As conference tournaments wind down and Selection Sunday approaches, plenty of teams are sitting on the bubble and awaiting their NCAA Tournament fate.

Of the 68-teams in the tournament field, 36 teams will receive at-large bids. And with the growing parity across women’s college basketball, more than one talented team will be left without a spot.

Bubble teams are scattered across conferences, from Kansas in the Big 12 to St. John’s in the Big East, from Oregon in the Pac-12 to Georgia in the SEC. Here are four more hopefuls whose fates hang in the balance heading into the final weekend of conference tournament championships.

Princeton (21-5)

The No. 1 seed in the Ivy League tournament, Princeton is listed as the Last Team In according to ESPN’s bracketology. If the Tigers make the Saturday’s championship game, they should lock up an at-large bid. But if they lose in Friday’s semifinal before that, they will remain on the bubble and could be waiting out the fates of other teams to determine whether or not they’ll keep playing in March.

Purdue (19-10)

The Boilermakers finished seventh in a stacked Big Ten this year, which puts them on the outskirts of the NCAA Tournament field. Also in the conversation from the Big Ten is Nebraska (16-14). Their conference credentials could help them sneak in — or their losses relative to some of the other bubble teams could hurt their chances, even if those losses came against quality opponents.

img
Abbey Ellis and Purdue are waiting to learn their NCAA Tournament fate. (Alex Martin/USA TODAY NETWORK)

West Virginia (19-11)

If Princeton or Columbia falls in the semifinals of the Ivy League tournament, West Virginia could make the case to take that spot in the NCAA Tournament, even after a crushing last-second loss to Oklahoma State in Friday’s Big 12 Tournament quarterfinals.

Arkansas (21-12)

The Razorbacks won their first SEC Tournament game but ran into eventual champion South Carolina in the quarterfinals. While they’re looking pretty good as a bubble team, they likely would need some help from other conference tournaments in order to make their third consecutive March Madness appearance.

Troy University announced Monday that former Arkansas standout and No. 5 overall pick in the 2021 WNBA draft Chelsea Dungee has joined its women’s basketball coaching staff.

She replaces Neil Harrow, who left to join the James Madison staff in early spring.

Dungee started her career at Oklahoma and after just one season transferred to Arkansas, where she became the program’s all-time leading scorer (2,147 points). She also dropped 37 points against UConn, the most scored by a single player against the Huskies since 2000.

She was selected by the Dallas Wings in the first round of last year’s WNBA draft, but after playing in 14 games as a rookie, she was cut before the start of the 2022 season.

“It’s been almost eight years since I’ve had an opening on my staff to fill,” Rigby said. “When this position came open, I knew I wanted to hire someone who would make a strong impact on current players and carry deep influence with recruits. Chelsea will be all of this and much more.

“She worked her way up into being a top scorer in NCAA and a high draft pick in the WNBA. The passion that she possesses, and her desire to be great, will be infectious.”

In her senior season, the guard averaged 22.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 1.5 steals. She was named an AP Third Team All-American and was named to the Wooden Award ballot.

“I am excited about the opportunity to pursue my lifelong goal of becoming a Division I women’s basketball coach,” Dungee said. “My collegiate and professional experiences have provided me with vast knowledge of the game and the ability to create and maintain healthy relationships through shared experiences.”