UConn women’s basketball is back on top of the basketball world. The Huskies claimed their 12th national title — and first since 2016 — with a dominant 82-59 win over the top-seeded South Carolina Gamecocks on Sunday. Paige Bueckers (6'0''-G-2001), who collected every possible individual award over her time with the Huskies, claims the elusive championship she coveted in her final career game. Sarah Strong (6'2''-F-2006) was unstoppable, putting up 24 points and 15 rebounds. Azzi Fudd (5'11''-G-2002) was also sensational with 24 points while Bueckers capped her career with 17 points. Offense ruled the day early as UConn made seven of its first 11 shots while South Carolina knocked in six of its first 10. At the first media timeout, the Huskies led 15-13. Then the defenses caught up. The Gamecocks failed to score over the final 3:59 of the opening quarter, but UConn failed to capitalize, scoring only four points during that same span. The second quarter was all about the runs. The Huskies pulled ahead by nine, South Carolina cut it down to three, and they pushed it up to as many as 11. UConn had a chance to extend the gap even further but went scoreless for over three minutes. Even with that, Ashlynn Shade (5'10''-G) hit a 3-pointer at the end of the half to send the Huskies into the locker room with a 36-26 lead. Out of the break, Fudd and Strong took over. The pair combined to out-score the Gamecocks 20-16 in the third quarter, which put UConn ahead by 20 through 30 minutes. In the fourth, it was KK KK Arnold (5'9''-G-2005)’s turn. The sophomore stepped up for eight points in the fourth quarter to help the Huskies put the game away. As the final buzzer sounded and the confetti rained from the rafters, UConn came out with a 23-point victory.

Courtesy of: theuconnblog.com

Buffalo erased an 11-point second half deficit to claim the 2025 Postseason WNIT Title in front of 5,650 fans at Alumni Arena, a women's basketball attendance record for the Bulls. Buffalo (30-7) were led by Chellia Watson (5'8''-G), who earned Tournament MVP honors with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists while playing all 40 minutes. Troy came out firing in the second quarter, connecting on 12-of-17 shots to build a double-digit lead, but Watson hit timely shots and scored 16 first-half points to keep Buffalo in striking distance. In the second half, Lani Cornfield (5'6''-G), and All-Tournament selection, Kirsten Lewis-Williams (5'10''-G) and Terah Harness (5'9''-G) rose to the occasion. Cornfield registered another double-double with 15 points and 11 assists, while Lewis-Williams had 18 points and Harness had 17 points with four 3-pointers. As a team, Buffalo shot 47.9 percent from the field and racked up 25 assists on 35 made baskets. Buffalo also outscored Troy 34-10 in fastbreak points. Troy built up a 10-point halftime lead after shooting 62 percent from the field in the first half. Buffalo's defensive intensity picked up in the second half, however, holding Troy to just 40 percent shooting over the last 20 minutes. The Trojans were led by All-Tournament honoree, Zay Dyer (6'2''-F), who had 15 points and 17 rebounds. Seven other Troy players scored between eight and 11 points for Troy's balanced offensive attack, which set a Postseason WNIT record for points by a team in a single tournament. With 453 points in the 2025 Postseason WNIT, Troy eclipsed Wyoming's record of 452 points in the 2007 tournament. Wyoming set that record in six games, while Troy needed just five games to set the record.

Courtesy of: womensnit.com

Freshman Tori McKinney (6'1''-G) scored a season-high 26 points, Mallory Heyer (6'1''-F) had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Minnesota beat Belmont 75-63 on Wednesday night to secure the WBIT championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Minnesota (25-11) appeared in a national postseason tournament championship game for the second straight season after losing to Saint Louis in the WNIT finale last year. Belmont (26-13) was playing for a national postseason championship for the first time in the program's 57-year history. Minnesota started the game on an 11-2 run after holding Belmont to 1-of-9 shooting through the opening eight minutes. The Bruins finished the quarter making just 3 of 13 shots with six turnovers. McKinney made 10 of her first 11 shots and reached 26 points with 5:44 remaining in the third to give Minnesota a 50-26 lead. Belmont was 10 of 35 at that point. Minnesota went ahead 63-41 early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Grace Grocholski (5'1''-G/F). But Belmont came back and Kendal Cheesman (6'2''-F) sank a 3-pointer with 3:17 remaining to get within single digits, 67-58, for the first time since it was 16-8 in the opening frame. Heyer gave Minnesota a 13-point cushion with 1:56 left on a contested layup with the shot clock winding down. Battle finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Minnesota. Jailyn Banks (5'9''-G) led Belmont with 17 points and Sanaa Tripp (5'8''-G) added 13. Cheesman and Tuti Jones (5'7''-PG) each scored 11.

WBIT All-Tournament MVP: Tori McKinney (6'1''-G) of Minnesota

Tori McKinney (6'1''-G) of Minnesota

Amaya Battle (5'1''-G) of Minnesota

Jailyn Banks of Belmont

Maddie Webber (5'11''-G) of Villanova

Alivia McGill (5'9''-G-2006) of Florida

Courtesy of: cbsnews.com

Despite having four fouls, Kyshonna Brown (5'11''-G) came off the bench in the final quarter to lead Johnson C. Smith to a 65-59 victory over Clark Atlanta. Under the guidance of interim head coach Taisha Murphy, the Golden Bulls secured the inaugural Black College Invitational Women's Championship title at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Golden Bulls trailed by 18 points in the first half to the Panthers, but Coach Murphy kept her team focused on making the comeback. "To just play our brand of basketball," Murphy said in her postgame interview. "We play really hard, we play really gritty. We got a little complacent after winning on Thursday. I think it was about bringing up our energy and locking down defensively that got us back in the game." Brown's passion and grit were fully displayed when she penetrated the paint to create a foul and finished with an old-fashioned three-point play. She led Johnson C. Smith, scoring 12 points, grabbing two rebounds, and snatching away four steals. Desiree Smith (6'0''-F) and A'Qoyas Cody each scored 10 points in the Golden Bulls' incredible victory. Clark Atlanta forward Corriana Evans (5'11''-G/F) scored a game-high 17 points while adding 11 rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Atreonia Garner had 12 points before halftime. The JCSU defense held her to four points in the second half, resulting in 16 for the match. Johnson C. Smith claimed their first contest lead when Desiree Smith made a layup off an A'Qoyas Cody pass. The Golden Bulls led 53-52 with 4:21 remaining in the final quarter. The lead was a see-saw affair until JCSU started a 15-4 run at 2:26. Kyshonna Brown's three-point play was the exclamation point for the Golden Bulls, giving them a 63-57 advantage. Clark Atlanta struggled throughout the game, with a 0-10 shooting performance from beyond the arc hampering their chances of making a comeback. Johnson C. Smith held on to claim the victory, 65-59, and take home the first-ever Black College Invitational Women's Championship Trophy.
Courtesy of: si.com

Ann Meyers Drysdale Schooting Guard of the Year Award: JuJu Watkins (6'2''-G-2005) of USC

Ann Meyers Drysdale SHOOTING gUARD of the Year finalist Awards 2025

Latson

Johnson

Hidalgo

Watkins

Blakes

Finalist
Ta'Niya Latson (5'8''-G) of FSU
Flau'Jae Johnson (5'10''-G-2003) of LSU
Hannah Hidalgo (5'6''-G-2005) of Notre Dame
JuJu Watkins (6'2''-G-2005) of USC
Mikayla Blakes (5'8''-G) of Vanderbilt

Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award: Madison Booker (6'1''-F-2005) of Texas

Cheryl Miller SMALL FORWARD of the Year finalist awards 2025

Williams

Citron

Booker

Strong

Pierre

Finalist
Mikaylah Williams (6'1''-G-2005) of LSU
Sonia Citron (6'1''-G-2003) of Notre Dame
Madison Booker (6'1''-F-2005) of Texas
Sarah Strong (6'2''-F-2006) of UConn
Khamil Pierre (6'2''-F) of Vanderbilt

Katrina McClain Power Forward of the Year Award: Aneesah Morrow (6'1''-G-2003) of LSU

Katrina McClain POWER fORWARD of the Year finalist awards 2025

Littlepage-Buggs

Timpson

Ejim

Morrow

Iriafen

Finalist
Darianna Littlepage-Buggs (6'1''-G/F-2003) of Baylor
Makayla Timpson (6'2''-F) of FSU
Yvonne Ejim (6'1''-F-2002) of Gonzaga
Aneesah Morrow (6'1''-G-2003) of LSU
Kiki Iriafen (6'3''-F-2003) of USC

Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award: Lauren Betts (6'7''-C-2003) of UCLA

Lisa Leslie center of the Year finalist awards 2025

Crooks

Beers

Prince

Jones

Betts

Finalist
Audi Crooks (6'3''-C-2004) of Iowa St.
Raegan Beers (6'4''-C-2002) of Oklahoma
Sedona Prince (6'7''-F-2000) of TCU
Taylor Jones (6'4''-F) of Texas
Lauren Betts (6'7''-C-2003) of UCLA

Dawn Staley Point Guard of the Year Award: JuJu Watkins (6'2''-G-2005) of USC

Dawn Staley pOINT gUARD of the Year finalist awards 2025

Watkins

Hidalgo

Bueckers

Fulwiley

Finalist
JuJu Watkins (6'2''-G-2005) of USC
Hannah Hidalgo (5'6''-G-2005) of Notre Dame
Paige Bueckers (6'0''-G-2001) of UConn
MiLaysia Fulwiley (5'10''-G) of S.Carolina

Buffalo erased an 11-point second half deficit to claim the 2025 Postseason WNIT Title in front of 5,650 fans at Alumni Arena, a women's basketball attendance record for the Bulls. Buffalo (30-7) were led by Chellia Watson (5'8''-G), who earned Tournament MVP honors with 23 points, seven rebounds and six assists while playing all 40 minutes. Troy came out firing in the second quarter, connecting on 12-of-17 shots to build a double-digit lead, but Watson hit timely shots and scored 16 first-half points to keep Buffalo in striking distance. In the second half, Lani Cornfield (5'6''-G), and All-Tournament selection, Kirsten Lewis-Williams (5'10''-G) and Terah Harness (5'9''-G) rose to the occasion. Cornfield registered another double-double with 15 points and 11 assists, while Lewis-Williams had 18 points and Harness had 17 points with four 3-pointers. As a team, Buffalo shot 47.9 percent from the field and racked up 25 assists on 35 made baskets. Buffalo also outscored Troy 34-10 in fastbreak points. Troy built up a 10-point halftime lead after shooting 62 percent from the field in the first half. Buffalo's defensive intensity picked up in the second half, however, holding Troy to just 40 percent shooting over the last 20 minutes. The Trojans were led by All-Tournament honoree, Zay Dyer (6'2''-F), who had 15 points and 17 rebounds. Seven other Troy players scored between eight and 11 points for Troy's balanced offensive attack, which set a Postseason WNIT record for points by a team in a single tournament. With 453 points in the 2025 Postseason WNIT, Troy eclipsed Wyoming's record of 452 points in the 2007 tournament. Wyoming set that record in six games, while Troy needed just five games to set the record.

Courtesy of: womensnit.com

Freshman Tori McKinney (6'1''-G) scored a season-high 26 points, Mallory Heyer (6'1''-F) had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and Minnesota beat Belmont 75-63 on Wednesday night to secure the WBIT championship at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Minnesota (25-11) appeared in a national postseason tournament championship game for the second straight season after losing to Saint Louis in the WNIT finale last year. Belmont (26-13) was playing for a national postseason championship for the first time in the program's 57-year history. Minnesota started the game on an 11-2 run after holding Belmont to 1-of-9 shooting through the opening eight minutes. The Bruins finished the quarter making just 3 of 13 shots with six turnovers. McKinney made 10 of her first 11 shots and reached 26 points with 5:44 remaining in the third to give Minnesota a 50-26 lead. Belmont was 10 of 35 at that point. Minnesota went ahead 63-41 early in the fourth on a 3-pointer by Grace Grocholski (5'1''-G/F). But Belmont came back and Kendal Cheesman (6'2''-F) sank a 3-pointer with 3:17 remaining to get within single digits, 67-58, for the first time since it was 16-8 in the opening frame. Heyer gave Minnesota a 13-point cushion with 1:56 left on a contested layup with the shot clock winding down. Battle finished with 17 points, seven rebounds and five assists for Minnesota. Jailyn Banks (5'9''-G) led Belmont with 17 points and Sanaa Tripp (5'8''-G) added 13. Cheesman and Tuti Jones (5'7''-PG) each scored 11.

WBIT All-Tournament MVP: Tori McKinney (6'1''-G) of Minnesota

Tori McKinney (6'1''-G) of Minnesota

Amaya Battle (5'1''-G) of Minnesota

Jailyn Banks of Belmont

Maddie Webber (5'11''-G) of Villanova

Alivia McGill (5'9''-G-2006) of Florida

Courtesy of: cbsnews.com

Naismith Defensive Player of the Year: Lauren Betts (6'7''-C-2003) of UCLA

Werner Ladder Naismith Coach of the Year: Cori Close of UCLA

Despite having four fouls, Kyshonna Brown (5'11''-G) came off the bench in the final quarter to lead Johnson C. Smith to a 65-59 victory over Clark Atlanta. Under the guidance of interim head coach Taisha Murphy, the Golden Bulls secured the inaugural Black College Invitational Women's Championship title at Bojangles Coliseum in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Golden Bulls trailed by 18 points in the first half to the Panthers, but Coach Murphy kept her team focused on making the comeback. "To just play our brand of basketball," Murphy said in her postgame interview. "We play really hard, we play really gritty. We got a little complacent after winning on Thursday. I think it was about bringing up our energy and locking down defensively that got us back in the game." Brown's passion and grit were fully displayed when she penetrated the paint to create a foul and finished with an old-fashioned three-point play. She led Johnson C. Smith, scoring 12 points, grabbing two rebounds, and snatching away four steals. Desiree Smith (6'0''-F) and A'Qoyas Cody each scored 10 points in the Golden Bulls' incredible victory. Clark Atlanta forward Corriana Evans (5'11''-G/F) scored a game-high 17 points while adding 11 rebounds, two steals, and one assist. Atreonia Garner had 12 points before halftime. The JCSU defense held her to four points in the second half, resulting in 16 for the match. Johnson C. Smith claimed their first contest lead when Desiree Smith made a layup off an A'Qoyas Cody pass. The Golden Bulls led 53-52 with 4:21 remaining in the final quarter. The lead was a see-saw affair until JCSU started a 15-4 run at 2:26. Kyshonna Brown's three-point play was the exclamation point for the Golden Bulls, giving them a 63-57 advantage. Clark Atlanta struggled throughout the game, with a 0-10 shooting performance from beyond the arc hampering their chances of making a comeback. Johnson C. Smith held on to claim the victory, 65-59, and take home the first-ever Black College Invitational Women's Championship Trophy.
Courtesy of: si.com