Duke Earns No. 1 Seed in ACC Women's Basketball Tournament

Blue Devils seek second straight conference title after winning regular season crown

Mar. 2, 2026 at 8:07pm

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The Duke Blue Devils have secured the No. 1 seed in the 2026 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament after winning a share of the regular season title with a 16-2 conference record. N.C. State clinched the No. 4 seed and double-bye after a dominant win over Pitt on the final day of the regular season. The tournament will take place March 4-8 at Gas South Arena in Duluth, Georgia.

Why it matters

Duke is looking to defend its ACC Tournament championship from last season, when the Blue Devils upset top-seeded N.C. State in the final. The tournament will feature a 15-team field with the top four seeds earning double-byes to the quarterfinals, setting up an exciting postseason in the highly competitive ACC.

The details

Duke locked up a share of the regular-season title on Thursday with an 80-52 win over Florida State, but lost to North Carolina 74-69 in the regular-season finale on Sunday. N.C. State clinched the No. 4 seed and double-bye after routing Pitt 93-43 on the final day. Louisville earned the No. 2 seed, while North Carolina secured the No. 3 seed.

  • Duke clinched a share of the regular-season title on Thursday, February 19, 2026.
  • N.C. State secured the No. 4 seed and double-bye on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
  • The ACC Tournament will take place from March 4-8, 2026 in Duluth, Georgia.

The players

Kara Lawson

Head coach of the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team.

Wes Moore

Head coach of the N.C. State Wolfpack women's basketball team.

Courtney Banghart

Head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team.

Toby Fournier

A player for the Duke Blue Devils women's basketball team.

Nyla Harris

A player for the North Carolina Tar Heels women's basketball team.

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What they’re saying

“To win the ACC regular season for our school for the first time in 13 years is amazing accomplishment.”

— Kara Lawson, Head coach, Duke Blue Devils

“Obviously we dropped a few, but we're spoiled. We're 12-5 in the conference. A lot of people would give anything to be 12-5 in this league.”

— Wes Moore, Head coach, N.C. State Wolfpack

“I think this group knows a lot about who they are. Doesn't make the games easier. It doesn't make beating whoever we have next any easier.”

— Courtney Banghart, Head coach, North Carolina Tar Heels

What’s next

The ACC Tournament quarterfinals will take place on Friday, March 6, 2026, with the top four seeds - Duke, Louisville, North Carolina, and N.C. State - entering the tournament at that stage.

The takeaway

The 2026 ACC Women's Basketball Tournament features a strong field led by regular season champion Duke, as the Blue Devils seek to defend their conference title. N.C. State, Louisville, and North Carolina will also be contenders, setting up an exciting postseason in one of the top women's basketball conferences in the country.