Let the Madness begin, as the 2025/26 NCAA women's basketball tournament tips off its 64-team first round on Friday — with one matchup set to bust Women's March Madness brackets from the jump.
No. 10 Tennessee will take on No. 7 NC State on Friday night — bookending the season with a rematch of their 2025/26 opener — as both the Volunteers and Wolfpack look to conjure past tournament success after up and down campaigns.
"I would love to get back to being the hardest playing team on the floor," Lady Vols head coach Kim Caldwell said. "That means 50/50 balls, we're getting on them, we're taking charges, we're diving on loose balls, we have great energy, we're playing as a team."
After a promising start to SEC play, Tennessee hit the skids in recent weeks, finishing the season 8-8 in conference play with an overall 16-13 season record — while also dealing with some headline-making friction off the bench.
"I think she is doing a great job," Tennessee athletic director Danny White told Knox News earlier this week, commending the second-year coach. "I'm as confident in her as I was the day I hired her. (I'm) more confident just getting a chance to work more closely with her and see how talented she is as a basketball mind and as a leader."
"Tennessee is super quick, athletic," said NC State head coach Wes Moore after the Wolfpack topped the Lady Vols 80-77 in the pair's only 2025/26 meeting. "They've got a lot of people that are long and athletic and make it a challenge."
How to watch Tennessee vs. NC State in Women's March Madness
The No. 10 Vols take on the No. 7 Wolfpack at 8 PM ET on Friday night, airing live on ESPN.
Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story — a new documentary chronicling the late Tennessee basketball coach — will premiere across Hulu and ESPN starting March 25th.
The documentary special traces the legendary coach's path from her childhood on a farm through her 38-years tenure with the Lady Vols. Good Morning America anchor Robin Roberts is backing the project via her Rockin' Robin Productions, alongside Trilogy, Tribeca Productions, and producer Don Porter.
Summitt's son Tyler told local media the film covers his mother's playing career, coaching achievements, eight NCAA titles, and her battle with Alzheimer's disease.
"The documentary shows how much she cared about other people, including her graduation rate, her efforts to help people with Alzheimer's, her support for women's sports, and the importance of family and friends," Tyler Summitt said.
Roberts met Pat Summitt in 1987 when she worked as a sports reporter in Nashville. The two stayed close for the next 29 years, with Roberts previously producing the 2013 ESPN documentary Pat XO.
The Tennessee icon retired in April 2012 with 1,098 career wins — more than any DI basketball coach at the time. She won eight championships between 1987 and 2008, with Tennessee appearing in 31 consecutive NCAA tournaments under her leadership.
Summitt died in 2016 after battling early-onset Alzheimer's disease. She was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 1999.
How to Watch 'Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story' on Hulu and ESPN
Breaking Glass: The Pat Summitt Story will be available to stream on Hulu starting March 25th, before making its ESPN debut on April 5th.
Kaiya Wynn announced plans to leave the Tennessee women's basketball team on Tuesday, with the reserve guard citing Sunday's Senior Day game with coach Kim Caldwell as her "breaking point."
Caldwell kept Wynn on the bench for the majority of the 87-77 loss to No. 5 Vanderbilt, ultimately asking her to check in with just 15 seconds left. Wynn, a Tennessee native, spent five years with the Lady Vols, but appeared in just nine matchups this season after missing all of 2024/25 sidelined with an ACL tear.
"As someone who has never started a career game, I was hoping to start in my last appearance in Thompson-Boling," Wynn posted to social media. "To be asked to check into the game with 15 seconds left while losing was not how I wanted to spend my final moments in my arena after five years."
Neither Tennessee nor coach Caldwell has made an announcement about Wynn's departure. Another senior, center Jersey Wolfenbarger, also sat out on Sunday, despite appearing in 18 games this season.
The Lady Vols face significant struggles heading into this week's SEC tournament, coming off an 8-8 conference and 16-12 overall record after an up-and-down NCAA season. The team's additionally lost nine of its past 11 games under Caldwell, including its past six consecutive clashes.
After a recent 30-point defeat at the hands of undefeated UConn and a program-worst 43-point loss to South Carolina, Caldwell went so far as to publicly criticize her team.
"We had a lot of quit in us tonight," she said. "When we're not comfortable and things don't go our way, I have a team that'll just quit on you."
What's next for Tennessee basketball under coach Kim Caldwell
Tennessee enters this week's SEC tournament as the No. 6 seed, tipping off against the Alabama-Missouri winner on Thursday at 8:30 PM ET.
The second-round showdown will air live on SEC Network.
UConn head coach Geno Auriemma officially sits above the rest, with the Huskies boss making his record 655th career appearance in the AP Top 25 women's basketball poll this week.
In Monday's update, Auriemma broke a tie for the record with legendary former Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer, as UConn spends another week as the nation's unanimous No. 1 basketball team.
With only two games remaining in conference play, the Huskies are closing in on a perfect 2025/26 NCAA regular season to go with their already-wrapped 13th straight Big East regular-season title.
Joining No. 1 UConn in retaining their AP Poll positions this week were No. 2 UCLA, No. 3 South Carolina, No. 4 Texas, and No. 5 Vanderbilt.
On the other hand, No. 8 Michigan, No. 10 Louisville, No. 12 Duke, and No. 13 Ohio State all saw dips in their rankings after suffering losses last week.
Tennessee, however, suffered the hardest fall, after a four-game losing streak saw the previously No. 21 Vols drop out of the rankings entirely for the first time this season.
At the same time, No. 7 Oklahoma and No. 9 Iowa saw the biggest jumps on Monday, with both squads securing four-spot rises on the heels of ranked wins last week.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
With more marquee matchups on deck before the 2025/26 NCAA basketball regular season wraps up on Sunday, the Big Ten takes center stage on Wednesday, when archrivals No. 8 Michigan and No. 13 Ohio State face off in a battle for a bounce-back win — plus an edge in the race for second place in the conference.
The Wolverines will travel to Columbus to take on the Buckeyes at 8 PM ET, airing live on Peacock.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 16
1. UConn (29-0, Big East)
2. UCLA (27-1, Big Ten)
3. South Carolina (27-2, SEC)
4. Texas (26-3, SEC)
5. Vanderbilt (25-3, SEC)
6. LSU (24-4, SEC)
7. Oklahoma (21-6, SEC)
8. Michigan (22-5, Big Ten)
9. Iowa (22-5, Big Ten)
10. Louisville (24-5, ACC)
11. TCU (25-4, Big 12)
12. Duke (20-7, ACC)
13. Ohio State (23-5, Big Ten)
14. Maryland (22-6, Big Ten)
15. Michigan State (22-6, Big Ten)
16. Kentucky (20-8, SEC)
17. West Virginia (22-6, Big 12)
18. Baylor (24-6, Big 12)
19. Ole Miss (21-8, SEC)
20. Texas Tech (24-5, Big 12)
21. North Carolina (23-6, ACC)
22. Minnesota (21-7, Big Ten)
23. Georgia (21-7, SEC)
24. Alabama (21-7, SEC)
25. Princeton (21-3, Ivy)
With just nine days left in the 2025/26 NCAA basketball regular season, this weekend's ranked lineup could dictate both conference champions and national tournament seeding — with the SEC leading the charge.
The SEC steals the spotlight on Sunday, as college basketball's deepest conference will dominate ESPN with a triple-header of ranked matchups.
Fresh off a tight 78-70 loss to No. 7 LSU, No. 17 Ole Miss will close out their ranked schedule against conference leaders No. 3 South Carolina on Sunday, with the 8-5 Rebels currently sitting in a three-way SEC standings tie with No. 11 Oklahoma and No. 21 Tennessee.
"If you look at the history of our league, we always have anywhere from four to five to six teams in the Sweet 16," said Ole Miss head coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin. "When we're in here fighting night in and night out, it's tough, and you can lose at any point."
The Sooners and Vols will then face off in their own battle for conference positioning, before No. 5 Vanderbilt looks to bounce back from a 76-74 upset loss to No. 24 Georgia by defeating No. 16 Kentucky.
How to watch Sunday's SEC basketball triple-header
No. 17 Ole Miss will tip off Sunday's SEC triple-header against No. 3 South Carolina at 12 PM ET, before No. 21 Tennessee takes on No. 11 Oklahoma at 2 PM ET.
Following both live matchups on ESPN, No. 16 Kentucky will visit No. 5 Vanderbilt in a 4 PM ET clash on ESPN2.
Riding high near the top of the SEC standings, No. 15 Tennessee will face an age-old rival on Sunday, when the Lady Vols visit the 2025/26 NCAA basketball season's last-standing undefeated Division I team, No. 1 UConn.
Tennessee previously led the SEC title race with a 6-0 conference record until a 77-62 upset loss to unranked Mississippi State on Thursday sent the Vols' tumbling to third on the conference table.
While claiming nearly double the rebounds as Tennessee, the Bulldog defense kept Tennessee's field goal rate under 32%, paving the way for senior forward Kharyssa Richardson to lead the charge to the Mississippi State victory with 21 points on the night.
"They outworked us, they out-toughed us, start to finish," Tennessee head coach Kim Caldwell said postgame.
For Big East basketball leaders UConn, Sunday's matchup against Tennessee likely stands as the Huskies' final ranked test before kicking off the postseason — and their national title defense.
However, UConn is currently managing a lengthy injury report, with six players sidelined from their dominant Wednesday win over unranked Xavier.
Even so, the Huskies' depth never wavered, as sophomore guard Allie Ziebell sunk a program record-tying 10 three-pointers to secure the 97-39 victory on a career-high 34 points.
How to watch Tennessee vs. UConn this weekend
The top-ranked Huskies will host the No. 15 Vols at 12 PM ET on Sunday, with live coverage airing on FOX.
Monday's AP Top 25 Poll featured few dramatics, as the Week 8 tally reflected another consistent slate from the 2025/26 NCAA basketball elite with only one shift in the Top 10 and marginal movement at the bottom.
Undefeated TCU keeps making gains, rising one spot to tie Oklahoma at No. 8 after taking down Big 12 foe Kansas State 77-55 behind senior guard Olivia Miles's 29-point performance on Saturday.
On the other hand, a 90-64 loss to No. 1 UConn on Saturday saw Iowa skid three spots, with the now-No. 14 Hawkeyes falling to a 1-2 record against ranked opponents this season.
Outside the relatively stationary Top 10, some blue chip programs are threatening to exit the AP Poll entirely after dropping ranked games last weekend.
Baylor experienced the greatest slide, dropping seven spots to No. 22 after falling 61-60 to Big 12 rival and rankings newcomer No. 21 Texas Tech on Sunday — the Bears' third loss in their season's four ranked games so far.
Tennessee saw a similar dip, plummeting six spots to No. 23 after losing to a surging No. 13 Louisville 89-65 on Saturday.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
The ranked action returns on Sunday, as No. 4 UCLA visits No. 19 Ohio State at 2 PM ET, live on the Big Ten Network.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women's College Basketball Poll: Week 8
1. UConn (12-0, Big East)
2. Texas (14-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (12-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (11-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (13-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (10-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (13-0, Big Ten)
T8. TCU (13-0, Big 12)
T8. Oklahoma (12-1, SEC)
10. Iowa State (13-0, Big 12)
11. Kentucky (12-1, SEC)
12. Vanderbilt (12-0, SEC)
13. Louisville (12-3, ACC)
14. Iowa (10-2, Big Ten)
15. Ole Miss (12-2, SEC)
16. UNC (11-3, ACC)
17. USC (9-3, Big Ten)
18. Notre Dame (9-2, ACC)
19. Ohio State (11-1, Big Ten)
20. Nebraska (12-0, Big Ten)
21. Texas Tech (14-0, Big 12)
22. Baylor (11-3, Big 12)
23. Tennessee (8-3, SEC)
24. Michigan State (11-1, Big Ten)
25. Princeton (12-1, Ivy)
No. 2 Texas will continue their ambitious 2025/26 NCAA basketball nonconference schedule on Thursday, when the Longhorns take on the No. 11 North Carolina Tar Heels as part of the annual two-day ACC/SEC Challenge.
The game will mark Texas' third ranked matchup in nine days, after the Longhorns claimed a pair of impressive wins over No. 3 South Carolina and No. 4 UCLA at the Players Era Championship last week.
"We're still a long way from a finished product," said Texas head coach Vic Schaefer, tempering early season expectations following his team's 81-63 win over unranked Penn on Sunday.
Now in its third iteration, this year's ACC/SEC Challenge opened with the SEC taking a commanding lead between the two conferences in Wednesday's action.
In the day's tightest tilt, Oklahoma guard Aaliyah Chavez — the No. 1 recruit of the 2025/26 freshman class — scored a blistering 33 points to help her No. 9 Sooners to a 103-98 overtime win over NC State.
Elsewhere, No. 19 Tennessee survived an upset bid from unranked Stanford 65-62 to keep the SEC all but perfect on the day, as Syracuse tallied the only ACC win out of the seven Challenge games thus far — a 66-60 overtime victory over also-unranked Auburn.
However, the annual event heats up on Thursday, when the Challenge's three Top-25 matchups take the court.
In addition to the No. 2 Longhorns hosting the No. 11 Tar Heels, Thursday's docket features No. 3 South Carolina visiting No. 22 Louisville and No. 13 Ole Miss taking on No. 18 Notre Dame.
How to watch the Top-25 tilts in the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge
Thursday's first ranked matchups begin at 7 PM ET, with UNC vs. Texas on ESPN2 while South Carolina faces Louisville on ESPN.
Notre Dame will then close out the 2025 ACC/SEC Challenge against Ole Miss at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN2.
Monday's AP Top 25 women's college basketball poll has a new No. 2, as Texas jumped two spots up the ladder after taking down then-No. 2 South Carolina and then-No. 3 UCLA at last week's Players Era Championship in Las Vegas.
With the Longhorns knocking off two Top 3 programs in the shortest time frame in 25 years, the 32-member media panel rewarded Texas with 10 first-place votes on Monday.
Despite their losses, the No. 3 Gamecocks and No. 4 Bruins fell just one spot each, with UCLA bouncing back against then-No. 14 Tennessee on Sunday — a 99-77 victory that sent the Vols tumbling five spots to No. 19 in the week's biggest rankings drop.
Meanwhile, Nos. 5 through 10 held steady this week, as No. 5 LSU, No. 6 Michigan, No. 7 Maryland, No. 8 TCU, No. 9 Oklahoma, and No. 10 Iowa State all managed to avoid upsets.
The Big Ten and SEC are now neck-and-neck atop NCAA basketball, with both conferences featuring eight Top 25 teams after a narrow win over No. 25 West Virginia last Wednesday saw No. 23 Ohio State enter the AP Poll for the first time this season.
How to watch Top 25 NCAA basketball this week
The ranked action will continue with a trio of Top 25 matchups on the second day of the annual ACC/SEC Challenge on Thursday.
First at 7 PM ET, No. 11 UNC will visit No. 2 Texas on ESPN2 while No. 3 South Carolina faces No. 22 Louisville on ESPN.
No. 18 Notre Dame will close out the night against No. 13 Ole Miss at 9 PM ET, airing live on ESPN2.
2025/26 AP Top 25 Women’s College Basketball Poll: Week 5
1. UConn (7-0, Big East)
2. Texas (8-0, SEC)
3. South Carolina (7-1, SEC)
4. UCLA (8-1, Big Ten)
5. LSU (8-0, SEC)
6. Michigan (6-1, Big Ten)
7. Maryland (9-0, Big Ten)
8. TCU (8-0, Big 12)
9. Oklahoma (7-1, SEC)
10. Iowa State (9-0, Big 12)
11. UNC (8-1, ACC)
12. Iowa (8-0, Big Ten)
13. Ole Miss (7-0, SEC)
14. Baylor (7-1, Big 12)
15. Vanderbilt (8-0, SEC)
16. USC (5-2, Big Ten)
17. Kentucky (8-1, SEC)
18. Notre Dame (5-1, ACC)
19. Tennessee (5-2, SEC)
20. Michigan State (8-0, Big Ten)
21. Washington (8-0, Big Ten)
22. Louisville (7-2, ACC)
23. Ohio State (6-1, Big Ten)
24. Oklahoma State (8-1, Big 12)
25. West Virginia (6-2, Big 12)
No. 8 Tennessee opened their 2025/26 NCAA basketball season on a down note, falling to No. 9 NC State 80-77 on Tuesday as the Volunteers hope to better last season's Sweet Sixteen finish under second-year head coach Kim Caldwell.
Vanderbilt transfer forward Khamil Pierre led the Wolfpack with a 21-point, 14-rebound double-double, while fellow preseason Top 25 player Talaysia Cooper led Tennessee's efforts with 23 points and 11 rebounds of her own.
"We wanted to see where we were early, so we had time to fix it," Caldwell said postgame about Tennessee opening the 2025/26 NCAA season against a Top-10 foe. "I think that's exactly what we got out of it. We have a lot of things we can fix. We can get a lot better."
Tuesday's narrow loss was encouraging news for a Tennessee side reeling from a recent roster loss, after Caldwell dismissed starting guard Ruby Whitehorn — a double-digit scorer for the Vols — following the senior's second offseason arrest.
"I love Ruby and will always be rooting for her, but my priority is to uphold the respected reputation of the Lady Vols," Caldwell said in a Sunday statement.
"I have failed to uphold the standards of the lady vol legacy and what it represents and for that I apologize," Whitehorn posted in response.
With the Vols' next ranked matchup set for November 30th, Tennessee's softer slate will allow Caldwell's team to continue refining their new starting lineup before their next big test.