2024–25 NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Season

The 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season began on November 4, 2024. The regular season ended on March 16, 2025, with the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament beginning with the First Four on March 19 and ending with the championship game at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on April 6.

Rule changes

On May 2, 2024, the NCAA Basketball Rules Committee proposed a few rule changes for the 2024–25 season. These changes were approved on June 6 by the Playing Rules Oversight Panel.
* A one-game suspension has been added to the ejection of any player, coach, or bench personnel who "disrespectfully contacts an official or makes a threat of physical intimidation or harm, to include pushing, shoving, spitting or attempting to make physical contact with an official".
* Officials will be able to review whether a player's foot last touching the court was inbounds on a made shot before time expired. If a player's foot is determined to be out of bounds, officials would put the exact time of the violation on the game clock. However, if the shot is made and time remains on the game clock, a video review would not occur.
* Officials will now immediately conduct a replay review to judge whether a basket should count or not if an off-ball foul is called near the time a field goal or free-throw attempt is occurring. Previously, these reviews were conducted during the next electronic-media timeout.

Season headlines

* May 29, 2024 – Stephen F. Austin announced that it would leave the Western Athletic Conference on July 1 to rejoin the Southland Conference after a three-year absence.
* July 1 – IUPUI's athletic teams renamed to Indiana University Indianapolis (IU Indy) after the Indiana and Purdue university systems split the university into IU Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis.
* September 12 – The Pac-12 Conference, which had been reduced to 2 members after its remaining 10 schools left for other power conferences a month earlier, began a rebuilding process by announcing that Mountain West Conference members Boise State, Colorado State, Fresno State, and San Diego State would join the Pac-12 in 2026–27.
* September 24 – The Pac-12 Conference's rebuilding continued as Utah State would join the other Mountain West defectors in 2026–27.
* September 30 – Gonzaga announced it would leave the West Coast Conference to join the Pac-12 Conference for all sports except for football in 2026–27.
* October 1 – UTEP announced it would join the Mountain West from Conference USA in 2026–27.
* October 9:
** The NCAA Division I Council approved a proposal that reduced the duration of the transfer portal to 30 days. Going forward, the window opens on the day after the completion of the second round of the Division I women's tournament.
** The council also abolished the National Letter of Intent program effective immediately. Written offers of athletics aid will replace the NLI.
** The Council introduced a proposal that would shorten the transition periods for schools wishing to reclassify from Division II or Division III to Division I. If approved at the council's January 2025 meeting, the transition periods for Division II and III schools would drop by a year, respectively to three and four years.
* October 15 – The Mountain West announced that Hawaiʻi, which has been a football-only member of that conference since 2012, would leave the Big West Conference in 2026–27 to become a full MW member.
* November 1 – The Mountain West announced that Grand Canyon would join the conference no later than 2026–27 for all sports except for football. Grand Canyon's official announcement stated that it would not compete in the West Coast Conference, which it had previously been scheduled to join in July 2025, and that if Mountain West bylaws allowed, it would join that conference in 2025.
* November 7 – The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents approved the name change of the former Texas A&M University–Commerce to East Texas A&M University.
* December 10 – The Mountain West announced that UC Davis would join the conference for all sports except football in 2026–27.
* January 15, 2025 – The Division I Council adopted new criteria for divisional reclassification. Schools moving from Division II or III must meet objective measures of academic success and athletic financial aid. Reclassification periods are now three years for moves from Division II and four years for moves from Division III, contingent on schools meeting these new criteria.
* February 27 – The Horizon League announced that Northern Illinois would join the conference in 2026–27, coinciding with the football team's departure from the Mid-American Conference to the Mountain West.
* March 19 – Cal Baptist announced it would join the Big West from Western Athletic Conference in 2026–27.
* March 25 – Saint Francis announced that it would reclassify to NCAA Division III starting in 2026–27, when it will leave the Northeast Conference for the Presidents' Athletic Conference.

Milestones and records

* November 15 – UConn head coach Geno Auriemma drew even with recently retired Stanford coach Tara VanDerveer as the winningest head coach in NCAA basketball history across all divisions, earning his 1,216th win after the Huskies' 69–58 win over North Carolina.
* November 20 – Auriemma took sole possession of the career wins record after UConn's 85–41 win over Fairleigh Dickinson.
* December 14 – Tennessee defeated North Carolina Central, 139–59, and broke multiple school and NCAA records in the process. These include largest margin of victory in program history (80), and most three-point field goals made in Division I history (30).
* February 16 – Vanderbilt freshman guard Mikayla Blakes broke the record for most points scored in a single game by a freshman in NCAA basketball history across all divisions, after she scored 55 points to help the Commodores to a 98–88 overtime road win over Auburn.
* March 16 – In the Missouri Valley Conference tournament final, Murray State's Katelyn Young became the 17th woman with 3,000 career points in Division I play, scoring 34 points in the Racers' 83–62 win over Belmont.

Conference membership changes

A total of 23 schools joined new conferences for the 2024–25 season. Of these, 20 moved within Division I, two began reclassification from NCAA Division II, and Chicago State ended its two-year stint as an all-sports independent to join the Northeast Conference.

The 2024–25 season was the last in their respective conferences for at least five Division I schools.

Arenas

New arenas

* Georgia Southern left the Hanner Fieldhouse after 55 seasons there for the new Hill Convocation Center. The team played its first game in the Hill Convocation Center on December 5, 2024.
* St. Thomas will play their final season at Schoenecker Arena, where they have played since 1981, before moving to the new Lee and Penny Anderson Arena, which will open in the 2025–26 season.
* Tarleton State will play their final season at Wisdom Gym, where they have played since 1970, before moving to the new Tarleton State Event Center, which will open in the 2025–26 season.
*Vermont was originally slated to open their new arena, Tarrant Event Center, as a replacement for the current arena, Patrick Gym. Construction was to continue in 2021 but it has been delayed indefinitely.

Arena of new D-I teams

* West Georgia will transition from Division II to Division I and play at The Coliseum in Carrollton, Georgia, where it has played since 2009. It will be ineligible for NCAA-organized postseason play (i.e., the NCAA tournament or NIT) until 2028.
* Mercyhurst will transition from Division II to Division I and play on the Owen McCormick Court in the Mercyhurst Athletic Center in Erie, Pennsylvania, where it has played since 1977. It will be ineligible for NCAA-organized postseason play until 2028.

Other arena changes

* Bellarmine announced on August 28, 2024, that home games would return to campus at Knights Hall for the first time since 2019–20. The Knights had played in the interim at Freedom Hall on the grounds of the Kentucky Exposition Center.

Seasonal outlook

The Top 25 from the AP and USA Today Coaching polls.

Pre-season polls

Final polls

Top 10 matchups

Rankings reflect the AP poll Top 25.

Regular season

* Nov. 10, 2024
** No. 1 South Carolina defeated No. 9 NC State, 71–57 (Ally Tipoff – Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC)
* Nov. 23
** No. 6 Notre Dame defeated No. 3 USC, 74–61 (Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA)
* Nov. 24
** No. 5 UCLA defeated No. 1 South Carolina, 77–62 (Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA)
* Dec. 5
** No. 10 Notre Dame defeated No. 4 Texas, 80–70^OT ( ACC–SEC Challenge – Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN)
** No. 3 South Carolina defeated No. 8 Duke, 81–70 (ACC–SEC Challenge – Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC)
* Dec. 8
** No. 3 South Carolina defeated No. 9 TCU, 85–53 ( Coast-to-Coast Challenge – Dickies Arena, Fort Worth, TX)
* Dec. 12
** No. 8 Notre Dame defeated No. 2 UConn, 79–68 (Rivalry – Joyce Center, Notre Dame, IN)
* Dec. 21
** No. 7 USC defeated No. 4 UConn, 72–70 (XL Center, Hartford, CT)
* Jan. 2, 2025
** No. 5 Texas defeated No. 9 Oklahoma, 80–73 ( Lloyd Noble Center, Norman, OK)
* Jan. 8
** No. 4 USC defeated No. 8 Maryland, 79–74 ( Xfinity Center, College Park, MD)
* Jan. 12
** No. 2 South Carolina defeated No. 5 Texas, 67–50 (Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC)
* Jan. 20
** No. 7 Texas defeated No. 8 Maryland, 89–51 ( Coretta Scott King Classic – Prudential Center, Newark, NJ)
* Jan. 24
** No. 2 South Carolina defeated No. 5 LSU, 66–56 (Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC)
* Jan. 26
** No. 1 UCLA defeated No. 8 Maryland, 82–67 (Xfinity Center, College Park, MD)
* Feb. 5
** No. 1 UCLA defeated No. 8 Ohio State, 65–52 (Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA)
* Feb. 8
** No. 7 USC defeated No. 8 Ohio State, 84–63 (Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA)
* Feb. 9
** No. 4 Texas defeated No. 2 South Carolina, 66–62 ( Moody Center, Austin, TX)
* Feb. 13
** No. 3 Texas defeated No. 8 Kentucky, 67–49 ( Memorial Coliseum, Lexington, KY)
** No. 6 USC defeated No. 1 UCLA, 71–60 (Rivalry – Galen Center, Los Angeles, CA)
* Feb. 16
** No. 7 UConn defeated No. 4 South Carolina, 87–58 (Colonial Life Arena, Columbia, SC)
** No. 3 Texas defeated No. 5 LSU, 65–58 (Moody Center, Austin, TX)
* Mar. 1
** No. 4 USC defeated No. 2 UCLA, 80–67 (Rivalry – Pauley Pavilion, Los Angeles, CA)
* Mar. 8
** No. 5 South Carolina defeated No. 10 Oklahoma, 93–75 ( SEC tournament — Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC)
** No. 1 Texas defeated No. 9 LSU, 56–49 (SEC tournament — Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC)
* Mar. 9
** No. 5 South Carolina defeated No. 1 Texas, 64–45 (SEC Tournament — Bon Secours Wellness Arena, Greenville, SC)
** No. 4 UCLA defeated No. 2 USC, 72–67 ( Big Ten Tournament - Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN)

Postseason

* Mar. 28
** No. 10 LSU defeated No. 9 NC State, 80–73 (Sweet Sixteen – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA)
* Mar. 29
** No. 6 TCU defeated No. 8 Notre Dame, 71–62 (Sweet Sixteen – Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL)
* Mar. 30
** No. 2 South Carolina defeated No. 7 Duke, 54–50 (Elite Eight – Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL)
** No. 1 UCLA defeated No. 10 LSU, 72–65 (Elite Eight – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA)
* Mar. 31
** No. 5 Texas defeated No. 6 TCU, 58–47 (Elite Eight – Legacy Arena, Birmingham, AL)
** No. 3 UConn defeated No. 4 USC, 78–64 (Elite Eight – Spokane Arena, Spokane, WA)
* Apr. 4
** No. 2 South Carolina defeated No. 5 Texas, 74–54 (Final Four – Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL)
** No. 3 UConn defeated No. 1 UCLA, 85–51 (Final Four – Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL)
* Apr. 6
** No. 3 UConn defeated No. 2 South Carolina, 82–59 ( National Championship Game – Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL)

Regular season

Early-season tournaments

Head-to-head conference challenges

Upsets

An upset is a victory by an underdog team. In the context of NCAA Division I women's basketball, this generally constitutes an unranked team defeating a team currently ranked in the top 25. This list will highlight those upsets of ranked teams by unranked teams as well as upsets of No. 1 teams. Rankings are from the AP poll. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes). ''Italics'' type indicates winning teams in an early-season tournament (or event). Early-season tournaments are tournaments played in the early season. Events are the tournaments with the same teams in it every year (even rivalry games).

In addition to the above listed upsets in which an unranked team defeated a ranked team, there have been five non-Division I teams to defeat a Division I team so far this season. Bold type indicates winning teams in "true road games"—i.e., those played on an opponent's home court (including secondary homes).

Conference winners and tournaments

Each of the 31 Division I athletic conferences will end its regular season with a single-elimination tournament. The team with the best regular-season record in each conference receives the number one seed in each tournament, with tiebreakers used as needed in the case of ties for the top seeding. Unless otherwise noted, the winners of these tournaments will receive automatic invitations to the 2025 NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament.

Postseason tournaments

The NCAA Tournament tipped off on March 19, 2025, with the First Four, and will conclude on April 6 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. A Total of 68 teams entered the tournament. Thirty-one of the teams earned an automatic bids by winning their conferences tournaments. The remaining 37 teams are granted "at-large" bids, which are extended by the NCAA Selection Committee.

Final Four –

Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida

Tournament upsets

Per the NCAA, an upset occurs when the losing team in an NCAA tournament game was seeded at least two seed lines better than the winning team.

Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA tournament field is announced, the NCAA invites 32 teams to the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament. The teams determined by the NCAA tournament selection committee to be the "first four out" of the NCAA tournament receive the top four seeds in the WBIT. Also, teams that won regular-season conference titles but did not receive NCAA tournament invitations, if otherwise eligible for NCAA-sponsored postseason play, receive automatic bids. All WBIT games through the quarterfinals are held at campus sites, with the semifinals and finals taking place in Indianapolis at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Semifinals and Finals

Women's National Invitation Tournament

After the NCAA tournament and WBIT fields are announced, the Women's National Invitation Tournament will invite 48 teams to participate. WNIT participants and sites will be announced when the field is set on March 17.

Semifinals and Finals

Conference standings

Award winners

2025 All-Americans

The NCAA has never recognized a consensus All-America team in women's basketball. This differs from the practice in men's basketball, in which the NCAA uses a combination of selections by the Associated Press (AP), the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), ''The Sporting News'' and the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) to determine a consensus All-America team. The selection of a consensus team is possible because all four organizations select at least a first and second team, with only the USBWA not selecting a third team.

In women's basketball, the AP, USBWA, and the women's basketball counterpart to the NABC, the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA), select All-America teams. ''The Sporting News'' does not select such a team. While the AP and USBWA each select first, second, and third teams, the WBCA selects a single 10-member team, thus making it impossible for a consensus team to be determined at any level.

Major player of the year awards

* Wooden Award: JuJu Watkins, USC
* Naismith Award: JuJu Watkins, USC
* Associated Press Player of the Year: JuJu Watkins, USC
*Wade Trophy: Paige Bueckers, UConn
* Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's Player of the Year ( USBWA): JuJu Watkins, USC
*Honda Sports Award:

Major freshman of the year awards

* Tamika Catchings Award (USBWA): Mikayla Blakes, Vanderbilt
* WBCA Freshman of the Year: Sarah Strong, UConn

Major coach of the year awards

* Associated Press Coach of the Year: Cori Close, UCLA
*Naismith College Coach of the Year: Cori Close, UCLA
* Geno Auriemma Award ( USBWA): Cori Close, UCLA
* WBCA National Coach of the Year: Cori Close, UCLA
* WBCA Assistant Coach of the Year: Tony Newman, UCLA

Other major awards

* Naismith Starting Five:
** Nancy Lieberman Award (top point guard): Paige Bueckers, UConn
** Ann Meyers Drysdale Award (top shooting guard): JuJu Watkins, USC
** Cheryl Miller Award (top small forward): Madison Booker, Texas
** Katrina McClain Award (top power forward): Aneesah Morrow, LSU
** Lisa Leslie Award (top center): Lauren Betts, UCLA
* WBCA Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Betts, UCLA
* Naismith Women's Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Betts, UCLA
* Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Award: Harmoni Turner, Harvard
* Kathy Delaney-Smith Mid-Major Coach of the Year Award: Aaron Roussell, Richmond
* Maggie Dixon Award (top rookie head coach): Jan Jensen, Iowa
* Academic All-American of the Year (top scholar-athlete): Kiki Iriafen, USC
* Elite 90 Award (top GPA among upperclass players at Final Four): Kiki Rice, UCLA
* Pat Summitt Most Courageous Award: For the first time in nearly 50 years, this award and its corresponding men's award were not presented to college basketball figures. The awards went to the boys' and girls' teams of Palisades Charter High School in Los Angeles, which both posted winning seasons in the wake of the wildfire that destroyed much of the campus as well as the homes of multiple players on both teams.

Coaching changes

Many teams will change coaches during the season and after it ends.

See also

* 2024–25 NCAA Division I men's basketball season

References

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