Bay Area Women's Basketball Teams Join 32-Team WBIT Tournament

Stanford, Cal, and Santa Clara earn postseason bids after missing out on NCAA Tournament

Mar. 16, 2026 at 2:36am by Ben Kaplan

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The Stanford, Cal, and Santa Clara women's basketball teams were not selected for the NCAA Tournament, but they will all participate in the 32-team Women's Basketball Invitational Tournament (WBIT) this week. Stanford and Cal will host first-round games, with the Cardinal facing Loyola Marymount and the Bears welcoming in Santa Clara. The Broncos set a school record for most wins in a coach's first season, going 24-9 under Loree Payne.

Why it matters

The WBIT provides a postseason opportunity for teams that narrowly missed out on the NCAA Tournament, allowing them to continue their seasons and compete for a championship. This is an important chance for the Bay Area programs to gain valuable experience and exposure, especially for up-and-coming teams like Santa Clara.

The details

Stanford (19-13) is a No. 2 seed in the WBIT and will host Loyola Marymount (21-9) on Thursday at 7 p.m. Cal (19-14) is a No. 3 seed and will host unseeded Santa Clara (24-9) on Thursday, with the tipoff time still to be determined. BYU (22-11) is the top seed in Stanford's bracket, while North Dakota State earned the No. 1 spot in the Cal-Santa Clara regional. First- and second-round games will be played on the campuses of the top 16 seeds, with the quarterfinals, semifinals, and final taking place in Wichita, Kansas.

  • The WBIT first-round games will be played on Thursday, March 20, 2026.
  • The WBIT quarterfinals will be held on March 29, 2026.
  • The WBIT semifinals and final will take place on March 30 and April 1, 2026, respectively, in Wichita, Kansas.

The players

Kate Paye

The head coach of the Stanford women's basketball team.

Loree Payne

The head coach of the Santa Clara women's basketball team, who led the Broncos to a school-record 24 wins in her first season.

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What’s next

The WBIT quarterfinal games will be played on March 29, 2026, with the higher remaining seed hosting the games. The semifinals and final will be held on March 30 and April 1, 2026, respectively, in Wichita, Kansas.

The takeaway

The inclusion of Stanford, Cal, and Santa Clara in the WBIT demonstrates the strength of women's basketball in the Bay Area, with multiple programs earning postseason bids despite narrowly missing out on the NCAA Tournament. This is an opportunity for these teams to continue their seasons and gain valuable experience as they look to build towards future success.