While No. 2 UCLA looks to run the Big Ten women's basketball table, this week's conference tournament will also provide opportunities for underdogs to better their odds in the national bracket.
Wednesday's first round features unranked Indiana, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Illinois, Purdue, and Oregon, before Thursday sees unranked USC and Washington tip off alongside No. 11 Ohio State, No. 14 Maryland, and No. 18 Michigan State.
The teams surviving the first two rounds will then face top-seeded No. 2 UCLA, No. 8 Michigan, No. 9 Iowa, and No. 19 Minnesota, who all earned byes into Friday's quarterfinals.
One of the teams in the hot seat is No. 9 seed USC, as the Trojans fight to make the NCAA tournament cut while continuing to build around 2025/26 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jazzy Davidson.
The top 2025 recruit stepped up in lieu of injured star JuJu Watkins in a big way, averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2.1 blocks, and two steals per 34.4 minutes of game time to lead the team in nearly every category.
"She's had an incredible freshman year," USC head coach Lindsey Gottlieb said. "And I think we're still only tapping into what she's capable of."
How to watch the 2026 Big Ten women's basketball tournament
The 2026 Big Ten tournament tips off with Indiana vs. Nebraska at 3:30 PM ET on Wednesday.
All three Wednesday matchups will stream live on Peacock before tournament coverage shifts to the Big Ten Network on Thursday.
