After a long, stressful wait until Selection Sunday, the Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team is officially headed back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2018. An NCAA Tournament bid was no sure thing for Virginia, which had to sweat it out on Selection Sunday after dropping its final three games of the season, including a one-and-done loss in the ACC Tournament to Clemson. A strong 11-7 record in the ACC — a conference that produced a league-record nine NCAA Tournament bids — also gave the ’Hoos a strong case to be included in the field. Though the ’Hoos were hoping for a longer stay in Duluth for the ACC Tournament, the 10-day break until Selection Sunday could be useful for a group that is looking to re-find its identity going into the NCAA Tournament. Virginia’s superstar point guard will be making her first NCAA Tournament appearance after earning First-Team All-ACC honors again this year.

Source: New York Times March 17, 2026 00:14 UTC