Boston College in the ACC second round before winning by seven.
Performances like these won’t help North Carolina take down Florida State in the ACC quarterfinals or fulfill its aspirations of a deep NCAA Tournament run.
No. 4 seeds
Maryland (23-6, 13-5 Big Ten): NET 25
Sarah Te-Biasu’s electric overtime game-winning 3-pointer against Ohio State likely gave Maryland an NCAA Tournament hosting position and kept a No. 3 seed in play.
Outside of a tough two weeks beginning in late January, the Terrapins have looked menacing, profiling as an elite offense and a team skilled at crashing the glass and getting to the free throw line.
Kentucky (22-6, 11-5 SEC): NET 19
Similar to Oklahoma, its SEC quarterfinals opponent, Kentucky is without question a strong team, although questions remain about its ability to pull off the big upset.
They did well to hang in the game at South Carolina on Sunday and are the final team here that I would consider very likely to host games, but can Kentucky make an Elite Eight or Final Four run?
Kansas State (26-6, 13-5 Big 12): NET 9
The benefactor of losses by other teams, Kansas State has gone just 4-4 over the past month but remains a No. 4 seed for now. Friday’s game against West Virginia could be the Wildcats’ first win over an NCAA Tournament team since beating TCU on Feb. 5.
However, an early Big 12 Tournament exit could easily see them sliding down to the No. 5 line over the next few days.
Ohio State (24-5, 13-5 Big Ten): NET 18
With four different leading scorers in its last seven games, Ohio State has the ability to win in different ways. That can prove valuable in the NCAA Tournament if teams aren’t able to game plan on stopping any one player individually.
The Big Ten has a wealth of teams that seem capable of getting hot and potentially making a run. Iowa is near the top of that list and will play Ohio State in the Big Ten quarterfinals.
The Big East Women’s Tournament usually goes through UConn, and that’s the case again in 2025 as the top-seeded Huskies (28-3) take on the 8-seed St. John’s Red Storm (16-14) on Saturday. St. John’s handled 9-seed Butler 66-50 on Friday afternoon to advance to the quarterfinals, where the Red Storm meet a UConn program that has lost just one game since Dec. 21. The Huskies are 22-time Big East Women’s Tournament winners and they’ve won 11 straight.
Tipoff is noon ET at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn. The latest St. John’s vs. UConn odds list the Huskies as 29.5-point favorites, while the over/under is 125.5. Before making any UConn vs. St. John’s picks, be sure to see the women’s college basketball picks from SportsLine’s Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai.
Wetzel and Barzilai nailed Iowa’s win and cover against UConn in the Final Four last year and also called three 2024 Final Four teams before the tournament started.
Now they’ve turned their attention to UConn vs. St. John’s in the 2025 Big East Women’s Tournament quarterfinals and they’ve revealed their best bets.
Here are the best bets for UConn vs. St. John’s UConn -29.5 (-110) Covering this large of a number is certainly a challenge, but the Huskies regularly blast conference opponents by this much or more. Three of their last four regular season wins by were 30 or more points. The Huskies even beat then-No. 4 South Carolina by 29, so this is certainly a spread the Huskies can cover. They beat St. John’s by 38 at home and 26 on the road this season. “As is typically the case for the Huskies in this event, you can expect a comfortable victory,” Wetzel said.
The Pick: UConn -29.5 (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook Projected final score: UConn 76, St. John’s 46
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No. 3 seed Duke stunned No. 2 seed Notre Dame 61-54 in the ACC Tournament semifinals on Saturday. The Fighting Irish have struggled down the stretch, which has come at the worst time with only the NCAA Tournament left in the season. Notre Dame spent much of the season at or around No. 1 in the AP Top 25. Now, they are unlikely to get a No. 1 seed, according to CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel.
Saturday was mostly a close game with nine lead changes and seven ties, but a rough third quarter for Notre Dame — the reigning tournament champion — helped the Blue Devils get the extra push they needed to advance to their first ACC title game since 2017.
Nine players scored for Duke with Oluchi Okananwa and Ashley Jackson putting up 14 and 12 points, respectively. Notre Dame’s Hannah Hidalgo led all scorers with 23 points, but her efforts were not enough to lift the Irish after they were held well below their season average of 85 points.
At halftime, Hidalgo had 14, but none of her teammates had score more than five. The third quarter was a particularly rough one for as they had six turnovers and only three field goals. The Irish also got out-rebounded 38-26.
Although Notre Dame has been one of the hottest teams this season, Niele Ivey’s squad is in the middle of a slump as the Irish have lost three of their last five matches.
Duke, on the other hand, is getting hot at the right time. Kara Lawson’s squad has the chance to play themselves to a No. 2 seed.
Duke will face No. 1 seed NC State during Sunday’s ACC championship game at 1 p.m. ET.
USC and UCLA will face each other for the third time this season on Sunday, but this meeting will be for the Big Ten championship. However the third act of this battle for Los Angeles will occur in Indianapolis, some 2,000 miles away from homes of these former Pac-12 schools that have taken over the conference in their first season of being in the Big Ten. The game tips at 4:30 p.m. ET and can be seen on CBS and Paramount+.
The Bruins (29-2, 16-2 Big Ten) only have two losses through what has so far been the best campaign in program history, but both were against the Trojans (28-2, 17-1 Big Ten). Their last meeting on March 1 resulted in a 80-67 win for the Trojans, which propelled Lindsay Gottlieb’s squad to earn the program’s first regular season conference title in 30 years.
UCLA’s players and coaching staff were disappointed with that performance, but Lauren Betts said the team went over that game in tough film session ahead of the Big Ten tournament and that seemed to have motivated everybody. Coach Cori Close said she “100 percent, absolutely,” wanted a third crack at USC this season, and now the Bruins will get their chance.
Where to watch No. 1 USC vs. No. 2 UCLA: When: Sunday, March 9 at 4:30 p.m. ET Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis TV: CBS Streaming: Paramount+ Follow: CBS Sports app
USC’s path to the title game USC had to start the conference tournament without starting center/forward Rayah Marshall, who missed the quarterfinals game against Indiana due to illness. The Hoosiers gave the Trojans a battle and it was a one possession game going into the fourth quarter, but USC stayed strong to come out with an 84-79 victory.
JuJu Watkins led the team with 31 points and 10 rebounds — which was her seventh 30-point game this season and 21st in her career. Although she is only a sophomore, Watkins already ranks second all-time in career 30-point games at USC behind Cheryl Miller’s 25. Kiki Iriafen fouled out in the last minute of the game, but she was another top performer with 21 points and 10 rebounds.
During the semifinals against the Michigan, the Trojans shot under 35% from the field in the first two quarters and were down 29-31 at halftime. However, they found a better rhythm after the break to pick up an 82-70 win behind a combined for 45 points from Watkins and Iriafen. They also registered 11 rebounds each. Marshall was back on the court and contributed with nine points, three rebounds and two assists in just 19 minutes.
UCLA’s path to the title game Despite Nebraska keeping it competitive in the first half, UCLA had something to prove in this tournament and used that motivation to finish Friday’s quarterfinal with a 85-74 win. That game saw a strong performance by Betts on both sides of the court with 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven blocks. Meanwhile, Gabriela Jaquez put up a season-high 23 points and nine rebounds.
UCLA followed that up with a dominant 75-46 semifinal win over Ohio State, a team that averages around 80 points per game this season. The Bruins out-rebounded their opponents 43-25, and also held them to under 34% shooting from the field.
The star of the show against Ohio State was Londynn Jones, who went 6 of 12 from beyond the arc while scoring a season-high 22 points. Jones is averaging just over eight points per game this season, but she can be dangerous when her shots are falling. During the 2023-24 campaign, Jones set UCLA’s single-season record for 3-pointers made with 87.
Aneesah Morrow will be available for the NCAA Tournament, LSU coach Kim Mulkey said after Morrow appeared to have suffered a lower-leg injury during the Tigers’ loss against Texas in the SEC Tournament semifinals.
Morrow was carried off the floor following an awkward fall in the third quarter. She eventually returned to the bench with a boot.
Postgame, Mulkey said Morrow reaggravated a mid-foot sprain she dealt with in February. The injury is not serious, and the Tigers’ double-double weapon is expected to be fully available for the Big Dance. Mulkey said Morrow had even asked trainers to let her get back on the court against Texas, but the Tigers preferred to play it safe.
2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament: Conference winners, champions, automatic bids, bracket, where to watch CBS Sports Staff 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament: Conference winners, champions, automatic bids, bracket, where to watch “She’s good to go,” Mulkey said. “I’m not surprised she was fighting (the trainers) to get back in the game, and they’re like, ‘Oh no, we’ve got bigger fish fish to fry.’ But that’s Nees.”
LSU picked up a 101-87 win over Florida in the previous round, setting a program record for points in a SEC Tournament game. Meanwhile, Morrow registered her 27th double-double of the season with 36 points on 15 of 21 shooting to go along with 14 rebounds. Her performance set an individual program record for points in a SEC Tournament game.
LSU, the No. 3 seed in Greenville, S.C., had already been competing without leading scorer Flau’Jae Johnson, who is dealing with shin inflammation. Johnson is also set to return for the NCAA Tournament. The Tigers won the 2023 national title and made the Elite Eight last year.
The loss to Texas was not ideal because that was the Tigers’ third defeat in their last four games. However, their resume is strong, and CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel has LSU as a No. 2 or No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
The Tigers will officially find out their fate on Selection Sunday, which takes place Sunday, March 16 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
The 2025 SEC Women’s Tournament will conclude on Sunday when No. 1 seed South Carolina takes on No. 2 seed Texas. The Gamecocks have won the SEC Women’s Basketball Tournament in eight of the last 10 seasons. These two teams split their two regular-season matchups, with No. 5 South Carolina winning 67-50 at home on Jan. 12 while No. 1 Texas won 66-62 on Feb. 9 in its own building. The Gamecocks will have a slight edge playing in their home state but not a lot separates these two proud programs this season.
For the 2025 SEC Women’s Tournament final, tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, S.C. The latest South Carolina vs. Texas odds list the Gamecocks as 3.5-point favorites, while the over/under for total points scored is 135.5 points. Before making any Texas vs. South Carolina picks, be sure to see the women’s college basketball picks from SportsLine’s Calvin Wetzel and Aaron Barzilai.
Wetzel and Barzilai nailed Iowa’s win and cover against UConn in the Final Four last year and also called three 2024 Final Four teams before the tournament started.
Now they’ve turned their attention to South Carolina vs. Texas in the 2025 SEC Women’s Tournament final and they’ve revealed their best bets.
Here are the best bets for South Carolina vs. Texas: Texas +3.5 (-110) Both of these teams have a solid chance of being No. 1 seeds in the 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament and this will already be the third head-to-head meeting of the season. Texas’ only two losses this season came on the road in overtime against No. 10 Notre Dame and then at South Carolina. “Take the Longhorns at +4.5 or down to +2.5, and expect a down-to-the-wire finish,” Wetzel told SportsLine.
The Pick: Texas +3.5 (-110) at DraftKings Sportsbook Projected final score: South Carolina 65, Texas 64
Under 135.5 (-110) Two regular-season matchups between these two programs yielded 117 points and 128 points, respectively, so expect these teams to put their best foot forward defensively. They’re familiar with each other and both teams are giving up fewer than 60 points per game this season. “Given the way these two teams neutralize each other’s offensive styles, the under may be a good look as well. I’m projecting a 65-64 South Carolina win,” Wetzel said.
The third time was the charm for UCLA as it beat USC, 72-67, in the Big Ten Tournament championship game on Sunday.
After two defeats to the Trojans earlier this season, including one that cost them the Big Ten regular season title, the Bruins finally got the job done against their crosstown rival.
And with the win, CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel projects that UCLA will earn the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA Tournament. Selection Sunday is set for Sunday, March 16.
USC controlled much of the first half thanks to JuJu Watkins, and surged ahead by double digits early in the third quarter. That was the high point of their afternoon, however. After Talia von Oelhoffen hit a 3-pointer to put the Trojans up 48-35 with 9:47 remaining in the third, the Bruins outscored them 37-19 the rest of the way.
SEC Tournament: Texas’ anemic display in loss to South Carolina highlights offensive issues Jack Maloney SEC Tournament: Texas’ anemic display in loss to South Carolina highlights offensive issues The Bruins’ defense stepped up in a major way after the break. They held the Trojans to 22 points on 8 of 36 from the field and forced 10 turnovers in the second half. In particular, they limited Watkins to just 11 points on 15 shots over the final 20 minutes. Watkins destroyed the Bruins in the first two meetings, combining for 68 points, but was unable to do so on Sunday. She scored 29 points, but went just 9 of 28 from the field in the process.
Lauren Betts led the way for the Bruins with 17 points, five rebounds and four blocks, while Londynn Jones and Kiki Rice chipped in 13 points apiece. As a team, the Bruins shot 52.3% from the field, including 8 of 15 from 3-point range.
NCAA Tournament seeding at stake Heading into Sunday, CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel projected that both of these teams would be No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament, regardless of the result. Not all No. 1 seeds are created equal, though, so there was still plenty at stake besides the Big Ten Tournament crown.
Women’s Bracketology: Washington, Colorado on right side of bubble after big wins Connor Groel Women’s Bracketology: Washington, Colorado on right side of bubble after big wins That became even more true when Texas — the projected No. 1 overall seed heading into Sunday — was crushed by South Carolina in the SEC Tournament championship game. Groel’s updated projection after Texas’ loss had the winner of the Big Ten title game earning the No. 1 overall seed and the loser receiving the fourth and final No. 1 seed in the field.
That winner turned out to be UCLA thanks to its dominant second half. While we’ll have to wait for Selection Sunday to see the actual bracket, the Bruins should have the easiest path to the Final Four.
UCLA’s defense shuts down JuJu Watkins Watkins came into Sunday’s showdown feeling extremely confident, and for good reason.
The first time these teams met this season, Watkins put up 38 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and eight blocks to become the first Division I player in the last 20 years to have a 35-point, five-assist, five-block game. In the rematch eight days ago, she went for 30 points, three rebounds, five assists, two steals and three blocks to clinch the Big Ten regular season title.
So when she made her first three shots on Sunday, it seemed like we were in store for another Watkins masterclass. UCLA had other ideas this time.
With Gabriela Jaquez and Angela Dugalic leading the way at the point of attack, the Bruins pressured Watkins all over the floor, crowded her space and pressured her into tough shots and turnovers. Watkins had just 11 points on 4 of 15 from the field and five turnovers in the second half as the Bruins surged ahead.
One possession early in the fourth quarter summed up the effort. Watkins was able to split their defense on the perimeter, but there were two Bruins waiting in the paint, which forced her to double clutch on her shot and allowed Betts time to recover. The 6-foot-7 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year simply snatched the ball out of Watkins’ hands.
Betts steps up in the second half At her best, Betts is one of the most impactful players in college basketball. In the first half on Sunday, however, she was mostly an afterthought. She scored four points on 2 of 5 from the field and grabbed just two rebounds as the Trojans built an early lead.
That flipped after the break, as Betts reminded everyone why she was announced as one of the finalists for the John Wooden Award hours before tip-off. Betts did not come off the floor in the second half and took over on both ends. She put up 13 points on a perfect 5 of 5 shooting and 3 of 3 from the foul line while grabbing three rebounds and adding two steals and three blocks.
“I don’t think you guys understand, I’m so freaking proud of this team,” Betts said. “We earned that game. We earned it. We worked our butts off. We stayed together. We learned. We could have given up after we lost to them back-to-back. We lost that regular season [title], and we just weren’t done. That wasn’t enough. We would not be denied this game and I’m so freaking proud of everybody. We all came out to compete.”
If the Bruins get the second-half version of Betts in the NCAA Tournament, they can absolutely win the first national championship in program history.
Texas entered the SEC Tournament ranked No. 1 in the country, but the Longhorns looked completely overmatched on Sunday in a 64-45 loss to South Carolina in the championship game that highlighted their serious offensive issues ahead of the NCAA Tournament.
Even after this disappointing performance, the Longhorns are projected to receive a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, per CBS Sports bracketologist Connor Groel. Generally, every team on the 1-line is a national title contender, but is that still the case for Texas?
The Longhorns’ resume would say yes. They are 31-3 with 10 wins against top-25 opponents, and won three consecutive games against top-10 foes at one point this season. Entering Sunday, they were one of just two teams in the country (along with UConn) in the top-10 in both offensive and defensive rating, per CBB Analytics, and their plus-34.6 net rating was second only to the Huskies.
And yet, when watching Texas play you often come away unconvinced. Never more so than Sunday.
The Longhorns managed just 45 points, their lowest-scoring game all season, and their lowest as a program since 2021 when they scored 34, also in a loss to South Carolina. They shot 16 of 54 from the field (29.6%), their second-least efficient outing of the season, and made just 1 of 8 3-point attempts. In fact, they had more turnovers (18) than made field goals (16).
In the first half, they scored just 16 points, which were the fewest in a half by an AP No. 1 team in a decade and the fewest in a half in SEC Tournament championship game history.
There are some things Texas does very well on the offensive end. The Longhorns lead the country in offensive rebounding rate (43.9%) and are tied for 26th in free throw rate (34.7%). Furthermore, they usually take great care of the ball, and are 15th in turnover rate (15.2%).
Texas’ ability to crash the glass for extra opportunities and get to the free throw line, combined with its elite defense, has been enough — sometimes just enough — to get the job done on most nights. But UT’s inability to shoot leaves a very small margin of error.
The Longhorns are last in the nation in 3-point rate (17.1%) and 138th in 3-point percentage (30.8). Sunday’s defeat was the 15th time they’ve taken fewer than 10 3s in a game this season and the eighth time they’ve made one or fewer. While they’re more willing to take mid-range attempts, they’re just 37.9% on jumpers inside the arc, per Synergy Sports.
That allows opponents to pack the paint, which is what South Carolina did to tremendous effect. This possession during the second quarter, when Texas scored six points on 3 of 12 from the field and had six turnovers, was perhaps the best example.
Madison Booker attempts to drive left, but Kyla Oldacre is planted on the block and Rori Harmon, a non-shooter, is in the corner. Harmon clears out, but because she’s not a threat, her defender just stays on the strong side to contain Booker. Likewise, Oldacre’s defender is already in the paint and Booker’s defender eventually recovers, which leaves the Longhorns star in this spot.
screenshot-2025-03-09-at-7-59-47-pm.png South Carolina clogs the paint to contain Booker As Booker backs out and tries to drive back toward the middle of the floor, the Gamecocks have all five players in the paint.
screenshot-2025-03-09-at-8-02-09-pm.png All five South Carolina defenders are in the paint Booker is eventually able to drop the ball down to Oldacre in the paint, but she’s immediately swarmed by multiple defenders who are ignoring their matchups and don’t have to travel far to help. The result is an extremely difficult flip shot that gets deflected on the way up.
While the Longhorns can overwhelm many teams, elite opponents like the Gamecocks that have the size, athleticism and defensive know-how to match up with them can make life extremely difficult.
To win their first national title since 1986, Texas is going to have to beat multiple other contenders. As great as their defense is, it’s hard to see them doing that given their offensive challenges.
The UCLA Bruins returned to the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25 women’s basketball rankings after knocking off USC in the Big Ten championship. This is the Bruins’ 13th week at No. 1 this season, as they spent 12 straight weeks at the top spot while they were undefeated.
The Bruins have only lost two games in 2024-25, and both were to now-No. 4 USC. Cori Close’s team got revenge with a gutsy comeback victory and has now locked in a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament: Conference winners, champions, automatic bids, bracket, where to watch CBS Sports Staff 2025 Women’s NCAA Tournament: Conference winners, champions, automatic bids, bracket, where to watch South Carolina improved to No. 2 by winning the SEC Tournament with a win over previous No. 1, Texas. While UCLA is the top team this week, the Gamecocks are receiving nine first-place votes.
UConn is No. 3 while receiving seven first-place votes. The Huskies are competing in the Big East championship game for the fifth consecutive time since rejoining the conference. They are battling Creighton on Monday at 7 p.m. ET.
Texas dropped to No. 5 after falling to South Carolina in a dismal offensive performance. They are still expected to be a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but the Longhorns have a lot to work on offensively if they want to make a deep run.
TCU moved up to No. 6 after winning the Big 12 championship. Meanwhile, Duke is No. 7 after a strong second half helped the Blue Devils take down NC State and win the ACC title.
