This week’s edition of “Around the NCAAW” debuts a day early, setting the stage before tonight’s NCAA Women’s Selection Special at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Final conference tournaments
The final, four automatic bids to the NCAA Tournaments will be determined today:
Patriot: No. 3-seed Boston University vs. No. 1-seed Holy Cross (12 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network)
NEC: No. 2-seed Le Moyne vs. No. 1-seed Sacred Heart (12 p.m. ET, ESPNU/ESPN+)
MVC: No. 3-seed Missouri State vs. No. 1-seed Drake (2 p.m. ET, ESPN2/ESPN+)
CAA: No. 7-seed Drexel vs. No. 1-seed Stony Brook (CBS Sports Network)
Dancing reservations confirmed
Congrats to the following teams for winning their conference’s tournament and securing their spot in the NCAA Tournament: Rice (AAC), Maine (AEC), FGCU (ASUN), Eastern Washington (Big Sky), UC-Irvine (Big West), MTSU (C-USA), Princeton (Ivy), Fairfield (MAAC), Kent State (MAC), Norfolk State (MEAC), UNLV (MWC), Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (SLC), Jackson State (SWAC) and California Baptist (WAC).
In addition to the above teams, the following teams have automatically qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning their conferences’ tournament: Notre Dame (ACC), Richmond (A-10), UConn (Big East), Presbyterian (Big South), Iowa (Big Ten), Texas (Big 12), Green Bay (Horizon), UT Martin (OVC), USC (Pac-12), South Carolina (SEC), Chattanooga (SoCon), South Dakota State (Summit), Marshall (Sun Belt) and Portland (WCC).
In total, there are 32 automatic bids, with the 36 more at-large bids to be determined by the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Committee.
More individual conference honors
All NCAA Division I conferences have revealed their end-of-season award winners. Congrats to these standout players and coaches from across the NCAAW landscape who were recognized over the past week.
Players of the Year:
MTSU’s Savannah Wheeler (C-USA), Columbia’s Abbey Hsu (Ivy), Fairfield’s Janelle Brown (MAAC), Toledo’s Sophia Wiard (MAC), Norfolk State’s Kierra Wheeler (MEAC), Drake’s Kate Dinnebier (MVC), UNLV’s Desi-Rae Young (MWC), Lamar’s Akasha Davis (SLC), Florida A&M’s Ahriahna Grizzle (SWAC) and California Baptist’s Chloe Webb (WAC).
Coaches of the Year:
FIU’s Jesyka Burks-Wiley (C-USA), Columbia’s Megan Griffith (Ivy), Fairfield’s Carly Thibault-DuDonis (MAAC), Toledo’s Tricia Cullop (MAC), Norfolk State’s Larry Vickers (MEAC), Drake’s Allison Pohlman (MVC), New Mexico’s Mike Bradbury (MWC), Lamar’s Aqua Franklin (SLC), Jackson State’s Tomekia Reed (SWAC) and California Baptist’s Jarrod Olson (WAC).
Freshmen of the Year:
Liberty’s Asia Boone (C-USA), Penn’s Mataya Gayle (Ivy), Fairfield’s Meghan Andersen (MAAC), Buffalo’s Kirsten Lewis-Williams (MAC), Howard’s Tyana Walker (MEAC), Belmont’s Jailyn Banks (MVC), UNLV’s Amarachi Kimpson Wilson (MWC), Nicholls State’s Britiya Curtis (SLC), Alabama A&M’s Kaylah Turner (SWAC) and Abilene Christian’s Payton Hull (WAC).
Defense Players of the Year:
MTSU’s Anastasiia Boldyreva (C-USA), Princeton’s Ellie Mitchell (Ivy), Siena’s Elisa Mevius (MAAC), Ball State’s Nyla Hampton (MAC), Coppin State’s Laila Lawrence (MEAC), Drake’s Anna Miller (MVC), New Mexico’s Aniyah Augmon (MWC), Southeastern’s Jalencia Pierre (SLC), Jackson State’s Angel Jackson (SWAC) and Stephen F. Austin’s Destini Lombard (WAC).