Selection Sunday Approaches as Automatic Bids Locked In

Four more bids on the line as women's basketball teams await NCAA Tournament field reveal

Mar. 15, 2026 at 12:03pm

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With the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Sunday just hours away, the field is nearly set as eight automatic bids were clinched on Saturday. The top 16 seeds were revealed, with West Virginia and North Carolina entering the group. Princeton secured the Ivy League's automatic bid, preventing bubble team Harvard from potentially stealing a spot. Four more automatic bids will be decided on Sunday ahead of the 8 p.m. ET Selection Show.

Why it matters

Selection Sunday is a highly anticipated day in women's college basketball, as teams learn their fate for the NCAA Tournament. The reveal of the top 16 seeds provides a preview of the bracket, while the final automatic bids being locked in on Sunday will determine the full field and impact bubble teams awaiting their tournament fate.

The details

On Saturday, the NCAA Women's Basketball Committee announced its top 16 seeds in alphabetical order, with West Virginia and North Carolina entering the group. Michigan State and Maryland fell out after going 0-2 since the previous reveal. Eight automatic bids were also clinched on Saturday, most notably Princeton winning the Ivy League title and preventing bubble team Harvard from potentially stealing a bid. Four more automatic bids will be decided on Sunday ahead of the 8 p.m. ET Selection Show, where the full 68-team NCAA Tournament field will be revealed.

  • The top 16 seeds were announced on Saturday afternoon.
  • Eight automatic bids were clinched on Saturday.
  • Four more automatic bids will be decided on Sunday ahead of the 8 p.m. ET Selection Show.

The players

West Virginia

The Big 12 champion Mountaineers entered the top 16 seeds after winning the conference tournament.

North Carolina

The Tar Heels entered the top 16 seeds after defeating Duke to close out the regular season.

Princeton

The Tigers captured the Ivy League's automatic bid, preventing bubble team Harvard from potentially stealing a spot.

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What’s next

The full 68-team NCAA Tournament field will be revealed during the 8 p.m. ET Selection Show on Sunday.

The takeaway

With the top 16 seeds announced and most automatic bids clinched, the stage is set for the highly anticipated NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament Selection Sunday. The final four automatic bids will be decided, and the full field will be revealed, determining the teams that will compete for the national championship.