The DII women’s basketball championship is here. The conference championships brought some big surprises, some of which saw Power 10 teams fall in stunning fashion. No. 2 Minnesota State was upset in the NSIC championship game, while No. 8 Lenoir-Rhyne — the No. 1 seed in the SAC tournament — was bounced in the first round by No. 8-seeded Anderson (SC). No. 9 Fort Hays State was stunned in the MIAA quarterfinals, while Lubbock Christian exited the LSC tournament earlier than expected in the quarterfinals.
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That is all to say, welcome to March. Cinderellas try to make it to midnight, bubble teams try to burst others' championship dreams, and the powerhouses cook on their way to another spot in the DII Women’s Elite Eight.
Before the tournament tips off, let’s go around the bracket, region by region, to name the teams to beat and take a look at some of those under-the-radar teams to watch that could surprise the nation and sneak through to the DII Women’s Elite Eight.
A region-by-region look at the DII women’s basketball bracket
Atlantic Region
Team to beat: Gannon. The Golden Knights and No. 1-seeded Indiana (PA) had some heated battles during the season. IUP took Round 1 68-63, Gannon bounced back with a nine-point victory in the second game, and then IUP took the PSAC in a 61-57 win in the tournament championship game. These two PSAC superpowers seem evenly matched. Perhaps Gannon’s scoring defense — which allows just 53.2 points per game, eighth best in DII — is the difference maker should these two meet again.
Team to watch: Glenville State. Are the Pioneers back? The Kim Caldwell (then Stephens) era ended in 2023, and the tournament regulars were absent from the bracket in both 2024 and 2025. This year, the Pioneers had their first 20-win season of the Emily Stoller era (who coaches alongside her sister Abby, both of whom had Caldwell as their mentor) and, much like they used to do, led the MEC in scoring with 84.6 points per game. The problem for the Pioneers is the road to the DII Women’s Elite Eight is brutal, so we’ll see how they respond back in the big dance.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 3 Winston-Salem State vs. No. 6 Glenville State. If the Pioneers are the team to watch, you may as well get your eyes on them in the first round. Winston-Salem State rolls into the tournament on the heels of its first-ever CIAA women’s basketball championship. The Rams improved from a 7-20 team in 2025 to 26-3 this season under first-year head coach Tierra Terry. They have one of the toughest defenses in DII, so it will be an intriguing matchup between DII’s fourth overall scoring defense, allowing 51.4 points per game, against that potent Pioneers’ offense, which is third in DII. Can the Rams offense score enough? How will they handle the big stage for the first time? We will see those questions answered on Friday.
Central Region
Team to beat: Concordia-St. Paul. Why not the Golden Bears? Both the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the regional rankings went down. Concordia-St. Paul took down No. 1 Minnesota State twice in 10 days, winning the NSIC championship and extending their winning streak to 16 games. Lydia Haack (18.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 2,4 steals per game) and Lauren Wilson (17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.1assists per game with a team-high 40 blocks) are a formidable duo that obviously can give the best of teams fits.
Team to watch: Fort Hays State. Something is awry in Hays, Kansas. The Tigers are a very good basketball and have been ranked in the Power 10 all season. They are powered by the leading scorer in DII women’s basketball in Talexa Weeter, who is averaging 27.0 points per game to go with 8.8 rebounds per game. However, Fort Hays State enters the tournament having lost three of their final four games, including that MIAA quarterfinals upset at the hands of Missouri Western. Still, this team has a very talented starting five — perhaps they got the kinks out at the right time and will get hot again when it matters most.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Central Missouri vs. No. 5 Washburn. This one has MIAA fans upset because they just watched this game a few days ago. Washburn ended Central Missouri’s 13-game winning streak in the MIAA championship game to punch its ticket to the dance. The Jennies have one of the best players in DII women’s basketball in Reese Schaaf, who is averaging 19.1 points and 9.9 rebounds per game to go with a team-high 85 assists and seven double-doubles in her last eight games. We’ll see if the Ichabods can pull off another upset just days apart.
East Region
Team to beat: Bentley. The Falcons have a tough road to the DII Women’s Elite Eight with teams like Daemen and Southern Connecticut in their way. But Bentley is the defending East champs, and they were an NE10 championship game away from being the host seed. Instead, they are No. 2 and look to have an East Region final showdown against Southern Connecticut State to settle the score. The Owls seem to have Bentley’s number this year, but the Falcons seem to have more winning experience at this point in the season. Both the Falcons and Owls have a balanced starting five that would make it a solid East Region championship should it wind up that way.
Team to watch: Daemen. There is just something about the Wildcats come March. They have been to the DII Women’s Elite Eight twice in the past five years and nearly made it as the No. 8 seed in 2022, losing to Pace by a basket in the East Region final. It really doesn’t matter what seed the Wildcats are; this is their time to shine. They are coming into the tournament on a five-game winning streak and winners of their fifth-straight ECC title.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 1 Southern Connecticut State vs. No. 8 Saint Michael’s. This is the Purple Knights' first-ever trip to the tournament. Sitting at 15-13, you are probably wondering why this is a matchup to watch. The first round games in the East seem pretty cut and dry, so why not watch a team make its debut? Plus, the Owls are the host seed for the first time since 2007, the year they won the national championship. It will be interesting to watch how the 2026 Owls get things started.
Midwest Region
Team to beat: Grand Valley State. The Lakers are the benchmark of DII women’s basketball. Their performance in the GLIAC tournament shows you why the Midwest should be terrified. They took down Lake Superior State by 44 points, nationally ranked Northern Michigan by 28 points and top 10 Ferris State by 21 points. They have a top 10 scoring offense (No. 7 with 79.9 points per game) and a top 10 scoring defense (fifth in DII, allowing 51.7 points per game). This team looks poised for a repeat run.
Team to watch: Wayne State (MI). The Warriors are quite the enigma. This is a team that did what no other team has done in a calendar year: Beat Grand Valley State. They have wins against Northern Michigan and Ferris State and some pretty bad losses to both teams as well. Additionally, this team has scorers — Gabi Lutchka, Taylor Thompson and McKenna Ferguson all scored their 1,000th career point this season. It’s just a matter of which Warriors team shows up.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Wayne State (MI) vs. No. 5 Northern Michigan. The GLIAC is arguably the toughest conference in DII women’s basketball this season, and it is an absolute shame these two need to battle in the first round. If not, we could very well have had an all GLIAC second round. Northern Michigan has been in the top 25 for the entire season and Wayne State has that hint of Cinderella. One of these teams is going to have a chance for the upset of the tournament against Grand Valley State. You can be sure both teams will leave it all on the court for the chance at that.
South Region
Team to beat: Florida Southern. Okay, this is insane. A No. 7 seed as the team to beat? When you look at the South Region, there really isn’t a team that stands out as the Alpha. Florida Southern improved from 11-16 to 23-7 this year. The Mocs beat Nova Southeastern in the regular-season finale and nearly edged them for the SSC title, losing by a mere two baskets. Sydney Gomes (18.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 2.6 steals per game) has been one of the best in the South Region for a couple years now and can take over in those moments that you need a star to shine.
Team to watch: Alabama Huntsville. Well, if we’re picking a No. 7 seed as the team to beat, all eyes will be on No. 1 to prove that pick wrong. The Chargers are a solid team, but they are coming into the tournament off a loss to Union (TN), a South Region tournament staple, in a heartbreaker of a buzzer-beater. The three matchups with Union were insane: UAH won two of the three, and the total scoring margin of all three games was a mere eight points. The point here is: As good as UAH is, it finds itself in some tightly contested battles. In March, those can be the games you live for… or die by.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Miles vs. No. 5 Nova Southeastern. This is the first year since 2022 that two SIAC teams are in the bracket. Miles is no stranger to the tournament, but it has surprisingly struggled with Edward Waters, losing twice to the Tigers, which make them an interesting team to watch against tough competition. Nova Southeastern was in the top 10 for quite some time earlier this year, but as the competition got tougher, the losses began to pile up. On some days, there is no team in the South Region better than the Sharks. They are hoping Friday is one of those days.
South Central Region
Team to beat: Texas Woman’s. What needs to be said about the Pioneers that hasn’t already been said so many times over the last few seasons. They have reached the South Central championship in each of the past two seasons, reaching the DII Women’s Elite Eight in 2024. They reached the No. 1 spot in the national rankings this year. They are entering the tournament at 29-1 and are winners of 28 in a row powered by a stingy defense that allows just 54.2 points per game. This is one of the best teams in the sport.
Team to watch: Lubbock Christian. Lubbock Christian has been the team to beat or the team to watch in these previews since 2016. In the nine tournaments since 2016 (remember, there was none in 2020 when the Chaps were 28-3) the Chaps have reached the South Central Region championship seven times, advanced to the DII Women’s Elite Eight five of those times, and won it all three times. For those new to DII women’s basketball, the Chaps only became DII eligible in 2016 and have been one of, if not THE most dominating team in the division. It doesn’t matter what seed they have, it doesn’t matter how many returners they have, as long as head coach Steve Gomez is roaming the sideline, the entire South Central is on watch.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 3 Colorado Mesa vs. No. 6 Lubbock Christian. Well, the explanation for this was just hinted at, but Colorado Mesa is no slouch. The Mavericks are 33-1 and on a 30-game winning streak, tied with the Cal State East Bay men's team for the longest in all DII college basketball. They also have one of the best players in the division for the past four seasons in Olivia Reed Thyne. For her four-year career, Reed Thyne has averaged 18.6 points and 10.8 rebounds per game. She had a monster 33-point, 20-rebound, 3-block performance in the RMAC championship game. If this is her swan song as a senior, defeating the Chaps in the first round, something that has happened just once in Lubbock Christian’s DII era, would be the way to do it. Fun fact: That one team that bumped LCU in the first round? Yes indeed, it was Colorado Mesa.
Southeast Region
Team to beat: Coker. Talk about a weird part of the bracket. The No. 1 seed (Lincoln Memorial) lost in the semifinals of the SAC tournament. The No. 2 seed (Lenoir-Rhyne) was bounced in upset fashion by bottom seed Anderson. No. 4 seed Columbus State, the No. 1 seed in its PBC tournament, was — wait for it — upset in the PBC semifinals. All that is to say, it is anyone’s ball game here. Coker has been consistent all season and has lost to Lenoir-Rhyne twice. Should the two face off in the second round, the old saying goes that it’s very hard to beat the same team three times in a season. Coker made it to the DII Women’s Elite Eight a year ago, and Shawnteanna Tillman is a great scorer, averaging 18.4 points per game, to have on board.
Team to watch: Lenoir-Rhyne. This team was a Power 10 team in the final rankings before the tournament and are likely very angry after that quarterfinals upset in the SAC tourney. This team is a juggernaut when it gets going and has scored the second-most points per game in DII, averaging 86.6. Aaliyah El, who transferred in from Mars Hill, is having another big year, leading this scoring attack with 17.5 points per game, but there is some serious depth on this team.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 4 Columbus State vs. No. 5 Carson-Newman. The Cougars were the top scoring team in the Peach Belt, averaging 77.6 points per game. Letiya Reeves led the conference in scoring and Sophia Williams led the PBC in assist-to-turnover ratio. Carson-Newman scored 77.5 points per game. The defenses are eerily similar as well, with the Eagles allowing 66.4 points per game and the Cougars 62.9. This should be an evenly matched battle and could end on one of the first shining moments of the tournament.
West Region
Team to beat: Western Washington. This was a tough region to pick. If defense truly wins championships, the top three seeds here all have tough defenses; however, Western Washington is the best at 55.1 points per game. This is another part of the bracket where many of the top seeds are rolling in off losses, with Central Washington actually coming in on a two-game losing streak. Cal Poly Pomona has a scary first round matchup against an Azusa Pacific team that has won at least its first-round game in four of the last five tournaments. Along with that Vikings D, they also have Olivia Hodges, who enters the tournament with eight-straight double-doubles and has been utterly dominant all season long.
Team to watch: Vanguard. Come on, this is an easy pick. This is the Lions’ first year eligible for the DII tournament after its transition, and they are dancing after going 24-5, taking down tournament-regular Azusa Pacific for the PacWest title. They are a balanced squad with a potent offense, scoring 72.1 points per game, and a solid defense, allowing just 55.7. Emma Schaff (14.3 points, 7.0 rebounds per game) leads the attack. Let’s see what they can do on the big stage.
Intriguing first round matchup: No. 1 Central Washington vs. No. 8 MSU Billings. Is an 8 vs. 1 highly unlikely? Absolutely, but they happen in DII. The interesting tidbit here: These two teams are conference rivals. In fact, the Yellowjackets defeated the Wildcats just a week ago in the GNAC championship semifinals. The first time these two faced, Central Washington needed overtime to win. By no means is this an upset prediction, but it is certainly a spot in the bracket where the unthinkable can happen.
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